How to write your first CV

Your CV is your business card. An employer spends only a few seconds forming a first impression, so the document must be short, tidy and honest.

Keep it to one page

For an internship, a single page is more than enough. Employers value the ability to highlight what matters.

What to include

• Contact details. Name, phone, email and city. Make sure the email looks professional.
• A short summary. Two or three sentences about who you are and what you are looking for.
• Education. University, major, graduation year. Include your GPA only if it is strong.
• Skills. Concrete tools and technologies, not vague words like "responsible".
• Experience and projects. See below.
• Languages. Russian, Tajik, English — with an honest level for each.

No work experience? That's fine

Most students don't have full-time experience yet, and employers know it. Show what you do have:

• coursework and study projects;
• olympiads and hackathons;
• volunteering and student clubs;
• any part-time work — it shows responsibility.

Describe results, not duties: "built a website for a student club used by 200 people" is stronger than "I know HTML".

Common mistakes

• Too long and padded with filler.
• Spelling errors — always proofread and ask a friend to check.
• Generic phrases with no facts.
• The same CV for every vacancy.

The key tip

Tailor your CV to each internship. Read the job description and move the most relevant skills and projects to the top.