A student CV is laid out in table form, starts with the most recent stations and usually fits on one page. Even without much work experience, it looks convincing if your studies, internships, part-time jobs, projects and commitment are described with concrete tasks and results. This applies to the first job after graduation (in German) as well as to applications for internships or working-student positions.
Key points at a glance
- Order: contact details, optional short profile, studies and school, practical experience, skills, further training. Always start with the most recent station.
- Without work experience, internships, part-time jobs, university projects, volunteer work and time abroad count, as long as you name tasks and results.
- One CV per position: adapt the order, the emphasis and the short profile to the advert.
- Send the CV as a PDF, formatted consistently and proofread by a second person.
What does a student CV look like? Structure and template
Anyone looking for a student CV template needs above all a clear order. The sections can be rebuilt in any word processor or design tool.
| Section | What belongs in it | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Contact details | Name, place of residence, telephone number, email address, optionally LinkedIn or portfolio | A professional email address with first and last name. Check your voicemail greeting |
| Short profile (optional) | Two to three sentences on your subject, focus and goal | Write it anew for each application |
| Studies and school | Course, university, period, expected graduation, focus areas, school-leaving certificate | Only list courses that fit the position |
| Practical experience | Internships, working-student jobs, part-time jobs, projects, volunteer work | For each station, period, position, employer and two to four bullet points |
| Skills | Languages with level, software, programming languages | Only details you can back up in the interview |
| Further training | Courses, certificates, workshops | Title, provider and date |
| Awards and scholarships | Prizes, scholarships, grants | Briefly and with the year |
| Interests (optional) | Hobbies with a link to your skills | Include only if they say something about you |
If you still want to apply for a scholarship, the article on applying for a scholarship (in German) explains what selection panels look for.
How do you write a CV without work experience?
For a CV without work experience, include everything with which you can demonstrate skills: seminar and final-year projects, part-time jobs, commitment in the student council or a club, language stays and online courses. The decisive factor is the description. Each bullet point should answer what you did and what came of it.
The following wording examples are invented and only show the principle.
| Weak wording | More concrete wording |
|---|---|
| Member of the social media team | Planned and published weekly Instagram posts for the student council |
| Waitress at a café | Table service at a café, responsible for the till and accounts at weekends |
| Group project on market analysis | Market analysis in a team: developed an online survey, evaluated the results in Excel and presented them |
Soft skills such as teamwork or reliability do not need to appear as a list. They become credible when they show up in descriptions like these. If you still write a separate block, name only qualities that you can back up with an example.
What belongs in a CV for an internship?
For an internship CV, your studies are the focus. Name focus areas, seminars and projects that fit the field, plus software and language skills from the advert. A short profile shows which field you are looking for. For example: “Business administration student in the 4th semester, focusing on marketing. Seeking an internship in social media to gain experience in content planning and analysis.”
How to find positions and structure the cover letter is covered in the article on how to apply for an internship (in German).
How do you design your CV? Tips on layout
For layout, readability comes before decoration. Choose an easy-to-read typeface such as Arial or Calibri in normal text size and use it throughout. Enough white space between sections and consistent spacing make a CV faster to scan than coloured elements.
- Order: reverse chronological, with the most recent station at the top.
- Length: one page is usually enough. Two pages are fine if many relevant stations are added.
- Format: save the file as a PDF so that layout and typeface look the same on every device.
- File name: name it clearly, for example “CV_Surname.pdf”.
How do you adapt your CV to a position?
Read the advert and mark which tasks and requirements are named. Take over terms that genuinely apply to you, and put the most relevant experience first. A customer service internship counts for a sales post more than for a research post. Align the short profile with the position as well.
Once the CV is ready, turn to the cover letter and the interview. How to apply as a student (in German), from the cover letter to a working-student position, has its own article. A step-by-step guide on preparing for the job interview (in German) is also available.
What do you check before sending?
- Spelling and grammar: read it several times with some distance and have a second person proofread. The spell checker of your software does not replace that.
- Dates: keep periods complete and written in the same format, and explain any gaps briefly.
- Consistency: same typeface, same bullet points, same spacing.
- Contact details: telephone number and email address are correct and reachable.
Frequently asked questions
What belongs in a student CV?
Contact details, studies and school-leaving certificate, internships, part-time jobs, projects, language and software skills, and further training. A short profile and interests are optional. Everything is sorted in reverse order, so the most recent station comes first.
How long may a student CV be?
One page is enough in most cases, especially at the start of your studies. With several relevant internships and projects, two pages are common. More important than the page count is that every line fits the position.
What do I write in my CV if I have no work experience?
Use your studies, seminar and final-year projects, part-time jobs, volunteer work, language skills and further training. For each station, describe the task and the result. That way it becomes visible what you can do, even if the job title “intern” or “working student” is still missing.
Do I have to list grades in my CV?
No. Good grades that fit the position can be named. Otherwise, focus areas, projects and practical experience are the stronger evidence. If the advert explicitly asks for grades or certificates, enclose them.
Which hobbies belong in a CV?
Those that show a skill, such as club work, team sport or a project you organise. Describe briefly what you do there. General entries such as “travelling” without a link take up space without adding value.
What you should do now
- Collect all stations from studies, jobs, projects and volunteer work in a list with periods.
- Build the template from the table above and write a task and result for each station.
- Write a short profile for the first application and adapt it later.
- Have the CV proofread and save it as a PDF.
Related articles
- Applying as a student: cover letter, working-student job and internship (in German)
- Finding an internship: how to convince companies (in German)
- Finding a part-time job as a student: where to look and what to watch for (in German)
- Starting your career after graduation: how to get off to a good start (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
