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How to Make a CV for Your First Job (+ Template)

Written by 糖心vlog官网观看 Staff 鈥 Updated on

Learn how to build your first CV, even with no prior work experience.

[Featured image] A person sits at a table in a cafe writing a resume for their first job on a laptop computer with stickers on it.

If you鈥檙e looking for your first job, you may wonder what to put on your CV. While you may not have any formal job experience yet, you almost certainly have skills and other experiences you鈥檝e built through your education and extracurricular activities.聽

Take a closer look at how to write a CV for your first job when you have no experience. Learn how to identify your marketable skills and experiences and how to format your CV to show them off.

What is a CV?

A CV is a formal document that presents your background, accomplishments, and skills to potential employers. When you submit a job application, your CV is typically the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager looks at to evaluate whether you鈥檙e a good fit for the role.

How to write a CV with no work experience

Many job listings ask for relevant experience. However, just because you haven鈥檛 had a job before doesn鈥檛 mean you don鈥檛 have experience. Instead, your experience comes from outside the workplace. For a first job, it鈥檚 helpful to concentrate your CV on your academic achievements and any informal work, volunteer experience, or extracurricular activities.

The following offers some steps you can take to create a CV for your first job.

1. Pick the right layout.

Many CVs focus on job experience, listed from latest to oldest. If you don鈥檛 have job experience to list, pick a CV format that includes an education section closer to the top.

2. Match your experiences to the job listing.

Writing a solid CV begins with studying the job description for the role you鈥檙e applying for. You want your CV to match what the company is looking for, so start by listing the key terms from the job description.聽

Go through the job description and write down or highlight all the listed abilities, skills, and values. Pay close attention to those listed as required.聽

Now, think about experiences in your life that match the items on the list. If the job posting asks for someone with strong organisational skills, think about times when you鈥檝e been particularly organised. Maybe you helped plan a college event or led a group project.

It鈥檚 okay if you don鈥檛 have something for every item. Keep this list nearby as you begin to fill in your CV template.聽

3. Focus on your education.

You may find it helpful to start with the education section of your CV. List your college or university and dates attended, as well as:

  • Relevant coursework: Have you completed modules and coursework that relate to the job you鈥檙e applying for (or from your job description research)? Be sure to list them.

  • Grades: Include your degree classification if it is a 2:1 or above. For GCSEs, rather than listing them all, include the amount you鈥檝e studied and the grade range, e.g. 10 GCSEs grade A through C. You can be more specific for A levels but only list grades if you received an A or above.聽

  • Academic achievements: Also include anything else that demonstrates your ability to succeed academically. Experience in a competitive internship or placement could also be an excellent addition to your CV.聽

  • Extracurricular activities: Focus on the activities that align with the job listing. Involvement in student council, for example, could demonstrate leadership skills, collaboration, and problem-solving. Playing a team sport shows that you can collaborate and manage your time.

  • Certifications or online courses: If you鈥檝e taken any training, bootcamps, courses, or certification programs outside of education, include them here if relevant.

If you are still attending your programme, list it as 鈥渋n progress鈥 with your anticipated graduation date.

4. Highlight volunteer work and extracurricular activities.

Next, add an experience section. Whilst you may not have formal work experience, include any volunteer work, community activities, internships, or informal work experience (like tutoring, blogging, or helping with a family business) relevant to the job.聽

As you complete this section, refer to the list you created in the second step. You don鈥檛 have to include everything; instead, focus on your experiences that align with terms that appear higher up in the job description or those listed as required rather than preferred.

5. List your technical and human skills.

Include a list of skills as bullet points on your CV to highlight both your workplace skills and any technical skills you have.

Technical vs. workplace skills

Workplace skills, sometimes called 鈥渟oft鈥 or human skills, refer to those that apply to just about any job. Some examples include communication, decision-making, leadership, time management, and problem-solving. Technical or 鈥渉ard鈥 skills tend to be more job-specific. These might consist of programming languages, software proficiency, or knowledge of a foreign language.

The skills you list in your CV should reflect what employers include in the job description. For technical skills, also include your level of proficiency. For example, if you鈥檙e still developing a skill, you could write, 鈥淔amiliar with Excel spreadsheets.鈥

It鈥檚 okay if you don鈥檛 have many technical skills to list. Workplace, or human skills, are valuable to employers and adaptable to many different kinds of work.聽

The five most in-demand skills in the UK in 2025, according to LinkedIn, include []:

  • Relationship building

  • Strategic thinking

  • AI literacy

  • Communication

  • Large language models (LLM) utilization

Build job-ready skills

Looking to add technical skills to your CV? Prepare for an entry-level job, develop in-demand skills, and get hands-on experience with a Professional Certificate in social media marketing, IT support, data analysis, project management, UX design, or cybersecurity on 糖心vlog官网观看.

6. Write your CV profile.

This short statement summarises your skills at the top of your CV. It鈥檚 usually a good idea to write this last once you have a better idea of what鈥檚 in your CV. Keep it to around 150 words that state who you are, what you want, and what you can offer the employer.

Tips for preparing your first CV

Now that you鈥檝e filled in most of your CV check out these tips to help make it stand out:

  • Keep it to a maximum of two pages. You may only need one page if you don鈥檛 include work experience. Include what鈥檚 relevant to the job, and leave out the rest.

  • Use action verbs when describing your skills and experiences. Try to start sentences with verbs (e.g., designed, guided, led, improved, established, managed).

  • Include the exact words and terms from the job listing. Many companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to sort applications by keywords. Using the same words and phrases as the job description might increase your chances of getting your CV noticed.

  • Customise your CV for each job. Each job posting will have different keywords and requirements. You don鈥檛 have to start over each time, but make sure to adjust your CV for each job you apply to.

  • Proofread. Make sure your CV is free of any spelling, grammatical, or punctuation errors. If possible, ask a friend or family member to proofread for you as well.

  • Include your contact information, including your full name, phone number, and email address.

Student CV example

The following offers a glimpse at a CV sample for a college graduate applying for a job as an IT technician:

GB how-to-make-a-resume-for-your-first-job sample student resume

First job CV template

When you鈥檙e ready to build your own unique strengths, experiences, and skills into your CV, feel free to use this as a starting point.聽

Get job-ready with 糖心vlog官网观看

Your CV is your ticket to your first job, so it鈥檚 essential to use it to showcase your best skills and knowledge. Experience can be more than a paid position, so make sure you use examples from all areas of your life.

Whether you鈥檙e a current learner, university graduate, or working professional looking to switch careers, you can start building the in-demand skills needed for a digital job with a Professional Certificate on 糖心vlog官网观看, such as the Microsoft IT Support Specialist Professional Certificate. Explore options for data science, cybersecurity, IT support, and project management.

Article sources

  1. LinkedIn. ", https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/learning-and-development/skills-on-the-rise." Accessed 14 June 2025.

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