CV Advice & Template

Keep it Clear and Concise

A CV should present your profile in a way that is easy to read and digest. Recruiters often spend less than 30 seconds on an initial scan, so clarity is essential.
Use clear headings, consistent formatting, and bullet points to make your experiences stand out.
Avoid large blocks of text, as they can appear dense and deter the reader.

Prioritise What Matters Most

Order your CV so that the most relevant experiences and skills appear first. For students, this typically means leading with education and academic achievements, followed by professional experience, leadership roles, and extracurricular activities.
Within each section, highlight the positions and projects that most directly relate to the role you are applying for. Customising the order of content for different applications can make a significant difference.

Show Impact, Not Just Activity

Recruiters want to see what you achieved, not just what you did. Instead of writing “organised events for the Finance Society”, emphasise the results: “led a team of five to deliver four large-scale events, engaging 200+ students and securing sponsorship from industry partners”.
Use active verbs and, where possible, quantify your impact with numbers or measurable outcomes.
- Use the "XYZ" strategy: Did X, to achieve Y which was measurable by metric Z

Tailor Your CV to Each Role

A generic CV may get lost in the pile. Take the time to adapt your CV to each opportunity, highlighting the skills and experiences that align most closely with the job description.
This does not require rewriting the entire document, but adjusting phrasing and emphasis can significantly increase your chances of standing out.
- A good way to do this is by achieving online certifications published from the company you are applying to e.g. Forage's module/certification on Investment Banking at JPM (see Application Guidance page for link to Forage)

Keep Presentation Professional

First impressions matter. Ensure your CV is free from spelling and grammar mistakes, with consistent spacing and alignment.

Recruiters are looking for reasons to discard your application so if there is one spelling mistake or typo in your CV, you are making their job a whole lot easier.

Choose a simple, professional font and avoid excessive design elements.
Save and send your CV in Word or PDF format with a clear file name.
- e.g. CV.[Insert Name].[Insert Company].[Insert Date].docx

Miscellaneous

For your bullet points, if a sentence takes 1 and a half lines, try to condense to 1. You will have more space to work with.
Use your Uni email. Universities often have internal links to companies.
To get more space, you can resize the margins. The default margin settings on Word are a little generous.
For the "XYZ" method, you do not need to know exact numbers, just make rough estimates.

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