Classic Serif Resume for Graduates
Elegant serif typography for finance, law, consulting, and academic applications.
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About this template
Classic Serif is the right template for graduates targeting industries where traditional credentials and academic pedigree matter: investment banking, law, management consulting, accountancy, and academic positions.
The grey section bands and serif typography communicate that you understand professional convention in these fields. A consulting firm that interviews at target schools expects to see a well-formatted, formal resume — Classic Serif delivers exactly that.
For finance freshers, the layout perfectly frames the credentials that matter most: degree institution, degree classification, A-levels or equivalent, and any investment/consulting relevant projects or societies.
Classic Serif is ATS-safe — single column, standard headings — so it works both for automated online applications and physical CV review at career fairs and on-campus recruiting.
The template also works well for PhD and research applications where academic credentials and publications come above professional experience.
Who is this template for?
- Finance and investment banking freshers
- Law graduates and trainee solicitor applicants
- Management consulting graduate applicants
- MBA graduates from business schools
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Why this template works for freshers & entry level
Classic Serif is the right register for graduate schemes at banks, law firms, consultancies, the civil service and traditional professional services — fields where applications are read against a conservative convention and a modern sans-serif document can read as slightly off-key.
Recommended section order
- 1Contact
- 2Education
- 3Work experience
- 4Positions of responsibility
- 5Skills
- 6Interests
'Positions of responsibility' is conventional in traditional graduate recruitment and worth a section of its own — society committees, course representation and team captaincies are read as leadership evidence at this level.
What to put where
Education
Full detail: institution, degree, classification, and relevant modules. Traditional graduate recruiters read this section carefully rather than skimming it.
Work experience
Vacation schemes, internships, insight days and part-time work. Write in full sentences — the register here is more formal than in tech.
Positions of responsibility
Committee roles, society positions, sports captaincy, course representation. Name what you were responsible for and any outcome — 'grew membership from 40 to 110'.
Interests
Genuinely conventional in this sector and often used as interview small talk. Two lines, specific rather than generic — 'long-distance running, completed two marathons' beats 'sport'.
Common mistakes with this template
- Using startup vocabulary, which reads as unfamiliar with the sector's register.
- Omitting positions of responsibility, which traditional recruiters explicitly look for.
- Generic interests — 'reading, travelling, socialising' — which occupy space and say nothing.
- Setting the serif body below 10.5pt, where it becomes uncomfortable to read.
When to choose something else
Technology and startup graduate applications will usually be better served by the Sharp layout.
Questions about this template
Is Classic Serif good for investment banking applications?+
Yes — IB recruiting at most banks expects formal, traditional formatting. Classic Serif matches that expectation while being ATS-safe for bank portal submissions.
Can I use Classic Serif for consulting applications?+
Yes. McKinsey, BCG, and Bain all see Classic Serif-style resumes regularly. The structured grey bands and serif typography signal you've made deliberate formatting choices.
What do banks and law firms look for on a graduate CV?+
Academic record, evidence of commitment to the sector, and positions of responsibility. Classification and institution carry more weight than in most industries; vacation schemes and insight days demonstrate genuine interest; committee and leadership roles are read as evidence of the soft skills they cannot assess from grades. Presentation is expected to be conventional and error-free — typos are treated as disqualifying more readily than elsewhere.
Should I include an interests section?+
In traditional graduate recruitment, yes — it is conventional and interviewers frequently open with it. Make it specific and true, because you will be asked. Two lines naming genuine pursuits with some substance behind them works; a generic list of 'reading, travelling, music' occupies space without contributing anything and can read as filler.
Template features
- Serif typography signals professional convention
- Grey section bands create formal structure
- Academic credentials displayed with appropriate weight
- ATS-safe single column for portal applications
- Scales well with distinctions, awards, and activities
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