CV as a student

"I don't have anything to write on my CV" – this is one of the most common things students say when they're writing a CV for the first time. But even if you don't have 10 years of work experience, you have more to offer than you think. This guide shows you how to create a CV that gets you noticed.

Your CV is your first chance to make an impression. In just a few seconds, an employer decides whether they want to read more or move on to the next applicant. So it's worth spending time making your CV as good as possible.

What should a student CV contain?

A student CV typically has a somewhat different structure than a standard CV. Since you don't have much work experience, you need to emphasize other things.

1. Contact information

At the top of your CV:

• Full name
• Email address (use a professional address, not coolboy2003@hotmail.com)
• Phone number
• City (you don't need the full address)
• LinkedIn profile (optional, but recommended)

2. Profile/Summary

Write 2-3 sentences about who you are, what you're studying, and what you're looking for. This is where the employer gets the first impression of you as a person.

Example:

"Business economics student at Copenhagen Business School with a particular interest in digital marketing. Looking for a student job where I can combine my theoretical knowledge with practical experience. Quick to learn new skills and thrive with responsibility."

3. Education

As a student, your education is your most important qualification. Write:

• Name of your program and institution
• Start year and expected graduation
• Relevant courses, projects, or specializations
• Your upper secondary education (gymnasium/high school)

4. Work experience

Even if you don't have much, include what you have:

• Summer jobs and holiday jobs
• Tutoring (even privately)
• Volunteer work
• Association work
• Freelance assignments

For each experience, write:

• Title/role
• Organization/company
• Period (month/year – month/year)
• 2-3 bullet points about your tasks and results

5. Skills

List relevant skills:

• Languages (Danish, English, other)
• IT skills (Office, specific programs, programming)
• Other relevant skills

6. Interests/Other

This section is optional but can help show who you are as a person. Sports, hobbies, or other interests can be relevant if they say something about your character or skills.

The biggest mistake students make

The most common mistake is describing tasks instead of results. There's a big difference between:

Weak: "Was responsible for the cash register"

Strong: "Handled cash register transactions and cashing up, with consistently balanced accounts"

Weak: "Wrote articles for the student newspaper"

Strong: "Produced 12 articles for the student newspaper, including a feature story that was shared 500+ times on social media"

Always try to quantify your results or describe concrete outcomes of your efforts.

What if I really have no experience?

Let's be honest: some students have very little experience. If that's you, here's what to do:

Focus on education

Expand your education section. Describe relevant courses, projects, and knowledge in more detail. What have you actually learned?

Include association work

Active membership in a study association, sports club, or other organization counts as experience. You've learned to collaborate, take responsibility, and complete tasks.

Highlight personal qualities

Use your profile section to describe your personal strengths. Are you organized? Good at problem-solving? Quick to learn? Just remember to be concrete.

Get experience now

If you really have nothing to put on your CV, consider getting some experience first. Volunteer work, helping at events, or a short internship can make a big difference.

Layout and design

Your CV should be easy to read. Here are some tips:

• One page: As a student, you rarely need more
• Clear structure: Use headers, bullet points, and white space
• Professional font: Calibri, Arial, or similar (size 10-12)
• Consistent formatting: Same style throughout
• No spelling errors: Read through carefully, or have someone else review it

Avoid advanced templates with lots of graphics unless you're applying in a creative industry. Most CVs go through automated systems that read text – graphics can create problems.

Tailoring for the job

A good CV is tailored to the job you're applying for. Here's how:

1. Read the job posting carefully
2. Identify the most important requirements
3. Move experiences that match those requirements higher up
4. Use the same words the company uses
5. Emphasize the skills they're looking for

You don't need to rewrite your entire CV for every application. But small adjustments can make a big difference.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Too long: One page is usually enough for students
• Spelling and grammar errors: Has someone else proofread?
• Irrelevant information: Not everything needs to be included
• No contact information: How should they reach you?
• Outdated email: Create a professional address
• Just listing tasks: Remember to show results
• Being too modest: It's okay to be proud of your achievements

Practical tips

• Save your CV as a PDF – it looks the same on all computers
• Name the file appropriately: "CV_Firstname_Lastname.pdf"
• Keep a master version you can copy and adjust
• Update your CV regularly – also when you're not job hunting
• Ask a friend or your career center to read it through
• Print it out to see how it looks on paper

Try it yourself

Set aside 30 minutes and do the following:

• Write a list of everything you've done that could go on a CV (including informal things)
• Pick the 3-5 most relevant experiences
• For each experience: Write what you did and what the result was
• Write a 2-3 sentence profile about yourself

Now you have the raw material for a good student CV. You can use a template to put it together – check out our free CV templates.

FAQ

Next step

Now you know how to write a CV as a student. But a good CV isn't enough on its own. You also need experience that makes you interesting to employers.

In the next guide, we look at how you can gain relevant experience – even while you're still studying. We'll go through internships, project collaborations, volunteer work, and other ways to build your CV.