CV Guide

For undergraduate and postgraduate

students

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Welcome
This guide created by Career Development Consultants at
Edinburgh Napier University aims to support you in writing a
great CV. The advice is UK-specific, with fictional examples to
give you some inspiration. It includes example CVs to help you
understand content and layout. Do not copy these directly;
they are intended to be used as a guide only.

You can book a 1-1 careers appointment with a Career

Development Consultant on MyFuture.

Questions about this guide? Contact careers@napier.ac.uk

Where to find us
Student Futures, Edinburgh Napier University
6B32 Sighthill Campus, 9 Sighthill Court
Edinburgh, EH11 4BN
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 09.00 – 17.00

Follow us on LinkedIn, Edinburgh Napier Student Futures

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Contents

4 Writing a Great CV

5-8 Structuring your CV

9 Sending your CV to Employers

10-26 CV Examples

27-28 FAQs

29 Resources

30-31 Action Words for CVs

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Writing a Great CV
• A CV is a concise, factual document.
• It should evidence your knowledge, skills and experience to show that you are
a good fit for the organisation.
• It should convince an employer to invite you to an interview.
Write a GREAT CV using the tips below.

Grab attention
Make your CV stand out for the right reasons. Use clear fonts and
subheadings to guide the reader through your CV. Avoid paragraphs of text
and instead opt for short bullet points.

Relevant
Consider your CV from an employer’s perspective. Only include information
that demonstrates your suitability for the role. The first page of your CV
should contain the experience most relevant to the employer.

Evidence
Don’t simply list your skills and qualities; an employer expects evidence.
Include examples within your work experience or relevant experience
sections.

Accurate
Employers look carefully at spelling and grammar, rejecting CVs that contain
errors. Use proofreading software such as Grammarly and ask someone you
trust to proofread your CV. Ensure details are accurate; for example, dates and
contact details.

Tailored
Your CV is more likely to be shortlisted if it is tailored to the specific job
and employer. Use keywords mentioned in the job description and person
specification to guide the contents of your CV.

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Structuring your CV
A typical UK CV should be no longer than two A4 pages. The
order of sections can vary but generally follow the format below.

Contact Details
• Name: Large font, clearly stated at the top
of the page.
• Address: State the city or nearest town.
• Telephone number: Ideally a UK mobile/
landline. Include the area code if required.
• Email address: Professional and one that
you access often.
• LinkedIn profile: Ensure the link works and
that your profile is up to date and in line
with information in your CV.
• Don’t include: Date of birth, gender, age,
religion, marital status or photograph.

Personal Profile
• A brief introduction, tailored to the intended reader (3-4
lines).
• Include your career goals, experience and skills that make
you suitable for the job you are applying for.
• Avoid generic phrases (e.g., team player, highly motivated,
self-starter).
• If you are short of space, you can omit this section.
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 Education
• List your most recent education experience
first (e.g. your current Edinburgh Napier
University degree).
• State start and end dates including
months. If you are still studying, add the
month and year you expect to graduate.
e.g. BA Psychology, Edinburgh Napier
University (September 2020 - July 2024).
• Add degree qualification (e.g. 2.1) or
predicted grade (e.g. expected 2.1).
• Include modules and dissertation projects
only if you think they are relevant to the
job and could impress the reader.
• School grades are optional unless
specifically requested. List the highest
qualifications.

Experience
• List your most recent experience first in each section and work
backwards, i.e. reverse chronologically.
• Include jobs (full and part-time), work shadowing, placements and
volunteering experience.
• Highlight the most relevant experiences on your CV, by dividing
them into two subheadings.
• Relevant Experience: Directly linked to the job you are applying to,
e.g., internship.
• Additional Experience: Not directly linked to the job e.g. part-time
job.

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 Skills
• This is an important section
particularly for technical or
creative roles.
• Include the skills from the job
description to tailor your CV for
the specific job.
• If listing transferable skills (e.g.,
teamwork), use supporting
evidence.

Interests
• This is an optional section.
• Only include interests if they
demonstrate a skill or quality
that would impress the
employer.
• Be concise, using bullet points
and include the transferable
skills gained.

Volunteering
• Include any recent volunteering experience relevant to the
role you are applying for.
• Use bullet points, focusing on the transferable skills you
developed through volunteering.

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 Additional Information
Some examples of what you could include in this section;
• UK driving licence and access to a car.
• Relevant certificates (e.g., First Aid).
• Membership of a professional body (e.g., Institute of
Chartered Accountants of Scotland).
• Additional courses or conferences beyond your university
degree.
• Right to work status (e.g. right to work in the EEA or skilled
worker visa).

References
• If you are short of space, omit this
section unless it is specifically
requested.
• Include one academic reference and
one employer (if applicable).
• Always ask permission from your
referees in advance and include
accurate contact details.

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Sending your CV to employers
CV Etiquette
• Use the term CV, not resumé.
• Name your CV appropriately,
e.g. ‘Anya Chandrai CV, Admin
Assistant, Scottish Water’.
• As a general guide, email your
CV as an attachment in PDF
format.
• Submit your CV before the
application closing date and at
a reasonable time of the day.

Composing your email

• In the email itself, write a short paragraph stating who you
are, the job you are applying for and the documents you
have attached.
• Address the email to a specific person in the organisation
(e.g Mr. Ross Jones) rather than ‘Sir/Madam’.
• Include a subject line because emails sent with
attachments and no text or subject lines are often marked
as spam.

CV Examples
The following pages contain CV examples to help you decide
how you would like to design and structure your CV. Please
use the examples as a guide and do not copy them directly.

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Part-time job CV Keep it
brief,one
A4 page is
sufficient.

Include work
experience first
because the
employer will be
most interested
in this.

Volunteering can
evidence skills & interest
in your chosen field.

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Placement CV Keep it
concise, one
A4 page is
enough.

Include details about

your modules because
the placement is likely
to be related to these.

Tailor your
application
to the
specific
placement.

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Limited work experience CV Highlight the
transferable
skills that make
you suitable for
the role.

Showcase
skills from
your studies
(e.g written
communication
skills) that are
relevant for the
position.

Free short
courses are a
great way to
develop skills if
you lack work
experience.

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Summer internship CV

Use this section to tailor

your CV to the internship.

List relevant
modules to
show how
your degree
links to the
internship.

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Summer internship CV (continued)

Include part-time
jobs to demonstrate
transferable skills.

Include interests
to demonstrate
your relevant &
transferable skills.

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Academic CV As with all CVs, tailor
to the job description &
person specification.

State
module
results if
these are
impressive.

Prioritise the education

section on your CV &
include more detail in
this section compared
to a traditional CV.

An academic CV
can be longer
than 2 A4 pages.

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Academic CV (continued)
List publications &
conferences you have
been involved in.

List professional
memberships, even if you
are a student member.

Visit the Academic CV section

of the Vitae website for further
advice & CV examples. 16
Skills based CV

Use bullet points

to ensure this
section is concise.

List any relevant

academic
achievements.

Consider what the prospective

employer will be interested in
when describing work experience.

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Skills based CV (continued)
Choose skills that the
employer is looking for
in applicants.

The skills section is expanded

to showcase when & how key
skills were developed.

Include interests
that show you would
be a good fit for the
organisation.

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Creative CV
Creative technology
CVs often use more
colourful themes.

Consider what message

the colours & design
conveys to employers.

Focus on
technical
skills &
industry
experience.

Ensure skills from the job

advert are included in your CV,
cover letter & portfolio.

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Creative CV
Include the job title
under your name
for media roles.

Place your
skills section
in a prominent
position.

Include a statement giving consent for

the employer to share your CV.
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One page CV
Contact details are
clearly shown at the
top of the document.

Recruiters scan
one-page CVs
so ensure the
most relevant
information is
listed first.

Focus on industry
experience &
relevant skills.

Information is not
overcrowded & each section is
clearly labelled.

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 One page CV
CVs in this industry are
usually one A4 page.

Any industry
experience should
be highlighted as
a priority.

Clearly
state
technical
skills as
these
are high
priorty.

Include the specific

technical skills the
employer is looking for.

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Career changer CV
Use this section
to address your
career change.

Focus on the transferable skills

from your previous career(s).
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 Career changer CV (continued)

Volunteering is a great way

to show your interest in
your new career path.

If you lack experience,

involvement in professional
bodies or extra courses
can demonstrate your
comittment to your new
career.

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International student CV

Use this section to describe

your career journey.

Ask a someone you

trust to proofread
your CV as there can
be differences in
terminology.

Include experience from

your home country.

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International student CV (continued)

List the
languages you
speak & the
proficiency.

Lacking UK work experience?

Consider work experience simulation
programmes, free online courses or
volunteering.

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FAQs
Disability
• Deciding whether to disclose a disability
to a potential employer is a personal
decision.
• You are entitled to reasonable
adjustments during the recruitment
process and when you embark on your
employment.
• We have partnered with EmployAbility
who can provide you with individualised
advice and support about adjustments
for recruitment and the workplace.
• Visit the Student Futures Disability &
Inclusion Careers Support page for more
information.

Work Permission
• Immigration rules are frequently changing for interna-
tional students and graduates. It is your responsibility to
know what rights to work you have. For regularly updated
information, see: GOV.UK Visas and Immigration and UK
Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)
• Edinburgh Napier Visa and International Support team
for qualified advice on the visa process, or support with
immigration questions. Tel: +44 131 455 2272 Email:
internationalsupport@napier.ac.uk
• It is recommended to omit your nationality from your CV
as there is no legal requirement to include it.
• Offering a factual statement of your circumstances
is typically the simplest way to anticipate employers’
questions about your eligibility to work in the UK.

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FAQs
Gaps and Breaks
• Be clear and genuine, without going into
unnecessary detail. For example:
• Career break (8 months) travelling in South
America
• Studies extended due to a recurring health
condition (2 terms)
• Full-time carer for family member
• Parental leave (9 months)
• 2 months’ full-time job-searching

What next?
Thank you for reading this guide. The following pages include
further resources to help you write your CV.

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Resources

Edinburgh Napier University Digital Resources

• CV Builder
• CV360
• CV workshop recording

Recommended websites
• Prospects : CVs and cover letters
• TargetJobs : Applications and CV advice
• Milkround : How to write a graduate CV
• Bright Network : How to write a CV
• Prospects: Sector guides

Need experience for your CV?

• Forage is an online resource that offers virtual internship
experience programmes by leading companies. Through
Virtual Internships, you can work at your own pace and you
will gain new skills and receive a free certificate. This is a
great way to add experience to your CV.
• Learn how to write a CV if you have little or no work
experience.
• Volunteering : Search for opportunities on Volunteer
Edinburgh and Volunteer Scotland.

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Action words for CVs
Use action words to showcase your achievements & abilities.
For example, “I was elected as a course representative &
communicated student views in meetings with academic
staff” sounds more impressive than “I was a course
representative”.
Accelerated Balanced Delivered
Accomplished Benefited Demonstrated
Achieved Bought Designed
Acquired Broadened Developed
Activated Budgeted Devised
Adapted Built Directed
Addressed
Administered Checked Ensured
Advanced Coached Established
Advised Communicated Evaluated
Amended Competent Expanded
Amplified Completed
Analysed Comprehensive Facilitated
Anticipated Conducted Familiarised
Applied Controlled Formed
Appointed Converted Formulated
Appraised Coordinated Founded
Approached Created Forecasted
Approved Considerable
Arranged Consistently Gained
Articulated Consolidated Generated
Assembled Controlled Guided
Assessed Converted
Assisted Coordinated Handled
Attained Created Helped
Audited
Authorised Delegated Identified
Implemented
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Action words for CVs
Improved Obtained Qualified Taught
Increased Operated Quantified Tested
Influenced Organised Questioned Trained
Initiated Oversaw Transformed
Innovated Recommended Translated
Instructed Participated Reconvened
Interviewed Passed Recorded Undertook
Introduced Performed Recruited Utilised
Investigated Persevered Redesigned
Persuaded Reduced Volunteered
Judged Pinpointed Referred
Pioneered Regulated Won
Launched Planned Renegotiated
Led Positioned Reorganised
Liaised Predicted Reported
Prepared Represented
Maintained Prescribed Researched
Managed Presented Resolved
Marketed Prevented Resourceful
Measured Produced Responded
Merged Programmed Responsible
Minimised Progressed Resurrected
Modernised Promoted Reviewed
Modified Prompted Revised
Monitored Proposed
Motivated Protected Saved
Proved Scheduled
Negotiated Provided Selected
Networked Published Served
Purchased Set up
Observed Supervised

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