CV Example No Experience: 6 Full UK CVs for a First Job

By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published 2026-10-07 · Updated 2026-10-07

10 min read

A CV with no experience works when it leads with what you have done instead of apologising for what you have not: school or university results, projects, volunteering, clubs and any responsibility someone trusted you with, each with one concrete detail. The one constraint is length, because one full page beats two thin ones. The National Careers Service says it directly: "If you’re applying for your first job, you can focus on skills you’ve learned through projects, work experience or volunteering." Below are six complete CV examples with no paid work behind them, from a 16-year-old school leaver to an adult changing career, checked against UK careers guidance in October 2026, plus the layout that holds them together. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.

Every first-job CV opens with "hardworking, motivated team player". So does every other CV in the pile, including the ones written by people with twenty years behind them. The words cancel out, and the reader goes looking for the one line that is actually yours.

School leaver CV example with no experience

At 16 the employer is not expecting a work history. They read for reliability, your GCSE results or predictions, and one sign that you turn up for things without being made to. A weekly club, a sports team or helping out at home all count if you write what you actually did.

Tailor my CV to this job

Sixth form CV sample for an apprenticeship

An apprenticeship employer reads a no experience CV for proof that you can learn on the job and keep up with college at the same time. Put A level or BTEC subjects that match the apprenticeship at the top, then one project that shows the skill, then whatever you have done outside school.

Graduate CV example with no work experience

Graduates without a job on the CV usually have more than they think: a dissertation, group projects, society roles and modules that match the job. The University of York careers team advises: "Don’t just give your degree title. Include some relevant modules, project titles, and your dissertation title if it’s relevant." Do that, and give each one a result.

CV sample with no experience but volunteering

Volunteering is work experience. The National Careers Service tells you to include "any work placements, volunteering and paid jobs you’ve had", so give unpaid roles the same layout as paid ones: organisation, role, dates and what you did.

CV with no recent experience: returning parent

If you have spent years at home with children, you are not starting from nothing. School committees, organising other people's children and running a household budget are skills an employer recognises if you name them plainly. Keep the gap short and honest, one line, then move on to what you can do.

Career changer CV with no experience in the new field

Changing career means you have experience, just not in the job you want. Lead with the skills that carry over, then the course or project that proves the new field, and keep the old job titles but rewrite the bullets toward the new job. I changed field myself, into IT and technology work, and in a second language. The reader did not care about my old job title. They cared whether the bullets underneath it answered their advert.

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The layout of a CV with no experience

A CV with no experience uses the same sections as any other, in an order that puts your strongest part first. The National Careers Service lists the core set: "Your CV should include a section for your contact details, an introduction, your education history, your work history and references."

• Contact details: name, town, phone, email. The National Careers Service adds: "You should not include your age, your date of birth, whether you're married or your nationality."
• Profile: three lines. Who you are now, the job you want, and one thing that proves you can do it.
• Education: first, because it is your strongest section. Grades, relevant modules or subjects, projects.
• Experience and achievements: clubs, volunteering, school roles, projects, caring responsibilities. York suggests calling the section "Experience and achievements" rather than "Employment history".
• Skills: specific ones only. "Excel pivot tables" says more than "computer literate".
• Interests and references: interests only if they show a skill; "references are available on request" is enough.

Prospects adds that "Your CV may be only one page if you don't have much experience." A full single page beats two half-empty ones.

Skills based CV or chronological CV

Most first-job CVs work as a normal chronological CV with education first. If your experience is scattered across school, clubs and volunteering, a skills based layout groups it under three or four headings that match the job advert. York puts the case for it: "Skills-based CVs can be good because they shift the emphasis away from your work experience (or lack of)." Either way, each skill needs one real example under it, or it reads as a claim.

The employer's advert is the brief. Copy the three or four skills it asks for into your own words, then find one thing you have done for each. If you want more UK layouts, see our CV examples. For the three lines at the top, our guide to a CV personal statement with no experience has eight more versions, and if you are applying to a US employer, the no experience resume page shows the American format. For the letter that goes with your CV, read how to write a cover letter. If your first job is likely to be in a shop, the retail assistant CV example page has six finished retail CVs.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write a CV with no experience?

Lead with education, then an "Experience and achievements" section for clubs, volunteering, school roles and projects, each with one concrete detail. Add a three-line profile naming the job you want and specific skills. Keep it to one full page and tailor the profile and skills to each advert before you send it.

What can I put on my CV if I have no work experience?

GCSE or A level results, relevant modules, projects, volunteering, sports teams, clubs, positions of responsibility, caring for family, online courses and anything where someone trusted you with money, people or keys. The National Careers Service says interests can show skills too, such as captaining a sports team showing leadership and organisation.

Is a one page CV okay with no experience?

Yes. Prospects says your CV may be only one page if you do not have much experience. One full page with education, achievements and skills reads far better than two pages padded with general statements. Move to two pages only when you have enough real detail to fill the second one.

Should I use a CV template for no experience?

A plain one-column template is best: clear headings, a font like Arial or Calibri at 11 points or bigger, no photo, no skills bars and nothing in the header or footer. The National Careers Service recommends a clear font in size 11 or bigger. Design will not make up for missing detail, so spend the time on content.

What is a good CV example for a 16-year-old with no experience?

A Year 11 CV with contact details, a short profile naming the job and days you can work, predicted GCSEs, then clubs, sports or school roles with one detail each. Add simple skills such as handling cash and a language. The first example on this page is a complete one you can follow.

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