1st course : professional CV for students :

Knowing how to write a high-quality student CV that showcases your academic and
professional credentials can position you as the best candidate for work and educational
positions. In this article, we explain the importance of a well-written curriculum vitae
and how to write one step by step with multiple examples and a template to help you
write your own.

I. Why are CV examples for students

important?
You need to write a curriculum vitae for job applications, but where do you start?
Consulting examples of well-written CVs for students is your best first step as it shows
what succeeds with employers and administrators. From well-written CV examples for
students, you'll see the correct format, language and content to include in yours to make
it professional, compelling and well-received.

II. What Is a CV? Curriculum Vitae

Definition and Examples
A CV (short for the Latin phrase curriculum vitae, which means “course of life”) is a
detailed document highlighting your professional and academic history. CVs typically
include information like work experience, achievements and awards, scholarships or
grants you’ve earned, coursework, research projects and publications of your work. You
may be asked to submit a CV when applying for jobs in academia or a job outside the
US.

If you need help determining how to write a CV, it can be helpful to consult a template.
In this course, we will provide additional background on the document along with an
easy-to-follow CV example template to ensure you craft a powerful curriculum vitae
that stands out to employers.
III. CV vs. Resume
A CV and resume are similar in that they’re both documents that summarize your
professional history, education, skills and achievements. They’re also both documents
you might provide an employer for consideration for an open position.

It is important to note that in the United States and most of Europe, resumes and CVs
are not interchangeable. A resume is a shorter-form document that provides a concise
overview of your previous roles, skills and details about your education. (The French
word résumé translates to “abstract” or “summary.”) A CV, on the other hand, is
typically a longer, more detailed document focused largely on academic coursework and
research.

There are a few exceptions, however. In India, South Africa and Australia, the terms
CV and resume are interchangeable.

IV. How to create a CV for students

Take these steps to create a professional student CV that will impress admission
committees and hiring managers:

1. Use the proper format and structure.

2. Study the position and the employer.
3. Start with a captivating personal statement or objective.
4. Be creative with your education.
5. Expand your work experience.
6. Add other sections.
7. Proofread and edit.
6- Use the proper format and structure

Before you start writing your student CV, it is essential to determine the correct
structure and format. This gives your CV a professional look and improves
legibility. Use simple and clear fonts that make it easy to read your CV.

2. Study the position and the employer

Researching the employer and the position can help you determine the education
qualifications and skills to include on your CV. If you are applying for graduate studies,
look at the requirements of the program and study the CV of other candidates. You can
also check job descriptions in your industry to identify the common skills employers
want to see on your CV.

3. Start with a captivating personal statement or objective

Lead with a compelling personal statement that highlights your skills, achievements and
educational qualifications. Your CV personal statement comprises two to three
sentences summarizing who you are, your academic qualifications and experience, your
ambitions and what you will bring to a position or an employer. Even if you have no
work experience, you can use this section to highlight relevant skills, voluntary service
and coursework that makes you an ideal candidate.

4. Be creative with your education

Students often lack extensive work experience to include in their CV. With creativity,
you can expand your education section to increase the amount of detail in the document.
Things you can add are relevant subjects, coursework, projects, awards and grades if
they will improve your chances of getting the role.

Start from your most recent educational qualification in reverse chronological order. If
you have a higher degree, you can drop your high school credentials from the CV. Add
your GPA only if it will boost your chance of getting the role, preferably something
between 3.5 to 4.0. Mention your education first if you have no work experience.

When listing schools, include the name of the program, school and year attended.
Optional information includes your GPA, honors, minor and academic achievements. If
you are an undergraduate, you can list essential courses and modules relevant to the role.
You can also include your expected degree classification and previous grades if they
improve your candidacy.

5. Expand your work experience

Even if you have no paid work experience, you can include volunteer work, placements,
internships and team activities in your CV. These activities can help you highlight
workplace skills and demonstrate your passion for the position.
In this section, start from your most recent role. Include voluntary work, internship
placements and all full- and part-time paid work relevant to the role. Each position needs
to include the company name, job title and the months and years that you worked.

In your key responsibilities section, highlight the skills, experience and achievements
you gained at each role. Add only the responsibilities relevant to the job you are applying
for and quantify your accomplishments with figures. Additionally, make sure there are
no gaps in your work history.

6. Add other sections

If you need to highlight your skills, an additional skills section allows you to mention
hard, soft and general competencies and your level of proficiency. You can also include
achievements such as awards and recognition and positions of responsibility at school.
Make sure to include only real skills and accomplishments because the hiring manager
may ask you to prove them at the interview.

You can also add a hobby and interests section in your student CV, that concisely lists
potentially-relevant skills and experience. Hobbies and interests that demonstrate a love
for learning or determination can show a hiring manager transferable capabilities.

Other optional sections you can add to a student CV include certificates and awards,
languages and personal projects.

7. Proofread and edit

After writing your CV, proofread and edit the document multiple times before sending
it to the employer. You may have excellent credentials, but typos and grammatical errors
can send the wrong impression to recruiters. Many free online tools will check your CV
for grammar and style errors. You might also consider having another person review
your CV for feedback on how to improve the content and quality.
V. CV template for students
The format and template for writing a CV depend on the position and organization you
are applying to and your experience and education. However, there are necessary and
optional details you can include in a CV.

Necessary sections to include in a CV

Here are must-have sections in a CV:

 Contact information
 CV summary or objective
 Work experience
 Skills
 Education

Optional sections to include in a CV

The following sections are optional in a CV:

 Personal projects
 Languages
 Certifications and awards
 Volunteer experience

Now that you know the information to include in a CV, the next step is to create a
compelling student CV. Use this template to structure your student CV:

Contact information

 [Your full name]

 [Contact address]
 [Phone number]
 [Email address]

Personal statement or objective

 [Write your personal summary or objective here.]

Education
  [Title of degree and the name of the school]
 [Dates you attended or expected date of graduation]

 [Three to five bullets focused on your achievements, accomplishments or

memberships while in college]

Honors and awards

 [Include any honors and awards you received in school.]

Publications

You can also create a separate section for papers if you want to mention several
publications. Otherwise, place them under the education summary.

 [Include any papers you published or coauthored during your studies.]

 [Include the date of submission and the title of the publication.]

Research

Your research experience can have a separate section if it allows you to showcase
transferrable skills.

 [Title]
 [Name of research]
 [Date and duration of the research]

 [Include 3-5 bullet points about your responsibilities, achievements, results and skills
and experience gained during the exercise.]
 [Start each bullet point with an action verb.]

Employment history

 [Title]
 [Dates of employment]
 [Company or organization], [Location/Address]
 [List three to five work experiences.]
 [Begin sentences with past or present action verbs.]
 [Quantify achievements with figures.]
 Core skills

 [List 3-5 important skills that you developed as a student.]

Hobbies or other relevant interests

 [Include 3-5 hobbies.]

 [Include the name of the certificate, the awarding institution, dates of obtainment and
state or country. Start from the most recent certifications.]
 [Include languages and proficiency.]

VI. Student CV example

Here are CV examples of different education levels you can use to start writing your
own student CV:

a. CV sample for master's student

Lupe Morten

88 Creek Avenue
Dallas, TX 75063
555-555-5555
[email protected]

Professional summary

Motivated and technically competent masters student with 3+ years of research

experience in biology. Specialized in specimen preparation and analysis, laboratory
practice and SPSS. Seeking a fellowship at your reputable institution to contribute to
the body of knowledge in amphibian research.

Education

The University of Texas at Austin, Texas

Master of Science in Microbiology
September 2018-Present
University of Houston, Texas
Bachelor of Science in Biology
April 2012-April 2016

Research

The University of Texas at Austin

Department of Microbiology
Research Assistant
February 2019-August 2019

 Collected live specimen of the endangered fork-tongued desert lizard native to

northern Texas
 Collaborated with doctoral students to design a breeding program to improve
the wild stock of amphibian species
 Analyzed survey and lab results in SPSS
 Served as an assistant to Professor Burton Atlee

Employment history

Jenkins Biotechnologies
May 2016-August 2018
Lab Scientist

 Performed laboratory duties, including preparing, dressing and storing

specimen
 Analyzed biological samples for potential pathogens under sterile conditions
 Participated in the genome sequencing on a novel retrovirus for the creation of
a vaccine
 Managed the laboratory and ensured proper waste disposal

Hobbies

 Swimming
 Salsa dancing