If you are about to leave college then it is time to create that all important CV. Putting together this document can be daunting and there may be some students out there who have never completed work experience, which makes writing a CV even more difficult. The trick is to demonstrate certain skills, whether that is through your college education or a hobby. In the end experience of any kind will help you get your foot in the door. Whether you can demonstrate leadership qualities gained through involvement in sports, clubs and classes, you should always include relevant experience in your CV. In the end you probably have more skills and experience than you realise.

If you really do not have any of experience at all then you should concentrate on the things you have done at school or college. Whether that is taking part in extra classes or organising study groups, you can put almost anything on your CV as long as it paints you in a positive light. You need to make the most of any role you have held, so if you were class representative or played on a college team then you should try to explore these roles fully. If you have had a part-time job or a student job you should be able to demonstrate certain qualities like time keeping and hard work. In many interviews you are asked to describe how you have handled certain situations, there is no reason why you cannot give some of these examples in your CV.

Before you sit down and start to write you should make a list all the things you have done outside of education, or anything you have done on top of your ordinary classes. This will help focus your mind and you will be able to explore the roles in more detail.

Once you have figured out which examples you are going to include you can start writing your CV. You should always include an introductory paragraph, telling the employer about your aspirations and the type of industry you wish to work in. This should be tailored to each individual job application, in each case highlighting the relevant personality traits and ambitions.

In the end writing a CV takes time and you should always ask your career advisor or lecturer to look over the document before you send it off. Applying for graduate jobs can sometimes be soul destroying, but the longer you spend on your CV the more likely you are to strike gold and get the perfect job.