How To Write A CV With No Work Experience

“How am I going to write my CV with no work experience?” this is the question that Dorcas and many other fresh graduates keep asking me for help. It is true that to get a job you need some experience but to get some experience you need a job. That’s exactly what lots of job seekers get frustrated about when writing their first CV with no work experience. But let me share a little secret: to get a job, you don’t really need to show you’ve got some experience. What you must prove is that you have the potential.

“If you carefully curate how to write your CV to match up with the demands of the job, your absence of work history will matter less. If you show the right blend of attitude and aptitude, employers will hire for potential,” I advised Dorcas.

Education, internships, volunteering, various projects, and hobbies will likely contain the most fascinating insights into who you are as a person. You might be surprised at just how many transferable skills you actually possess when you sit down to make your CV for your first job. Just because they weren’t acquired in an office setting doesn’t mean that they can’t be put into practice in one.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to leverage your relevant experience to get the job you want.

1. Tailor your CV to the job

First things first, make sure your CV is tailored to the job you are applying for. This is important. If you have a CV with no work experience, then the key is to focus on your soft and hard skills, rather than the experience that you don’t have. Scan the job posting and pull out all of the relevant skills and qualifications the employer is looking for. This could include things like attention to detail, customer service experience, or good time management. In order to tailor your CV to the job, it’s important to incorporate the skills you see into your CV.

2.  Utilize your career summary

This will be the very first thing any potential employer will read, so It is important to get it right. Top tip? Keep it as short and simple as possible with about three to five lines.

Start by introducing yourself with your education level and a top skill (“I am a hardworking and self-motivated recent graduate”). You’ll go into more details later, so only add in your degree subject or university if you feel it’s particularly impressive or relevant to the role you’re applying for. 

It is important to set out what you’re looking for. If you’re applying for only one sector, this can be specific – “I’m looking for roles in PR” – but if you want to keep your options open, keep it general: “I’m looking for a role which will challenge me.”

3. Highlight your educational background

The education section of a CV with no experience should ideally feature towards the top of the document as it will likely be the most tangible indication of your capacity for learning and development – something important in the early years of any career. Make sure that you do not spare the details when making this CV section.

4. Treat your extra-curricular activities like jobs.

Just because you weren’t paid for something doesn’t mean you didn’t gain valuable business skills from it. List your volunteer roles as you would a job – detailing the length of time you volunteered, relevant tasks you undertook, and the skills you developed. Evidence shows that employers are willing to take voluntary experience into account when considering a candidate for a position.

Invest in an unpaid internship, industrial attachments, projects, and extracurriculars now if you haven’t done it already.

5.   List skills rather than roles

Most CVs begin by listing the candidate’s most recent employment(s), but if you haven’t worked before or have only worked in unrelated industries, it’s much better to start your CV with a list of skills you’ve acquired. Employers will see them as much more interesting and relevant. Some examples of transferable skills are customer service, management experience, and data analysis.

Are you trying to write a CV with no work experience? We’ll tell you where you stand. Submit your CV for a free CV critique today!