Best CV Format For Freshers or Your First Job (+ Free Template)

Writing a CV as a fresher can pose quite a challenge mostly because you're fresh out of the university with little to zero work experience and as a fresh graduate looking to land interviews and possibly a good job with great pay, having a well-tailored CV is the first thing you should do.

But before you jump into writing a CV, you need to identify the best format for you, especially as a fresher. It makes no sense for you to model after a friend or mentor who is currently working and has years of experience under their belt. Not to worry tho, we've got you covered.

In this article, you'll learn what a fresher CV is, the three types of CV formats, the best CV format for freshers and how to write the perfect CV that will land you more interviews. Let's get started!
 

What Is A Fresher CV?

Curriculum vitae (CV) means "course of life" in Latin and it's a document that contains your professional skills, education, work experience, scholarships, awards and achievements. Typically, your CV should be tailored to fit the job description and should only contain the skills and experiences that are relevant to the position you're applying for.

A fresher CV is not that different from a regular CV. A fresher CV is the CV you create when you want to apply for your first set of jobs after graduating from school. Applying for jobs as a fresh graduate can be a bit of a disadvantage because you'll be thrown into the sea of job hunters who are applying for the same post as you, many of which have more work experience than you. So crafting a great fresher CV is the only way you stand a chance of getting recruiters' attention and beating the crowd of applicants to secure that job you desire.

How Many CV Formats Are There?

Now that you understand what a fresher CV is, let's take a look at the types of CV formats.

There are three basic CV formats which are:

• The functional CV format

• The reverse-chronological CV format

• The combination/hybrid CV format

What Are The Differences Between The Formats?

We'll go through each of the CV formats, so you'll have a better understanding of their uses and differences.

 

1 . The Functional CV Format

The functional CV format is known as a skills-based CV because it emphasizes the applicant's skills rather than their employment history. Research has shown that recruiters do not fancy this type of CV format, therefore making it the least used among applicants.

The functional CV format is built like this:

• Full name

• Professional title

• Contact information such as your phone number, professional email, city, zip code and country where you reside

• Your profile ( this is a summary of who you are and your most endearing quality, and make sure to match it to the job description)

• Your skills (this usually takes up the majority of the space)

• Experience and employment history

• Educational qualifications
   

2 . The Reverse-chronological CV Format

The reverse-chronological CV format is the most popular and widely used among applicants. Probably because it is the most simple and hiring managers prefer it because it emphasizes the applicant's experience and employment history. To use this CV format, you start by listing all your professional experiences and employment history in reverse chronological order. That is, you start by mentioning the most recent ones.
 

Here's how it's built:

• Full name

• Professional title

• Contact information such as your phone number, professional email, city, zip code and country where you reside

• Your profile ( this is a summary of who you are and your most endearing quality, and make sure to match it to the job description)

• Experience and employment history (this usually takes up the majority of the space)

• Educational qualifications

• Skills

3 . The Combination/Hybrid CV Format

Just like the name says, this CV format is a combination of functional and reverse-chronological CV formats. To use the combination CV format, you start by listing your skills and educational qualifications followed by your employment history. But while you're writing, remember to highlight only those skills and work history that are relevant to the job position.

Here's how the combination CV format is built.

• Full name

• Contact information such as your phone number, professional email, city, zip code and country where you reside

• Skills

• Additional Skills

• Educational qualifications

• Experience and employment history

You're free to switch positions between the qualifications and experience sections but you must always place the additional skills right next to the skills section.

What Is The Best CV Format For Freshers?

The best cv format for freshers is the reverse chronological format and the combination format. You can make use of either of these CV formats as a fresher even if you have zero working history. All you need to do is replace the employment history section with your internship experience, awards and achievements. Another important tip is to focus on your skills and other volunteering work you've participated in.
 

How Can I Write My CV As A Fresher?

Writing your CV as a fresher is quite easy, just follow the steps below.

• First, you start by writing out your name and all your personal information at the top of the page.

• Fill out your educational qualifications and employment history.

• Add custom sections such as personal projects or volunteer work.

• List out your skills and languages.

• Add extra custom sections like volunteer or internship experience.

How To Choose A Resume Format For Fresher Jobs That Will Land You More Interviews.

There are many resume formats to choose from but the best resume format for freshers must fulfil the following conditions- it must include all the right sections and must have a clear and simple layout. Your fresher resume must have the following sections:

• A header. This includes your name and contact details.

• Career objective. This is a summary of what you have to offer.

• Work experience if you have any.

• Education section.

• Skills section which includes a short list of relevant skills that match the job description.

• Additional sections such as "achievements" or "volunteer" highlight your strong points especially since you do not have prior work experience.

Now, that you know what to include in your fresher resume, here are some tips to help you create the perfect resume format that will land you more interviews irrespective of the industry.

 

1. Make sure your resume is scannable and easy to read: what makes a good fresher resume is the overall layout. Your resume must be easy to scan and read. To achieve this, make use of white spaces to break up large chunks of text. We recommend using 1.5 line spacing and 1-inch margins on each side for easier reading. You should also use well-separated subheadings to neatly divide your resume into different sections. Lastly, stick to the default fonts like Arial or Calibri and avoid any fancy fonts that will make your resume hard to read. Ideally, the font size should be between 11 to 12 pt.

2. Keep your resume short: the ideal length for any resume including that of a fresher is one page. If you find out after writing that it's more than 1 page, then you must go over it again, make sure you're including only the necessary information and cut off the irrelevant ones. Also, you can try rewriting long sentences to make them shorter but never use tight line spacing or smaller fonts to make everything fit into one page.

3. Submit your resume as a PDF: Sending your resume as a PDF file will preserve the document's format and layout better than a word file unless otherwise stated by the employer.

 

Here's a sample of a fresher resume:

Gabriel Isaac
Graduate of Business Administration
08045689251
Gabrielisaac@yahoomail.com
Linkedin.com/in/gabrielisaac
Nationality: Nigerian

Objective
Zealous and hardworking graduate of Business Administration with 6 months of the bookkeeping internship experience. Kept a detailed account of all supplies and purchases, which were double-checked and accepted by the HOD. Winner of the " Business Minds" proposal writing competition, looking to leverage proven data analytics and accounting skills to help Anchor Suites in providing excellent business management.
 

Experience

Accounting Intern
Legend Interiors Ltd
February 2021 - August 2021

• Recorded daily supplies and purchases of furniture, which were accepted by HOD as being 99% correct.
• Took stock of inventory once a month and reported timely findings of damaged furniture which helped cut the company's loss by 20%.
• Supervised the sales team ensuring proper accounting of cash inflow.
• Created a database using Excel for easy compilation of the company's quarterly reports.

Education

BSc, Business Administration  4.3 / 5.0 GPA
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
2017-2022

• Pursued a passion for Business Analysis coursework
• Won the 4-day" Business Minds" proposal writing competition, in 2021
• CGPA of 4.5 / 5.0

Computer Appreciation Training Certificate
Delta State Skills Acquisition Center, Asaba.
June 2016 - December 2016

• Acquired basic computer knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Engaged in computer networking and basic graphic design practicals

West African Secondary School Certificate WASSCE
Zappa Secondary School, Asaba, Delta State.
March 2015
 

Skills

• Proposal writing
• Bookkeeping and accounting
• Project management
• Use of Microsoft Office- Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Analytical skills
• Communication skills
• Teamwork

Languages

• English 
• French 
• Igbo
   

Conclusion

Writing your first CV or resume as a fresher can be a bit confusing, but I believe with the information in this post, you're well on your way to creating the perfect CV/resume that will land your dream job. Not ready to create your cv yourself? Use our CV builder to get yourself a brand new cv.