Criminology Graduate CV example

You’ve graduated with a shiny new degree in criminology – congratulations!

Now it’s time to put your knowledge to good use and start climbing that career ladder.

But if you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry, we’ve cracked the case. Check out our step-by-step writing guide and criminology graduate CV example below.

 

 

Criminology Graduate CV example

CV templates 

 

Unsure of what your Criminology Graduate CV should look like?

Have a look at the CV example above to get familiar with the structure, layout and format of a professional CV.

As you can see, it provides plenty of relevant information about the applicant but is still very easy to read, and brief – which will please busy recruiters and hiring managers.

 

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Criminology Graduate CV format and structure

The format and structure of your CV is important because it will determine how easy it is for recruiters and employers to read your CV.

If they can find the information they need quickly, they’ll be happy; but if they struggle, your application could be overlooked.

A simple and logical structure will always create a better reading experience than a complex structure, and with a few simple formatting tricks, you’ll be good to go.

 

 

Tips for formatting your Criminology Graduate CV

• Length: Recruiters will be immediately put off by lengthy CVs – with hundreds of applications to read through, they simply don’t have the time! Grabbing their attention with a short, snappy and highly relevant CV is far more likely to lead to success. Aim for two sides of A4 or less.

• Readability: Recruiters appreciate CVs that they can quickly scan through without trouble. Ensure yours makes the cut by formatting your headings for attention (bold or coloured fonts should do the trick) and breaking up long paragraphs into smaller chunks or short, snappy bullet points.

• Design & format: The saying ‘less is more’ couldn’t be more applicable to CVs. Readability is key, so avoid overly complicated designs and graphics. A subtle colour palette and easy-to-read font is all you need!

• Photos: Don’t add profile photos to your CV unless you work in an industry or region which prefers to see them. Most employers in the UK will not need to see one.

 

Quick tip: Creating a professional CV style can be difficult and time-consuming when using Microsoft Word or Google Docs. To create a winning CV quickly, try our quick-and-easy CV Builder and use one of their eye-catching professional CV templates.

 

 

CV templates 

 

CV structure

When writing your CV, it’s important to structure the content into the following key sections to ensure easy digestion by busy recruiters and hiring managers:

• Contact details: List your contact details at the top of your CV to prevent them from being overlooked.
• Profile: Begin with an introductory paragraph that captures recruiters’ attention and summarises what you have to offer employers.
• Work experience/career history: List your relevant work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your current position.
• Education: Provide a brief summary of your education and qualifications.
• Interests and hobbies: An optional section to showcase any hobbies that highlight transferable skills relevant to your target jobs.

Now you understand the basic layout of a CV, here’s what you should include in each section of yours.

 

Contact Details

 

Begin by sharing your contact details, so it’s easy for employers to give you a call.
Keep to the basics, such as:

• Mobile number
• Email address – It should sound professional, with no slang or nicknames. Make a new one for your job applications if necessary.
• Location – Simply share your vague location, for example ‘Manchester’, rather than a full address.
• LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – Remember to update them before you send your application.

 

Criminology Graduate CV Profile

Your CV profile is the first thing recruiters will read – so your goal is to give them a reason to read onto the end of the document!

Create a short and snappy paragraph that showcases your key skills, relevant experience and impressive accomplishments.

Ultimately, it should prove to the reader that you’ve got what it takes to carry out the job.

 

 

How to write a good CV profile:

• Make it short and sharp: When it comes to CV profile length, less is more, as recruiters are often time-strapped. Aim for around of 3-5 persuasive lines.

• Tailor it: Recruiters can spot a generic, mass-produced CV at a glance – and they certainly won’t be impressed! Before you write your profile (and CV as a whole), read through the job advert and make a list of any skills, knowledge and experience required. You should then incorporate your findings throughout your profile and the rest of your CV.

• Don’t add an objective: If you want to discuss your career objectives, save them for your cover letter, rather than wasting valuable CV profile space.

• Avoid generic phrases: If there’s one thing that’ll annoy a recruiter, it’s a clichè-packed CV. Focus on showcasing your hard skills, experience and the results you’ve gained in previous roles, which will impress recruiters far more.

 

Example CV profile for Criminology Graduate

 

What to include in your Criminology Graduate CV profile?

• Experience overview: Demonstrate your suitability for your target jobs by giving a high level summary of your previous work work experience, including the industries you have worked in, types of employer, and the type of roles you have previous experience of.

• Targeted skills: Ensure that your profile highlights your key skills that are most relevant to your Criminology Graduate, and tailor them to match the specific job you are applying for. To do this, refer to the job description to closely align your skills with their requirements.

• Important qualifications: If the job postings require specific qualifications, it is essential to incorporate them in your profile to ensure visibility to hiring managers.

 

Quick tip: If you are finding it difficult to write an attention-grabbing CV profile, choose from hundreds of pre-written profiles across all industries, and add one to your CV with one click in our quick-and-easy CV Builder. All profiles are written by recruitment experts and easily tailored to suit your unique skillset.

 

Core skills section

Next, you should create a bullet pointed list of your core skills, formatted into 2-3 columns.

Here, you should focus on including the most important skills or knowledge listed in the job advertisement.

This will instantly prove that you’re an ideal candidate, even if a recruiter only has time to briefly scan your CV.

 

 

Important skills for your Criminology Graduate CV

 

Quick tip: Our quick-and-easy CV Builder has thousands of in-demand skills for all industries and professions, that can be added to your CV in seconds – This will save you time and ensure you get noticed by recruiters.

 

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Work experience

Next up is your work experience section, which is normally the longest part of your CV.

Start with your current (or most recent) job and work your way backwards through your experience.

Can’t fit all your roles? Allow more space for your recent career history and shorten down descriptions for your older roles.

Structuring each job

The structure of your work experience section can seriously affect its impact.

This is generally the biggest section of a CV, and with no thought to structure, it can look bulky and important information can get lost.

Use my 3-step structure below to allow for easy navigation, so employers can find what they are looking for:

Outline

Firstly, give the reader some context by creating a punchy summary of the job as a whole.

You should mention what the purpose or goal of your role was, what team you were part of and who you reported to.

 

Key responsibilities

Next up, you should write a short list of your day-to-day duties within the job.

Recruiters are most interested in your sector-specific skills and knowledge, so highlight these wherever possible.

 

Key achievements

Lastly, add impact by highlight 1-3 key achievements that you made within the role.

Struggling to think of an achievement? If it had a positive impact on your company, it counts.

For example, you might increased company profits, improved processes, or something simpler, such as going above and beyond to solve a customer’s problem.

 

Sample job description for Criminology Graduate CV

 

Quick tip: Create impressive job descriptions easily in our quick-and-easy CV Builder by adding pre-written job phrases for every industry and career stage.

 

CV templates 

 

Education section

At the bottom of your CV is your full education section. You can list your formal academic qualifications, such as:

• Degree
• GCSE’s
• A levels

As well as any specific Criminology Graduate qualifications that are essential to the jobs you are applying for. Note down the name of the qualification, the organisation at which you studied, and the date of completion.

 

Hobbies and interests

The hobbies and interests CV section isn’t mandatory, so don’t worry if you’re out of room by this point.

However, if you have an interesting hobby, or an interest that could make you seem more suitable for the role, then certainly think about adding.

Be careful what you include though… Only consider hobbies that exhibit skills that are required for roles as a Criminology Graduate, or transferable workplace skills.

There is never any need to tell employers that you like to watch TV and eat out.

 

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Creating a strong Criminology Graduate CV requires a blend of punchy content, considered structure and format, and heavy tailoring.

By creating a punchy profile and core skills list, you’ll be able to hook recruiter’s attention and ensure your CV gets read.

Remember that research and relevance is the key to a good CV, so research your target roles before you start writing and pack your CV with relevant skills.

Best of luck with your next application!