Introducing
Leaving university and entering the job market can feel daunting. The classic “experience paradox” (you need experience to get a job, but need a job to get experience) is a hurdle every graduate faces. At Hands HR, we know the secret to bypassing this: The Skills-First CV.
Why Skills Matter More Than History When you lack a long employment history, your skills—learned through coursework, internships, and extracurriculars—become your currency. Employers aren’t just looking for what you have done; they are looking for what you can do.
3 Steps to Building Your CV
- Lead with a Summary: Start with a strong personal statement that highlights your degree, your ambition, and your key technical skills.
- Highlight Transferable Skills: Did you lead a student society? That’s Leadership and Project Management. Did you write a dissertation? That’s Research and Data Analysis.
- Showcase Your Projects: Create a dedicated section for “Academic Projects.” Treat these like jobs. Explain the problem, the tools you used, and the result you achieved.
The Hands HR Tip: Don’t just list skills (e.g., “Communication”). Contextualize them (e.g., “Presented complex data to a designated panel of 20 peers”).
