How to Write Your First CV with No Experience, by CXK on YouTube. 13 min 54 s.
- Video length
- 13 min 54 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open a blank document and keep it to one or two pages. Use a plain font like Arial or Calibri at 11 or 12 point, with clear headings for each section.
Put your name at the top in large text, then your phone number, email address and town or city. Use a sensible email address and check the phone number is right.
Write a personal profile of three or four lines under the contact details. Say who you are, what you are studying and what kind of work or training you want.
Add a work experience section. If you have none, list volunteering, work shadowing, school clubs, sports teams or babysitting and say what you did in each.
Add your education with the school or college name, the qualifications and the grades or predicted grades. Put the most recent first.
List your skills in two groups: hard skills like IT packages or a driving licence, and soft skills like teamwork or timekeeping. Back each one with a short example.
Add an interests section with two or three real hobbies. Choose ones that show something useful, such as a team sport or a volunteering role, and keep it brief.
Add references at the end. Write available on request, or name a teacher or club leader if you have asked them first.
Read the whole CV once for spelling and grammar, then save it as a PDF so the layout does not shift. Ask someone to check it before you send it.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the CV honest. Do not invent jobs or grades because employers may check.
Tailor the personal profile and skills to each job advert rather than sending one version everywhere.
Use a simple layout with no photos or fancy graphics unless the employer asks for them.
Save a copy with a clear file name like Firstname-Surname-CV.pdf.
Questions
What if I have no work experience at all?
Use a section called work experience and fill it with volunteering, school clubs, sports teams or any paid odd jobs. Describe what you did and the skills it shows.
How long should a first CV be?
One page is enough when you are starting out. Only go onto a second page if you have several qualifications or volunteering roles worth listing.
Do I need to include references?
Not usually at this stage. Writing available on request is fine, and you can give names later if the employer asks.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
