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Create ResumeIf you have no work experience, your CV should not pretend you have a professional background. It should show evidence of potential. That means using your education, transferable skills, volunteering, coursework, personal projects, extracurricular activities, achievements, and any real responsibility you have handled to prove you can learn, communicate, show up, solve problems, and contribute.
In the UK job market, recruiters do not expect an entry level candidate to have a perfect career history. What they do expect is a CV that is clear, honest, relevant, and easy to assess. The mistake I see too often is candidates trying to “fill space” instead of building trust. A strong no experience CV does not look empty. It looks focused.
When I review a CV from someone with little or no experience, I am not looking for a long employment history. That would be unreasonable. I am looking for signals.
Recruitment is not just about matching job titles. It is about reducing risk. A hiring manager wants to know, “Can this person do the basics, learn quickly, communicate properly, and not become a problem after two weeks?” That sounds blunt, but it is often the real question underneath entry level hiring.
On a CV with no experience, the strongest signals are:
Clear communication
Relevant skills
Evidence of effort
Signs of reliability
Motivation for the role
Practical examples of responsibility
The biggest misconception is that “experience” only means paid employment.
It does not.
From a hiring perspective, experience can include anything that proves you have used relevant skills in a real setting. That might be:
A school, college, or university project
Volunteering
Helping in a family business
Babysitting or caring responsibilities
Sports team leadership
Student society involvement
Fundraising
Basic understanding of the job or industry
Education, coursework, or training linked to the role
Activities that show initiative, teamwork, organisation, or customer awareness
This is why a no experience CV should never be treated as a “weaker version” of a normal CV. It needs its own strategy. You are not selling years of experience. You are selling readiness, attitude, learning ability, and relevant potential.
And no, that does not mean writing “I am hardworking and passionate” five times. Hiring managers have seen that sentence so often it has lost all pulse. You need to show what you have done, even if it was not paid employment.
Online courses
Personal projects
Freelance or informal work
Work shadowing
Duke of Edinburgh activities
Community involvement
Part time responsibilities that do not sound like “proper jobs” but still show reliability
The mistake candidates make is dismissing these things because they do not sound impressive enough. Recruiters do not only care whether something sounds impressive. We care whether it gives us evidence.
For example, a candidate who helped organise a charity event may have shown planning, communication, teamwork, time management, and problem solving. A candidate who built a basic website for a friend may have shown initiative, digital skills, client communication, and follow through. A student who completed a research project may have shown analysis, attention to detail, and written communication.
The work does not need to be glamorous. It needs to be relevant.
A good UK CV with no experience should usually be one page, or two pages only if you genuinely have enough relevant education, projects, volunteering, training, or achievements to justify it. Most early career candidates are better with one strong page than two thin pages.
Use this structure:
Name and contact details
Personal profile
Key skills
Education
Projects, volunteering, achievements, or relevant activities
Additional training or certificates
Interests, only if they add value
Do not start with an empty work experience section just because you think every CV must have one. If employment history is your weakest area, do not give it the best seat in the house.
Your CV should lead with your strongest evidence. For many candidates with no experience, that will be education, skills, coursework, projects, or volunteering.
This is not “hiding” your lack of experience. It is positioning. Good CV writing is not about placing information randomly. It is about helping the recruiter understand your value quickly.
Your personal profile should be short, specific, and relevant to the role you want. It should not sound like a motivational poster that has been trapped in Microsoft Word since 2009.
A strong profile explains:
Who you are
What you are aiming for
What relevant strengths you bring
Why you are suitable for an entry level opportunity
Keep it to three to five lines. Do not overclaim. Do not say you are “highly experienced” if you are not. Recruiters notice that immediately, and it creates doubt before we have even reached the rest of the CV.
Weak Example
I am a hardworking, enthusiastic and passionate individual looking for an opportunity to grow. I work well in a team and independently and I am keen to develop my skills in a professional environment.
The problem is not that this is terrible. The problem is that it says almost nothing. It could belong to anyone applying for anything. That is exactly why it disappears in a pile of applications.
Good Example
Motivated college leaver seeking an entry level customer service role in the UK retail sector. Strong communication skills developed through group projects, volunteering, and helping customers during charity fundraising events. Confident speaking with people, handling tasks under pressure, and learning new systems quickly.
This version works better because it connects the candidate to a role, gives context, and provides evidence. It does not pretend. It positions.
Your skills section should not be a random list of nice sounding words. It should reflect the role you are applying for.
If you are applying for retail, hospitality, admin, customer service, apprenticeships, internships, trainee roles, or entry level office jobs, the employer will usually care about practical basics before anything fancy.
Relevant skills may include:
Communication
Organisation
Teamwork
Time management
Problem solving
Customer service awareness
Attention to detail
IT skills
Microsoft Office or Google Workspace
Research
Writing
Numeracy
Reliability
Adaptability
Learning new systems
Handling feedback
But here is the recruiter reality: a skills list on its own is weak evidence. Anyone can write “teamwork”. The stronger move is to connect skills to proof elsewhere in the CV.
For example, if you list communication as a skill, show it later through a school presentation, volunteering role, fundraising event, debate club, group project, or customer facing activity.
A CV becomes more believable when the sections support each other. When the skills section says one thing and the examples say another, recruiters lose confidence.
If you have no experience, your education section needs to work harder. Do not just list the school or university and move on. Use it to show relevant knowledge, discipline, and achievement.
For UK candidates, include the level of education clearly, such as GCSEs, A levels, BTEC, T Level, apprenticeship training, undergraduate degree, postgraduate study, or professional course.
You can include:
Institution name
Qualification
Subjects
Dates or expected completion date
Relevant modules
Relevant coursework
Academic projects
Awards or achievements
Strong grades if they help your application
For example, if you are applying for an admin role and studied Business, mention coursework involving organisation, data handling, reports, or presentations. If you are applying for a marketing internship and completed a project on social media campaigns, say so. If you are applying for a care role and studied Health and Social Care, make that connection obvious.
Recruiters are not mind readers. A surprisingly large part of CV writing is making the obvious obvious.
Weak Example
A Levels
Business, Psychology, English
Good Example
A Levels in Business, Psychology and English
Completed business coursework covering customer behaviour, market research and written reports. Developed strong written communication, presentation skills and confidence working to deadlines.
The second version gives the recruiter more to work with. It translates education into workplace relevance.
This is where many no experience CVs either become strong or fall apart.
Candidates often leave out projects and activities because they think they are not “real experience”. But for entry level roles, these examples can be extremely useful. They show how you behave when given responsibility.
You can include a section called:
Relevant Projects
Volunteering
Additional Experience
Leadership and Activities
Practical Experience
Achievements and Responsibilities
Choose the heading that best fits what you have.
The key is to write these entries like experience, not like vague memories.
Include:
What you did
Who it helped
What skills you used
What result or outcome you achieved
What responsibility you had
Weak Example
Helped with charity event at school.
This gives no scale, no skills, no result, and no reason to care.
Good Example
Supported a school charity fundraising event by helping plan activities, speaking with visitors, collecting donations and working with a team to keep the event organised. Developed confidence communicating with different people and handling tasks in a busy environment.
This is better because it shows practical behaviour. For a retail, hospitality, customer service, or admin role, that matters.
If you have a personal project, make it useful. Do not just say “created a website” or “ran a TikTok account”. Explain what it involved.
Good Example
Created a basic portfolio website using Wix to present photography work, organise project pages and write short descriptions for each piece. Improved digital confidence, attention to detail and ability to structure content clearly for an audience.
That is much more useful than “interested in photography”.
Bullet points on a no experience CV should focus on action and evidence. Avoid empty claims.
A weak bullet point says what kind of person you think you are. A strong bullet point shows what you did.
Weak Example
I am good at teamwork
I am organised
I have good communication skills
These are not useless qualities, but written like this, they do not prove anything.
Good Example
Worked with a group of five students to complete a business presentation, dividing tasks, preparing slides and presenting findings to the class
Managed coursework deadlines across three subjects while maintaining consistent attendance and submitting assignments on time
Spoke with visitors during a community fundraising event, answered basic questions and helped create a positive first impression
These bullet points work because they are grounded in real behaviour.
I always tell candidates this: hiring managers trust examples more than adjectives. “Reliable” is an adjective. “Maintained full attendance while balancing coursework and volunteering” is evidence. See the difference? One asks the reader to believe you. The other gives them a reason.
First, be honest with yourself. Most people have more than nothing. They just have not translated it into CV language yet.
Ask yourself:
Have I completed group work at school, college, or university?
Have I helped organise anything?
Have I supported family responsibilities?
Have I volunteered, even informally?
Have I completed online training?
Have I helped someone with admin, social media, childcare, tutoring, events, or errands?
Have I joined a sports team, society, club, or community group?
Have I created anything independently?
Have I achieved strong attendance, grades, awards, or personal milestones?
Have I learned software, tools, or practical skills on my own?
If the answer is still truly no, then you have two jobs. Write the best honest CV you can, and immediately start creating evidence.
This does not need to take months. You can build CV value quickly by doing things like:
Completing a short online course relevant to your target role
Volunteering locally
Creating a small portfolio project
Helping a charity, community group, or small business
Taking part in a workshop
Shadowing someone for a day
Building a simple project that proves interest in the field
This is not about pretending to be experienced. It is about giving employers something concrete to assess.
In the UK entry level market, especially for competitive roles, “I am willing to learn” is not always enough. Employers hear that every day. Show that you have already started learning.
A no experience CV has limited space, so weak content hurts more. Do not waste space on information that does not help the employer say yes.
Avoid:
Long personal statements about your dreams
Generic claims with no proof
Irrelevant hobbies with no skill connection
Fake experience
Inflated job titles
Overdesigned layouts that confuse ATS systems
Photos, unless specifically required for a certain type of role
Personal details such as date of birth, marital status, or national insurance number
References listed in full
“References available on request” if space is tight
Big blocks of text that make the CV hard to scan
One thing I want to say clearly: do not fake work experience. It is not worth it. Recruiters ask follow up questions. Hiring managers ask practical questions. Background checks happen. Even when they do not, fake experience often collapses during interview because the candidate cannot explain the details naturally.
There is a better route. Position your real background properly.
A generic CV is one of the biggest reasons entry level candidates get ignored.
When you have limited experience, tailoring matters even more because you cannot rely on a strong employment history to carry the application. You need to make relevance obvious.
Start by reading the job advert properly. Not skim reading while emotionally preparing for rejection. Actually read it.
Look for:
Required skills
Daily tasks
Personal qualities
Software or tools
Customer, team, admin, technical, or communication responsibilities
Words that appear more than once
The level of independence expected
Whether the role is trainee, assistant, apprentice, intern, junior, or entry level
Then adjust your CV so the most relevant evidence appears early.
For example, if the advert mentions customer service, communication, and handling enquiries, your CV should highlight any example where you spoke with people, answered questions, supported an event, helped customers, or handled requests.
If the advert mentions organisation and admin, highlight coursework deadlines, scheduling, document preparation, spreadsheets, data entry, or planning tasks.
This is not keyword stuffing. It is relevance matching.
The applicant tracking system may scan for keywords, but humans still make the judgement. Your CV needs to work for both. ATS friendly means clear headings, simple formatting, relevant wording, and no strange design choices that bury your information. Human friendly means the recruiter can understand your fit in seconds.
Use this as a practical structure. Adapt it to your target role rather than copying it word for word.
Your Name
Town or city, UK
Phone number
Professional email address
LinkedIn or portfolio link, if relevant
Personal Profile
Motivated and reliable candidate seeking an entry level role in [target area]. Strong [skill one], [skill two] and [skill three] developed through education, projects and [volunteering or activities]. Confident learning new tasks, working with others and taking responsibility in busy environments.
Key Skills
Clear written and verbal communication
Organisation and time management
Teamwork and collaboration
Customer service awareness
Microsoft Office or Google Workspace
Problem solving and attention to detail
Ability to learn new systems quickly
Education
Qualification, Institution, Location
Dates or expected completion date
Relevant subjects, modules or coursework: [Add details linked to the role]
Achievements: [Add grades, awards, attendance, responsibilities or project outcomes if useful]
Relevant Projects or Activities
Project or Activity Name
Briefly explain what you did, what skills you used and what result or responsibility came from it.
Add a bullet point showing action and evidence
Add a bullet point showing skill and relevance
Add a bullet point showing outcome, responsibility or learning
Volunteering or Additional Experience
Role or Activity, Organisation, Location
Dates, if relevant
Explain what you supported or contributed
Mention people, tasks, tools or responsibilities
Connect the activity to the type of role you want
Additional Training
Course name, provider, date
Course name, provider, date
Interests
Only include interests that show relevant skills, commitment, creativity, discipline, technical interest, teamwork, leadership or industry awareness.
This structure keeps the CV clean, honest and useful. It does not try to disguise the lack of formal work experience. It makes the candidate easier to understand.
This example is suitable for a UK school leaver or college leaver applying for an entry level customer service, retail, hospitality, or admin role.
Aisha Khan
Birmingham, UK
07123 456789
Personal Profile
Motivated and reliable college leaver seeking an entry level customer service role. Strong communication, organisation and teamwork skills developed through business coursework, volunteering and group projects. Confident speaking with people, learning new systems and working in busy environments where professionalism and patience matter.
Key Skills
Clear verbal communication
Customer service awareness
Teamwork and collaboration
Organisation and time management
Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Google Docs
Problem solving under pressure
Positive attitude and willingness to learn
Education
A Levels, Birmingham College, Birmingham
Expected completion: 2026
Subjects: Business, Psychology and English Language
Relevant coursework included customer behaviour, business communication, market research and written reports. Completed group presentations, developed research skills and worked to regular assignment deadlines.
Relevant Projects and Activities
Business Studies Group Presentation
Worked with four classmates to research customer service standards in UK retail businesses and present findings to the class.
Helped divide tasks across the group and kept the project organised before the deadline
Researched customer expectations, complaint handling and staff communication
Presented key findings clearly and answered questions from classmates and the teacher
Community Fundraising Event
Supported a local charity fundraising event through college.
Welcomed visitors, answered basic questions and helped direct people around the event
Collected donations and supported the team during busy periods
Developed confidence speaking with different people and staying calm while handling several tasks
Additional Training
Customer Service Skills, online short course, 2025
Introduction to Microsoft Excel, online short course, 2025
Interests
Interested in retail brands, customer experience and social media trends. Enjoys team based activities and organising small events with friends and family.
This CV works because it gives the recruiter enough evidence to take the candidate seriously. It does not overclaim. It shows communication, responsibility, learning ability and relevance to the role.
Most weak no experience CVs do not fail because the candidate has no experience. They fail because the CV gives the employer nothing useful to assess.
The most common mistakes are:
Writing a profile that could apply to any job
Putting education at the bottom when it is the strongest section
Listing skills without evidence
Leaving out volunteering, projects, activities, or responsibilities
Using a messy design that looks creative but reads badly
Applying with the exact same CV for every role
Using inflated language that does not match the candidate’s background
Including irrelevant details because the page looks empty
Forgetting to show basic reliability, communication and motivation
One small but important point: do not underestimate clarity. Recruiters are often reviewing applications quickly. If your CV makes them work too hard to understand you, they may move on. That is not always fair, but it is real.
A good CV does not just contain information. It guides the reader.
There is a fine line between confidence and nonsense. Many candidates with no experience either undersell themselves painfully or oversell themselves wildly.
Underselling sounds like:
I only helped with a small project
I do not have any real skills
I just studied this subject
I have never had a proper job
Overselling sounds like:
Experienced business professional
Proven leader with extensive customer service expertise
Strategic communicator with advanced stakeholder management skills
Please do not describe a school project like you were leading a FTSE 100 transformation programme. Recruiters have enough theatre to deal with.
The best tone is honest, specific and evidence based.
Use phrases like:
Developed communication skills through
Gained experience supporting
Completed coursework involving
Contributed to
Helped organise
Built confidence in
Took responsibility for
Learned to use
Worked with others to
This language is strong without being fake. It shows growth, action and relevance.
Before you apply, check your CV against the job advert.
Ask yourself:
Is the CV clearly targeted to this type of role?
Does the personal profile mention the role or industry?
Are the strongest sections near the top?
Have I included education, projects, volunteering or activities that prove useful skills?
Are my bullet points based on evidence, not vague personality claims?
Is the layout simple and ATS friendly?
Have I used UK spelling and terminology?
Is my email address professional?
Have I removed irrelevant personal information?
Can a recruiter understand my fit within ten seconds?
That last question matters. Recruiters do not read CVs like novels. We scan, assess, pause if something looks relevant, and then read more closely. Your job is to earn that pause.
A CV with no experience can still be strong. But it needs to be built around evidence, not filler. Show what you have done, connect it to the role, and make the hiring manager feel there is enough there to justify a conversation.
Written by Simar Malhi, a recruiter and headhunter with international recruitment experience. I write about CVs, job applications, hiring decisions, and the reality behind recruitment processes. My goal is to help candidates understand more honestly how employers, recruiters, and hiring managers actually select candidates.
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