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Five Ways To Improve Your CV Without Leaving Campus

Five Ways To Build Your CV Without Leaving Campus
Gemma Joyce
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There's never been a more important time to get your CV in order.

With record numbers of students entering university this autumn, it's now more likely that a person will have a degree than only school level qualifications. Standing out in an environment where having a degree is becoming more and more invisible is important in a harsh job market where big opportunities are few and far between.

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If you're worried your CV is looking a little bare here are five tips to help liven it up without having to stray from your university bubble.

Five Ways To Build Your CV Without Leaving Campus
1. Become a mentor(01 of05)
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Demonstrating that you have good communication skills is essential for many employers, and showing that you can help another student improve their grades by explaining difficult concepts to them is a great way to do it. See if your department has a buddy scheme, or set one up, and you'll not only have a rewarding new job but your head of department will probably be willing to give you a shiny reference. (credit:Blend Images - Hill Street Studios via Getty Images)
2. Become president of a society(02 of05)
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If you want to apply for a job where you'll be in a position of leadership it's important to show you've got experience, and societies are an excellent way to get this. Not all universities have a huge range of societies, but all universities will provide support if you're willing to put the effort into setting one up. Even if you're in charge of the Angry Birds society, organising socials, delegating tasks and gaining members will demonstrate how you can work successfully as the head of a team. Alternatively, if you've got your eye on the top position of a well established society you better start thinking about working your way up. Becoming president of a society with hundreds or thousands of members is a prestigious position, and you should start building contacts early if you're willing to take on the responsibility. (credit:David Gould via Getty Images)
3. Write for your student magazine(03 of05)
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Not only does writing for your newspaper train you to write succinctly (and thus improve your essay writing and, potentially, final grade) but it's a way of getting your name out there and gaining contacts. Whatever job you're looking to go into, it's important to have good literacy and having your name in print is a good example of work you're capable of producing. Writing on something you're interested in will help you hone your expertise on the subject, and if you're writing is well informed you'll be able to make some good contacts working in that field. (credit:Patrick Harbron via Getty Images)
4. Get a job on campus(04 of05)
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Running a university is a huge operation so the variety of jobs you can find on campus is naturally huge. Whether you're demonstrating that you're not afraid to get your hands dirty with a cleaning job, gaining public speaking experience giving talks to prospective students or, if you're feeling ambitious, running for a Sabbatical role, you'll be gaining plenty of adaptable skills that'll look great on your CV. You'll also have an income which is a massive bonus for saving up for summer or splashing cash in term time. (credit:Rachael Porter via Getty Images)
5. Start your own business(05 of05)
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University is the place to be if you're looking for like minded people with a big ambitions and plenty of time on their hands. There are loads of examples of businesses that have grown from students getting together at university and coming up with innovative and lucrative ideas - particularly those aimed at the student market (which continues to widen as more and more young people enter higher education). Your university will likely have entrepreneurial schemes that can provide support and guidance for your budding business venture - don't miss out on this. Even if it doesn't turn out how you planned you'll be able to build contacts and prove that you're full of energy and ideas. (credit:Cristian Baitg via Getty Images)
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