padgrad is a free career platform for graduates. It matches jobs to your degree, generates AI-powered CV checks and cover letters, and sends daily personalised job digests matched to your field of study.

Yes. You get 10 free credits on sign-up to use on AI CV checks and cover letters. All other tools — job matching, budgeting, application tracking, rejection logging — are free with no credit card required.

How does the AI CV Checker work?

Upload your CV and paste a job description. The AI analyses your CV against the role requirements, gives you an ATS compatibility score out of 100, and tells you exactly what keywords and formatting changes to make — helping you pass automated screening systems used by graduate recruiters.

How many jobs should I apply for as a graduate?

Graduates typically need to send between 20 and 50 applications to land a role, with top graduate schemes receiving an average of 58 applications per vacancy. Focus on quality over quantity — tailor each CV and cover letter to the role rather than spamming the same application everywhere.

How long does it take to get a graduate job?

Most graduates take between 3 and 6 months to land their first graduate role, though it varies by sector. Consulting, tech, and investment banking tend to have faster hiring cycles. Larger graduate schemes can take 4-6 months from application to offer.

What is the average graduate salary for 2026?

Graduate salaries vary widely by country, sector and region. Investment banking, law and tech tend to pay the highest, while public sector and charity roles typically start lower. Salaries in major cities usually sit above the national average — check local salary guides for figures relevant to your market.

How do I write a graduate CV with no work experience?

Focus on transferable skills from your degree — research projects, group assignments, presentations, and coursework. Include volunteering, society memberships, part-time jobs, and any placements or internships. Use Padgrad's CV Builder to structure your CV for ATS systems, then run it through the AI CV Checker to see how it scores.

How are jobs matched to my degree on padgrad?

We scrape thousands of graduate jobs daily and match them to over 300 specific degree fields. Whether you studied Biology, Law, Engineering, Psychology, or History — we only show you roles that fit your subject area and send them straight to your daily digest.

Do graduate schemes pay well?

Graduate schemes typically pay a competitive starting salary, with some industries paying significantly more. Law firms and investment banks often pay the most. Most schemes also offer benefits like bonuses, pension contributions, and professional qualification sponsorship — check each employer's offer for the specifics.

How many applications does it take to get a graduate job?

Research shows top employers receive an average of 58 applications per graduate vacancy. Most successful graduates send 20-40 tailored applications before receiving an offer. Track every application using Padgrad's Application Tracker to spot which types of roles you progress furthest in.

Can I apply for graduate jobs before I graduate?

Yes — most large graduate schemes open applications 6-12 months before the role starts, so you should apply in your final year. Smaller companies and direct-entry roles tend to hire closer to the start date. Padgrad's daily job digest includes both graduate schemes and entry-level roles you can apply for straight away.

What should a graduate CV include?

A strong graduate CV should include: your degree with predicted or achieved grade, relevant modules and dissertation topic, transferable skills (research, teamwork, communication), part-time work or volunteering, technical skills and software proficiency, and a personal profile. Most recruiters spend under 10 seconds scanning a CV — use Padgrad's AI CV Checker to make sure yours passes the six-second test.

Learn the Excel skills for graduate CV that UK employers want in 2026. Get the top 10 list plus free ways to learn them. Build a stronger CV with Padgrad today.

Excel Skills for Graduate CV UK: The Top 10 in 2026

TL;DR

Excel is one of the top hard skills UK employers want.
Graduate jobs in data, finance, and ops all ask for it.
Our top 10 list runs from basic formulas to Power Query.
You can learn most of them free online in a few weeks.

Excel skills for graduate CV stand out because so many UK jobs use spreadsheets every day. Prospects lists Excel as a core hard skill employers want. Reed.co.uk shows 157 live graduate Excel jobs right now. Yet many graduates still leave Excel off their CV. That is a mistake. This guide shares the top 10 Excel skills for graduate CV, plus free ways to learn them.

Why Excel Skills for Graduate CV Matter

Universities UK found that 87% of employers say graduates have the skills they expect. But 47% of firms with open roles say graduates still fall short. Data skills are a big gap.

Excel is the entry point for most data work. Marketing, finance, HR, and operations all use it. A graduate who can clean data, build pivot tables, and spot trends saves a team hours.

Excel also opens doors. It is the first step to roles in data analysis, business intelligence, and automation. The skills you learn now pay off for years.

You do not need a maths degree to get good at Excel. The tools below are simple to pick up with practice. Even one month of focused work can move you from beginner to confident user.

The Top 10 Excel Skills for Graduate CV

Here are the 10 skills, split into three levels. Learn them in order.

Level 1: Basic Excel Skills

SUM, AVERAGE, and COUNT formulas. These handle most day-to-day maths in Excel.
Cell references. Know the difference between relative and absolute references.
Formatting. Clean tables with borders and number formats look professional.
Sorting and filtering. Fast data sorting is a basic daily task in most jobs.

Level 2: Mid-Level Excel Skills

VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP. These pull data from other sheets in seconds.
Pivot tables. Summarise thousands of rows into one clear view.
Charts and graphs. A good chart beats a wall of numbers every time.

Level 3: Advanced Excel Skills

Conditional formatting. Highlight trends and red flags at a glance.
Power Query. Clean and reshape messy data without manual work.
Macros and VBA. Automate repeat tasks and save real hours.

That is 10 skills in total. Most graduates only list "Excel" on their CV. Knowing these puts you ahead of the pack.

How to Show Excel Skills on Your CV

Do not just write "Excel". Show what you did with it. Use the same pattern as our guide to graduate CV keywords that get you hired.

Weak: "Good knowledge of Excel". Strong: "Built a sales tracker with pivot tables and VLOOKUP, saving 5 hours a week". Add numbers. Add outcomes. The AI CV Checker can tell you if your skills section lands.

Where to Learn Excel for Free

You do not need a paid course. Microsoft Learn has free Excel training for every level. YouTube has full beginner-to-advanced playlists. Our list of free online courses for UK graduates has more options.

Build one real project as you learn. Use public data like house prices or sports stats. Make a small dashboard. That project becomes proof on your CV and a story in interviews.

The Bottom Line

Excel is a cheap skill with a big payoff. Ten focused hours of practice can put you ahead of most applicants. Pair it with other in-demand abilities from our graduate employability skills guide and you will stand out.

Ready to build a CV that shows your Excel skills? Create it free with the Padgrad CV Builder and start applying today.

By Ori