How to write a CV with no experience

There is one thing that every employer looks for when they scan a CV: experience. No matter how high you climb in your career ladder, hiring managers and recruiters will always your experience to gauge your ability to perform well in the role. This is all fine when you have years of experience to showcase on your job application. But what about when you don’t have work experience to add to your CV?

If you are a recent college graduate or an entry-level job applicant, you won’t have a ton of paid work experience to highlight on your CV. But that does not, in any way, mean that you are unqualified for the role. Today, we will discuss how you can bring out experience on your CV without having a history of paid jobs.

First, consider your goals

Different job seekers write CVs for different reasons. What you need to showcase on your CV differs greatly when you want to apply for a long-term job, part-time position, volunteer position, career change, or scholarship. Therefore, the first step to writing your new CV should be to be clear about your career goals.

Find what you can emphasize

Although you don’t realize it right now, you have gained a lot of valuable experience during your short career. You just need some guidance to uncover the right kind of experience for your CV. Other than paid jobs, there are tons of ways in which you can emphasize experience on a resume. Here’s a list of things you can consider:

• Volunteer work
• Education
• Certificates and licenses
• Internships
• Extra-curricular activities
• Training and workshops
• Projects
• Freelance work
• Professional memberships
• Professional development
• Hobbies and interests

Tailor to the job

Now that you have uncovered a few elements that can add experience to your CV, it is time for you to choose the ones that are relevant to the job for which you are applying. It is important that you customize the experience that goes on your CV so that the hiring manager views you as a suitable candidate for the position. Make a list of all your experience and select the ones that are the mist recent and the most relevant for the job at hand.

Use the right lingo

You should write your CV in a way that doesn’t make the hiring manager jump to the immediate conclusion that you don’t have the right work experience for the job. This means, describing your experience in a way that ties them back to the job. Describe your volunteer work, internships, freelance work, or entrepreneurial experience using the right keywords so that they are relevant to the new job.

Switch the order of things

When you lack paid work experience, one of the best things you can do is to change the order of your CV sections. Add your key skills after your summary section. Then, you can lead your CV with your education other than work experience. You can add all the other relevant sections to your CV to emphasize your experience following the education section.