So, you want to get a job. Or maybe not as much want as have to: most people out there know that situation very well.
There are those who don’t, and they can afford to live the high life without worrying about all that getting-a-job stuff. This article is obviously not for them.
The following tips are for those people who have given up their best years to study and now want to know how to make a resume when you've never had a job.
It will be a little bit easier for people who have been employed previously, but if you plan on changing the line of work and getting a job completely unrelated to your previous ones, then you are pretty much in the same boat.
You will still need to learn how to make resumes without experience work, making you a competitive candidate.
A freshly graduated young person could argue that even though such people have no relevant experience for their new jobs, they at least have experience of writing a resume without experience, however wordy that may sound.
One could say that’s a solid argument. However, he or she would be missing a few things.
- That might have been years and years ago with the original resume being long lost. Do you remember everything you write? Probably not.
- The person may not even know what made the employer hire him/her to a position. It might be the resume had little to do with it, just pure luck (or a favorable coincidence of circumstances, as some would prefer to call it).
- Times change, and so do requirements to resumes and candidates themselves. What worked then might not work now.
So, whether you are freshly graduated or previously employed, you will need a resume with no work experience template.
It’s not difficult to find and download one, but to use it properly, a clear understanding of its elements is necessary. And we will review them below soon enough.
What Kind of A Job Can You Get Without Experience?
The problem with job openings is that about 98 out of 100 will require some experience. The remaining two will pay very little if anything at all.
So what should you do to receive that bare minimum to apply for a more or less decent job?
The logical solution would be to get that coffee-and-cake job for the precious experience, work there for a year or two, and move on to a higher level. Now you would have a resume with little experience, but little is better than none, right?
Wrong.
We are sure you don’t want to spend your time on some petty jobs that keep you away from your goal. Instead, you could write a great resume that would convince your potential employer that having no previous experience in this job will not keep you from working hard and contributing to the company.
Sure, your resume is likely to get rejected a few times, maybe more. If written correctly, however, the chances of catching an eye of an employer willing to give you a chance will skyrocket.
And so, let’s see how to write a resume for the first time. Pay attention, your future depends on it.
Make the Right Formatting Choice for Your First Resume
The people you will be competing against will most likely have enough experience to fill their resumes completely. Generally, they would have an advantage in that.
However, this is the key for how to make your first resume appealing and more noticeable than others.
First of all, a lot of those people with past jobs don’t always know what should go on their resume and what should be left out, trying to impress an employer with their employment record. That way, they are hurting themselves more than helping.
Secondly, HR managers only read those resumes from beginning to end that manage to catch their attention in about 5 seconds. After that, many are dismissed.
It’s not about how much you write but how you write.
Without the experience to put on your resume, it gets to breathe, but you also get a chance to list other things that will show you as a valuable candidate.
Make Sure You Resume Has the Following 8 Crucial Elements
1. Start with a Summary Statement or Resume Objective
These are the two sections that basically serve the same role but are used for different resumes, or sometimes can be used in a combination.
A resume summary is more fitting for those candidates who have previous experience. They can introduce themselves as specialists in certain fields and briefly mention the most suitable experiences that align with the job description.
A resume objective is a more fitting option for those without professional achievements to support their case. Instead, you would be writing your expectations from a job and what you are wishing to achieve.
This is your best chance in the whole resume to describe how the company will benefit from hiring you and provide some solid arguments to persuade your employer.
Since this section should not exceed 3-4 sentences and comes at the very beginning, you need to be particularly crafty writing it.
2. Mention Your Education
For resumes without experience, it is crucial to focus on education instead.
This section should be very brief, only mention the institution you graduated and relevant degrees.
If there’s only high school education behind you or you are still studying, write the school’s name and the graduation year (or an expected graduation year).
3. Think of Relevant Skills
Despite the absence of employment history, you still may possess skills that should be mentioned and prove you could become a valuable addition to a company.
It can be anything, depending on the job you are applying for. Organizational or leader’s skills, the knowledge of specific software you acquired on your own, etc.
4. Include Any Volunteer Experience
Any volunteer experience should be put on your resume, irrelevant whether it has to do anything with the job you are seeking or not.
It will serve to show your employer that you can be passionate about doing something significant just for the sake of achieving certain results and not because of getting paid for it.
5. List Your Most Prominent Awards and Achievements
Since you get more place having no job experience to write about, use it to mention a few of your most important and relevant achievements, like getting a scholarship or getting your research paper published somewhere.
6. Find People to Write References for You
Usually, references come from former employers, but in your case, it can be your teacher, professor, or the head of the volunteer organization you’ve been part of. Anyone who can put in a few good words for you.
7. Knowing Any Languages Is Worth Mentioning
Knowing any foreign languages to an adequate degree is a great plus that should be mentioned on your resume, regardless of the position you are aiming for.
8. Always Attach a Cover Letter
A cover letter is not always a must according to the vacancy, but it is for you.
First of all, you are getting an opportunity to show your determination. Usually, people don’t like writing cover letters, so if you provide one when it’s not specified, you will score some points for that already.
Besides, almost half of recruiters admit that they will not even consider a resume if it does not have a cover letter attached. So that’s your chance to strengthen your positions.
Most importantly, though, it has to be really well written and properly organized. Otherwise, those points you scored will be easily lost.
Those are the basics.
Keep these crucial tips in mind to come up with a solid resume that won’t be dismissed at a glance.
Wouldn’t you like to take a shorter path though and avoid potential failed attempts of properly using those tips on how to write a resume for the first time? After all, you have just learned it all, and it takes time to polish the resume-writing skills. Not everyone can afford to dedicate a lot of their time to it while losing some great job opportunities and getting more despaired every time.
Introducing a reliable solution that will likely secure your future.
Get Resumes Without Experience Written by Professionals
While you can put your best efforts to writing a resume and a cover letter on your own, it’s really difficult to increase your skills in it if you get rejected a lot.
After all, you’ll hardly ever find out what was wrong about your application documents.
And how can you improve it when you don’t know what is wrong?
Our expert writers at Resume101 do know all the possible reasons for rejection, and they can tweak your resume to avoid them.
Or, even better, they can write one from scratch for you. All you will have to do is provide all the initial information, and they will take care of the rest.
Some people often feel reluctant to use resume-writing services because they think it is somehow illegal.
Now, that’s just a misconception. There’s nothing illegal, you just provide the information that someone else will organize for you. As long as it’s all true, you can use any means to present yourself in the best possible light to a potential employer.
Our writers will do just that since they are either currently working or have been employed as recruiters in the past. So, they know better than anyone else what other HR managers will be looking for in a resume and how it can be written to make the best impression.
What You Get Using the Resume101 Writing Service
Details-oriented Writers
It’s the details that turn a regular resume written according to a sample into an outstanding one.
Our writers know all the delicate and subtle things that do the trick.
A Guaranteed Interview
There’s no way to guarantee a resume written by our experts will land you a job on the first try, but we promise you will get invited to interviews at least three times more than usual. And that will undoubtedly lead to getting a job in no time.
Timely Delivery
There’d be no point of setting a deadline if we ever missed one. We know that any delay can cost you a job if a company finds someone else by the time you submit, so we always deliver on time.
Helpful Customer Service
Our customer support agents are available at any time and will gladly assist you with any questions you might have.
A Hassle-free Ordering Process
We made sure that ordering a paper at Resume101 is as simple as it can get. Once you pick a career level, a desired paper or package, and a deadline, you’re pretty much all set.
The price will be displayed right away, and that is exactly what you’ll have to pay for our help.
If you want our writer to base your new resume on your old one, you can attach it when placing an order, as well as provide some things that are not on it but you think should be included.
The Bottom Line
What we hope you take away from this article is that having a resume with no experience should not stop you from attempting to get a decent job. No need to settle for some low-paying work, you will only lose time.
You have two ways you can follow to secure the job you want.
The first one is to carefully follow all our tips, check the sample resumes, and explore the specifics of writing a cover letter.
The second option is what most people find easier and more reliable since your papers will be written by professionals who have experience in recruiting.
Obviously, it is up to you which option to go with. The first one seems cheaper, sure. It might not always be though, if you lose time without getting any job you apply for.
We hope that even if it happens, it will only be a couple of dismissals until you write a spotless resume your employer just can’t ignore.
Whether it’s our recommendations or a resume from our writers, we are happy to help you in any way possible. And if you need to write some other papers, check Resume101 for other helpful articles or contact us to write it for you.
Anyway, our resume writing service will help you with all types of resume!Suggested Reading:
- Nurse Resume Example
- Engineering Resume Example And Guide
- Internship Resume Advice From Hiring Managers
- Cv Vs Resume