Students & graduates

How to Write a CV With No Experience

By WiseCV Team · Updated 30 October 2026 · 4 min read

To write a CV with no experience, lead with your education and a short personal summary, then show your skills through projects, volunteering, part-time jobs, coursework and activities. Employers hiring for entry-level roles know you are just starting out — they want evidence that you are reliable, willing to learn and able to do the basics well.

What counts as experience?

“No experience” usually means no full-time job in your field. But most people have done more than they think. All of these can go on your CV:

• Part-time and casual work — retail, hospitality, tutoring, babysitting, deliveries.
• Volunteering — charities, community events, religious or cultural organisations.
• University or school projects — group projects, dissertations, presentations, competitions.
• Personal projects — a website, a social media page, an app, a small online shop, a YouTube channel.
• Clubs and societies — especially any role with responsibility, like treasurer or captain.
• Internships, work experience weeks and job shadowing, however short.
• Online courses and certificates — for example Google, Microsoft or language certificates.

The best CV structure when you have no experience

1. Contact details — name, phone, professional email, city.
2. Personal summary — three lines on who you are and what you want.
3. Education — your strongest section, so it goes near the top.
4. Projects — two or three that show relevant skills.
5. Experience — part-time work and volunteering.
6. Skills — practical skills that match the job advert.
7. Extras — languages, certificates, achievements, interests (only if they say something useful about you).

How to write each section

Write a summary that shows ambition

Without a job history, your summary explains who you are and why you would be a good hire.

Make your education work harder

Do not just list the qualification. Add your grade (if it helps), relevant modules, a dissertation title or a project result.

Describe projects like jobs

Give each project a title, a date and one or two bullet points about what you did and what happened as a result.

Use part-time work to prove soft skills

A weekend café job shows you can handle pressure, work in a team and deal with customers. Say so with specifics.

Choose skills from the job advert

Pick eight to ten skills that the employer asks for and that you can genuinely back up. See our list of the best skills to put on a CV.

Example: a first CV with no work experience

This is an illustrative example — the person and organisations are fictional.

Tips that make a big difference

• Keep it to one page. A short, focused CV is better than one stretched with filler.
• Tailor it to every application. Reorder your skills and projects to match each advert.
• Do not lie or exaggerate. Interviewers will ask about everything on your CV.
• Add a cover letter when you can — it is your chance to explain your motivation.

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