How to Write First Resume with No Work Experience
It is possible to write a strong first resume with no work experience. I explain how here.
Contents
Having No Work Experience Is Not a Problem
Before we start, let me reassure you – having no or limited work experience is not a problem.
Firstly, the candidates you are competing with are also just starting out. They too will have very limited work experience. Your goal is to set yourself apart from these candidates and not a veteran of the workforce.
Secondly, for the entry-level roles you are applying, the hiring manager will not be looking for previous experience or technical skills.
Instead they are looking for crucial employability skills, personal qualities, and aptitude. All demonstrable on your resume without work experience.
For example, take a look at the McDonald’s crew member criteria below. There is no requirement for previous work experience.
In addition, this ad from Gumtree for an Apprentice Locksmith. This ad also doesn’t list any essential work experience or prior technical knowledge.
Likewise, Cotton On addresses the issue directly in their job application tips:
Now that we have established that no past work experience is not a problem. Let’s move on to how to write your first resume with no work experience:
How to Write First Resume with No Work Experience
The top employability skills you need to demonstrate on your resume are; communication, teamwork, problem solving, initiative, planning & organising, self-management and learning aptitude.
Without past work experience you need to provide other evidence to prove these skills. Here is how:
1. Provide examples of your success using your skills in other areas of life
While it is not essential to hold work experience to demonstrate your employability, it will be easier the more ‘other experience’ you have.
For example, extracurricular activities, student placements, hobbies, sports, arts, music, volunteer roles, academic studies, and short courses.
Don’t be deterred if you don’t have a lot of ‘other experience’, but keep this in mind as you prepare to enter the workforce. Look for opportunities to widen your experience and skill set.
Providing other evidence doesn’t mean simply including a heading Extracurricular Activities and listing debate team. This isn’t enough.
While a potential employer may be impressed that you have been on the debate team. You need to also prove the experience on the debate team sharpened your communication and teamwork skills.
You can do this by giving examples of how you demonstrated key skills. Drawing from your ‘other experience’ to write achievement stories.
Here are some examples:
- Coached under 14’s cricket team to win six games for season; previously team had not won a game. Motivated group to do their best. Created stong team spirit.
- Awarded B+ for final science assessment; set goal to increase previous result of C. Asked teacher for feedback to improve. Put in additional time each week to review class content.
Here are some prompt questions to help you think of your own examples:
Have you experienced a team situation when one member was not pulling their weight? How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome?
Have you ever done any public speaking at school? What topic did you present on, what was your result?
When have you motivated a team to overcome an obstacle and achieve a team goal?
Have you ever taken the initiative to learn a new skill? How did you apply it?
Have you ever experienced difficulty learning a new skill? What strategies did you apply to overcome?
Have you written any stand out school assignments or reports?
Have you ever identified a small problem and fixed it before it became a significant problem?
2. Testimonials
If you don’t have previous work experience another tool to prove you have the required skills is to use testimonials.
Having a third party verify your skills will add substantial credibility.
Obtain a reference letter or testimonial from a key figure that can confirm your skills and strengths. Perhaps a teacher, sports coach, music teacher, mentor, student placement supervisor.
Likewise, you could also use any relevant school report comments. For example, “John puts obvious effort into his work as he completes assignments with quality in mind. He is a self-motivated and works carefully and conscientiously.”
Add your testimonials (or selected excerpts) into your resume’s testimonial section. Retain original copies to provide at interview if required.
3. Include other verifiable evidence of your skills
In addition to testimonials, think about the ways your performance is assessed or reported on.
What other verifiable proof do you have of your skills? Test results, school awards, community awards, school reports, newspaper articles, aptitude tests.
If you are light on evidence, you could even obtain an independent test of your aptitude or key employability skills and report the results in your resume. See SkillsRoad or SquarePeg.
If you still feel that you don’t have sufficient experience samples to create a strong first resume, you can always take option B, and ditch the resume altogether!
Option B – Don’t Use a Resume
The traditional resume is not always the best tool to sell yourself, especially when you have little or no experience. And so thankfully, a resume is not the only way to get an interview.
The McDonald’s Crew member position above doesn’t require a resume to apply. Instead, you are required to complete an online application form and an aptitude test. Look for similar online applications.
Think creatively about the best way to promote yourself. You could approach businesses directly and ask for time to pitch yourself. You could promote yourself with a compelling email or a persuasive introduction letter.
You could create a portfolio of work, either online or samples you can submit directly to potential employers. This is a good strategy if you are for example seeking work in a creative field where samples of your work will hold more weight than words in a resume.
Even if you do require a resume, don’t constrain yourself to a standard resume format for your first job. Apply creativity and self-assurance to present yourself in a way that demonstrates your willingness to apply yourself wholeheartedly to get a start.
To sum up, don’t be concerned about a lack of work experience. Employers are looking for a key set of skills, that you can prove using other examples. You can create a strong first resume with no work experience!
Extra Assistance
If you found this helpful, you might like to take a look at my ‘My First Resume’ Template and Writing Guide. I provide detailed examples of how to prove the you have the top seven skills employers are looking for. Along with, four modern resume templates specifically for your first job. Each template is also a sample resume with ideas to help you get started.
Further Reading
The Fundamentals of a Powerful Resume
3 Skills You Want on Your Retail Resume
