Are you new to the workforce? Writing a powerful resume with no work experience can help boost your chances of landing a job quickly.
There is this saying – If you want to get a job, you need experience. And if you want to gain experience you need a job. Then how do you think you can get a job without experience? Having a well written resume with no work experience can help defy the odds.
Want to know how to write a resume with no work experience that can land you a job? We got you covered. In this guide I will be sharing you with the steps on how to write a resume with work experience that has proven to be effective in landing a job.
How to Write a Resume with No Work Experience
When you want to write a resume with no work experience, it probably means that you are also new to writing resume. The below steps cover how to write a resume with no work experience and also writing a resume with no experience.
#1: Decide on the format to use
The first step to take on how to write a resume with no work experience is to decide the perfect resume format for a resume with no experience.
There are basically three commonly used resume format; the chronological resume format, the functional resume format, and the combination of the two formats – the combination resume format.
But do you know when to use any of the above listed resume formats?
Oh! Probably this might be your first time writing a resume.
The chronological resume format emphasizes more on your professional industry related work experience in a reverse-chronological order. And it is the most effective resume format to use when you have enough industry related work experience for the job you are applying.
The functional resume format emphasizes mostly on your skills and education, with little emphases on your professional work experience which may not be included. It is an effective format to use when you don’t have a traditional work experience to show off on your resume.
The combination of the two formats, referred to as hybrid or combination resume, is an effective format to use when you have little to no work experience
Employers have made it known that work experience/ history section is an important section that should be include on a resume. . This is the reason why combination resume is the ideal choice to go with when writing a resume with no work experience.
But do you know think the work experience they are talking is all about the traditional or industry related work experience? Not to give you spoilers yet. Read on find out how you will combat this when writing your resume with no experience.
#2: Include a Summary Section
There have been reasonable arguments among career advisers on whether to make use of an objective statement or a summary statement on a resume with no work experience.
Well, objective statements which focuses on your zeal for the position you are applying, and your willingness to be productive in the company is getting outdated and not as recommended as it used to be some years back. The reason is that it focuses on what the employer will do for you, instead of what you will do for the employer.
The summary statement focuses on your qualities, skills, and experience that make you a perfect candidate for the job. It should be not more than a sentence or two sentences long.
#3: Focus on your skills
Your skill section is the best section to stand in place of work history section directly under your summary statement in your resume with no experience in any industry.
As a job candidate, even if you have never worked before in a professional industry, you probably might have acquired some technical skills required for the job, either in college or training programs.
Technical skills or hard skills are the skills are the skills required to perform the job duties.
Also focus on your interpersonal skills on your resume with no experience, Interpersonal or soft skills like good communication, leader skills, time management are important skills that makes an individual perform well in the workplace.
But before you start listing your skills on your resume with no work experience, read through the job description to know the interpersonal skills and technical skills required for the job.
#4: Also focus on your education
Since your resume with no experience will contain no industry work experience to showoff, your education is also a key to include on your resume with no experience.
Although, instead of just listing the names of the school you attended, there is a better way you can leverage your education section to showcase some of the valuable skills needed for the job. And that is highlighting some of your involvements in school and/or coursework that made you acquire some skills.
#5: Utilize your internship(s)
Did you partake in any internship? Whether paid or not. Internships are one of the things hiring manager look for in an entry-level candidate’s resume, especially a resume with no work experience.
Once you have an internship experience relevant to the job you are applying, it can be utilized as your industry related experience in your professional work history section on the resume. The reason is that, in one way or the other, there are certain technical skills you acquired and made use of during your internship that can be applicable to the job you are applying for.
If you have not attended any internship, while applying for job, try enrolling for an internship.
Just to give you little spoilers – I have indirectly listed two relevant experiences that are handy for your job search even when you think you don’t have work experiences; your coursework during your education, and also experience during internship.
Keep reading… more to come
#6: Sprinkle keywords on your resume
Keywords are important words which can be interpersonal skills, technical skills, and industry terms required for the job.
Most of the modern companies make use of applicant tracking system (ATS) to scan and sort resume, which later gets to the hiring manager to manually go through them.
You might have a perfect resume, or maybe a powerful resume with no work experience but it may not be able to get to the hiring manager.
The only way to combat this is to make use of keywords in your resume starting from the summary statement.
And to get an insight on the keywords to use, read through the job description of the job you are applying.
#7: Include extracurricular activities and volunteer work
Do you have any extracurricular activity you involve in that is related to the job you are applying? Make sure include in on your resume with no experience in any industry.
Did you involve in any volunteer work that can be relevant to the job you are applying? Also make sure you include it on your resume with no experience in any industry.
The skills you acquire and/or make use of during your extracurricular activities or volunteer work relevant to the job can also be applicable to the job you are applying.
Making it three experiences to write about now right? This means as a newbie in the workforce, you still have what it takes to easily kick-start your career.
Read more – How to Get a Job Without Experience (4 Proven Strategies)
#8: Take note of your achievements
Before concluding what you need write on your resume with no work experience, remember to take note of your achievements.
If you have little achievements to write about, you can attach it to the section that is relevant to the achievement. For example; if you only received an award in school, include it on the education section. If you only received an award during your volunteer work, include it underneath your volunteer work section. But when you have more than one achievement to write, create a separate section termed “Achievements” for it.
#9: Proofread
Before you send your resume, you should endeavor to proofread to check for any errors. Errors like grammatical errors, punctuation errors, or wrong spelling will make your resume look unprofessional.
Writing a resume with no work experience means you are new to the workforce. And you should present yourself as professional in order to get into the workforce as quick as possible.
Conclusion
Being your first time writing a resume, and probably the first time applying for a professional job, it might be a little bit tough to come up with a perfect resume. But with the above outline procedures, you should be able to come up with an outstanding resume without work experience.
Also remember to customize your resume for each job you apply for.
That is it on my guide on how to write a resume with no work experience
I’d like to hear from you
Hope you found the guide helpful?
Which steps do you want to try out first?
And what are your takeaways from this guide?
Feel free to share your thoughts
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