If you are applying for graduate roles, the job advert is the most useful document you have. I want to show you how to read one properly, using an example: a graduate civil engineer role in a flood, coast and environment team.
Start with the role
The advert introduces the team: they deliver and manage critical infrastructure across the water sector, protecting communities, improving environmental resilience and supporting sustainable water management. As a graduate, you would work on flood risk management, coastal engineering and wider water and environmental projects.
So the first thing is obvious. You would be joining a flood, coast and environment team, and your interest in that area should be obvious in your CV and cover letter.
The advert also lists several regional office locations. If you live in or near one of them, make it obvious. It is a small detail, but it is one more reason to invite you to interview.
Your key summary
The two to four lines at the top of your CV should reflect three things:
- your interest in flood, coastal and environmental engineering
- that you are a recent graduate (they are not looking for ten years of experience, so don’t try to look like you have it)
- any relevant experience you have within the sector
Read the “About you” section closely
This advert says the role is ideally suited to a recent civil engineering or water and environmental management graduate who is keen to build a career in the water sector. That line should show in your application. Why do you want to build a career in the water sector? Say it.
Put your education first
After your key summary, the first thing I would put is my education. For example: “BEng Civil Engineering, [University name] (accredited by ICE)”. If you have relevant equivalent qualifications, make them clear too.
The advert also mentions A-level grades in STEM subjects and geography (or your country’s equivalent). If you performed very well, highlight it. If you got an A* in maths, don’t bury it. Make it obvious.
Find your evidence for each requirement
Now the advert moves into what they want you to demonstrate. Take each one in turn and ask yourself where you have already shown it. Remember, this is a graduate role. You don’t have to prove everything, and much of your evidence can come from university.
Working effectively in multidisciplinary teams
Think about your university design projects. Perhaps you designed a road with students from geography, or a car park with students from architecture and environmental science. That is a multidisciplinary team. Highlight it.
Ask yourself
Which of my projects involved people from other disciplines, and what did I contribute?
A genuine interest in water, flood risk, coastal and environmental projects
What was your final-year research project? If it is aligned with this area, put it forward. How did you do in your hydraulics, coastal or environmental modules? If you did well, say so.
Ask yourself
What have I already done, studied or chosen that shows this interest?
Excellent written and verbal communication
Your final-year project is evidence of written communication. If you got a high grade for it, highlight it. Were any of your modules assessed by presentation? Give the project name, how it was assessed and how you did. If you have presented anywhere outside university, include that too.
Ask yourself
Which reports and presentations can I name, with how they were assessed and how I did?
Working under pressure and meeting deadlines
Think about your modules. Perhaps on a 30- or 60-credit project, some design information was released very late, and you still met the deadline and passed well, with no resits. That is evidence, and it can go in your cover letter.
Ask yourself
When did something go wrong close to a deadline, and how did I still deliver?
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Which analytical methods and tools did you use at university? GIS, ArcGIS, others? Name them. Don’t worry too much about the word “strong”. For a graduate, your evidence can come from feedback and grades in modules that required analytical work.
Ask yourself
Which methods and tools have I actually used, and on which project or module?
Effective planning, organisation and time management
How did you manage your study time and prepare for assessments across different modules? Perhaps you had eight assessments within two weeks. How did you prioritise them? This may suit your cover letter better than your CV.
Ask yourself
When did I have too much to do at once, and how did I plan it?
A proactive, methodical approach to problem solving
Proactive means planning ahead. For the methodical part, look at your final-year project. How did you collect your data? Was it questionnaires, interviews, an experimental set-up, lab work or numerical analysis? How did you arrive at your results? If it was a team project, what was your contribution?
Ask yourself
How did I go about my final-year project, step by step, and what was my own part?
Attention to detail and high-quality work
If you have done laboratory experiments, you know the importance of not missing steps, following the sequence and repeating tests so the results can be trusted and replicated. That is attention to detail.
Ask yourself
Where did I check, repeat or follow a procedure carefully so the result could be trusted?
Strong computer literacy, with AutoCAD and GIS an advantage
If you have these skills, they should appear early on your CV. Say where you used them. For example: AutoCAD for a structural design in a particular module, or GIS on your placement.
Ask yourself
For each software I list, where exactly did I use it?
A commitment to continuous learning
Do you have any CPD or self-learning? Have you attended guest lectures or ICE events on future technologies or challenges in the field? Include two or three, with the date, the speaker and the topic.
Ask yourself
Which talks, events or courses have I attended, and when, with whom and on what?
Be honest
Before you know it, you have a CV with clear section headings that shows you are genuinely interested in this position. But don’t make anything up, and don’t lie. Be honest, and hope for the best.
Before you send your application, check
- Your key summary reflects the team, your interest and that you are a recent graduate
- Your location is clear if you are near one of the offices
- Your education comes first, with your degree’s accreditation
- Strong school results are visible, not buried
- Every requirement in the advert has evidence somewhere in your CV or cover letter
- Each piece of software says where you used it
- Two or three CPD items, each with the date, the speaker and the topic
- Nothing is exaggerated or made up
Read the advert line by line, then read your CV against it.
See it in a sample CV
To show you how this comes together, I have prepared a two-page sample CV for a fictional graduate applying for this kind of role. Every detail in it is made up, but each section answers something the advert asks for. Download it, see how it is structured, and use it as a guide for your own.
Download the Sample CV (Word)A note if you already have a PhD
This role is aimed at recent graduates. Employers are looking for people to train, which is partly why the salary is where it is. If you already have a PhD, be strategic about where you apply and what you put forward. Some employers may hesitate, perhaps because they think you will leave soon. Look for roles that suit where you are.
Over to you
These are hints that could help you get the opportunity to be interviewed. Take note of them, and if you have any questions, you are more than welcome to ask me.
The advert tells you what to put forward. Read it line by line.
Do you have a question about your own application? Ask in the comments.
Frequently asked questions
What if I don’t meet every requirement in the advert?
This is a graduate role, so you don’t have to prove everything. Show clear evidence for as many requirements as you honestly can, and let your interest in the area and your willingness to learn come through.
Should my education come before my experience?
For most recent graduates, yes. Your degree is usually your strongest and most relevant qualification, so put it straight after your key summary, with its accreditation.
Do I need a different CV for every application?
The structure can stay the same, but your key summary and the evidence you lead with should change to match each advert. Read every advert line by line before you send anything.
What goes in my CV, and what goes in my cover letter?
Your CV holds the facts: qualifications, projects, roles, software and results. Your cover letter is the place for short stories, such as how you met a difficult deadline or planned your time across several assessments.
I don’t have a placement. What can I use?
University design projects, your final-year project, part-time work, volunteering and any work experience in your home country all count. Name the organisation and location clearly, and say what you did.
Can I apply for a graduate role if I already have a PhD?
You can, but be strategic. Some employers see graduate roles as training roles and may hesitate. Look for roles that suit your level, and be clear about why this role is the right next step for you.
Check your own CV
Run your engineering CV through my free CV review, and see how clearly it shows the evidence employers look for.
Try the Free CV Review
Damilola Akinniyi
Damilola is a geotechnical engineer, educator and mentor with experience across industry, research and university teaching. He helps students, graduates, professionals and organisations build practical skills, think clearly and create opportunities through engineering education, reflective tools, mentorship and training.
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