CV Examples by Degree

9 min read Updated 2026-03-04

Why You Need Specific CV Examples by Degree Subject

Securing a graduate role is highly competitive. According to the Institute of Student Employers (2025), employers receive an average of 140 applications per graduate vacancy. Sending the exact same generic CV to every employer will not yield the results you want. Recruiters spend only a few seconds scanning your application, meaning your most relevant qualifications must be immediately visible.

of graduates from the 2022/23 cohort were in full-time employment 15 months after finishing their studies according to HESA (2025).

Your degree background heavily dictates what employers expect to see. A computer science graduate needs a CV that instantly highlights programming languages and software projects. An English literature graduate must demonstrate strong written communication, critical analysis, and research capabilities. By looking at CV examples by degree, you can understand exactly how to position your academic background for the specific sector you want to enter.

According to Prospects (2025), 71.9% of employed graduates were in professional-level employment. Reaching that professional tier requires you to translate your academic modules into workplace competencies. Whether you are browsing the graduate careers hub for inspiration or applying directly to training schemes, matching your CV format to your discipline is the first step. You must bridge the gap between academic theory and practical business application.

STEM CV Examples by Degree: Science, Technology and Engineering

STEM degrees, encompassing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, equip you with highly specific technical skills. Employers in these fields want to see hard evidence of your abilities, including software proficiencies, laboratory techniques, and mathematical modelling.

Highlighting Technical Skills

Instead of hiding your technical skills at the bottom of the second page, create a dedicated "Technical Proficiencies" section immediately below your professional summary. Group these skills logically. For example, a software engineering graduate should separate programming languages, frameworks, and developer tools. A biology graduate should list specific laboratory techniques, data analysis software, and safety certifications.

Always list your proficiency level next to each technical skill, such as "Python (Advanced)" or "AutoCAD (Intermediate)". This prevents recruiters from guessing your capability level and provides a clear picture of your readiness for the role.

Showcasing Projects and Lab Work

If you lack formal industry experience, your academic projects are your most valuable asset. Treat your final year project or dissertation exactly like a job role. Detail the objective, the tools you used, and the final outcome.

Here is how you can calculate and present your impact using a practical worked example for a data science project:

Worked Example: Calculating Project Impact Metrics
Scenario: You built a predictive model for your final year project.
Calculation: Determine the size of the dataset, the accuracy improvement, and the processing time.
CV Bullet Point: "Engineered a machine learning model using Python to analyse a dataset of 50,000 records, improving predictive accuracy by 14 percent and reducing data processing time from 4 hours to 45 minutes."

Using specific numbers proves your technical competence. If you need help tracking your various applications and tailoring these metrics, use the application dashboard to store different versions of your CV.

Business, Economics and Finance CV Examples by Degree

Graduates from business, finance, and economics programmes usually target highly commercial roles. Recruiters in this sector look for commercial awareness, leadership, and an understanding of market dynamics. According to ONS (2025), 87.6% of working-age graduates were in employment in 2024, and business graduates make up a significant portion of the corporate workforce.

Emphasising Commercial Awareness

Your CV must show that you understand how businesses operate and generate revenue. Highlight any modules related to corporate strategy, financial accounting, or market analysis. If you took part in a university trading society or managed a society budget, include this under a "Leadership and Extracurricular Experience" section.

Avoid using generic buzzwords like "team player" or "hard worker". Finance recruiters want to see evidence of these traits through specific actions, such as "Managed a society budget of £5,000, reducing annual event costs by 12 percent through vendor renegotiation."

Formatting for Corporate Roles

Corporate CVs should be highly structured, conservative in design, and strictly reverse-chronological. Use clear headings and standard fonts. If you are applying for roles in banking or consulting, keep your CV to exactly one page. This forces you to be concise and prioritises your most impressive achievements.

If you are managing your finances while applying for these roles, you can plan your transition to professional life using the Student Budget Calculator. You can also research different career paths and salary expectations via the Prospects careers website.

Humanities and Arts CV Examples by Degree

Humanities and arts degrees, such as history, sociology, and fine art, develop exceptional soft skills. The challenge is translating these broad academic skills into specific business value. Employers value the critical thinking and communication skills these degrees provide, but you must present them in a way that aligns with corporate needs.

Translating Academic Modules to Business Skills

You must explicitly connect your degree experience to the job description. Do not assume the recruiter knows what a history degree entails. You need to spell out exactly how reading hundreds of texts and writing long-form essays prepares you for a role in marketing, human resources, or public relations.

Here is a table demonstrating how to map humanities degree activities to highly sought-after corporate skills:

Academic Activity	Transferable Corporate Skill	CV Bullet Point Example
Dissertation Research	Data Analysis & Synthesis	"Synthesised over 100 primary sources to identify long-term trends, presenting findings in a 10,000-word report."
Seminar Presentations	Public Speaking & Pitching	"Delivered weekly presentations to audiences of 20 peers, defending complex arguments during Q&A sessions."
Essay Deadlines	Time Management & Prioritisation	"Managed competing deadlines across 4 concurrent modules, consistently delivering high-quality reports ahead of schedule."
Group Projects	Stakeholder Management	"Coordinated a team of 5 students to design a multimedia campaign, resolving scheduling conflicts to meet project deadlines."

Creating a Portfolio Link

For arts, design, and media graduates, a traditional text-based CV is rarely enough. You must include a prominent link to your digital portfolio or GitHub repository at the very top of your CV, right next to your email address and LinkedIn profile. Ensure your portfolio is up to date and reflects the specific aesthetic or technical requirements of the roles you are targeting.

Structuring Your Graduate CV: Space Allocation

A common mistake graduates make is giving too much space to irrelevant information. Your CV is a marketing document, not an autobiography. You must allocate space strategically based on your strongest selling points.

Here is a practical worked example of how to calculate the ideal space allocation for a standard two-page UK graduate CV, assuming a total word count of approximately 800 words:

Worked Example: CV Space Allocation Calculation
Contact Details & Summary: 10 percent of space (approx. 80 words). Keep it brief and impactful.
Education & Academic Projects: 40 percent of space (approx. 320 words). This is your strongest section as a recent graduate. Detail your modules, grades, and dissertation.
Work Experience & Internships: 30 percent of space (approx. 240 words). Focus on transferable skills gained from part-time jobs or placements.
Extracurriculars & Skills: 20 percent of space (approx. 160 words). Highlight technical skills, languages, and leadership roles in societies.

If you have extensive industry experience from a placement year, you should flip the allocation, giving 40 percent to work experience and 30 percent to education.

of working-age graduates were in employment in 2024 according to ONS (2025), proving that a well-structured application yields results.

Tailoring Your Application for Graduate Careers

Creating a strong base CV for your degree is only the first part of the process. You must tailor your document for every single application. Sending a generic CV drastically reduces your chances of passing the initial screening stage.

Follow this systematic list to tailor your CV effectively:

Analyse the Job Description: Read the job advert carefully and highlight the mandatory skills and qualifications.
Match Your Terminology: Adjust the phrasing on your CV to match the employer's exact words. If they ask for "client relations", change your "customer service" bullet point to "client relations".
Reorder Your Bullet Points: Move the most relevant achievements to the top of each role or project description. The recruiter should see the most important information first.
Update Your Professional Summary: Tweak the opening two sentences of your CV to explicitly mention the role and the company sector you are applying for.
Check for Applicant Tracking Systems: Ensure your formatting is simple and readable by automated software. Avoid complex tables, graphics, or unusual fonts.

In addition to tailoring the content, you should ensure your CV includes these standard sections to pass automated screening:

Professional Summary
Education and Qualifications
Professional Experience
Academic Projects
Technical Skills and Certifications

Many large graduate schemes use ATS software to filter candidates before a human ever reads the CV. Sticking to standard headings ensures the software parses your data correctly.

For more detailed advice on passing these automated systems and preparing for the next stages, check the applications preparation hub.

Managing Your Career Transition

Graduating and entering the professional world involves more than just writing a great CV. You will need to manage your new income, understand your tax codes, and plan for your future. The transition from student life to full-time employment requires careful financial planning.

Once you secure a role, you will start repaying your student finance based on your income threshold. You can read more about the repayment terms on the GOV.UK student finance page and calculate your exact monthly deductions using the Student Loan Calculator.

Additionally, if you are relocating for a new graduate job, assessing your living costs is vital. Rent is likely to be your largest outgoing expense. Use the Rent Affordability Calculator to ensure your new salary covers your housing expenses comfortably. If you are moving into a shared house with other graduates, you can also use the Bills Splitter Tool to manage your household finances fairly.

Preparation is the key to securing a graduate role that matches your degree and your ambitions. By studying CV examples by degree, quantifying your achievements, and tailoring your document for every application, you will significantly improve your interview rate.

Explore thegrads.uk for more resources and tools to help you build the perfect application and launch your career.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best CV format for a recent graduate?

The best format is a reverse-chronological CV that places your education section immediately below your professional summary. Because you have limited industry experience, highlighting your degree, relevant modules, and academic projects provides the best evidence of your capabilities. Keep the design clean, use standard fonts, and avoid adding photos or heavy graphics. How long should a graduate CV be in the UK? A standard UK graduate CV should be no longer than two pages. If you are applying for highly competitive roles in investment banking or management consulting, recruiters often prefer a strict one-page CV. Ensure every bullet point adds value and remove outdated information like secondary school grades once you have your university results. Should I include my degree modules on my CV? Yes, you should include relevant degree modules, especially if they directly relate to the job you are applying for. Instead of listing every module you took, select four to six that demonstrate specific technical knowledge or theoretical frameworks required by the employer. You can also mention your dissertation topic if it showcases relevant research skills. How do I write a CV with no work experience? If you have no formal work experience, focus entirely on your academic achievements, university projects, and extracurricular activities. Treat your final year dissertation or group projects like a job, detailing the skills you used, the challenges you overcame, and the final results. Volunteering, society leadership, and personal projects also count as highly valuable experience.