Applying to UK graduate schemes is a numbers game and a clarity game. Recruiters are looking for tidy signals that you understand the role, have the relevant experience or potential, and can communicate both quickly. But before a human sees your CV, an applicant tracking system (ATS) is likely to have already filtered it. Over the years, I’ve reviewed hundreds of graduate applications and helped candidates redesign CVs that both pass ATS checks and read easily to hiring managers. Below I share the practical steps I use — and the real examples that work.
Start with role research, then map keywords
I always begin by reading the graduate scheme advert and the employer's careers pages closely. Make a list of repeated words and phrases: those become your primary keywords. For example, many UK graduate programmes emphasise stakeholder engagement, project delivery, analytical skills, commercial awareness or specific technical skills (e.g. Excel modelling, Python, SQL).
Map those keywords to your experience — paid work, placements, volunteering, coursework or society roles. If you have no direct experience, map transferable situations where you used the same skill. The goal is not keyword-stuffing but showing genuine, specific evidence that you have or are developing the required capabilities.
Use a short, tailored personal profile
I recommend a 2–4 line personal profile (top of the CV) that mirrors the role language. This is prime ATS real estate because some systems scan the top section more heavily. Keep it active and measurable where possible.
Example tailored profile for an analytical graduate scheme:
Before (generic): “Hard-working Economics graduate seeking a graduate role to develop skills in data analysis and finance.”
After (tailored): “Economics graduate with advanced Excel modelling and Python experience. Delivered a student research project forecasting local housing demand using regression analysis; keen to apply analytical and stakeholder-communication skills on a two-year graduate scheme focusing on economic analysis and policy evaluation.”
Structure and formatting that pass ATS
- Avoid fancy templates with text boxes, headers/footers, images or unusual fonts. Stick to standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman).
- Use clear section headings: Education, Work Experience, Skills, Projects, Additional Information.
- Save and upload as a Word (.docx) unless the advert asks for PDF — many ATS prefer .docx for parsing.
- Use bullet points (simple • or -) for responsibilities and achievements. Keep sentences concise.
Write achievement-focused bullet points
I coach candidates to use achievements rather than job duties. Each bullet should answer: what you did, how you did it, and what the result was. Where possible add numbers.
Example for a part-time retail role (relevant for customer-facing or commercial graduate schemes):
- Before: “Worked on the shop floor and served customers.”
- After: “Delivered high-quality customer service to 50+ customers daily, resolving complaints and increasing same-day add-on sales by 12% through personalised product recommendations.”
Include a short skills section — make it specific
A concise skills section helps both ATS and recruiters. Group skills by type if you can (Technical / Analytical / Communication). Use the exact phrase from the job advert when it genuinely applies.
Example skills block:
- Technical: Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables), Python (pandas), SQL (basic queries)
- Analytical: Regression analysis, data-cleaning, hypothesis testing
- Communication: Stakeholder reports, presentation to 30+ audience, cross-functional teamwork
Use a simple table to show qualifications and grades (optional)
Some applicants prefer a small table for clarity; ATS can parse simple tables but avoid nested or complex structures. Here’s a minimal example I sometimes use for clarity on grade breakdowns.
| Qualification | Institution | Dates | Grade / Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSc Economics | University of Manchester | 2019–2022 | 2:1 (Upper Second) |
| A-levels | Brighton College | 2017–2019 | AAA (Economics, Mathematics, French) |
Work placement and project entries that pass ATS
For graduate schemes, project work and placements often matter more than part-time jobs. Treat them like mini roles with achievements. Include the project goal, your action, tools used and outcome.
Example project bullet:
- “Capstone research project: Modelled local transport demand using Python and GIS data; recommended three cost-saving route adjustments projected to reduce operational costs by £60k annually, accepted in final university review.”
Keywords: what to include and what to avoid
Think of keywords as signposts. Include role-specific nouns and verbs from the advert: “graduate scheme,” “stakeholder engagement,” “commercial awareness,” “data analysis,” “project management,” etc. But avoid copying long sentences from the job description verbatim — ATS looks for matches, but human readers want authenticity.
Quick checklist for keywords:
- Include both British and American spellings only if relevant (use British spellings for UK roles).
- Spell out acronyms on first use (e.g. “SQL (Structured Query Language)”) — ATS may pick either.
- Include measurable outcomes (numbers, percentages, timelines) — they signal impact.
Common ATS pitfalls I see and how to fix them
- Pitfall: CV saved as image-based PDF. Fix: Save as .docx or text-based PDF so the system can read the content.
- Pitfall: Fancy headers/footers with contact details. Fix: Put contact details in the main body at the top — ATS sometimes ignores header/footer content.
- Pitfall: Using tables for entire layout. Fix: Use tables sparingly (e.g. for grades) and avoid nested tables; simple left-aligned text is safest.
- Pitfall: No dates. Fix: Include month-year or year ranges for roles and education; ATS often filters by recency.
Two short before/after examples
| Before (generic) | After (ATS-friendly & recruiter-friendly) |
|---|---|
| “Responsible for social media for student society. Increased followers.” | “Managed social media channels for Economics Society (4,000 followers); planned and executed weekly content plan, increasing engagement by 45% over six months and driving 200+ sign-ups to events.” |
| “Worked on a data project during dissertation.” | “Dissertation: performed data-cleaning, regression analysis and visualisation in Python (pandas, matplotlib) on a 5,000-row dataset; achieved 1st-class project grade and presented findings to academic panel.” |
Final practical checks before you upload
- Run your CV through an online ATS checker (many career sites offer a free scan) to spot missing keywords or parsing errors.
- Ask someone to read it quickly — if they can summarise your top strengths in 10 seconds, you’ve succeeded.
- Customise for each application: keep a master CV and create a tailored version for each scheme, changing 2–4 key phrases to match the advert.
When I work with clients, these are the exact edits I make first: tighten the profile, convert duties into achievements, add role-specific keywords, and simplify the layout for parsing. Small, deliberate changes make a big difference — both for ATS rankings and for the recruiter who reads your CV for 30 seconds. If you’d like a quick checklist version of this to use while you edit, I can share a downloadable template tailored to UK graduate schemes.
