Graduate Career Changer CV example

You recently graduated, and since then, you’ve been putting your degree to good use, but now you’re ready for a change.

Switching industries can be exciting. It can also feel tricky if you’ve got no experience in that sector.

But fear not, a well-thought-out CV can showcase your degree and highlight your transferable skills – and we can help you to achieve this. Check out our graduate career changer CV example below.

 

 

 

Graduate Career Changer CV example

Graduate Career Changer CV 1

Graduate Career Changer CV 2

 

Unsure of what your Graduate Career Changer 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.

 

CV builder

 

Graduate Career Changer CV structure & formatting

Think your CV is just about the content within it? Think again.

Your CV needs to look professional and be easy for recruiters to read, meaning the structure and format of your CV are just as important as the written content within it.

Facilitate ease of reading by using a simple structure which allows anybody to easily navigate your experience.

 

How to write a CV

 

How to format your CV

  • Length: Think that submitting a five page CV will impress recruiters? You’re wrong! Even if you’ve got tons of experience to brag about, recruiters don’t have time to read through overly detailed CVs. Keep it short, concise and relevant – a CV length of 2 sides of A4 pages or less is perfect.
  • Readability: To help busy recruiters scan through your CV, make sure your section headings stand out – bold or coloured text works well. Additionally, try to use bullet points wherever you can, as they’re far easier to skim through than huge paragraphs. Lastly, don’t be afraid of white space on your CV – a little breathing space is great for readability.
  • CV design: 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!
  • Photographs: You can add a profile photo to your CV, if you want to add some personality to it, but they are not a requirement the UK, so you don’t have to.

 

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 formatting tips

 

 

CV structure

As you write your CV, divide and sub-head into the following sections:

  • Name and contact details – Always start with these, so employers know exactly how to get in touch with you.
  • CV profile – Add a short summary of your relevant experience, skills and achievements, which highlights your suitability.
  • Core skills section – A 2-3 columned list of your key skills.
  • Work experience – A detailed list of any relevant work experience, whether paid or voluntary.
  • Education – An overview of your academic background and any training you may have completed.
  • Hobbies and interests – A brief overview of your hobbies and interests, if they’re relevant (optional).

Now, let’s take a closer look at what you should include in each section of your CV.

 

CV Contact Details

Contact details

 

Write your contact details in the top corner of your CV, so that they’re easy to find but don’t take up too much space.

You only need to list your basic details, such as:

  • Mobile number
  • Email address
  • Location – Don’t list your full address. Your town or city, such as ‘Norwich’ or ‘Coventry’ is perfect.
  • LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – Remember to update these before listing them on an application.

 

Graduate Career Changer 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.

 

CV profile

 

CV profile writing tips:

  • Make it short and sharp: Aim for a short, snappy paragraph of 3-5 lines. This is just enough room to showcase why you’d make the perfect hire, without going into excessive detail and overwhelming busy recruiters.
  • Tailor it: Not tailoring your profile (and the rest of your CV) to the role you’re applying for, is the worst CV mistake you could make. Before setting pen to paper, look over the job ad and make a note of the skills and experience required. Then, incorporate your findings throughout.
  • Don’t add an objective: Career goals and objectives are best suited to your cover letter, so don’t waste space with them in your CV profile.
  • Avoid generic phrases: Clichés like “blue-sky thinker with a go-getter attitude” might sound impressive to you, but they don’t actually tell the recruiter much about you. Concentrate on highlighting hard facts and skills, as recruiters are more likely to take these on board.

 

Example CV profile for Graduate Career Changer

Exceptional A Level History teacher seeking an entry-level reporting position at a local or national news outlets. Adept at multi-channel research and concise writing shown through my success in helping students achieve above average results in their History A Level research projects and exams. Highly capable, first-class graduate with demonstrated skill in understanding complex issues and effectively explaining them in simple terms. Avid writer and politically engaged individual with amateur experience writing articles for a personal online blog with a significant following and recognition from the major news outlets The Observer and HuffPost.

 

What to include in your Graduate Career Changer CV profile?

  • Summary of experience: Recruiters will want to know what type of companies you’ve worked for, industries you have knowledge of, and the type of work you’ve carried out in the past, so give them a summary of this in your profile.
  • Relevant skills: Make your most relevant Graduate Career Changer key skills clear in your profile. These should be tailored to the specific role you’re applying for – so make sure to check the job description first, and aim to match their requirements as closely as you can.
  • Vital qualifications: If the jobs you are applying to require candidates to have certain qualifications, then you must add them in your profile to ensure they are seen by 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

In addition to your CV profile, your core skills section provides an easily digestible snapshot of your skills – perfect for grabbing the attention of busy hiring managers.

As Graduate Career Changer jobs might receive a huge pile of applications, this is a great way to stand out and show off your suitability for the role.

It should be made up of 2-3 columns of bullet points and be made up of skills that are highly relevant to the jobs you are targeting.

 

Core skills section CV

 

Vital skills for your Graduate Career Changer CV

Concise, Reader-Friendly Writing – evidencing transferable skills from your current career path that will be advantageous in your new field.

WordPress – highlighting experience with key technologies and software programs that will be used in your new field.

Increasing Engagement – highlighting historical projects and achievements that evidence key skills relating to your new career path.

Multi-Channel Research Methods – evidencing transferable skills from your current career path that will be advantageous in your new field.

NCTJ Level 5 Diploma – highlighting recent courses undertaken in your new career field to evidence obtained knowledge.

 

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.

 

CV builder

 

Your work experience section

Now it’s time to get stuck into your work experience, which should make up the bulk of your CV.

Begin with your current (or most recent) job, and work your way backwards.

If you’ve got too much experience to fit onto two pages, prioritise space for your most recent and relevant roles.

 
Work experience
 

Structuring each role

Whilst writing your CV, it’s essential to look at it from the eyes of a recruiter.

If they’re met with giant blocks of text which are impossible to navigate, they might get frustrated and skip onto the next CV.

Instead, make use of the 3-step structure shown below, to give them a pleasant reading experience.

 
Role descriptions
 

Outline

Start with a solid introduction to your role as a whole, in order to build some context.

Explain the nature of the organisation you worked for, the size of the team you were part of, who you reported to and what the overarching purpose of your job was.

 

Key responsibilities

Follow with a snappy list of bullet points, detailing your daily duties and responsibilities.

Tailor it to the role you’re applying for by mentioning how you put the target employer’s desired hard skills and knowledge to use in this role.

 

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 Graduate Career Changer CV

Outline

Completed a 6-week reporting internship at a fast-growing, social news magazine with a readership of 20,000 people, working as part of a small team to identify, research and write articles for the weekly publication.

Key Responsibilities

  • Conducted research to identify local political and social events and movements for fact-based articles and opinion pieces
  • Researched and wrote four 500-word ‘Spotlight’ articles for the weekly edition, highlighting local political campaigns and their motivations
  • Attended and recorded interviews using shorthand with local MPs, company executives and members of the public
  • Shadowed reporters during the research and writing phases, visiting community groups, press offices and media outlets

 

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.

 

 

Education and qualifications section

Next up, you should list your education and qualifications.

This can include your formal qualifications (a degree, A-Levels and GCSEs), as well as sector-specific Graduate Career Changer qualifications and/or training.

While school leavers and recent grads should include a lot of detail here to make up for the lack of work experience, experienced candidates may benefit from a shorter education section, as your work experience section will be more important to recruiters.

 

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 Graduate Career Changer, or transferable workplace skills.

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

 

CV builder

 

Writing your Graduate Career Changer CV

When putting together your Graduate Career Changer CV, there are a few key points to remember

Always tailor your CV to the target role, even if it means creating several versions for different roles.

Additionally, remember that the structure and format of your CV needs just as much attention as the content.

Good luck with your job search!