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Every job posting seems to ask for experience, and every job that would give you experience seems to ask for it first. Writing a CV with no experience can feel like writing about nothing.
It usually isn't. "No experience" rarely means "nothing to show." Hiring managers reading an entry-level CV don't expect a career. They are looking for evidence that you are reliable, curious and able to learn, and that evidence can come from many places other than a paid job title.
A note on terms: in the UK, Ireland and Australia a CV is the standard document; in the US and Canada the same thing is usually called a resume. The advice below applies to both.
What employers look for in an entry-level application
For a first role, most hiring managers are asking a few simple questions:
- Does this person understand the job and want it for a reason?
- Have they done something concrete that relates to it, however small?
- Can they organise themselves, finish what they start and work with others?
- Is the document clean, clear and free of mistakes?
The last point matters more than people expect: with similar backgrounds, the tidier CV often has the edge.
What to include instead of work experience
"Experience" is a wider word than "employment". Anything that proves a skill relevant to the job belongs on the page. Go through these sources before deciding you have nothing.
Projects (academic or personal)
A final-year project, a dissertation, a website built for a local club, a YouTube channel, an online shop you set up to learn how it works: all of these show you can carry work from start to finish. State the context, your role and what you produced.
Volunteering and community activity
Running the till at a charity event, coaching a youth team, organising a food drive: these come with real responsibility, schedules, teams and surprises. Being unpaid takes nothing away from their value on a CV.
Education and training
When work history is thin, education moves to the top. Highlight what is relevant to the role: key modules, group work, your grade or classification, a year abroad, certifications. There is no need to list every course.
Part-time and casual jobs
Waiting tables, retail, a paper round, summer camp work, regular babysitting: many applicants leave these out by reflex, and that is a mistake. They show punctuality, dealing with the public and coping under pressure. Even if the job is unrelated to your target, it is still an argument, as long as you emphasise what transfers.
Skills, stated plainly
Software, languages, a driving licence, writing, spreadsheets: list what you can really do. To decide which ones count, read about the skills employers look for.
How to structure a CV with no experience
The order of sections changes when you have no career to unfold. This structure works in most cases, on one page:
- Header: name, town or city, phone, email, and a portfolio or professional profile link if useful.
- Profile: 2 to 3 lines naming the role you want and your main strength.
- Education: first, with the details that matter for the job.
- Projects and/or Experience: projects, placements, jobs, volunteering, whichever is strongest.
- Skills: tools, languages, software.
- Interests: short, and only if they say something. Our article on hobbies on a CV covers when this section helps and when it hurts.
The principle is simple: put the most convincing material for this role first. If you completed a real project, it can sit above your education.
One page is usually enough. A two-page CV from a beginner can look like padding.
Write a profile that is honest and specific
The profile is the one place where you can explain your direction. Skip "hard-working and motivated recent graduate": it says nothing. Name the role, what you can do and what you are looking for.
Before: "Enthusiastic and motivated graduate seeking a first opportunity."
After: "Communications graduate who ran the social media for a 400-member student society for two years. Looking for a marketing assistant role to build my skills in copywriting and campaign reporting."
The second version names the job, gives one specific fact and shows a logical next step. For more, see our guide to the CV personal statement and professional profile.
Turn an activity into a CV line
The common trap is describing a duty ("responsible for") instead of showing what it produced. Even without impressive numbers you can be concrete: a headcount, a duration, a tool, a visible result.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Worked on a till over the summer | Operated a till independently for 6 to 8 hours a day, handling payments and end-of-day cash-up |
| Volunteer at a charity | Organised 3 food drives with a team of 10 volunteers |
| Group project | Designed a budgeting app in a team of 4 and presented it to a panel |
| Babysitting | Cared regularly for two children aged 4 and 7, including meals and homework help |
| Spanish classes | Spanish (B2), practised during a 3-month exchange |
Each line starts with an action verb and includes a checkable detail. Never invent a number: if you don't remember exactly, give an honest range or a duration. For more on turning duties into results, read how to present quantified results.
The same logic applies when you are looking for an internship as a student, where expectations are similar.
A realistic excerpt
Here is a sample for a candidate aiming at an administrative assistant role:
Sam Taylor, Manchester: administrative assistant, first role in an office setting
Profile
Business Administration graduate, organised and confident with office software. Keen to bring attention to detail to an admin team.
Education
BA Business Administration, University of Manchester, 2023-2026
- Coursework in records management, report writing and budgeting
Projects and experience
Treasurer, Students' Union society, 2025-2026
- Tracked an annual budget of about 3,000 GBP and member refunds
- Produced a monthly summary presented to the committee
Summer job, reception at a holiday park, July 2025
- Greeted families, handled bookings and ticket sales
Skills
- Excel (formulas, pivot tables), Word, Outlook
- Spanish: B2; full UK driving licence
(In the US or Canada you would write the same content as a resume, with the amount in USD or CAD and a city and state or province. Many employers there prefer no photo or date of birth.)
The layout is plain and every line points back to the job. That link is what makes it credible, far more than the amount of text.
Tailor it to each posting
A beginner's CV benefits a lot from adjustment. Reread the posting, pick 4 or 5 keywords (tools, qualities, tasks) and make sure that, where they are true, they appear in your CV. Our article on tailoring your CV to a job posting walks through the method.
Common mistakes
- Lying or inflating. An exaggerated title or an invented skill shows up in interviews, often on the first question.
- Filling space with nothing. "Reliable, motivated, a team player" with no proof adds nothing.
- Overcrowding the page. Tiny font and squeezed columns: cut instead.
- Unprofessional contact details. A joke email address makes a poor first impression.
- Skipping the proofread. Have someone else read it.
- Sending the same CV everywhere. At least adapt the profile and the section order.
For more, see CV mistakes that cost interviews.
Checklist before you send it
- The target role is visible at the top.
- Everything fits on one page.
- Your strongest section comes first.
- Each line starts with a verb and gives a specific fact.
- Nothing is invented or exaggerated.
- The listed skills match the posting.
- Your email is professional and your phone number is correct.
- The file is a PDF with a clear name (firstname-lastname-cv).
- Someone else has read it.
If you are unsure about layout, browse the CV templates: a simple, airy format suits a beginner's profile well.
If you have used another language in your studies, while travelling or in a summer job, it is worth a line: see how to list your languages and levels without overstating them.
Frequently asked questions
Can I write a CV with no experience at all?
Yes. Put education first, then add projects, volunteering, casual jobs and skills. A well-structured one-page CV is perfectly acceptable for a first job.
Should I include a casual job unrelated to the role?
Usually yes, especially if it shows punctuality, customer contact or independence. Keep the line short and stress what carries over to the job you want.
What if I have no qualifications?
Lead with short courses, certificates, projects and real-world tasks you have done. The profile and the skills section then carry more weight.
Do I need a cover letter?
It depends on the posting and the sector. When one is requested, it lets you explain your motivation in a way a CV can't. When it is optional, a short, tailored one can help you stand out.
