You have more to put on a CV than you think. Here is what employers actually look for, how to turn school, volunteering, and informal work into proof, a simple structure to follow, and examples you can adapt today.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

The Short Answer

To write a CV with no experience, lead with a short personal summary, then list your education and a skills section, then add proof of those skills from projects, volunteering, part-time or informal work, and certifications. Tailor it to each job, keep it to one or two pages, and use clear standard headings. Employers hiring beginners aren't expecting years of work history. They are looking for evidence that you can solve problems, communicate, and work in a team, and that you can learn quickly.

Key Takeaways

  • Make yourself the focus, not your job history. A careers adviser from the UK's National Careers Service recommends a skills CV, which reverses the usual structure: you list your main skills first and describe how you showed them through volunteering, clubs, and other activities (AAT Comment).
  • Employers want evidence of three things. In NACE's Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update, employers seeking entry-level graduates most wanted to see teamwork, problem-solving, and communication (NACE).
  • Examples beat adjectives. Employers in that survey advised candidates to share concrete situations where they used a skill to solve a problem, and 70 percent of employers reported using skills-based hiring, up from 65 percent the year before (NACE). NACE is a US body, so treat this as a benchmark, not a Nigerian figure.
  • Tailor for each job. In Huntr's Q2 2026 data, applications with a tailored CV were marked interviewed 5.71 percent of the time, against 3.09 percent for untailored ones, though Huntr stresses this is an association, not proof of cause (Huntr).
  • Keep it short. Two pages is the usual maximum, and for a first job, one page is often enough.

What Employers Really Look For When You Have No Experience

When there is no work history, readers look for signals of potential. NACE's employer survey data, summarised by Iowa State University's careers office, shows what they rate. Problem-solving skills were sought on resumes by 88.3 percent of employers, written communication by 77.1 percent, and verbal communication by 69.3 percent (Job Outlook 2025 figures). Among experiences, internships rated highest for influence, with 4.5 out of 5 for an internship with the employer's own organisation. Leadership roles scored 3.5, extracurricular activities 3.3, and volunteer work 2.6 (Iowa State University Careers, citing NACE).

Two lessons follow. First, volunteering and clubs do count, but they count most when you describe the skills and results behind them, not just the title. Second, any internship, trainee role, or short placement is worth chasing, even a brief one. Also expect some employers to ask about technology: NACE found 31 percent of employers seeking AI skills on resumes (Poets & Quants, reporting NACE). For ideas, see AI skills employers now expect from every candidate.

What Counts as Experience (More Than You Think)

You probably have more material than you realise. These can all go on a CV when they show useful skills:

  • School and university projects: research, presentations, group work, coding, design, or final-year projects.
  • Volunteering and community work: church, mosque, NGO, school society, or neighbourhood projects.
  • NYSC service: your primary assignment and any community development project you led or joined.
  • Informal and family work: helping in a family shop, tutoring, running errands for a business, or selling online.
  • Freelance or personal projects: social media for a friend's business, a small website, design work, or writing.
  • Courses and certificates: short online courses, training programmes, and workshops.
  • Caring responsibilities: these build reliability, time management, and patience, and the UK's National Careers Service guidance says skills from hobbies, caring, and community activities are all valid (Glow Scotland careers guidance).

The key idea, repeated across careers services, is that anything showing you learned or developed a skill is worth including.

Step-by-Step: How to Write a CV With No Experience

  1. Choose a format. A skills-based CV uses the skills required for the job as its structure and gives evidence for each one. A combination CV mixes that with a short chronological list (University of Edinburgh Careers Service). For most beginners, a combination layout works well.
  2. Add your contact details at the top. Include your full name, phone number, professional email address, and city. Add a LinkedIn link if it is complete.
  3. Write a two to three line summary. State who you are, your strongest skills, and the role you want. Keep it specific to the job.
  4. Add a Key Skills section near the top. List six to eight skills pulled from the job advert, split into technical skills (for example, Excel, typing speed, a design tool) and transferable skills (communication, teamwork, problem-solving).
  5. Show proof under projects, volunteering, or experience. Use two to four bullets for each item, starting with an action verb and ending with a result where you can.
  6. Add education and training. Include your qualification, school or university, graduation date, and relevant courses or certificates. Add this above experience if it is your strongest asset.
  7. Include an optional interests line. The UK's National Careers Service guidance suggests using the hobbies and interests section to demonstrate skills relevant to the role (Glow Scotland). Describe your involvement and achievements instead of listing hobbies (University of Edinburgh).
  8. Add referees only if requested. Some employers want two referees, and a Nigerian BusinessDay careers guide suggests including two where you can (BusinessDay). If the advert doesn't ask, "available on request" is enough.
  9. Tailor and proofread. Match your summary and skills to each job, and check spelling and dates before you send. Stay within two pages (BusinessDay).

A Simple CV Structure You Can Copy

  • Name and contact details
  • Professional summary (two to three lines)
  • Key skills (technical and transferable)
  • Projects, volunteering, or experience (with bullets)
  • Education and certifications
  • Interests (optional, relevant only)
  • Referees (only if requested)

Summary Examples You Can Adapt

Fresh graduate: "Recent Accounting graduate with strong Excel skills and experience managing the budget of a 40-member student society. Seeking an entry-level accounts assistant role where I can apply attention to detail and learn quickly."

School leaver: "Reliable and customer-focused school leaver with hands-on experience helping in a family shop, handling cash and stock daily. Looking for a store assistant role where I can grow into customer service."

Career changer: "Former primary school teacher moving into customer support, with strong communication, patience, and conflict-handling skills built over five years of working with parents and pupils."

These are illustrations. Replace the details with your own true information, and never invent experience.

How to Turn Activities Into Strong Bullet Points

Use this formula: action verb + what you did + how or with what + result. The National Careers Service guidance and university careers services all stress describing how you demonstrated skills, not only naming them.

  • Weak: "Member of student society."
  • Better: "Managed the budget of a 40-member student society using Excel, and reduced event costs by 15 percent."
  • Weak: "Helped in my mother's shop."
  • Better: "Served up to 50 customers a day, handled cash and daily stock counts, and flagged low-stock items to avoid sales losses."
  • Weak: "Did a course on social media."
  • Better: "Completed a four-week social media course and grew a friend's small business page from 200 to 900 followers in three months."

These numbers are illustrations. Use real figures you can explain, and estimate honestly if you don't have exact counts.

Useful Skills to Highlight (If They Are True)

  • Communication: presenting, writing clearly, handling customers, or explaining ideas.
  • Teamwork: group projects, society roles, and volunteering.
  • Problem-solving: solving a specific problem and describing the result.
  • Digital skills: spreadsheets, word processing, email, and common apps.
  • Reliability and time management: balancing school and work, or caring duties.
  • Languages: any language you speak, which can matter for customer-facing roles.
  • Basic AI tool use: for drafting, research, or organising, if you can describe how you used it responsibly.

Pick the ones that match the job advert. Huntr's data suggests matching a moderate share of a posting's keywords did better than trying to match all of them (Huntr).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Padding with irrelevant details or listing every school activity.
  • Sending the same CV to every employer. Tailor the summary and skills for each role.
  • Using vague adjectives like "hardworking" without proof.
  • Making it too long. Two pages is the usual maximum.
  • Inventing experience. Employers can check, and a lie can cost you the job later.
  • Careless errors, such as typos, an unprofessional email address, or inconsistent dates.

For a longer checklist, read CV mistakes that cause instant rejection. Then complete your profile (why an incomplete job board profile costs you offers).

How to Build Experience Quickly if You Have None

  1. Take a short project or volunteer role in your target field and record what you did and achieved.
  2. Look for internships, trainee roles, or apprenticeships. NACE reports that when employers choose between two equally qualified candidates, they overwhelmingly favour the one with internship experience (NACE).
  3. Try small paid gigs. Freelance tasks, remote assistant work, or short contracts give you real results to describe. See how Nigerians are making a living working online.
  4. Learn one practical skill and make a small sample, such as a spreadsheet, a short report, or a design.
  5. Ask for a reference from a teacher, volunteer coordinator, or community leader who has seen your work.

A 30-Minute Plan to Finish Your First CV

  • Minutes 1 to 5: Pick one target job and copy its key requirements.
  • Minutes 6 to 12: List your projects, volunteering, informal work, and courses.
  • Minutes 13 to 20: Write the summary and skills section, using words from the advert where they are true.
  • Minutes 21 to 27: Turn two or three activities into bullet points with results.
  • Minutes 28 to 30: Proofread, save as a PDF named with your name and the role, and check it is no more than two pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I write a CV with no experience? Use a skills-based or combination format. Start with a short summary, add key skills, show proof through projects, volunteering, informal work, and courses, then list education. Tailor it to each job and keep it to one or two pages.

What do I put on a CV if I have no work experience? Projects, volunteering, internships, part-time or informal work, NYSC service, certificates, leadership roles, and relevant skills. Describe what you did and the result.

Should I use a one-page or two-page CV? One page is often enough for a first job. Two pages is the usual maximum, and a Nigerian BusinessDay careers guide also advises no more than two pages of A4.

Can volunteering count as experience on a CV? Yes, especially if you describe the skills and results. NACE data suggests employers rate volunteering lower than internships, so pair it with skills and examples.

What skills should I put on a CV with no experience? Choose skills from the job advert, such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, digital skills, and reliability. Back each one with a short example.

Should I include a photo or personal details on my CV? Only include what the job needs. Follow the employer's instructions if they give any, and keep the focus on skills and achievements.

How do I make my CV pass automated screening? Use standard headings, a clean layout, and relevant keywords from the advert without stuffing them. Tailor each application.

The Bottom Line

A CV with no experience isn't an empty CV. It is a CV that proves potential through skills, projects, volunteering, and results. Start with a clear summary, build your skills section from the job advert, turn real activities into specific bullets, tailor each version, and keep it short. Then add experience as fast as you can, through internships, small gigs, and short projects. Your first CV is the starting point, not the final draft.

This article draws on NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers), Iowa State University Careers, the University of Edinburgh Careers Service, AAT Comment (quoting a National Careers Service adviser), Glow Scotland careers guidance, BusinessDay, Huntr, and Poets & Quants, current as of October 2026. Most employer-survey data comes from the United States and the United Kingdom and is used as a benchmark only. Several figures come from secondary summaries and are labelled as such. The CV examples and numbers in them are illustrations, so replace them with your own true details. This article is general information, not career advice.