How to Write a Placement Year CV (With Templates)
What is a Placement CV?
A placement CV is a document students use to apply for a work placement, usually taken in their third year before their final year of university. Since many students applying for placements have limited work experience, the CV focuses more on academic achievements, relevant courses, skills, and extracurricular activities.
It’s often the first professional CV they create. A placement CV may also be sent alongside a cover letter and academic references. The goal is to show potential employers your potential, motivation, and how your studies align with the role—even if you haven’t worked in the field yet.
How to Make a CV for Your Placement Year?
To make a strong CV for a placement, focus on structure and readability. A well-organised, clear layout helps you stand out — messy formatting can get your CV ignored. Here’s how to do it:
- Stick to one page (two max) – enough space to show your value.
- Use bullet points – make information easy to scan.
- Highlight headings – use bold or colour for quick navigation.
- Keep the design simple – avoid fancy layouts that distract.
- Skip the photo – unless the industry or country expects it.
Make your first impression count by ensuring your CV is clean, professional, and easy to read.
What Should I Include in My Placement CV?
Here’s what to include in your placement CV:
- Contact details – name, email, phone number.
- Personal statement – a short intro about who you are and your goals.
- Education – current degree, relevant modules, and grades.
- Key skills – both technical and soft skills related to the role.
- Work experience – any part-time jobs, internships, or volunteering.
- Projects – university or personal projects that show relevant skills.
- Achievements – awards, certifications, or recognitions.
- Interests – hobbies that reflect useful traits (e.g. teamwork, creativity).
- References – or a line saying they’re available on request.
Tailor each section to match the placement role you’re applying for.
How to Write a Placement CV
Writing a great placement CV is all about making your first impression count. Whether you’re applying for an internship or a year-long placement, your CV needs to clearly show your strengths, studies, and potential.
Below, you’ll find step-by-step tips to help you structure, write, and tailor your placement CV—from what to include to how to stand out.
1. Read the Placement Description
Before writing your placement CV, take time to read the placement description carefully. This helps you match your CV to the employer’s needs:
- Highlight key skills the employer is asking for
- Note down responsibilities you’ll be expected to handle
- Use similar language from the job ad in your CV
- Understand what matters most so you can prioritise it in your content
Tailoring your CV starts with knowing exactly what they want.
2. Put Your Contact Details
Your contact details should be easy to find at the top of your CV. Keep it professional and make sure everything is up to date:
- Include your full name, phone number, and email address
- Add your LinkedIn profile or portfolio link if relevant
- Use a professional email address, ideally with your name
- Only include a photo if requested by the recruiter, and use a clear headshot or passport-style photo
Clear, simple contact info helps employers reach you quickly without distractions.
3. Write a Personal Profile Summary
A personal profile is a short paragraph at the top of your CV that introduces you to the employer. It should be clear, confident, and focused on your goals:
- Keep it 3–4 lines max – short and impactful
- Mention your current course and career interests
- Highlight key strengths or skills relevant to the placement
- Show enthusiasm for the role or industry
This section helps employers quickly understand who you are and why you’re a good fit.
4. Describe Your Education
Your education is one of the most important sections in a placement CV, especially if you have limited work experience:
- Include your current degree, university name, and expected graduation date
- Mention relevant modules that relate to the placement role
- Highlight academic achievements like high grades or awards
- Add coursework or group projects if they show useful skills
This section helps employers see how your studies connect to the role.
5. Highlight Your Key Skills
This section shows what you can do and how you can contribute, even with little work experience. Focus on skills relevant to the placement:
- List 6–8 key skills that match the job description
- Include both hard and soft skills (e.g. teamwork, Excel, communication)
- Use bullet points or a short table to make it easy to scan
- Mention tools or systems you’ve used in your studies or projects
A strong skills section quickly shows you’re a good fit.
6. Showcase Your Achievements
Even small wins can show your potential. Use this section to highlight what makes you stand out:
- Add academic awards like scholarships or dean’s list mentions
- Include competitions you’ve entered or won, especially if relevant
- Mention leadership roles in clubs, societies, or group projects
- Highlight certifications or extra training you’ve completed
Achievements give your CV personality and prove your drive.
7. Include Your Interests and Hobbies
This section can show your personality and soft skills, helping employers see you as a well-rounded candidate:
- Pick hobbies that reflect useful traits like teamwork, creativity, or commitment
- Include relevant activities like volunteering, blogging, or sports
- Keep it short — 2 to 3 bullet points are enough
It’s a small section, but it can add a human touch to your CV.
8. Add References
References show that others can vouch for your character and potential, even if you have little work experience:
- Add 1–2 academic references from tutors or course leaders
- Include their name, title, email, and institution
- Ask for permission before listing anyone as a reference
- Or write “Available upon request” if you’re not ready to include them
References help validate your application and build trust.
9. Review Your Placement CV
Before you send your CV, take time to review and polish it. Small mistakes can cost you interviews:
- Check for spelling and grammar errors using a spellchecker or proofreading tool
- Make sure formatting is consistent with clear headings and spacing
- Ask a friend or tutor to review it for feedback
- Double-check all contact details and links work correctly
A clean, error-free CV shows professionalism and attention to detail.
Pro Tips to Write a Placement CV
Structure and Format
- Keep it simple. Try to just include the following sections: Education, Employment & Work Experience, Extracurricular & Volunteer Experience, and Additional Experience & Qualifications (in that order).
- Keep it short. Your CV should be able to fit on one page. If it takes two pages, it’s because you’re not focusing on just the key information.
- Keep the formatting clean and functional. Avoid bright colours and complicated graphics – check out our model CV for formatting inspo!
- Use a PDF. Once you have finished drafting and editing your CV, save it in a PDF format.
- Check for spelling and punctuation. Might seem obvious but it’s something people often miss!
Content
- Keep in mind the key things you want your interviewer to know. Startups are interested in relevant work experience, academic experience, and role specific skills (e.g. data science skills or marketing experience).
- Work out the parts of your CV which are most relevant, and highlight in bold.
- Demonstrate your proactivity! Startups love ‘self-starters’ and people with proactive mindsets. Think about what you’ve done outside of your studies that demonstrates this – including side hustles, social media accounts, charity work, podcasts, part-time jobs, campaigns, sports / musical / artistic things you’ve done. This stuff really helps make a CV stand out.
- ‘What’ not ‘how’. Focus on tangible outcomes, and be specific about the role you played in achieving those results.
- Put everything in numbers. For example, ‘increased attendance by 150%…’, ‘…made £500 profit’, ‘elected to represent 200 people on my course’ etc.
- Keep it short and simple. You don’t need to flesh out your CV with ‘filler words’ and unnecessary adjectives. It’s much better to make it clear and easy to understand.
FAQs about Placement CV
How to write placement experience in a resume?
Write your placement experience like a regular job. Include the role title, company name, dates, and key responsibilities or achievements. Focus on skills gained and results where possible.
How Long should a Placement CV be? Is a 1 page CV okay? Is a 4 page CV too much?
A placement CV should ideally be one A4 page – no longer than two A4 pages.
This keeps it concise, easy to read, and focused on your most relevant skills, education, and achievements—perfect for busy recruiters and your early-stage experience.
Should a CV have a photo?
Only include a photo if it’s common in your country or industry. In the UK, it’s usually not needed and may even be discouraged.
Should a resume be PDF or Word?
PDF is best unless the job ad asks for Word. PDFs keep your formatting intact across all devices and systems.
Placement CV Templates
Links Related to Placement CV
- What is a Placement Year?
- Pre-Internship Training Course
- What is the Turing Scheme and how does it work?
- Can I work during my Erasmus year?
- How to decide whether to study a new subject on your Erasmus year
- A Guide to Making the Most of Your Erasmus Experience
- 5 Tips for Building a Strong Personal Brand During Your Internship
- Spain Study Visa
- Interning at a Startup
- Erasmus Internships
- What are Pre-Placement Offers (PPO)?
- What are internships / intern jobs?
- Nationalcareers.service.gov.uk – How to write a job curriculum