The Graduate Catch-22
"We want 2 years of experience" — for an entry-level role. Sound familiar? It's the most frustrating part of being a graduate. Every job wants experience, but nobody will give you any.
The good news: you have more to put on your CV than you think. You just need to frame it properly.
Not at university yet? If you're 16 to 18 and writing your very first CV, read how to write your first CV with no experience instead.
What Counts as Experience
Formal employment is not the only thing that belongs on a CV. All of these count:
- Part-time jobs — Even working at Tesco or a pub shows reliability, teamwork, and customer service
- University projects — Group projects, dissertations, research papers
- Volunteering — Charity work, community projects, mentoring
- Society roles — Treasurer, social secretary, committee member
- Freelance work — Building websites, tutoring, social media management
- Personal projects — Blogs, apps, creative portfolios, events you organised
- Internships and placements — Even short ones count
Structure for a Graduate CV
As a graduate, your CV structure should be slightly different from an experienced professional's:
- Contact information
- Professional summary — 2 sentences about your degree, key skills, and what you're looking for
- Education — Move this UP, above experience. Your degree is your main credential
- Relevant experience — Any of the above, framed properly
- Skills — Both technical and soft
- Achievements & activities — Awards, societies, volunteering
For your summary, our CV personal statement examples include two written for graduates.
How to Write About a Part-Time Job
Your weekend retail job is more valuable than you think. Frame it like this:
Bad: "Worked at Tesco part-time. Stacked shelves and served customers."
Good: "Sales Assistant — Tesco (Sep 2022 – Jun 2024)
Provided customer service in a high-volume store serving 2,000+ customers daily. Managed stock replenishment for 3 aisles, maintaining 98% availability. Trained 4 new team members during busy periods. Handled cash and card transactions worth £5k+ per shift."
How to Write About University Projects
Your dissertation or final-year project shows initiative, research ability, and subject expertise:
"Dissertation: The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Gen Z Purchasing Decisions (Grade: 72%, First). Conducted primary research with 200+ survey respondents, analysed data using SPSS, and presented findings to a panel of 3 academics. Developed recommendations now used as a case study in the marketing module."
The "2 Years Experience" Myth
Here's something many graduates don't realise: the "required experience" in a job advert is often more flexible than it looks, especially for entry-level roles. Adverts tend to describe an ideal candidate, and employers interview the strongest people who actually apply. If you meet most of the essential criteria and can show how you'd pick up the rest, apply anyway.
If your CV shows relevant skills, enthusiasm, and the right attitude, many employers will interview you even without the "required" years of experience.
Get Your CV Reviewed
As a graduate, you probably haven't written many CVs before. Check yours free on CV Mojo and in about 30 seconds you'll see a score out of 100 and the fixes to make first. Members can review it too. Applying for graduate schemes? Our cover letter examples include a full graduate letter.