Learn how to write a strong CV when you have little or no paid work experience. This practical guide shows you how to present your education, transferable skills, projects, volunteering and achievements to compete for your first job.
By Dilshad Ahmad 1 Aug 2026 8 min readCV Writing
Writing your first CV can feel difficult when you do not have a long employment history. However, employers hiring for entry-level positions do not expect every candidate to have years of professional experience. Your goal is to show your potential through relevant skills, education, projects, volunteering, responsibilities and achievements.
In this guide:
Yes. Paid employment is only one way to demonstrate your suitability for a job. Employers may also consider the knowledge, behaviours and practical abilities you developed through education, personal projects, volunteering, extracurricular activities and responsibilities outside the workplace.
An entry-level employer will often look for evidence that you can communicate, learn, solve problems, meet deadlines, work with others and take responsibility. You may already have examples of these abilities, even if you have never held a formal job.
Your CV should therefore focus on what you can offer rather than apologising for what you have not yet done.
When you have limited employment history, place your most persuasive information near the top of the document. A practical first-CV structure is:
Place your contact details at the top of the CV. Include:
Avoid casual email addresses or usernames that may appear unprofessional. You usually do not need to include your full home address, photograph, date of birth or unrelated personal information.
Your personal statement is especially important when your work experience is limited. It should introduce your background, relevant strengths and the type of opportunity you are seeking.
Aim to answer these questions:
Example personal statement
Motivated business management graduate with practical experience gained through university projects, volunteering and organising student events. Confident in research, presentations, spreadsheet reporting and collaborative working. Recognised for meeting deadlines and communicating clearly with different audiences. Seeking an entry-level business administration or customer service position with opportunities to learn and contribute.
Transferable skills are abilities that can be used in different environments. Think about what you have learned from school, university, hobbies, projects, family responsibilities or community activities.
You may have developed communication skills through presentations, written assignments, group projects, customer interaction, debating or helping to organise events.
Team projects, sports, clubs and volunteering can demonstrate your ability to cooperate, share responsibilities and contribute to a shared result.
Meeting assignment deadlines, balancing study with other responsibilities and coordinating activities can all demonstrate planning and organisation.
Research projects, technical assignments, event planning and personal challenges may provide evidence that you can identify problems and develop practical solutions.
Include relevant software, systems or online tools you can use confidently, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, design software, programming tools or social media platforms.
Key Skills
When you have limited work experience, your education section can appear before your experience section. List your most recent qualification first.
Include:
BA Business Management
Example University | 2023–2026
Projects can demonstrate practical ability when you have not yet used your skills in paid employment. They may come from education, online courses, personal interests or community activities.
For each project, explain:
Student Event Promotion Project
University group project
Volunteering can be presented similarly to paid employment. Include the organisation, your role, dates and focused bullet points explaining what you did and achieved.
Volunteer Shop Assistant
Local Charity Shop | January 2025–June 2025
Extracurricular activities can strengthen your CV when they demonstrate relevant responsibility, commitment or skills.
Useful examples may include:
Achievements can provide evidence of effort, improvement and responsibility. Examples include:
Avoid writing vague claims such as “good communication skills”. Explain where you developed the skill and what you accomplished.
Weak statement
Good teamwork and presentation skills.
Strong evidence-based statement
Collaborated with five students to research a business case study and delivered a 15-minute presentation that received a distinction-level grade.
Personal statement
Reliable and enthusiastic school leaver with strong communication, organisation and teamwork skills developed through group projects, sports and volunteering. Confident using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and online research tools. Seeking a customer service or retail position where a positive attitude and willingness to learn can contribute to the team.
Relevant experience
Personal statement
Analytical economics graduate with experience completing research, data analysis and collaborative academic projects. Comfortable using Excel to organise information and present findings, with strong written communication and attention to detail. Seeking an entry-level analyst or administrative role within a professional organisation.
Academic project
A first CV should not be completely generic. Even without professional experience, you can adjust the document to emphasise the skills and examples that matter most to each employer.
Some employers use applicant tracking systems to organise applications. To make your CV easier to process:
Do not begin your CV by emphasising what you lack. Focus on your motivation, relevant knowledge and potential.
Replace an empty work history with projects, volunteering, education and relevant activities.
Support important skills with evidence from assignments, projects, teams or responsibilities.
Different entry-level roles require different strengths. Tailor your profile, skills and examples to the vacancy.
Present your abilities confidently, but keep every claim accurate. Employers may ask you to explain your examples during an interview.
A lack of formal employment does not mean you have nothing valuable to offer. Education, projects, volunteering and everyday responsibilities can demonstrate the skills employers need.
Focus on relevant evidence, tailor your CV to the vacancy and present your potential confidently. Once your CV is ready, use CV-Bridge to discover and apply for suitable entry-level opportunities.
Update your CV whenever you complete a course, project, volunteering activity or other experience that demonstrates a relevant skill.
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