Getting a break in the job market can be tough. To get a job, you need experience. But without experience, few employers are willing to hire you. Stuck between a rock and a hard place? Well to get your foot in the door, allow your resume to pave the way for you. With our tips on how to create a CV without experience, your dream job could be waiting over the horizon.
Make Sure Your CV is Unique
Are you sending the same CV along with your application? Well your one-size-fits-all approach might be the reason you aren’t getting any call backs. Each job is unique. So you need to treat your CV as such. When you personalise each resume, it will be easier to link it to the job post.
How to Create a CV Without Experience
Creating a unique CV for each application might sound a bit much. But don’t give up just yet. Our guidelines on how to create a CV without experience is easy-to-apply. So follow the steps below and prepare yourself for that well-deserved yes.
- Use an online CV template
- Start off with your contact details
- Make a good impression with your opening statement
- Highlight your education
- Focus on your soft skills
- Add relevant hobbies and interests
- Boost your CV with volunteer duties
- Less is more
Use an Online CV Template
Think you’ll have to create a CV from scratch? Not at all. There are plenty of CV templates available online. You can create a CV on sites like Canva, or Indeed resume and download your CV from there. And the best part? Most sites allow you to create a CV without payment or signing up.
Start off With Your Contact Details
Even without experience, you need to add your contact details. Make sure to add it to the top of your CV. This includes your email address as well as contact number. To ensure that your future employer gets through to you, include all your updated details.
Make a Good Impression With Your Opening Statement
Without experience, the recruiter might be left wondering why they should make you a part of their team. This is where your opening statement comes to play. Here you should market your skills and abilities. Let them know how much you can contribute to the company. If you want to go into detail, then consider adding a cover letter as well.
Highlight Your Education
If you have a qualification, don’t leave it on the backseat. Highlight your education by giving it a top spot in your CV. Whether you studied a diploma course or a short programme, prove that you have the basic knowledge to complete your tasks.
Focus on Your Soft Skills
Are you a natural born leader? Or are your time management skills among the best? Well whatever it is, put your soft skills at the forefront. Employers want candidates that don’t only have experience, but a range of transferable skills that will make them an asset to the company.
Add Relevant Hobbies and Interests
You might think hobbies are only meant for weekends. But if your interests are relevant to the career you want, you can add your hobbies to your CV. For example, if you’re an aspiring nail technician and love doing nail art, add it to your CV. Prove that you have perfected your skills while doing what you love.
Boost Your CV With Volunteer Duties
Who knew that wanting to make the world a better place could help you land your dream job. There are so many career benefits of being a volunteer. Each initiative teaches you a range of skills from teamwork, creativity, as well as organisational skills.
Less is More
We know that you want to make up for not having experience. But there’s no need to go overboard with details and the look of your CV. Keep vibrant colours and fonts to a minimum. Focus on what is important like your skills and qualification, even if it’s just matric. A one-page CV is more than enough to help you land the job you want.
Polish up Your CV
Now that your CV is done and dusted, it’s time to send it away. Well hold on a second. Even if you have a great CV, spelling and grammar errors could leave your CV rejected. This is your first impression. So make one that you’ll be proud of. Take a look at what to do after you completed your first draft.
Edit – Make sure you have added all of the necessary and relevant details. Check if you added all the correct information and take this time to remove details unnecessary to the job post.
Proofread – Read through the entire document. Don’t skim read, as you want to make sure you haven’t missed any spelling mistakes.
Get a second opinion – Even if it looks good to you, a fresh perspective might pick up on errors you overlooked. So ask a friend or family member to read through the document for you.
Skills Academy is the word support in every way.
Highlight Your Skills Today
Want to boost the chances of your CV landing you an interview? Then study our courses to get the edge you need. Contact our helpful course experts on how to get started with us. You can:
- Call us on 0800 39 00 27 – it’s free
- Fill in our contact form for a call back
