How to Write a CV With No Work Experience

Everyone's first CV faces the same problem: the biggest section, work experience, is empty. But "no work experience" almost never means "nothing to show." Coursework, projects, volunteering, clubs, and part-time roles all prove you can do the job. The trick is presenting them like an experienced candidate would.

Lead with a short summary

Open with two or three lines stating who you are, what you're studying or just finished, and what role you want. This gives a recruiter instant context and fills the top of the page with intent instead of a blank space.

> *Recent business graduate with hands-on experience in data analysis through academic projects and a student marketing society. Seeking an entry-level analyst role where I can apply Excel and SQL skills.*

Turn projects and coursework into experience

A capstone project, a group assignment, or a self-built app is real work, describe it that way. For each one, write what you did and what resulted:

• Weak: *Did a group project about marketing.*
• Strong: *Led a 4-person team to design a marketing plan for a local café; our campaign concept increased their simulated foot traffic by 30% in the course model.*

Count volunteering, clubs, and part-time jobs

Running a student society, waiting tables, or volunteering all build transferable skills: teamwork, reliability, communication, handling pressure. A summer serving customers shows exactly the dependability employers want. List these like jobs, role, place, dates, and a bullet or two on impact.

Highlight transferable skills

Name the skills the job asks for and back each one with proof:

• Communication: presented final projects to a panel of 20 students and staff.
• Organization: coordinated a charity event for 100+ attendees.
• Technical: built a personal website; comfortable with Excel, Python, and Canva.

Keep it to one page and make it readable

With limited history, one clean page is plenty. Use standard headings, *Summary*, *Education*, *Projects*, *Skills*, *Volunteering*, a single-column layout, and simple fonts so an ATS can parse every section.

Check it before you send it

A first CV is easy to under-sell. Run yours through CvLaunch: it reads your CV like a recruiter's system, flags empty or weak sections, and shows you exactly what to strengthen, free, in seconds, so your lack of a job history never holds you back.