I’m getting bad grades – what should I put on my CV?

Many students worry about their CVs, especially if they’re unsure how they’ll do in their courses, so it’s great you’re proactively looking to improve your CV.

Employers look for more than just qualifications; they’re interested in your personal qualities and transferable skills such as time management and communication. You don’t have to learn those things in paid work – the skills and experience you develop outside work are just as useful.

Have you decided what career path you’d like to take yet? Even if you haven’t, there are a number of things you can do in order to improve your CV. Firstly make the most of what you have done, this way employers won’t only concentrate on any low exam results.

If you have worked somewhere part time before, you can use this as an opportunity to mention team work, punctuality and anything else that you might have learnt within this role. It’s good to focus on the positive things you have achieved.

It’s also a good idea to tailor each CV you send out slightly to suit the company or organisation that you are applying to. A good way to do this is to add a personalised covering letter to each application.

It could also be worth speaking with your education provider’s careers advisor. Your school, college or uni should have a careers advisor or careers centre where you can get guidance with your CV and job applications. Your personal tutor should also be able to help you out with this, especially as they seem quite keen to help you in this matter.

There are a number of things you can add to a CV to make you sound more appealing to potential employers. Although grades do count towards job roles, it’s good to include information about who you are. It is important you let your character shine through in your CV – employers are interested in the whole package, rather than just your course results. Big up the skills and experience you do have and maybe mention your hobbies to them as well, so they can see how rounded a person you are.

If you are a member of any academic groups, sports clubs, or other societies, it’s worth mentioning as this shows you are sociable and able to work effectively in a team.

It’s good to mention any work experience you have done, any previous employment or any academic achievements that you have met. These are all a great way of showing that you are dedicated and motivated which can give you an edge over your potential competition.

Voluntary work also looks fantastic to organisations that you are applying to; it shows them that you have dedication, drive and initiative. If you’re looking to get into a certain area of work, volunteering can be a foot in the door, giving you the chance to learn about the job and pick up vital skills. Even if you don’t have a particular career in mind, voluntary work always looks good on a CV or job application. You can find details of a whole variety of volunteering opportunities to suit you on do-it.org.uk.

If you want more information about careers, try the National Careers Service.