Before you sign up for another pilates class you’ll forget about by February, consider digitally resetting by polishing your CV and LinkedIn to start your year off getting hired. Whether you’re applying for the next cycle of grad schemes or summer internships, finding a way to present yourself that is genuine and hirable can be difficult, which is why in 2026, you’re creating a new first impression of yourself to start the year off right.
Fix Your CV
Your CV should always be one page, saved as a PDF, with your name clearly visible at the top. This is non-negotiable, and you should triple-check you’ve done these things first. There are countless simple, free CV templates available online that I’ve personally used and believe are easy to quickly skim and effective at passing AI readers. Do not fall for the websites that charge you £5 just to download your own resume.
Even if you’re applying for creative roles, resist the urge to use overly artsy Canva templates for your traditional CV, however, this doesn’t apply to portfolios.
Skip the headshot and listing your home address; they take up too much precious space, and recruiters can already find the information on your LinkedIn.
What to Include as Experiences
Your skills section should be relevant, not generic. Using vague descriptors like “leadership” or “good communication skills” is an expectation of any candidate and says nothing about who you are. Instead, highlight concerted and role-specific skills that you have, like proficiency in Excel or Adobe Creative Suite. Think of the skills section as something that can be measured or cannot be quickly taught.
Every experience should include three to four bullet points with numerical and quantifiable outcomes. For example, if you volunteered at an animal shelter, including how many animals you were responsible for, if you managed schedules, trained new volunteers, or used a new system.
Highlight experiences that are relevant and reveal something about you. Include a small section at the bottom about sports you play or hobbies you may partake in, whether that’s playing beach volleyball for 10 years or enjoying learning languages. Often, I forget that interviewers are people, and personal experiences give them something easy to relate to, help break the ice, keep the conversation on track, and delay that 30-minute Teams call.
Editing
Tailor. Tailor. Tailor. Application tracking systems scan for keywords before a human ever sees your application. A retail job might seem irrelevant for a finance role, but editing your bullet points can make your experience quite relevant to the role. Did you hit sales targets? Analyse which products performed best? While it’s annoying that so many companies are using AI to determine who to hire, use it to your advantage by uploading the job description and what they’re looking for to an AI application, and ask it to point out key buzzwords that you can add to your resume.
Clean up your LinkedIn
LinkedIn is your digital first impression, so resetting with a new headshot could be the best start. Then, be intentional about what you post. LinkedIn is already oversaturated with AI-generated captions, so instead, post about something actually meaningful, like a conference you attended, spring week recap, or a research project.
Take a Deep Breath
For me, especially at St Andrews, it’s easy to feel an underlying pressure to secure the “best” summer internship or to already have post-grad plans. Conversations about offers, prestigious companies, and life after uni are really overwhelming.
But remember that this is your life. Not your parents. And definitely not your uni friends’ lives. Just because everyone around you is chasing the same Goldman Sachs xyz banking role doesn’t mean those roles align with your goals.
Maybe your dream is to write a novel, start something of your own, or travel for a year after graduation. Rather than panic-applying to dozens of roles, it’s far more meaningful to go through a handful of thoughtful applications for roles you actually want.