CV help

I am looking to apply for a job in september during my second year of uni, but all my CVs are extremly bad and havent been updated since GCSE. I showed my friends who have had jobs and they just lauged at me and have not really helped me... is there any advice i can have pls, i am rlly struggling to write one on my own for some reason.

Reply 1

MMU-UGStudentRep

Official Rep

Original post by starfshi

Hi @starfshi,

Your uni should have loads of support for this - at MMU for example, the careers and employability service team can help 1:1 drafting and improving your CV. Try looking at your uni careers page for anything like this.

In the meantime, you could start by:

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listing any volunteering, part-time work, or uni projects you've done since GCSE

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using free tools like the prospects CV builder or targetjobs cv targets template to help structure it

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focusing on transferable skills like communication, teamwork, time management - all stuff you pick up at uni, even without a formal job.

would you find it helpful if I shared a simple template or bullets to get you started?

Innaya,
MMU Student Rep x

Reply 2

Dptsk

hey dont stress too much abt it. everyone starts somewhere and it’s great you’re thinking abt this now! here’s a few simple things that might help:

start with a basic structure
contact details
short intro (2-3 lines about who u are and what ur looking for)
education (what ur studying + predicted grades)
experience (part-time jobs, volunteering, school stuff)
skills (like teamwork, comms, IT etc)

keep it to 1 page .short and clear is totally fine

even if u havent had a proper job, stuff like uni projects or helping in a club still shows good skills

sites like canva or zety have free CV templates makes layout way easier

once u’ve got a draft, get someone to look over it
you got this :smile:

Reply 3

Kingston Zhi En

Official Rep

Original post by starfshi

Hi there @starfshi ,

Just to add on to what the others have already mentioned you might want to try contacting your uni's 'careers and employability team' for CV advice as well as possible in-house job openings within the uni such as Student Ambassador, library reception or administrative roles that you can try.
Regarding your CV, try to keep it clean and simple. Choose a nice font that is clear to read, start with your Name, Contact Details, followed by relevant Experience (include dates and a few sentences on what you did) and lastly your Academic Qualifications and Availability. This can all be done in a single column on platforms like Google Docs or Microsoft Word, try to keep it to one page and include a cover letter to introduce yourself and why you want to work here. 🤗
Don't worry too much because you don't always need a lot of work experience for retail/ bar part time jobs, try searching on platforms like Indeed or have a look around your local high street and ask in-person directly with the local store manager. Some of my peers also work agency event jobs, which tends to be more flexible. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck in your job hunt!

Zhi En
(Kington Student Rep.)

(edited 6 days ago)