Writing a CV for your first job

A first CV is not an empty CV with the gaps showing. It is a different document with a different order, and once you know the order it is quicker to write than an experienced one.

Put education first

Until you have roughly two years of work, education is the more interesting half of your CV, so it goes above experience. Include your subjects, your grades if they are good, and any coursework, project or dissertation that is relevant to the job.

What counts as experience

• Part-time and holiday work. Bar work and shelf stacking prove reliability, cash handling and dealing with the public — say so in those terms.
• Placements, internships and work experience weeks, however short.
• Volunteering, including one-off events.
• Positions of responsibility: team captain, society treasurer, course representative.
• Substantial personal projects, especially in technical fields, with a link if there is one to show.
• Caring responsibilities, if you are comfortable listing them. They are real work.

Describe it the same way

The rules do not change because the job was unpaid. "Handled the till on Saturdays" is a duty. "Ran the till on the busiest shift of the week, cashing up to within a pound every time" is evidence.

One page

One page, and do not stretch. A confident single page beats a page and a half of margin adjustments, and every experienced reader can tell the difference.