How to write a resume with no experience

Here I will go over some tips on making your experience look a little more enticing and interesting than it really may be! And also adding in those extra elements that you wouldn’t have thought of. Read on and you will find out how.

Your resume is going to have more in it if you have been working in the industry for 10 years, compared to if you are ‘fresh out of uni’ graduate. That’s ok!

The employer gets it, we have all been there. However, it’s what you do with the information that counts. Sit down relax, grab a coffee and read on.

Differences in resumes for your level of work experience

Not only is the design and look of the resume and cover letter important, but also the content itself. Let’s get your headings sorted.

Heading ideas for a ‘graduate’ or an ‘inexperienced’ resume:

The order tends to be;

+ Name

+ Contact Details

+ Qualifications

+ Professional Summary

+ Work Experience

*if you don’t have any work experience, the next section could be ‘UNIVERSITY PROJECTS’ which are related to the job you are applying for

+ Side-hustle/ Small business

Perhaps you are doing something on the side to make extra cash. It shows diversity and that you have entrepreneurial skills, which many small and large organisations like, but don’t oversell it.

+ Extracurricular activities

This should include anything such as; volunteer work, charity, sports (especially team sports), if you are for example a team captain, list this too.

University involvement such as: O-week leader, mentor to international students

Tip – This is where you can pad our your resume. Employers are looking for well- rounded individuals which includes: work experience, volunteer/ community, sports.

+ Skills (use this section if you either have something outstanding to share OR are really lacking in the other key areas)

+ Memberships

For example:

Member of Engineers Australia

Member of Team Monash Formula

SAE Member of the Melbourne Engineers

Students Society Volunteered in the Nauru Service Tour (2015)

+ References

Ideally, these will be from paid employment, however if you don’t have anyone to list which fall into this category, a University supervisor or person in a position of authority who can give you a strong character reference is also okay.

Heading ideas for an ‘experienced professional’ resume

+ Name – in bold up top, contact details and a headline related to the job you are applying for ‘i.e. An experienced customer service professional with leadership experience and a passion for mentoring’ if you are applying for a café manager role, for example.

+ Professional summary – high level summary of professional highlights/what job you are looking for

+ Professional competencies – one word answers, i.e. a column for technical, IT and licenses – often in a table format.

+ Education (but now more minimal, we don’t need to know what subjects you studied in VCE/IB).

+ Career Summary

+ Career history (with career history, for each job list responsibilities and achievements in two distinct sections so the reader can see what you achieved easily)

+ Referees 

**Other ad hoc sections are things like professional memberships, clinical supervision, publications, and any volunteer work. Have separate sections always – don’t lump volunteer roles in with your career history

Even if you don’t have much professional experience, there are still plenty of ways to make your job application stand out from the rest! With a little effort and ingenuity, you can easily compensate for any lack of experience and score that dream job you deserve.

Written by Emma Moore. Based in Bayside in Melbourne, Emma has spent 15 years in Corporate Talent Acquisition roles in global organizations across Consulting, Professional Services and Telecommunications.  Emma has tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Business (Human Resource Management) and Careers Development and Education. Emma has read and provided feedback on thousands of resumes, interviewed hundreds of candidates and made those all important hiring decisions with her stakeholders. Emma is in a unique position to enable you to represent yourself in the best possible way. She knows exactly what prospective employers like to see and hear throughout the application and interview process as a result of being ‘on the other side of the fence’ for so many years.

Want to work with Emma? Contact her today to set up a CV, Resume, LinkedIn or Interview Coaching session.