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How to write a CV when you have no work experience

Everyone starts with an empty CV. Employers who hire students and first-jobbers know that, and they are looking for other things. Here is what to show them.

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Updated 11 October 2026

What an employer looks for in a first CV

Nobody hiring for a Saturday job or an internship expects a career history. They want to know three things: will you turn up on time, can you work with other people and with customers, and do you learn quickly. Your CV has to give evidence of those, from wherever in your life the evidence is.

The sections, in order

  1. Name and contact details. Phone number, a sensible email address, and your town. No full address is needed.
  2. A two-line summary. Who you are and what you are looking for: "Second-year business student looking for part-time retail work, available evenings and weekends."
  3. Education. Your current course first, with the dates and any results worth mentioning. Add two or three modules or projects that relate to the job.
  4. Experience, in the widest sense: volunteering, clubs and societies, group projects, helping in a family business, tutoring, babysitting, anything you were relied on to do.
  5. Skills. Languages, software you can really use, a driving licence, first aid, food hygiene.
  6. Availability, for part-time work: the days and hours you can do. Employers filling a rota look for this first.

Turning what you have done into evidence

The difference between a weak line and a strong one is detail. Say what you did, how often or how much, and what came of it.

WeakStronger
Member of the debating societyOrganised the debating society's weekly meetings for a year, booking rooms and speakers for about 30 members
Helped in my uncle's shopServed customers and handled the till on Saturdays for two years in a family convenience shop
Group projectLed a four-person project that surveyed 120 students and presented the results to the department
Good with computersBuilt the netball club's website and kept its fixtures up to date

Use real numbers, and only real ones. If you do not know how many, leave the number out.

Mistakes that cost interviews

  • Spelling errors. In a one-page CV they stand out. Read it aloud, then ask someone else to read it.
  • A list of adjectives. "Hard-working, reliable, enthusiastic" proves nothing. Show it with an example.
  • Unexplained gaps in availability. If you cannot work during exams, say so; it reads as organised, not as a problem.
  • Fancy layouts. Columns, text boxes and graphics often come out scrambled in the employer's system. Plain headings and bullet points are safer. See what an applicant tracking system is.
  • Anything untrue. It is not needed, and it is the one mistake you cannot recover from.

File and format

Save it as a PDF with your name in the file name, such as "Asha-Rao-CV.pdf". Keep the text selectable; do not scan a printed page.

Then apply early

For entry-level jobs, where applicants look much alike on paper, being among the first to apply counts for a great deal. Once your CV is ready, upload it to Jobofinder, set up a search for the kind of work you want, and let it tell you about new jobs the day they appear. If you are studying, the guide for your country covers working hours and pay.

Common questions

How long should a first CV be?

One page. If you are filling a second page, you are probably padding. A short CV with five solid points beats a long one with fifteen vague ones.

Should I include a photo or my date of birth?

It depends on the country. In the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, leave both out: employers do not expect them and many prefer not to see them. In India and in parts of Europe a photo is more usual. Follow what is normal where you are applying.

What if I really have nothing to put?

You have more than you think. School or university work, a group project, a club, helping in a family business, babysitting, a sports team, a language you speak. Each shows something an employer wants: turning up, working with people, finishing things.

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