Here are six easy ways to build your CV as a student

Building your CV at university can feel like a never-ending pressure. It’s especially common when you feel like you’re behind and that everyone around you has work experience and internships. The feeling is daunting, and it often leads you to question “where do I even begin?”

And while these leadership roles can be really helpful, there are still many ways to help boost your CV. And truthfully, employers value these skills as it shows initiative in different ways. Here a six ways to strengthen your CV to get yourself started, and make the most out of university.

1. Try online certificates

A lot of people think that you need to have onsite experience for it to be valuable to your CV. In reality, online certificates can be really beneficial and help show evidence of specialised knowledge. The certificates can also be done at any pace, this being especially crucial for balancing university studies as well.

Online certificates are also a cost-effective way to learn various skills. Ranging from certificates from Google and The Open University, there are a plethora of resources that can fit each individual person’s needs through these institutions. Overall, this serves as a great way to show off to employers that you have base knowledge and transferable skills.

2. Volunteering

Whether it be volunteering within the university or a local charity, the experience you can attain from this can really show off to employers more about you as a candidate. This can be an opportunity to help support a cause you believe in as well, providing encouragement of both personal and professional growth.

Not too sure on what industry you want to enter? This experience as a whole consists of various transferable skills such as teamwork and problem-solving, characteristics that are appealing no matter what you decide for in the future. Remember,  portraying continuous pro-activity towards a project will always be beneficial towards a CV, as it portrays a dependable candidate.

3.  Start a personal project

Starting your own passion project, something that truly interests you, can be very attractive on a CV. Showing that you are able to build an outcome throughout all of the stages, such as developing ideas or executing the result, reflects capability in a CV. This can be especially helpful if the project is related to the industry you are applying for as it shows that you have a wide range of skills through the proof of the project.

Most Read

Man who wrote The Lion King song sues comedian for $27m over podcast ‘joke’ and it’s wild

Here’s what ‘catching print’ actually means on TikTok, as *spicy* theory goes viral

The OnlyFans father and son duo are back, and they’re doing collabs with a reality TV star

At university, there are various people who might be interested in a similar project. So, if starting a personal project by yourself can feel too intimidating, grouping up with others and collaborating to help ease the process can be a helpful tip!

4. Reach out to others

On the topic of university, there are plenty of resources being offered. Whether it be the careers services or reaching out to your department, getting in contact with someone when you genuinely do not know where to start can help with perspective. The University of York and the staff within these services only want to see you thrive, so the first step is to get in touch.

Just remember, university is not always just about doing well academically, it is also an opportunity to build your network.

5. Continue to prioritise academics

You could have the most prestigious internships or volunteering experience, but having low academic grades could heavily deter your chances of being the ideal candidate. Showing that you are able to maintain good grades and experience shows work ethic and practical knowledge. This shows that you have the theoretical knowledge if you apply towards jobs that are related to your course. This being said, it is important to find a balance between experience and academics for a well balanced CV overall.

6. Write an article for The York Tab

Our membership is free, you can write as little or as much as you like. Just one article for The Tab means an extra section of your CV is filled out. The more experience, the better. Follow our Instagram and send us a DM if you’d like to join our group chat!