How to write a CV with no work experience

Use a skills-first structure

1. Contact details
2. Profile: what you're looking for and two or three strengths you can back up
3. Education: qualifications and grades, including predicted grades if you're still studying
4. Experience: volunteering, school roles, projects, helping in a family business, clubs
5. Skills: practical skills such as IT, languages, first aid, or a driving licence
6. Interests: only if they show something relevant (for example, team sport or running a club)

Things that count as experience

• Volunteering, including one-off events
• School or college responsibilities (prefect, mentor, sports captain, student council)
• Projects: coursework, a website you built, a fundraising event you organised
• Duke of Edinburgh's Award, cadets, Scouts or Guides
• Caring for a relative
• Informal work such as babysitting or helping neighbours (describe it honestly)

Tip: Describe what you did, not just what it was called. 'Helped run the school fair stall and handled the cash box' says more than 'School fair volunteer'.

Don't do this

• Don't invent jobs, references or qualifications. They're easy to check and can lose you an offer.
• Don't pad with generic phrases like 'hard-working team player' without an example.
• Don't use a photo or include your date of birth.

Examples and tools

See the school leaver CV example and the graduate CV example. The CV builder has a 'little or no experience' path, and the cover letter for no experience shows how to write the letter.