Thousands of students across the UK apply for jobs every year, but only a small percentage make it past the CV stage. Why? The answer is simple. Most student CVs don’t follow the formatting, structure, or content expectations UK employers are looking for in 2025. 

So what exactly do employers want? 

Not to worry. This article will show you exactly how to build a UK-standard student CV, no matter your background or degree.

What Is a Student CV?

As the name implies, a student CV is a tailored document that highlights your education, skills, and any relevant experience you have while you're still studying or have recently graduated. Unlike a professional CV, which often focuses heavily on job history, a student CV places greater emphasis on academic achievements, extracurricular activities, internships, and transferable skills.

In the UK, employers reviewing student CVs understand that you might not have extensive experience. What they’re looking for is evidence that you’re organised, capable, and ready to take on responsibility. This could come from coursework, part-time jobs, voluntary work, internships, or even university projects. 

In addition, the way you structure and present that information is what makes the difference between being overlooked and getting shortlisted. Every section should match the job you’re applying for. Your skills should be tailored to the role. Any experience you have, no matter how limited, should show that you’re able to contribute in a professional setting. That’s the true value of a student CV.

Match your CV to any job with MyJobMag Free CV Matcher

UK-Approved CV Format for Students

When creating a student CV for the UK job market, following the correct format is necessary to make a positive first impression. The following layout is what UK recruiters expect from a student CV. It helps them quickly understand your background, skills, and potential without any distractions.

Contact Details:
This information should be at the top, so recruiters know how to easily reach you. Include your full name, professional email address, phone number, and your location. Just your city or region is enough. Don’t add your full home address, date of birth, or a photo. These are not standard in the UK and can sometimes lead to unconscious bias. Also, stick with your real name and avoid anything too casual when it comes to your professional email address. 

Professional Summary:
This is a short paragraph that gives a summary of who you are and what you’re looking for. It should be like 2 to 3 sentences. It should be tailored to the job or internship you’re applying for. The focus should be on your current studies, relevant skills, and career goals. It helps recruiters quickly see why you’re a good fit before reading the rest.

Education:
Since you’re a student or recent graduate, this section is one of the most important. List your current course or most recent qualification first. You should also include your university or school name, as well as the dates you attended or expect to graduate. You can also include your grade or predicted grade, provided it is strong. If you’ve done modules or projects relevant to the role, include those too to show applicable knowledge.

Work Experience:
For this part, include any paid jobs, internships, or NGO jobs you’ve done that demonstrate your skills or responsibility. Use bullet points to describe what you did and what skills you used or gained. Make sure to focus on achievements and examples that show you’re reliable, hardworking, and receptive to change.

Skills:
This section highlights your abilities that are most relevant to the role. It should showcase both your technical expertise and transferable soft skills. Ensure to emphasise competencies that directly align with the job description. Demonstrating a balance of hard and soft skills will help employers understand not only what you can do but also how you contribute to team dynamics and organisational goals.


Certifications:
Only include certifications if they add real value and are relevant to the job, like a First Aid certificate for care roles, or software qualifications for ICT jobs. Don’t list everything you’ve ever done. 

CV Formatting Tips for UK Students

1. Keep Your CV Short
In the UK, your CV should be no longer than two A4 pages, and ideally one page. Recruiters spend only a few seconds scanning each CV, so every word and section should serve a clear purpose.

2. Choose a Simple Layout
Your CV’s layout should be easy to read at a glance. Use clear section headings and leave enough white space between sections to avoid clutter.

• Font: Use professional fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.

• Size: 10–12 pt for body text; 14–16 pt for headings.

• Margins: Stick to standard margins (2.5 cm/1 inch) for a balanced look.

• Alignment: Left-align your text and keep formatting consistent.

Try this Free CV Builder

3. Use Bullet Points, Not Paragraphs
Avoid long paragraphs of text. Bullet points are easier to scan and help show your impact clearly.

Instead of this:

I worked as a retail assistant where I helped customers, managed stock and worked at the till.

Do this:

• Assisted customers with product choices and queries

• Managed the till and handled cash/card payments

• Re-stocked shelves and maintained clean displays

4, Tailor Your Application
Don't send the same CV to every employer. Instead, tweak it with MyJobMag Free CV Matcher to match what the role is asking for. Use the same keywords from the job or internship description. This shows that you’ve read the job specification carefully and are genuinely interested.

5. Leave Out the Photo
Unlike in other countries, UK CVs do not necessarily require a photo, date of birth, or marital status. Including these can even come across as unprofessional or raise discrimination concerns.

6. Save and Send It Properly
Always save your CV as a PDF unless a job posting specifically asks for another format. PDFs preserve your formatting across devices and are universally accepted. Don’t name your file things like “CV final NEWEST version 3”. 

UK CV for an IT Student

As an IT student in the UK, your CV should not only demonstrate your academic background but also highlight your technical abilities, practical experience, and problem-solving mindset. Employers in the tech space are looking for hands-on skills, personal projects, and your ability to work with real-world tech stack.

Key Sections Every IT Student CV Should Have:

1. Technical Skills Section
Include a dedicated section where you list the programming languages, tools, platforms, and technologies you're confident with.

Example:

Technical Skills:

• Programming: Python, Java, C++

• Web: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React

• Databases: MySQL, MongoDB

• Tools: Git, VS Code, Docker, Postman 

2. Projects Section
Employers love seeing self-driven or university-led projects that prove you can apply your skills practically. List 2–3 standout projects that showcase what you can build or contribute to.

Example:
Final-Year Project – AI-Powered Chatbot (Python, Flask, OpenAI API)

• Built a chatbot for student services, integrated with a university knowledge base.

• Designed for web deployment and achieved 92% response accuracy.

Personal Project – Expense Tracker App (React, Firebase)

• Created a responsive app that tracks personal expenses with real-time database syncing.

• Shared publicly via GitHub and tested by over 30 users. 

3. Portfolio or GitHub Link
Add a GitHub link or personal portfolio website to the top of your CV next to contact info. Recruiters often check this to see real code samples and engagement.

Example:
GitHub: github.com/yourusername
Portfolio: yourname.dev

4. Certifications
Certifications show initiative and signal technical proficiency beyond the classroom. If you’ve completed short courses on platforms like Coursera, Udemy, or via Microsoft/AWS, include them.

Example:

• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (2025)

• Google IT Support Certificate (Coursera, 2024)

• Python for Data Science (IBM, 2023)

5. Internships or Work Experience
Include any tech placements, freelance projects, or even voluntary roles related to IT. Focus on what you achieved, not just what you were assigned.

Example:

IT Intern – XYZ Tech Solutions (July–Sept 2024)  

• Developed internal dashboards using Power BI  

• Collaborated with a team of 5 to troubleshoot API integration issues 

• Reduced data processing time by 18% through script optimisation

UK CV for Non-IT Student

If you're a non-IT student in the UK, your CV should focus on transferable skills, academic achievements, and real-world experience, even if it’s informal. 

Key Sections Every Non-IT Student CV Should Have:

1. Education Section
As a student, your education is one of your strongest assets. List your current course first, along with relevant modules, dissertations, or coursework if they relate to the job you're applying for.

Example:

BA (Hons) Business Management, University of Manchester | 2022–2025

• Relevant Modules: Marketing Strategy, Business Analytics, Organisational Behaviour

• Dissertation (In Progress): Impact of Social Media Branding on Gen Z Consumer Loyalty 

2. Work Experience
As a student, your work experience might not be directly related to your career goals and that’s okay. What matters most is demonstrating that you’ve developed transferable skills, such as teamwork, communication, leadership, and time management.

Example:

Student Ambassador
University of Leeds — Sept 2022 to May 2023

• Answered questions from prospective students and parents

• Worked with university marketing to promote student life on social media

3. Skills Section
This is where you summarise key skills that are relevant to the job you’re targeting. You can include both soft skills and practical abilities.

Example:

Skills:

• Communication

• Teamwork

• Organisation

• Digital Literacy

4. Extracurricular Activities
Employers love to see well-rounded candidates. Include student societies, sports, volunteering, event planning, or leadership roles.

Example:

Vice President, University Debating Society

• Organised weekly debates and annual inter-university competition

• Improved student engagement by 40% through a new social media strategy

Volunteer, Local Food Bank

• Helped sort and distribute food packages for over 100 families weekly 

Student CV Template UK (Free Download + Example)

ANTHONIA MAVES
Leeds, United Kingdom· +44 8124 325 678 · [email protected]
linkedin.com/in/anthonia

Professional Summary

I am a second-year student of Business Management at the University of Manchester with a strong academic background and excellent communication skills. I’m seeking a part-time role in a customer-facing environment to develop my interpersonal and problem-solving abilities.

Skills

• Customer support (in-person & over the phone)

• Complaint handling and conflict resolution

• Cash handling

• Stock control and merchandising

• Time management and multitasking

• Microsoft Office, POS systems, and stock software

Professional Experience

Customer Assistant
Tesco Express, Leeds
March 2021 – July 2025

• Delivered excellent service to over 150 customers per shift, maintaining high satisfaction scores

• Resolved customer complaints quickly and professionally, following company escalation protocols

• Operated POS tills, processed returns and refunds accurately

• Restocked shelves, managed inventory and ensured product displays met store standards

• Recognised by management for reliability, punctuality, and a positive attitude

Front Desk Volunteer
Leeds Community Centre
January 2019 – February 2021

• Welcomed visitors, answered queries, and booked appointments

• Provided information on services and handled minor complaints

• Recorded visitor details and maintained confidentiality

• Gained experience with front-desk software and phone systems

Education

University of Manchester
BSc Business Management – Sep 2023 – Present

• Modules: Marketing Strategy, Customer Experience, Retail Operations

• Predicted: 1st Class Honours

Certifications

• Customer Service Fundamentals – LinkedIn Learning (2024) 

• Email Marketing – Coursera/Meta (2023)

Download the free template now

 

Conclusion

To create a standout Student CV for the UK job market, you need to know how to present your strengths, highlight your potential, and tailor your content to each job. By following the tips and UK-approved format here, you give yourself the best chance to move past the CV stage and secure interviews.