Like many of us, I came to university with not much on my CV other than a part-time job in a shop...
Building your CV at university can feel impossible at first, especially when you are juggling lectures, assignments and your social life.
In four years, I have managed to gain so much experience for my CV and here is how I did it…
Online learning
As a student at Newcastle University, we have access to LinkedIn Learning, and this is something I really invested my time into outside of my lectures.
I struggled applying for a placement year as I noticed I had little to no experience in the line of work I wanted to do, which is when I found out about LinkedIn Learning. The platform is filled with so many different courses that you can complete and gain a digital certificate, perfect for your LinkedIn account!
By completing these courses, I could show employers that whilst I might not have the physical work experience, I do have a deep interest into this industry as I spend time learning more about it.
Not only can students access LinkedIn but there are many other platforms that also offer courses or online experience.
I also completed one with Canva, Google and LVMH all around marketing and a deeper learning into Luxury Marketing with LVMH.
Forage is also another great platform to use in your spare time, completing online work experiences for real companies.
Work experience
I was lucky enough that my course had module options that involved working with real companies in the North East.
This was my first thing at university that I could add to my CV, the module included us working with a client, understanding their brief, creating a marketing communications plan and then presenting this to the client. The module provided experience that not only contributed to my academic studies but also my CV.
I decided in stage 2 of university that I wanted to complete a year in industry, the certificates on my CV and live client experience were extremely useful in my application process! I managed to get accepted for my placement year as a Marketing Assistant Intern for Newcastle University Business School.
It was an amazing year working for the Business School, I gained so much confidence in myself and my abilities, I was also given a lot of responsibility from the beginning, making me feel like a trusted member of the team.
My manager also organised some shadowing opportunities for me, as I mentioned my interest in social media and events post-graduation.
I then shadowed other teams around the University, adding another level of experience for my CV. I would highly recommend a placement year, if you are considering one, it was definitely amazing!
Get a job on campus
Moving on from the placement year I then became a Mobility Ambassador for the Business School, promoting placements and sharing my experience about placement and the application process, along with talking to stage 1 and 2 students, answering any questions they have.
This is a really rewarding role to have on my CV as I know how I felt in stage 2 applying for roles, so it is lovely to speak to the students and provide as many tips as I can!
Lastly, I gained this internship with the University as a Student Content Creator. I found this through the University's Instagram and then applied through Jobsoc, a great platform for students to find work on campus, you should definitely check it out.
I wanted to gain some work in my final year of university to gain a bit of extra money so I could enjoy my last year, however I found myself in a situation after my placement year where I wanted to continue doing work that would be meaningful for my CV and applying for jobs post-gradation.
My future plans
My placement year solidified my decision to go into social media marketing after graduation, so this role was the perfect opportunity for me to gain experience in something I wanted and get paid!
The role is part of the NCL Internship scheme, which is so flexible for students, and I can easily fit my work around my lectures and any assignments or exams. In my opinion, it is one of the best types of work experience you can get at university.
Now in my final year and a few months away from graduation, I have a CV filled with relevant work experience for the jobs that I will be applying for, none of which I had in my first year.
The experience on my CV didn’t just come from one big role or job, it was built through smaller intentional choices all that I was capable to do without it interrupting my degree. Whilst you’re in university, say yes to any opportunity that you can use for your CV, there are so many things going on around campus that can contribute to building it up!
Remember, you can get support, advice and CV tips from the Careers Service throughout your time at university, whether you are applying for part-time work, placements or graduate roles.
By Mia, a fourth year Marketing and Management student and Student Content Creator