Student CV example for internships and part-time work

One CV, two versions

Most students are chasing two different things at once: a part-time job to cover rent during term, and an internship or summer placement that will help after graduation. The same CV rarely does both well. Build one master CV, then save two versions that share most of the content and differ in what comes first.

• Internship version: degree, modules and projects at the top, then society roles, then part-time work written to show the skills the team uses (numbers, analysis, organisation).
• Part-time job version: a line on your availability near the top, then your work history, then a shorter education section. A bar or shop manager cares more about your Friday nights than your econometrics mark.

Priya's CV above is her internship version. For a café or retail job she would move the barista role above her degree, add "Available evenings and weekends in term, full time in the holidays" under her name, and cut the module list to one line.

Education: what to include at university

Give the university, the full degree title and the year you expect to graduate. Then add evidence that you are doing well. Your first-year average or your expected classification is fine, and if you do not have marks yet, name the modules instead. Pick modules that match the internship. For a finance team, accounting and statistics count. For a marketing team, consumer behaviour and anything with a survey or campaign in it.

Projects are underused. A group project where you collected data, built a model or wrote a report for a real organisation is the closest thing to work experience many students have. Write it like a job: what the brief was, what you did, what tool you used, and the mark if it was good. A levels go underneath in one line with grades. GCSEs usually drop off once you are at university, unless an employer asks for Maths and English, in which case add "GCSEs: 9 including Maths and English".

Turning part-time work into evidence

Internship recruiters do read part-time jobs. They are looking for proof that you turn up, handle pressure and deal with people, and for the odd sign that you notice how a business works. The trick is to write the bar or shop job with the skills of the internship in mind, without pretending it was something else.

Use numbers you actually know: hours a week, orders per shift, how many people you trained. Leave out the duties everyone assumes, such as cleaning or restocking, unless the job you are applying for is similar.

Societies, sport and committee roles

A committee role is often the strongest thing on a second-year CV, because it involves real money, real deadlines and other people relying on you. Put it in its own section called "Positions of responsibility" so it does not get lost among hobbies. A treasurer has handled a budget and dealt with suppliers. A social secretary has booked venues and sold tickets. A captain has picked teams and managed disagreements. Say what the job involved and what changed because you did it.

Being a member of a society is not an achievement on its own. If you went to a few meetings, leave it out or add it to a one-line interests section. If you ran a stall at the freshers' fair or organised a trip, that is worth a bullet point.

Fitting it on one page

One page of A4 is standard for a student CV and it is usually enough. If yours spills over, cut in this order: school-level detail (GCSEs, sixth form roles), duplicate bullet points that make the same point about teamwork, long module lists, and a hobbies section that says reading and travel. Keep the margins sensible and the font at 10 to 11 points; squeezing text to fit looks worse than cutting a line.

Applying for internships and placements

Larger employers usually ask you to apply through an online form, often with a CV upload, a few motivation questions and online tests, and they may close applications well before the summer. Smaller firms and start-ups often recruit informally, from a CV and a short email. Your university careers service will have a vacancy board, and it is worth booking a CV check with them once you have a draft.

For every application, read the advert and underline the skills it names. Check that each one appears on your CV, backed by something you did. If the advert asks for Excel, say what you did in Excel. If it asks for attention to detail, the cash sheet line does the work for you. You can run your CV through our free ATS CV checker to see whether the wording lines up with a job description before you send it.

Part-time work around your timetable

For term-time jobs, availability decides most shortlists. State the days and hours you can work, whether you stay in your university town over the holidays, and when your exam periods are. Employers expect students to need time off in exam season. They are less happy to find out after you start.

Know the minimum you should be paid. From April 2026 the National Minimum Wage is £10.85 an hour for 18 to 20 year olds, and the National Living Wage is £12.71 for those aged 21 and over. The rates change every April.

Common mistakes on student CVs

• The same profile sent to a bar and an investment bank.
• A "key skills" list of words like teamwork and communication with nothing on the page to back them up.
• A university email address you will lose access to when you graduate. Use a personal one.
• Every module from first year listed, including ones with no link to the job.
• Photos, date of birth and a full home address. UK employers do not need them.