Writing your first CV is the job-seeking equivalent of needing experience to get a job, but needing a job to get experience. The good news: you have more material than you think. Coursework, volunteer work, personal projects, extracurriculars, and even part-time jobs all count.
This guide walks you through exactly how to write a CV when you have no formal work history. It includes a full example, a template you can adapt, and common mistakes to avoid.
The Mindset Shift: You Have More Experience Than You Think
Students and first-time job seekers often assume experience means "paid, full-time work." It does not. Experience is anything where you built a skill, delivered something useful, or worked with others. That includes:
- Coursework and assignments (especially group projects)
- Volunteer work of any kind
- Extracurricular activities (sports, societies, debate, newspaper, student government)
- Part-time, seasonal, or casual work (babysitting, tutoring, retail, hospitality)
- Personal projects (blogs, coding projects, side businesses, creative portfolios)
- Leadership roles (team captain, event coordinator, society president)
Reframe these as "experience," and your CV has plenty to work with.
CV Structure for First-Time Job Seekers
The standard CV structure gets reshuffled when you have limited experience. Education goes higher. Skills and projects get more prominence. Work experience (if any) goes below.
- Contact details (with LinkedIn and any relevant portfolios)
- Resume objective (3-4 sentences)
- Education (degree, grades, dissertation, modules)
- Skills (hard and soft, organised by category)
- Projects / extracurriculars / volunteer work
- Work experience (even casual or part-time)
Keep it to one page. You should not need more.
Full Student CV Example
Liam Carter
Manchester | 07700 900456 | [email protected]
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/liamcarter | GitHub: github.com/liamcarter
CTA: Get your first CV reviewed by AI
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Recent BSc Computer Science Graduate | Python, JavaScript, SQL | Aspiring Software Developer
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Objective
Recent BSc Computer Science graduate from the University of Manchester with first-class honours, seeking a Junior Software Developer position. Practical experience in Python, JavaScript, and SQL through coursework, an 8-week internship, and 3 portfolio projects. Eager to apply my technical foundation and collaborative mindset in a team shipping production software.
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Education
BSc Computer Science | University of Manchester | 2021-2024
- First-class honours (79% average)
- Dissertation: "Machine Learning for Urban Traffic Prediction" (82%, top 5% in cohort)
- Relevant modules: Algorithms, Databases, Machine Learning, Distributed Systems, Software Engineering
- Scholarship: Manchester Academic Excellence Scholarship (awarded to top 10% of cohort)
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Skills
- Languages: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, Java
- Frameworks: React, Node.js, Flask, Django
- Tools: Git, Docker, Linux, VS Code, JIRA
- Methods: Agile, TDD, pair programming
- Soft skills: Team collaboration (multiple group projects), technical writing (tech blog), student mentoring
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Projects
Urban Traffic Predictor (Dissertation) | Python, scikit-learn, Pandas
- Built a machine learning model predicting congestion patterns with 82% accuracy
- Presented findings to academic panel; code open-sourced on GitHub
Task Manager Web App | React, Node.js, PostgreSQL
- Built and deployed a full-stack task management application
- Implemented authentication, real-time updates, and mobile-responsive UI
Open-Source Contributions | Python
- Merged 2 PRs into popular data science libraries (bug fixes and performance improvements)
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Experience
Software Engineering Intern | Payworks | Jun-Aug 2023
- Completed an 8-week internship on the internal tools team
- Built a React dashboard for customer success team, used daily by 12 account managers
- Received positive feedback for code quality and pair programming approach
Python Tutor | University of Manchester | 2023-2024
- Led weekly sessions for 15 first-year students learning Python
- Developed 6 practice exercise sets used by the department
Retail Assistant | Waterstones | 2020-2022 (part-time)
- Customer service, stock management, and cash handling
- Trained 3 new starters during the 2021 Christmas period
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Certifications and Extras
- AWS Cloud Practitioner | 2024
- Society Leadership: Secretary, Manchester Coding Society (2022-2023)
- Hackathons: Participated in 3 university hackathons; team placed 2nd in HackNorth 2023
The Resume Objective for First-Time CVs
Freshers benefit from a resume objective rather than a summary. Objectives look forward; summaries look back, and you do not have much to look back on yet.
Follow this formula:
\[Your background or qualification\] + \[Key skills or strengths\] + \[What you aim to contribute to the company\]
Example
"Recent BA Marketing graduate with a 2:1 from the University of Leeds and hands-on experience managing social media for 3 university societies. Proficient in Google Analytics, Canva, and content scheduling. Seeking a graduate marketing role to apply analytical and creative skills to support campaign performance."
The Skills Section for First-Time CVs
Your skills section matters more when work experience is limited. Include both hard and soft skills, grouped clearly.
Hard skills (from coursework and projects)
- Programming languages
- Design tools
- Data analysis tools
- Languages spoken
- Technical writing
- Specific software proficiency
Soft skills (backed by evidence)
- Team collaboration (with reference to group projects)
- Communication (with reference to presentations, tutoring, or debate)
- Time management (with reference to balancing study and part-time work)
- Leadership (with reference to society roles or captaincies)
Always back each soft skill with evidence elsewhere in the CV. "Leadership" is meaningless alone. "Society secretary coordinating 30 members" is evidence.
How to Describe Unpaid Experience
Academic projects
Final-year Project: Machine Learning for Urban Traffic Prediction
- Built ML model in Python (scikit-learn) with 82% accuracy
- Scored in top 5% of cohort
- Code open-sourced on GitHub
Volunteer work
Volunteer Tutor | Oxfam Saturday School | 2022-2024
- Led weekly 2-hour maths sessions for 6 secondary students
- Contributed to 3 students improving their mock exam grades by 2 levels
Extracurriculars
Secretary | Manchester Coding Society | 2022-2023
- Coordinated 4 speaker events reaching 120+ attendees
- Managed society social media, growing followers from 150 to 800
- Represented the society at 2 national tech conferences
Personal projects
Side Project: Sustainable Fashion Newsletter
- Built and grew a newsletter from 0 to 5,000 subscribers over 18 months
- Handle content, email marketing, and analytics independently
Transferable Skills from Casual Work
Casual and part-time work teaches professional skills that employers value. Frame them correctly.
Retail and hospitality
- Customer service and communication
- Cash handling and till reconciliation
- Stock management
- Training new team members
- Working under pressure during busy periods
Babysitting and caregiving
- Responsibility for children or vulnerable adults
- Time management
- Communication with parents or family members
- Problem-solving in unexpected situations
Tutoring and teaching
- Breaking down complex topics
- Patience and adaptability
- Structured lesson planning
- Clear communication
Delivery, lifeguarding, and other shift work
- Reliability and punctuality
- Physical stamina
- Handling high-pressure situations
- Customer interaction
These are real professional skills. Name them in your CV.
Common Mistakes on First-Time CVs
1. Leaving the CV half-empty
If you have limited experience, expand the sections you do have. Education can include relevant modules, dissertation, grades, societies. Skills can be grouped by category. Projects can include all coursework and personal work.
2. Apologising for lack of experience
Never write "Despite having no work experience..." Focus on what you have, not what you lack.
3. Listing every single hobby
Two or three relevant hobbies, chosen strategically, work. See our hobbies on CV guide.
4. Forgetting soft skills
Employers expect soft skills from entry-level candidates. List them, with evidence.
5. Burying education
For first-time CVs, education belongs near the top. That changes after 2-3 years of work experience.
6. Going over one page
A one-page CV shows discipline. Two pages for a fresher signals padding.
7. Generic language
"Hardworking team player" is filler. Replace with specific examples.
Resume Objective Examples by Target Role
Software developer
"BSc Computer Science graduate with first-class honours and practical experience in Python, JavaScript, and SQL through coursework, an 8-week internship, and 3 portfolio projects. Seeking a Junior Developer role to build production systems and continue learning from experienced engineers."
Marketing
"BA Marketing graduate with hands-on experience running social media for university societies and a sustainable fashion blog that grew to 5,000 subscribers. Proficient in Google Analytics, Canva, and HubSpot. Seeking a Graduate Marketing Associate role."
Finance
"Recent Economics graduate with first-class honours from LSE and internship experience in corporate finance. Proficient in Excel financial modelling, Bloomberg Terminal, and Python (pandas). Seeking a graduate analyst role in investment banking or equity research."
Healthcare
"Recently qualified Medical Assistant with CMA, CPR, and BLS certifications and 200 hours of supervised placement at a busy NHS GP practice. Experienced with EMIS Web, vital signs monitoring, and phlebotomy. Seeking a Medical Assistant role."
Teaching
"PGCE-qualified secondary English teacher with 100+ hours of classroom experience across Key Stages 3 and 4. Skilled in differentiated instruction, SEN support, and behaviour management. Seeking a full-time teaching position in a diverse secondary school."
For more examples, see our resume objective guide.
Using Cover Letters and Motivation Letters to Strengthen Your Application
When your CV is light on experience, the cover letter does more of the heavy lifting. Use it to:
- Tell the story of how you developed relevant skills through projects, placements, or part-time work
- Explain your motivation for the specific role and company
- Reference specific requirements from the job posting and prove you can meet them
For templates and examples, see:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I include school achievements?
Yes, especially if you are a recent school leaver or still in university. Strong A-level grades, school leadership roles, and community awards all belong on a first-time CV.
How do I handle the work experience section if I truly have none?
Rename the section. "Projects and Experience" or "Relevant Experience" can cover coursework, internships, volunteer work, and extracurriculars together.
Should I include my GCSE grades?
Only if you have no A-levels or university degree. Once you have A-levels or a degree, GCSEs can be summarised ("8 GCSEs including Maths and English at Grade 7+").
Do I need a LinkedIn profile?
Yes, strongly recommended. Even a basic LinkedIn profile with your CV content and a professional photo is better than none.
How do I handle a career gap while studying?
Gap years are easy to explain. Travel, work, or a personal project all count. One short line is enough.
Is 1 page really enough?
Yes. For someone without extensive work experience, one page well-used is better than two pages padded. See our CV length guide.
Key Takeaways
- You have more experience than you think: projects, volunteer work, extracurriculars, part-time jobs all count
- Put education near the top until you have 2-3 years of work experience
- Use a resume objective, not a CV summary
- Group skills by category (hard and soft) and back soft skills with evidence
- Include a strong projects section to compensate for limited work history
- Keep it to one page; quality over quantity
- Use your cover letter or motivation letter to tell the story your CV cannot