5 Things To Add In Your CV When You Don’t Have Experience
I’ve discussed with Aleksa Honcharenko, the event organizer of ECS City Social in Krakow, who is actually a passionate Recruiter too, what things to add in your CV if you are right at the beginning of your professional journey. This was one of the hot topics during the ECS City Social in Krakow, so we have decided to share it here as well, as we understand that there are many young professionals who might be having the same questions.
The goal is to “demonstrate your abilities, passion and potential, even if you don’t have yet any professional experience” Aleksa says. Briefly - because we know you the average attention span when scrolling from your mobile device :) - here are the 5 things you should add in your CV when you don’t have experience. 👇
Special thanks to Aleksa Honchareko, who contributed to the content of this article.
CV Summary
Create a summary that communicates your career aspirations and connect it with your education, GPA - grade point average (if impressive), relevant coursework or projects, and any academic honors or awards to demonstrate professional potential, passion for the field and a clear direction you want to take.
A motivated or passionate candidate always gets ranked higher in the recruitment process.
2. Education And Additional Training
When you have no previous experience, your education will be the first thing that is noticeable in your CV, so make sure to clearly express what title and diploma you’ve obtained, or when you are expected to graduate.
Additional coursework or certifications relevant to the position should be added in a separate section.
This demonstrates your commitment to acquiring knowledge and skills and may give you an advantage against other candidates
3. Projects, Extracurricular Activities, Volunteering, Internships
If you have worked on relevant (academic) projects or personal initiatives, volunteering etc. please show them on your resume. Describe briefly the projects, your role and the results achieved.
This demonstrates your proactive approach to learning and applying your skills, and will speak the most about your potential and fit, with the role and organization.
4. Your Skills
Include hard skills (technical proficiencies relevant to the position, specific tools used in your field etc.), languages you know at least at conversational level, and transferable skills – those skills that are relevant no matter the position.
It’s important to match these skills to the requirements of the position you are applying for, as some companies might utilize AI bots to automatically qualify in or out your CV.
5. References
Although optional, consider including references from professors, mentors or supervisors who can speak about your character, work ethic and potential. Be sure to get their consent in advance.
By focusing on these elements and tailoring your CV to highlight your strengths, skills and potential, you can effectively position yourself as a promising candidate, even without previous work experience.
Got other questions? Add them in the comment section or use the contact form to address them!
