How to Write a Resume with no Job Experience?

Applying for your dream job is not an easy task. You have to prove to your employer that you have what it takes for them to give you the position you are applying for. Before getting into your prospect company, your first step is to send them your resume or curriculum vitae. When you want to apply for a job but you do not have any experience yet, you have to indicate in your resume the skills that will prove how deserving you are.

how do you write a resume for your first job

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Resume with and without experience

Writing a resume with work experience is easier than writing a resume without experience because you will easily showcase how skilled and trusted you are as an employee. When you already have past job experiences, all you have to do is include the name of your former company, your former job position and the month and year you started and stopped working in there. If the case is, you are a fresh graduate and you do not have any job experience, the following tips will help you in writing your resume.

Seminars Attended: If you do not have any past job experience and you still want to impress your employers, the best way to convince them is by including the seminars you have attended as a student. The seminars should be related to the job you want to apply to.
Internship: No matter what course you took, an internship is always a requirement to graduate. An internship will be the best job experience you will have as a student because it will give you the insight on what happens in real job situations. It is also valid to include your internship experience in your resume because that way, the employers will be informed that you already experienced working, even as an intern.
Do not lie: When you are applying for a job, your aim is to impress the employers that’s why you need to make sure that you have an impressive resume. But to reach this, lying is not an option. If you really don’t have any experience, so be it. It is better to be honest and not include information that you could not stand for.
Volunteer works: If you do not have an experience, seminars attended or even internship experience, you can include your volunteer works. This will be valid because it is a job in kind. If you have volunteered in helping the poor, you can include it. It may be in your community or in your university. No matter what it is, it will surely impress your employers.
Focus on skills: If you do not have any job experience and you want to write an effective resume, you have to focus on your skills. The skills you indicated in your resume may convince the company to hire you especially if you have what they are looking for. Just make sure that the skills you provided are your real skills; so, when you got, you can be an efficient employee.

Moreover, related experiences like volunteer works can be placed on the educational attainment. Date of the said volunteer work or seminar should be included, as well as the organizers’ name. It is important to include this kind of information because it will prove the company that you already experienced working in a certain field even without payment.

Tips on how to write an effective resume without having a job experience

When writing the document, the points you need to emphasize are the points that will impress the company. Educational attainment, skills, and job experience are the three major points that a company is looking at in an applicants resume. If you are applying as a professional, most of the companies only accept the associate degree as the lowest educational attainment. If you are applying for a job that requires skills, you also need to make sure that you are qualified for the specific skills the company needs.

Here are some tips on how to write your own resume:

Your working biography: Your resume is like your biography, but in a formal aspect. The most important things about yourself must be written there. Do not forget your name, age, educational background and skills.
Sell yourself: It is the mirror of your skill set and personality. To be able to impress your dream company, you have to sell yourself to them. Impress them with the skills you have that can contribute to the growth of their company. Remember that they want an employee who is a good addition to their organization.
Be honest: You can think that you have to lie so to impress them. Especially if you do not have any job experience, you should not make up some information that will impress the company but will eventually take a toll on you when they discover it’s all lie. Just be honest and convince them with your objectives and other curricular activities that may make them choose you, despite the fact that you are inexperienced.

Structure of your resume

The top of your resume should have a picture in it, your name, address, contact number and email address. The next information should contain the basic data about you. The next part will be your educational attainment then your related experience. Seminars attended and other related activity will be optional. The last part should contain your name and signature.

Educational background

This part is very important especially if you are applying for an office job. The company has the right to know your educational background in order to figure out if you passed their qualifications. It is because some jobs need skills and knowledge that are only taught in college and if the applicant is not a college graduate, then he or she is automatically disqualified.

If you are having a problem with writing about your education, always remember that your tertiary education will be at the top part of your educational attainment and the middle will be the secondary education. Primary education will fall at the bottom part. You have to indicate the name of your school, the course you took and the year you graduated. The accuracy of your educational attainment will secure the company that you are not lying.

Common mistakes to avoid while writing

The common mistakes in writing a resume usually happen to fresh graduates who still do not know what to write on their resume.

Graduation picture: Most of the fresh graduates use their graduation pictures on their resume’s. It is sure that the company wants to make sure you really graduated, but it does not mean that you need to use your graduation picture for this purpose. Your picture should be up to date and formal.
Overly decorated resume: All applicants want to impress the company, but using too many colors and designs in your resume will be a turn off to the company. Always remember to keep it simple and understandable yet professional.
Font style: The basic font style to use should be Times New Roman. If you want to use a different font style, make sure that the letters are not cursive or crooked. Always remember that it should be understandable.

How to make your resume more attractive Any resume should be minimalist and simple. Font style and font size should be the right size and design so that the document will be readable. When it comes to a video resume, simplicity is still a very important aspect because designs are not so significant. It should only be pleasing to the eye but not too grandiose.

Tips on revision

If you think the document is still not convincing and you always get remarks on what your resume looks like, here are some tips on how to revise your resume.

Simplicity: Keep it simple as always. If you think it is too colorful, then stick to black and white. A simple resume is easier to read and understand.
Honesty: If a company questions the content of your resume, then there must be something wrong that they have discovered. You know to yourself what you included, so always remember that honesty is the best policy.
Neat: Keep the information neat and organized. The paper should always be white and not any color because the design is not that important. Keep in mind to always categorized the contents.

Sample Resume

Sarah Smith
Vancouver, Canada
Cell: +1-XXX-XXX-XXX
E-mail: sarahahhhhh@gmail.com

Educational Background

Tertiary: Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Communication; Polytechnic University of the Philippines (2013-present)
Secondary: Quezon City High School (2009-2013)
Primary: Batasan Hills Elementary School (2003-2009)

Skills

Oriented in Microsoft Office applications such as Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel.
Oriented in Adobe software: Adobe Photoshop CC 2016, Adobe Bridge
Writing skills
Good communication skill
Proficient in English and Filipino languages
Proficient in Internet applications
Time management skills

Seminars Attended

2nd Young Communicators’ Congress and Mabini Media Awards
- Bulwagang Balagtas, N.A.L.L.R.C. Building PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila
  - Dr. Daniel Razon
  - Keynote Speaker
  - February 13, 2014
Rapid Congregation of Instant Information in Today’s Bigger World of Media
- PUP Theatre, College of Communication Compound, Sta. Mesa Manila
  - Atom Araullo
  - Mr. Peque Gallaga
  - Mr. Lorenzo Reyes
  - Resource Speakers
  - March 4, 2014
4th Young Communicators’ Congress and Mabini Media Awards
- Bulwagang Balagtas, N.A.L.L.R.C. Building PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila
  - Ms. Karen Davila
  - Resource Speakers
  - December 2, 2016
1st Youth Print Media Congress
- Manila Bulletin Convention Hall, Intramuros, Manila
  - Sen. Sonny Angara
  - Mr. Bong Osorio
  - Ms. Gang Badoy
  - Resource Speakers

Resume samples (Download)

Sample Resume Writing