If you’re just graduating from high school or college, a work experience resume will be a challenge to create.
Not having work experience makes it more difficult to create a resume that’s going to get noticed.
You’re faced with applying to positions, even entry-level positions, that list a number of requirements and you might feel a resume without work experience will render you unable to compete in the workplace.
Whether you are working on a student resume with no work experience or you’re returning to the job market after being absent for some time, you’ll want to be able to create a solid resume that will make you shine even when you don’t have work experience to help you.
Let’s look at what the experts say you should include on your resume.
Overcoming the Challenge of Writing a Resume with No Work Experience
Think about it, everyone starts somewhere, so how is that done?
Employers want to see resumes with work experience because it gives them confidence that you will be able to do the same or similar tasks for them without much difficulty. It proves competency.
Little work experience on a resume can be overcome, however, by showing your potential.
Here are some examples:
1.) Use youth to your advantage
Yes, today’s job market is flooded with experienced professionals, but they also have more demands and are often not on the cusp of upcoming trends and technologies.
In your cover letter and resume highlight a willingness to be flexible. Highlight skills that relate to current technology. Also include any experiences, such as international studies, that will make you stand out.
More and more businesses are working on an international level and young people who have a more global perspective are desired in the workplace.
2.) Research needed skills/experience and acquire them
If most of the jobs you are seeking require a certain skill you are lacking, there’s no time like the present to find a way to acquire it.
You don’t need to wait for your first full-time job to get experience. You can sign up for classes, volunteer, intern, even shadow someone else that has the job.
Let employees know that you are currently committed to fulfilling these requirements. They’ll see your effort and feel confident in hiring you.
3.) It Begins with your Skills
You may not have an impressive list of work experience or big fancy job titles, but you have skills.
Still don’t think you have skills – ask yourself this – what are you good at, what do you do in your spare time, do you volunteer, and do you communicate with your family openly?
You build skills in many ways, and it’s not always obvious.
4.) Show a clear direction on your resume
Even though your resume isn’t chock full of experience, it is very important to show you know what position you are looking for.
You can show employers your committed direction by writing a clear objective statement. Tailor your resume to each position.
Don’t send a generic resume to different positions (for example, the resume you use for sales jobs should look different than the one you send out for marketing jobs).
5.) Show an interest in the field
If you joined clubs or organizations in college that relate to your field, you did yourself a favor for your resume.
If you didn’t do this, find an organization to join now.
Your education and degree show a great deal to an employer, but someone who takes an extra interest in their industry will be even more desirable.
6.) Make sure what you do have is perfect
Sure, you don’t have a lot to speak of on your resume, but what you do present should be perfect.
No spelling mistakes, no grammar mistakes, clean, formatted for easy reading, and, well, perfect! Don’t let careless errors take you out of the running.
7.) Think Outside the Box
Because your skills aren’t associated directly with a job, you’ll need to think outside the box when it comes to job titles and your experience.
Make sure to include any part time jobs, volunteer work, projects you took on at school, and any awards you might have earned.
8.) Add a Little Personality
Plump up your resume by addition a hobbies and interests to show the type of person you are.
You can also show some personality in your cover letter, just don’t go overboard.
9.) You Need to be Specific
What you include in your resume needs to be specific. Use point form not paragraphs.
Create a resume that’s easy for the employer to scan.
Don’t get discouraged because you are lacking work experience. There are plenty of ways to impress the hiring manager and you have more skills than you may realize. Writing a resume with no work experience is no problem at all.
Tips for Creating a Resume for Beginners
Here are the main rules of thumb:
- It’s best to use a simple layout with lots of white space and no more than one page.
- Avoid mixing font styles and sizes.
- Use a heavier bond of white paper.
- Do not us colored paper, scented paper, or any other unusual paper.
- Make sure you provide current contact information including cell phone and email if you have.
- Tailor your resume to the job you are applying for.
- Make it to the point – write a one-page resume.
- When listing your skills don’t’ forget about volunteer work, community work, or school activities.
- List any extracurricular activities such as your participation in a youth group, church, or sports.
- Never exaggerate or lie on your skills and qualifications.
Key Elements and Format for Job-Seekers with No Experience
A student resume typically has little to no work experience and no employment history.
This often makes recent graduates nervous – They want to know how to write a resume when having “no experience.”
Functional Student Resume: A Great Solution for No Work Experience
The major sections included in the student resume are –
- Education and Qualification
- Key skills
- Objective Statement
- Interests & Activities
- Relevant Experience
If you are a student or have just graduated college, you should consider using a Functional Resume Format.
Use the Functional Resume
The functional resume is a good choice in resume format for those who have little to no work experience.
That’s because rather than focusing your work history it focuses on the skills and experience you possess. You start with your objective and then your profile, followed by your skills summary, professional experience, and any work history you might have. Finally, you list your education, and any additional skills.
Why Functional Resume?
The most natural and effective format for a student resume is the functional format.
This type of resume focuses not on chronology of work history, but on qualifications, skills, and educational accomplishments.
Any student, a good student especially, has qualifications and accomplishments to list. The basic resume template would be:
- Contact Details
- Objective
- Education: the main part of the resume
- Coursework
- Related Experience
- Skills
- Interests and Activities
- References
Qualifications and Education Accomplishments
Qualifications and Accomplishments come right after the objective statement and can include, if relevant:
- Degrees and GPA
- Coursework
- Honors and awards
- Internships
- Research
Objective Statement
One good place in a student resume to do it is the objective statement.
Don’t neglect the objective statement as it is especially relevant to the recent graduate.
A good objective statement indicates the desired position, briefly mentions professional or academic background, and projects a sense of strength and enthusiasm:
Sample: Objective Statement for Student Resume
A 2010 Honors graduate from DEPARTMENT NYU seeks challenging XYZ position in an organization which values new talent.
Writing on – Interests, hobbies, and activities
You can also add Hobbies, Interests and Activities section or Personal Characteristic section and describe any of your likes, which indicate – creativity, quick learning skills, flexibility, patience, an outgoing personality, etc.
You can even specify in the resume that your class or activity helped you to acquire specific skills or experience related to the position you are seeking.
How to Make Your Student Resume Stand Out
Employers are interested in recent graduate
Any at times, employers are actually on the lookout for new talent.
There are many reasons for that, the most common being:
- New talent brings current expertise, innovation, competitiveness, and profit.
- New talent is more easily adaptable and trainable on the job.
- New talent is eager to succeed beyond all expectations.
- New talent can put in hours of work.
- New talent is cheaper (this actually works in your favor)
Do not be shy of being a student, or a recent graduate, because you could be just what employers are interested – A new talent.
Therefore, specify and elaborate on that when writing your student resume, because employers would want to learn more about your – education, skills and overall qualification rather than any work experience you have.
Your Job is to Stand Out
It is important to consider what employers are looking for in order to fulfill what they are looking for.
Always research the position and company so you know how to tailor your resume and cover letter. As you search for a job, try to fill in those gaps by gaining experience, even in small ways.
Remember, employers understand that you’ve just graduated college and have little experience. It is up to you to stand out among other graduates just like yourself.
Professional Experience
Employers will immediately know that you are a recent graduate without much experience. They will not be looking for much experience.
What employers want from recent graduates is talent and reliability.
Therefore, even odd, small, part-time, or short-lasting job you might hold between graduation and full-time employment is a great way to demonstrate just that.
- Look for any job which offers any relevant experience.
- Do community and volunteer work.
- Take relevant classes, seminars, workshops.