How to write a CV when you have little to no experience

Navigating through the job market can be tough and time-consuming, even for the most skilled workers. However, things are even rougher for those with little to no experience. Luckily, there are ways to turn this situation in your favor, and successfully mask the lack of practical knowledge. We will show you how you can make a resume quickly using cv builder, and win the job searching process in no time.

Create cv online, tailoring it to the job you’re applying for.

First, let’s think about job search as a game of chess. Before you even apply for a specific position, size the job ad from different angles. You want to research the employer, their work culture, recent projects, and approach to the job. Make sure you go through their social media channels, see what their values are, which can give you the right insights into what they expect from the candidate.

In most cases, what really sets one candidate from another is how they fit in the existing company’s culture. Work is a team thing, and a vast majority of companies prefer to have somebody who will be truly a part of the team and lacks in specific skills, than the one who masters the technical side of the job, but it’s an obvious misfit socially speaking.

The next thing you should do is to assume what skills they look for in a candidate based on your research. And because you lack in actual work experience, tailor your CV with a focus on the skills, rather than the experience you don’t have. If you’re applying for a customer service position, for instance, you can include things like attention to detail, strong communication, and problem-solving skills, etc. The good thing is that you can make different CVs for different job ads using online cv builders and cv creators such as Applyya.

Pick the right resume format.

There are various resume formats we can use to craft our CVs and deciding which one to use can be confusing and frustrating. Luckily, there are plenty of resources that enable us to create cv online and easily browse through the templates.

This is how we can choose to use chronological resume type or functional, and hybrid, which is a combination of the first two. As the name suggests, the chronological resume shows a candidate’s work experience in chronological (or reverse chronological) order.

Unlike this type of resume, a functional resume focuses on skills and achievements candidate has, rather than the actual work experience. As a person who lacks in work experience, you might want to choose the one that will showcase the skills you possess. However, you should be careful to be consistent once you pick the template you want to follow.

Think about the transferable skills you have.

Let’s first explain what transferrable skills are. Also known as “portable skills,” transferable skills represent qualities that can be applied and transferred from one job to another. Even if you lack work experience, you certainly possess many transferable skills your employers desire, such as attention to detail, emotional intelligence, or problem-solving approach.

And even though more than 90 percent of employers want candidates to have some work experience, around 30 percent of them don’t look for relevant work experience from a candidate, which is something you could use to win the hiring process. That’s because they know the importance of transferable skills that can be used across the board. When making a CV in a CV editor, make sure you highlight all transferable skills you have that can be applied for a particular job and increase the chances of getting hired.

Include a personal statement.

The first thing a recruiter will see in your CV will be a personal statement. For that reason, you should craft something catchy that will show off your personality and motivation in the best way. However, make sure you don’t go overboard and write an essay about it. Instead, keep it short, simple, and concise. Luckily, using an online CV builder, you can browse various templates and choose the one where your statement is more likely to stand out.

Highlight your achievements

Achievements in different aspects of your life, such as study, volunteering experience, and hobbies can be a positive thing to show off and reinforce your skills. What you did in the past, and how you like to spend your free time can help future employer size what would you be as an employee. That’s why you shouldn’t shy away from showing off your achievements. However, don’t overdo it – you don’t want to come across as someone who likes to brag a lot.

A brief recap.

Job search never becomes easier. However, as you move through interviews and as you’re gaining more experience in the interviewing process and insight on how things are in the job market, you’ll get more sense of desirable skills and traits you can use to improve your chances of getting the job. Our tips will help you get started and put your career in motion. Good luck!