Explaining in just a few words why you should be the candidate for the job on a sheet of “paper” is tough for everyone. It is even tougher when you do not have a lot of experience to count on.
Hi! I am Violeta, the Student Recruiter and I would like to share some insights from my experience with reading dozens of students’ CVs. Highlighting your experience and potential in the right way can help you have a pleasant interview.
The actionable steps below can be useful for someone beginning their career journey.
Follow these actionable steps to create or improve your CV to stand out.
1. Create an Authentic and Persuasive Summary
As this is the first paragraph that appears on your CV, this is your chance to “pitch your potential” by highlighting your key skills, experience and career ambitions.
I am sure you have a lot of qualities but the resume summary should have 2-3 sentences offering to the recruiters a gist of your relevant experience and boasting about your accomplishments in the field. The purpose of the summary is to immediately draw attention to your candidacy and paint a picture of a fit applicant.
Challenge yourself with the questions below to reflect on your qualities and brainstorm your Summary description:
- What are the most relevant skills you possess until now?
- What are your aspirations for your career?
- What 2-3 qualities do you want to highlight across your profile?
- What are you curious about in your field of studies or activity?
- What would your friends and colleagues would say about working with you? What can they rely on from you?
- What do you care about: in your field of study/activity, personally?
- What is one challenge you solved in a recent volunteer/personal project activity? What does that say about you?
- Are you a learner? How can you prove it through specific examples?
- What are your long-term ambitions in your career?
Template Example 1
Currently studying field, I am most curious about growing towards career direction as I enjoy solving X, Y, Z (issues/challenges). From my personal projects/ volunteer experience / I learned how to manage X, Y, Z to achieve the desired outcome of the project. Looking forward to expanding my knowledge in sub-field, sub-field, and sub-field, as I highly value X, Y, Z.
Template Example 2
“Being an Xth/rd year student at X University, specialised in the Field of Study X, I am looking for my next career step. Nice to meet you! I am on the path of building a strong foundation in X technologies, with a commitment to practice what I learn through personal projects. Most of my colleagues count on me for X, Y, so I enjoyed being the leader in X, Y projects. Proficient in various aspects of X, Y, I am eager to contribute with my team player’s skills to complete real-world business challenges. I approach opportunities with enthusiasm and a determination to excel.”
2. Counterintuitive: Chronological Professional Experience?
List your experience in reverse chronological order. Include job title, company name, and location. Quantify your achievements whenever possible.
If you thought the summary part was the hard one, welcome to the next level. Don’t worry, I was joking. Take a deep breath and remember how exciting your work experiences have been so far. Then write it as clearly as possible, highlighting your role, project name and period.
This part should also offer a clear perspective of the activities you have been involved in.Help the recruiters see your skills at a glance and provide enough information so that you can develop more during an interview. We will discuss this topic as well. J
Answer the questions:
- What are the most relevant professional activities/projects that I was part of?
- What duties did I have as part of that project/activity?
- What technical/non-technical skills did I apply in that activity?
- What was the result of my contribution? How was the project influenced by my presence?
Example 1 – Use this if you have previous professional experience
X Company /Faculty, Period ( Oct 2023 – Present)
X Role ( Ex.: Intern Software Engineer)
Project Description:
Technology Stack *Optional*
Responsibilities:
– Working with x tool for…
– Develop…
– Create…
* Notice: The more structured and clear the CV is, the easier it is for recruiters to navigate and consider your skills.”
Example 2
Stefanini, May 2024 – Present
Intern Software Engineer
Project Description: Part of the .Net development team and working on a banking application using Agile Methodology.
Technology Stack: .Net, C#.
Responsibilities:
– Integrating third – parties libraries;
– Optimizing database queries;
– Utilizing design patterns.
Example 3 – use this if you do not have professional experience
X University, September 2021 – Present
Student
Throughout the university journey, I’ve learnt different programming languages, gaining a solid foundation in .Net technologies. I actively participated in various events and activities, such as: ….
3. Skills
Each activity you are involved in offers numerous rewards that we cultivate. The results, guess what, are oriented towards skills. Why is it necessary to mention these abilities we have in a CV? Well, they provide relevant information about your journey so far, but could also be a green flag of how suitable you are for a job.
As you probably know, those skills are separated into HARD SKILLS (tools and technologies) and SOFT SKILLS (communication, creativity, problem–solving, collaboration, team player).
To present your most relevant and conscious skills, you need to analyse where and how you have put them into practice so that there is a connection between your academic and/or professional experience so far.
Example: Team player – Part of the X project, collaborating with…
Communication – Improved colleague’s morale and communication by organizing informal team lunches.
4. Projects and Certifications
As probably most of you, dear readers, might not have a lot of professional experience, it is important to highlight the projects you are working on by yourself. Just praise yourself and show us how motivated you are to develop your skills.
Tips 2: Do not forget to mention all the certifications you have obtained. ( Language certifications; Courses, etc.)
Example:
Personal Projects: Describe the project + technologies / tools used + Links
“A JavaScript-backed React project for a movie review site. Users can easily register and log in, with account data securely stored in a separate database. The admin interface offers additional functionality, allowing administrators to manage users, reviews, and overall site operations.”
A well-crafted CV is your ticket to the next stage of your career. Take the time to perfect it, and you’ll be rewarded with exciting new opportunities.
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