What to Include When You Have Limited Experience

Your CV is a short, clear summary of what you can offer an employer. You may not have years of experience, but you still have valuable skills from your studies, part-time work, volunteering, and personal projects.

1. Contact Details

Start with your name, city or postcode, phone number, and a professional email address. There’s no need to include your date of birth, a photo, or details like marital status - these aren’t expected in UK CVs.

2. Personal Statement

A short personal statement (around 2–3 lines) sits at the top of your CV. This is your chance to introduce yourself: who you are, what you’re looking for, and what you bring to the table. Focus on your course, key strengths, and career interests. Keep it focused, friendly, and factual.

3. Education

List your education in reverse order, starting with your most recent qualification. As a new graduate, this section is one of your biggest assets. Include your degree or course title, institution, dates, and grades (achieved or expected). You can also mention relevant modules, dissertations, or academic projects - particularly if they connect to the job you’re applying for.

If you’ve taken any short courses, certifications, or online classes relevant to the role (e.g. coding, digital marketing, or project management), include them here or under a separate “Training” section.

4. Work Experience

Even if your roles haven’t been in the field you want to go into, include them. Part-time jobs, summer work, and internships all help. List each one with your job title, employer, and dates, followed by a few bullet points highlighting your responsibilities and any achievements.

Try to show transferable skills such as communication, reliability, teamwork, or customer service. For example, retail work might have helped you develop strong people skills and the ability to work under pressure.

If you haven’t had any paid roles, include volunteering, student society involvement, or personal projects. These can be just as useful in demonstrating what you can do.

5. Skills and Achievements

Include a list of your most relevant skills, both technical and soft. For technical or “hard” skills, think of things like Microsoft Office, Photoshop, Python, Canva, data analysis tools, or languages. For soft skills, focus on communication, leadership, teamwork, or time management.

Don’t just list buzzwords - tie each skill to a short example. For instance, “Time management – balanced part-time work and full-time studies while achieving strong grades.”

You can also add any awards, academic honours, or extracurricular achievements here if you haven’t already mentioned them.

6. Interests and Activities (Optional)

Including your interests can add personality to your CV, but only if they’re relevant. Avoid general statements like “reading” or “socialising.” Instead, highlight activities that show initiative, leadership, or creativity - such as “Captain of university football team” or “Volunteer for local food bank.”

7. References

You don’t need to list referees at this stage. Simply write “References available on request.” Employers will ask for them later if needed.

Structuring and Formatting Your CV

Your CV should be easy to read, cleanly laid out, and well structured.

Length: For graduates or early-career candidates, one page is ideal. Two pages is the absolute maximum.
Font: Use a clear, professional font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, at 10–12pt size.
Sections: Use headings like “Education”, “Work Experience”, and “Skills”. Keep formatting consistent throughout.
Order: List everything in reverse chronological order - most recent first.
White space: Use generous margins and spacing to keep the document looking uncluttered.
Bullet points: Avoid dense paragraphs. Use bullet points to list responsibilities and achievements.

Save your CV as a PDF (unless instructed otherwise), and name the file clearly, like “Firstname-Lastname-CV”.

Showcasing Your Skills Without Much Experience

When you don’t have a long work history, skills and potential become the focus. Employers hiring for entry-level roles are often looking for people who are organised, motivated, quick learners, and good communicators.

Think about:

Group projects or presentations at university
Roles in societies, clubs or sports teams
Customer-facing part-time work
Volunteering or fundraising efforts
Independent projects (e.g. designing a website, writing a blog, organising an event)

Use these experiences to demonstrate transferable skills. Focus on outcomes - what you achieved or what changed because of your involvement.

Also, don’t underestimate digital and technical skills. If you’ve used data analysis tools, created social media content, or designed a poster for a university event, these are all worth including.

Making the Most of Education, Volunteering and Extra Activities

Education
This section is especially important if you’re a graduate without much job history. Make the most of it by showing how your studies connect to the world of work. Mention research, group work, presentations, or technical skills you gained.
Volunteering
If you’ve volunteered, treat it as real experience. List your role, the organisation, and your responsibilities. Think about what you learned - did you manage your time well? Work with the public? Organise something? Include it.
Extracurriculars
Being involved in student clubs, committees, or sports can show leadership, teamwork, creativity, or drive. You don’t have to list every hobby - just pick the ones that support your professional strengths.

UK CV Conventions to Keep in Mind

There are a few UK-specific expectations for CVs:

No photo – Not needed for UK roles (except acting or modelling).
No personal details – Skip age, marital status, gender or nationality.
Keep it formal – Use UK English spelling, grammar, and tone.
No CV title – Don’t write “CV” at the top. Your name should be the title.
No unnecessary extras – Avoid graphics, colours or fancy formatting. Keep it clean and professional.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some things to watch out for when writing your first CV:

Spelling and grammar errors – These give a poor impression. Proofread your CV carefully, or ask someone else to check it.
Too much fluff – Avoid vague terms like “hardworking” or “team player” unless you can back them up with examples.
Overly long CVs – Keep it short and focused. One page is usually enough when starting out.
Generic CVs – Tailor your CV to each job you apply for. Mirror some of the keywords from the job description and reorder your bullet points to highlight the most relevant experience.
Dishonesty – Never stretch the truth. If you didn’t do something, don’t say you did. Employers can usually tell.

Final Thoughts

Starting out in the job market can feel tough, especially when writing a CV with little experience. But every professional began somewhere, and there’s nothing wrong with starting with a CV that focuses on education and transferable skills.

Your first job doesn’t have to be perfect - it’s just the first step. Tailor your CV, put your best self forward, and remember that showing willingness, reliability, and enthusiasm can go a long way. Keep learning, be patient with yourself, and treat each application as a chance to improve.

You’ve got this. Good luck!