Guide · CVs · About a 6-minute read
How to write a CV when you have no work experience
Everyone starts with an empty "Employment" section. Employers hiring for first jobs, apprenticeships and entry-level roles know that. What they want to see is that you're reliable, willing and can do the basics. Here's how to show that on one page.
The layout for a first CV
- Name and contact details: name, town, phone, a sensible email address. No photo, date of birth or full address needed.
- Personal statement: three or four lines about who you are, what you're looking for and why you'd be good at it.
- Key skills: five or six, each backed up with a quick example.
- Education: most recent first, with grades if they help.
- Experience: volunteering, placements, part-time or informal work, projects.
- Interests (optional): only ones that say something useful about you.
Keep it to one side of A4, in a plain font such as Arial or Calibri at 10 to 12 point, and save it as a PDF unless the advert asks for Word.
Write a personal statement that isn't a cliché
Skip "hard-working team player with excellent communication skills". Everyone writes that. Say something specific instead:
Reliable sixth-form leaver with an A-level in Business and two years of Saturday volunteering at a busy charity shop, where I served customers, ran the till and sorted donations. Looking for a full-time retail or customer service role where I can learn fast and take on more responsibility.
What counts as experience (more than you think)
- Volunteering: charity shops, food banks, events, sports clubs, church or community groups.
- Informal work: babysitting, dog walking, helping in a family business, cutting a neighbour's grass.
- School or college: work experience placements, prefect or captain roles, group projects, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
- Caring: looking after a relative shows responsibility, patience and time management.
- Self-taught skills: a free online course, a YouTube channel, building a website, selling on Vinted or eBay.
For each one, write what you did and what came of it: "Raised £340 for Comic Relief by organising a bake sale with three friends" beats "Took part in fundraising".
Turn skills into evidence
A list of adjectives proves nothing. Pair each skill with where you used it:
- Customer service: served up to 60 customers a shift on the till at the charity shop.
- Reliability: didn't miss a single Saturday shift in two years.
- Teamwork: played in the school netball team for four seasons.
- IT: confident with Word, Excel and Google Docs; built a club's fixture list in Google Sheets.
Use only things that are true. An interviewer will ask about anything on your CV.
Template
[Your name]
[Town] · [phone] · [email]
Personal statement
[Who you are] with [your strongest relevant thing]. Looking for a [type of role] where I can [what you want to do or learn].
Key skills
[Skill]: [where you used it].
[Skill]: [where you used it].
[Skill]: [where you used it].
Education
[School or college], [years]: [qualifications and grades].
Experience
[Role, e.g. Volunteer], [organisation], [dates]: [two lines on what you did and what came of it].
Interests
[One line, only if it helps].
Before you send it
- Read it out loud to catch typos, then ask someone else to read it.
- Match the words in the job advert where they're true for you.
- Name the file properly, such as
Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf. - Write a short covering message saying which job you're applying for and why.
Frequently asked questions
- What do I put on a CV if I have no work experience?
- Lead with a short personal statement and your skills, then education, then anything that shows you can be relied on: volunteering, school or college projects, clubs and sports, caring responsibilities, babysitting, helping in a family business, or online courses. Each one counts if you say what you did and what came of it.
- How long should a CV be in the UK?
- One side of A4 is right when you have little or no work history. Two sides is the usual maximum for experienced people.
- Should I put a photo or my date of birth on a UK CV?
- No. UK CVs normally leave out photos, date of birth, marital status and nationality. Your name, town, phone number and email are enough.
- Do I need a different CV for every job?
- Keep one main CV, then spend ten minutes changing the personal statement and the order of your skills to match the words in each job advert. It makes a real difference.
Want a professional to write it?
TCH Works rewrites CVs for UK jobs, including first CVs for school and college leavers, career changers and people returning to work. We use only what you tell us, never invent experience, and send it back as Word and PDF within two working days. Prices start at £25.