UK Student CV Example: Annotated for Internships and Grad Roles

This UK student CV example is for full-time students applying for summer internships, placement years, spring weeks and graduate schemes. It shows a complete one-page CV for a fictional penultimate-year student. Each section is annotated so you can see why it is written that way and swap in your own details.

The example follows UK conventions. If you are applying elsewhere, some norms change, and the notes below point out where.

The full UK student CV example

Everything below is invented for illustration. The structure is the useful part. Replace every detail with your own, accurate information.

AMARA OKAFOR
Manchester | 07700 900123 | amara.okafor@email.com | linkedin.com/in/amaraokafor

PROFILE
Second-year BSc Economics student with a predicted 2:1, strong Excel and
introductory Python skills, and two years of customer-facing part-time work.
Seeking a 2026 summer internship in commercial or market analysis.

EDUCATION
BSc Economics, University of [City]                    Sep 2024 - Jun 2027
Predicted: 2:1 | Year 1 average: 66%
Relevant modules: Econometrics (71%), Microeconomics, Data Analysis for Economists
Dissertation (planned): Pricing behaviour in UK supermarket loyalty schemes

A levels, [School name], 2024
Mathematics (A), Economics (A), Geography (B)

PROJECTS
Coffee shop pricing analysis (group coursework, 4 people)       Mar 2025
- Cleaned and analysed 6 months of sales data in Excel using pivot tables
  and XLOOKUP
- Built the demand model and wrote the recommendations section; project
  graded 72%

WORK EXPERIENCE
Sales Assistant, [Retailer], Manchester (part-time, 12 hrs/week)  Jul 2023 - present
- Serve 100+ customers per shift on busy weekends; trained 3 new starters
  on tills and returns
- Suggested a reorganised returns log that the store manager adopted

Volunteer Tutor, [Charity name] (2 hrs/week)                Oct 2024 - Apr 2025
- Tutored two Year 10 students in GCSE maths, planning weekly sessions

POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Treasurer, Economics Society                                 May 2025 - present
- Manage a budget for events and track spending in a shared spreadsheet
- Co-organised a speaker evening attended by around 60 students

SKILLS
Technical: Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP, charts), Python (pandas, beginner),
Stata (coursework level)
Languages: English (fluent), Igbo (conversational)

INTERESTS
Run the society's fantasy football league; amateur 10k runner

Section-by-section annotations

1. Header: contact details only

In the UK, keep the header to your name, town or city, phone number, email and an optional LinkedIn or portfolio link. A full street address is not needed; your city is enough.

Leave out date of birth, marital status, nationality and a photo. UK employers generally don't expect these, and they are not relevant to whether you can do the job. See whether to put a photo on your CV in the UK if you are unsure. Norms differ in parts of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, so check local expectations if you are applying there.

Use a plain, professional email address. If your university email will expire after graduation, use a personal one for graduate applications.

2. Profile: three lines, one target

The profile states your stage, your strongest relevant evidence and the role you want. It avoids vague claims like "hard-working team player" because every student can write that.

Name the type of role, such as "commercial or market analysis", so the reader immediately sees the fit. Change this line for each application. For more wording options, see these UK personal statement examples by stage.

Some recruiters skip profiles entirely, so if you are short of space, a profile is the first thing you can cut.

3. Education first, with detail

While you are a full-time student, education is usually your strongest section, so it goes near the top. Include:

• Degree title, university and dates. Use your expected graduation date.
• Predicted or current grade. Only state a predicted classification if your department or tutor would support it. If you don't have one, use your year average instead.
• Relevant modules with marks where they are good and relate to the role. Two or three is plenty.
• Dissertation or major project if it connects to the work.
• A levels (or equivalent) with grades. Many graduate schemes still ask about them. Highers, the International Baccalaureate, BTECs, WAEC or other qualifications work the same way; give the official name and grades rather than converting them yourself.

GCSEs can be summarised in one line, for example "9 GCSEs including Maths (8) and English (7)", or dropped if space is tight and the employer doesn't ask for them.

4. Projects: evidence when you lack work experience

Coursework, hackathons, personal projects and competitions count as real evidence. The key is to say what you personally did in a group project, not what the group did.

In the example, "Built the demand model and wrote the recommendations section" is specific and checkable. "Worked on a data project" is not. There is more on this in how to put university projects on your CV.

5. Work experience: any job counts

Part-time retail, hospitality, care or tutoring work shows reliability, communication and responsibility. Recruiters for internships know students rarely have industry experience.

Write bullets that start with a verb and include a result or scale where you honestly can: number of customers, people trained, a change that was adopted. If you don't know an exact number, use a cautious estimate ("around 60") or leave it out. Never inflate a figure you couldn't explain at interview.

Adding hours per week is optional but helpful. It shows you balanced work with full-time study.

6. Positions of responsibility

Society committee roles, course rep, sports captaincy and volunteering often demonstrate leadership and organisation better than a part-time job. Give them their own section if you have more than one; otherwise fold them into experience.

7. Skills: specific and honest

List tools with a level indicator, such as "Python (pandas, beginner)" or "Stata (coursework level)". This is more credible than a list of buzzwords, and it protects you in technical interviews.

Only include a skill if you could talk about how you used it. Leave out generic soft skills here; your bullets should already show them.

8. Interests: optional, but make them real

Interests are optional on a UK CV. They are worth keeping if they say something specific, like running a league or training for races. Delete "reading and travelling" unless you can say more.

Formatting rules for a UK student CV

• Length: one page is usually right for a student. Two pages is acceptable in the UK, but only if the second page adds real evidence.
• Layout: a single column with clear headings is easiest for both people and applicant tracking systems to read. Some systems struggle with tables, text boxes and graphics.
• Order: reverse chronological within each section (most recent first).
• Font: a standard font at 10-12pt, with consistent date alignment.
• File: send a PDF unless the employer asks for Word. Name it clearly, e.g. AmaraOkafor_CV.pdf.
• Spelling: use British English for UK roles, and check every line.
• References: you don't need to list referees or write "references available on request". Employers will ask when they need them.

If you would rather start from a structured draft than a blank page, the QuickApplyPilot AI CV builder can help you write and format sections like these from your own details. Check everything it produces, and remove anything that doesn't accurately describe you.

Adapting the example for different applications

Internships and spring weeks

Lead with education and projects. Make the profile line name the specific programme type and year, such as "2026 summer internship". Many of these programmes also use online application forms, so keep your CV details consistent with what you enter there.

Graduate schemes

In your final year, update the education section with your latest marks and dissertation title. Move your most relevant experience, such as an internship or placement, above part-time work. If your final grade turns out lower than predicted, update it honestly.

Placement years

Show you can commit for 9-12 months and highlight modules that relate to the department you are applying to.

Applying outside the UK

• US: called a resume, usually strictly one page, often with GPA, and no profile needed.
• Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Canada: broadly similar to the UK, though some employers expect referees or slightly different section names.
• India, Nigeria, the UAE and others: local CVs may include more personal details, but multinational and UK-linked employers often prefer the UK-style format above. Check each employer's guidance.

International students in the UK

If you are on a Student visa, some employers will ask about your right to work. You can add a short line such as "Student visa, available for full-time work during vacations" if it's accurate, but you don't have to. Rules on working hours and post-study options change, so check the official GOV.UK Student visa guidance rather than relying on this post. This is general information, not legal advice.

Quick checklist before you send it

1. Header has no photo, date of birth or full address.
2. Profile names the role type and is tailored to this application.
3. Grades are accurate, and any predicted grade is one you can back up.
4. Every bullet starts with a verb and says what you did.
5. Numbers are real or clearly approximate.
6. Skills are things you could demonstrate in an interview.
7. It fits on one page, or two at most, with a single-column layout.
8. Spelling is British English and checked twice.
9. File is a clearly named PDF unless Word is requested.
10. Details match any application form you are submitting alongside it.

A well-structured CV won't guarantee an interview, but it makes your genuine evidence easy to find. That is the most any CV can do, and for a student it is often enough to stand out from a page of vague claims.