cv personal statement examples for students with no experience

Resume Summary with No Experience: Examples for Students and Fresh Graduates

By Biron Clark

Published: December 18, 2023

Recent Grads | Resume/CV

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

If you’re looking for how to write a summary for your resume with no work experience , you’ve come to the right place. I’m going to walk you through exactly what to do, and then we’ll look at resume summary examples for entry-level job seekers, students and fresh graduates. 

How to Write a Summary For Your Resume With No Experience:

First, a resume summary is different than an objective . And it’s much better. Putting an objective on your resume is outdated and unnecessary. Resume objectives are useless because they don’t share anything the hiring manager doesn’t already know (such as “my goal is to obtain a position in the ___ industry”). So what we’re doing here is better and will help your resume stand out from people who simply put an objective. Whereas, the resume summary gives a quick highlight reel of your qualifications, education, and more. If you’re not sure what a resume summary actually is, check out this article on 10 resume summary examples . And while it’s easier to figure out what to put if you’ve built up some work experience, you can still write an effective resume summary with no work experience whatsoever.

So in this article, I’m going to show you how. What should go into your summary when you don’t have any work experience? 

1. Put academic accomplishments and leadership

What did you study? Did you just graduate with a degree? Mention that. If you took a leadership role in your class projects, or clubs/groups at your school, you can mention that too. Leadership doesn’t need to be in a job to get the hiring manager’s attention! Taking a leadership role in a sports environment is impressive as well. You’re not going to mention specific accomplishments in your resume summary usually (you can do that later in your resume), but you can say things like “proven leadership” or “natural leader”, etc.

2. Put your interests and passions

Are you passionate about startups and technology? Great, put that. Want to make a difference in the world, and focus your career on social impact? Mention that. This can include the grades you received, but also leadership positions you led, and clubs/groups you participated in.

3. Put “hard” skills

If you’re proficient in any tools, technologies, etc… you can include that in your resume summary. Don’t list 20 things. That’s what your “Skills” section is for. But pick the three or four things that are most relevant for the job you’re applying for.

Coming up in this article, we’re going to look at two resume summary examples for people with no experience. .. and in the second example, you’ll see how this would look.

4. Include soft skills

Are you great at analytical thinking? Do you love working as a part of a team? Are you great at multi-tasking and handling a fast-paced team environment? While these shouldn’t be the main focus of your resume summary section, they can be worth mentioning. It’s especially good to include soft skills that you see mentioned in the job description.

For example, if you see they mention wanting someone who’s great at multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment, and you feel that describes you well, then your resume summary is the perfect place to include this.

5. Put statements that will grab the employer’s interest and make them want to ask you questions!

If you mention leadership they’ll want to ask you more about your leadership experiences. That’s a good thing. Remember, whatever you put, they’ll probably ask you about. So as you write your summary for your resume, try to think about what you want them to discuss with you, and what you want a chance to talk about. And try to “tailor” your resume to fit the companies you’re applying to. If you’re applying to large corporations don’t start your summary by saying “Startup enthusiast”.

3 Resume Summary Example for Students, Fresh Graduates and Entry-Level Job Seekers:

In this section, I’m going to share three examples of how to write a summary for your resume with no experience. You can use these resume summary examples as a student, entry-level job seeker, or any job search where you don’t have experience:

Resume Summary with No Experience – Example #1: Economics Student

Enthusiastic, highly-motivated Economics student with proven leadership capabilities, who likes to take initiative and seek out new challenges.

In this example above, you’re showing that you completed your Economics degree and have an interest in the subject, and you’re mentioning leadership and making the reader want to learn more about this. You’re also making yourself sound ambitious and motivated at the end, which is always a good thing (I’m referring to the part that says “who likes to take initiative and seek out new challenges). Notice the format too. This is how I recommend phrasing it. Don’t say “I am a ___”. Just start with the descriptive words.

This is a simple yet effective resume summary example for students OR recent graduates.

Resume Summary with No Experience – Example #2: Fresh Graduate in Computer Science

Computer Science graduate passionate about data engineering and machine learning. Highly-capable leader, having led multiple Senior class projects to completion. Proficient in a range of modern technologies including Python, Java and Scala.

This is another good example of a student or fresh graduate resume summary that still shows your skills and academic focus, even if you have no formal work experience.  In this entry-level resume summary example, you’re highlighting accomplishments and leadership as a student and you’re also showing that you’re passionate about your work. Saying you’re passionate about data engineering is much better than just saying, “Looking for a job in data engineering.” They’ll know you’re looking for jobs because you applied. Taking up space to say it is a bad use of this area of your resume, and is why I never recommend having a resume “Objective” section. The summary exists instead of an “Objective” and is much better.

The example above also included some great programming keywords (Python, Java, Scala) to help get past any automated application systems and grab the hiring manager’s attention very quickly when they first look at your resume. If you work with any tools or technologies that have names like these, you can include it in your entry-level resume summary if you’d like. Other examples of tools/technologies: Photoshop, MS Excel, etc.

If you decide not to include these on your resume summary, make sure to include them elsewhere such as your Education or Skills section .

Resume Summary Example with No Experience #3: Math Student Graduating Soon

4th year mathematics student passionate about statistics and data analysis. Proven project leader. Active member of Boston University’s Mathematics Club. Speaker at 2018 “New York Young Mathematicians Conference.”

This resume summary example for students shows how you can list accomplishments even if you’ve never formally worked before. Did you participate in any clubs at school? Have you led any class projects? These are impressive pieces you can add to your resume summary with no experience formally working. 

How to Write a Resume Summary For Students/Fresh Graduates – Quick Recap

• Skip buzzwords like “hard-working” and put real academic accomplishments instead, like projects you produced and tasks you led
• Include what you’re interested in and passionate about to show them why you are applying for this position
• Mention hard skills like “Java Programming” or “Excel,”  especially if they’re listed on the job description
• Include soft skills as well like, “excellent at multi-tasking”, especially if you saw these keywords anywhere on the job description
• Include statements in your resume summary that will catch the employer’s interest and make them want to talk with you and ask you more. Remember – the entire goal of your resume is to get invited to interview. So if you did anything unique like giving presentations, working in an internship , participating in a school club, etc., you can include this in your entry-level resume summary.

If you follow the tips above, you’ll have a great entry-level resume summary that will stand out and catch a recruiter’s or hiring manager’s attention so you can get more interviews.

After you write your entry-level resume summary, here are two more articles that may be helpful when job searching with no experience:

• The best times of year to job search
• How to create a great elevator pitch for job hunting

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

More Resume Tips & Guides

Crafting the perfect resume for teens (template & expert advice), are resume writers worth it, don’t say you’re a quick learner on your resume, what do recruiters look for in a resume, chronological resume: the best format (and how to write it), the 3 best colors for a resume, career change resume: examples and tips from experts, what makes a good resume 9 ways to know, how long should a resume be, walk me through your resume: answer examples, 7 thoughts on “resume summary with no experience: examples for students and fresh graduates”.

This site was pretty helpful in guiding me throughout my school resume, would love other tips would do well.

This is a great guide. If only schools were actually interested in teaching children real life skills like this.

Hi, I am a student who has been finding it very difficult to make resumes due to the lack of working experience. I am currently trying to find a job while studying at the same time. I am in University completing a certificate and will soon be applying for a BA in Psychology and Criminolgy. However, I wish to apply for a part time job in the fashion industry. Can you please leave me some tips about what I can do to ensure that I can find a job without needing experience.

Your page has really helped, Thank you.

Hi, I’m a job seeker with 2 years experience working as a cart collector at grocery store and an Associate’s Degree in Computer Information Systems, is this a good professional summary?: “Reliable team member with a keen interest in information technology and other applications. Capable of handling multiple projects within deadlines. Eager to apply my professional and academic background as an Administrative Assistant at Bogdan Contracting.”

I’ve been job seeking since October 2018, I’m hoping I can start a career in tech support as soon as possible.

Hi Marcais,

I think it sounds pretty good. My least favorite part is the first word, though. “Reliable” sounds pretty average/boring. Sure, you show up, do your job, etc. That’s what I think when I hear “reliable”. But not much more.

I’d look for a better word to lead off with.

I would like to say thank you for making this article about writing a summary for a resume. For the past couple of months, I have been struggling to find someone who can help me with that because I don’t have a lot of experience in my field (i.e. engineering). I do have one question though. Is it appropriate to use first-person nouns in the summary section? I have seen people do that, but I find it quite odd.

Please let me know as soon as you can. Thank you.

Hi Frances,

I’d avoid saying, “I” if that’s what you’re asking.

Just say “Led team of 7 people to accomplish ___”

Just start without a pronoun.

Another example: “Highly-accomplished accounting professional who has ____”

Comments are closed.

CV Examples Cabin crew

CV Examples for Students + Comprehensive Guide

We have all been there, being a job-hunting student trying to crush a job application , land our first job, that precious internship, etc. Here, we help you navigate the first step of the process: Crafting your best possible CV as a student.

• 1. Student cv examples
• 2. How to write a CV as a Student
• 2.1 Previous work
• 2.2 Student CV format
• 2.3 Student CV layout
• 3. CV Header for students
• 4. CV personal statement student
• 5. Skills for student CV
• 6. Work experience
• 7. Student cv with no work experience at all
• 8. Education or Qualifications section
• 9. Additional sections on a student CV

Student CV Examples

Among the following student CV examples you can find a recent-graduate looking for a summer job related with electronics, an BA student looking for an internship, a nurse student CV, a student teacher CV, a grad school resume, and an economics college student looking for a position in the academic job market. Easily browse these sample resumes in PDF format by clicking the "Download CV button"

High School Student about to start Vocational School with a no-experience resume

University student - Senior year CV example

College student without experience outside academia.

Student Teacher CV example

Student Nurse CV example

How to write a great CV as a Student

Many people tend to think that crafting a great Cv as a student is more complicated than usual, since students tend to have a shorter work history or no work history at all. In this article we debunk some myths, include real-life samples, and challenge you to do some introspective work to be able to come up with the best possible version of your CV. Shifting the focus to sections like the personal statement , the skills section , the education section , etc. without forgetting about the work history, that even though it won't probably be the most important section on your CV, it can definitely help you build a stronger application. Let's dive in!

Grammar mistakes are a huge red flag for recruiters, not because they expect candidates to have excellent written skills but because they mean that you didn't pay attention to the details, and in a competitive job-market this is a basic and very important skill that they will find in other candidates. Grammar mistakes in your Student CV are very easy to fix: Make sure you use a grammar checking tool when writing your CV.

Things to consider before Starting your Student CV

Before kickstarting your student CV writing process, we highly encourage you to stop for a second and understand why you need a CV. The most likely scenario is that you need it to apply to a specific role or set of roles. In this case we encourage you to identify what skills are necessary for these target roles or singlerole. Some of the skills can be easily found in the role's job description; others require a little bit of industry knowledge and common sense. Checking the business' physical or online presence can also help.

The next step will be to spot specific examples within your experiences (if you have them), academic background, academic achievements, experiences, volunteering, free-time activities or hobbies, etc. that proof you have acquired and/or practiced those skills, and are ready to apply them in the role/roles you are applying to. Use the recommended CV sections that you will find below to make sure you cover them all.

This exercise of identifying these skills will give you a huge advantage, and the next step will be to write a "master CV" that you will be able to use as a base to create new variations for many target roles if you want to do so.

The perfect student CV format & useful tips

Like usual, there isn't a one-size-fits-all format. The best format for a student CV will depend on the amount of work history and information you have. Students with lots of relevant work history and academic background will pick CV templates with larger room for these types of sections, while students with fewer professional history will pick a template that can fill up a page with fewer content. It also depends if you are also attaching cover letters or not.

In addition to the template/ design, the format of a student CV is determined by the structure and order of its sections, that we will cover in the next segment. Depending on the structure and sections you pick, it will be considered a skill-based CV or a Chronological CV,but don't get too messed up with these terms, since hint: it doesn't really matter how your CV format is called.

Skill-based CVs tend to be more common among students, since this format highlights your abilities and qualifications over heavily focusing on your work history like the reverse-chronological CV does.

One important tip is that no matter what you turn your CV in as a PDF, even if you use a Miscrosoft Word CV template to make it. The reason is because turning your CV otherwise can very easily alter its format and content, and you want to avoid this at all costs. Of course, this rule doesn't apply if the job application form specifically requests a file other than a PDF, then turn it in the specifically requested format. But otherwise, even if it isn't specified, always turn in a PDF CV. Find here PDF CV templates .

Student CV Layout

The general rule says that you should be able to fit your CV in one page; this is especially easy in the case of students. Remember that if your CV is longer than that, you can always use an online CV like the one you can see below, or a portfolio type of website to present extended information. That being said, teaching and research positions in academia tend to accept and actually prefer long CVs with all the candidate's information; in these cases CVs can be 2 pages or even more.

The layout of your student CV will depend on the importance you want to give to the work history section. In order to decide this, check out this segment . If you have relevant experience, we recommend you to go with the first layout, if you have a work history but most of the transferable skills are in other parts of your CV like your interests, your academic background, personal statement, the skills section, etc. then go with the second one, and if you have no experience at all then go with the third one.

Personal Statement

Work Experience

Additional Sections

These are just proposed layouts; the final ideal section structure will have to be decided on a case-to-case basis, depending both on the student's profile and the skills required in the target roles.

In terms of your CV format, it is important to make sure that it can be properly read by ATS applicant tracking software . And in terms of its content, it's equally crucial to follow this article's guidelines to ensure your student CV covers the minimum requirements for the role. If your CV can't be read by these softwares or you haven't include the right keywords , there is a big chance your CV won't get to the eyes of a human.

CV Header for students

This is a comprehensive list of action verbs you should be using on your cabin crew CV:

Often overlooked, the CV header is inevitably the segment that will be first noticed on your CV, therefore it is smart to make good use of it. In addition to your full name, your cabin crew CV header should contain:

• A valid and professional and valid email address. High school students and other students should avoid using emails with nicknames and other addresses created just for fun. Ideally use an email that uses your name and surname. If you don't want to change your email address with these characteristics, just create a new one and forward incoming email to your old email address.
• A valid phone number
• A professional CV headline, also known as Job title , is a one-liner of your most relevant / prominent skills. Here you have a whole article that will help you craft the best CV headline. Check out the CV headline examples for students.
• Location or desired location
• Social media profile links
• Personal website links
• Availability

Even though it is very obvious, it's important to mention that both email address and phone number should be yours, don't use email addresses or phone numbers that belong to other people.

CV headline for students - Great examples

Highly-motivated student with passion for electronics and robotics

BA Student with experience managing a channel with >1K Subscribers

Awarded Student with 4 experience pursuing an MBA at UCLA

Creative BA Student with strong digital branding skills

Hospitality management senior bilingual in English and Spanish

Marketing Student with 2 years experience with real clients

Immigration Law recent graduate with 1 year experience

Journalism sophomore with strong video editing skills

Nursing school junior with focusing on palliative care

Civil Engineering Technician with land surveying experience

UX Designer with 8 years product design role experience

High School student

BA student ready to work

BA student looking for opportunity

Marketing Student

Nursing School Junior

Civil Engineering senior looking for summer internship

2d Year academic foundation programme practicioner

Hospitality Management Student

Do you notice the difference? It's not that these last CV headlines are completely wrong; definitely better to add these rather than not adding a CV Headline at all; however, they are missing an opportunity to mention key skills that define you and that ideally align with the target role.

CV Personal Statement

Also known as "professional summary", "executive summary", "about me", etc. this is the section for you to shine as a highly motivated and capable student. This section is a brief summary of your skills and experience, where you will explain at a glance: who you are and what you have done over the years. After reading the job description as described here , you want this summary to detail why you are the ideal candidate for the position. This means that ideally, the personal statement should be rewritten for each position you apply to. If you are applying to very similar positions and come up with a summary, that is good for all of them, that is also a good way to go about it.

Be as concise as you can be: the ideal length of the professional summary on a student CV is one or two paragraphs, with no more than 200 words.

As you can see in the following example, the personal statement, can also include your career goal or CV objective, since lately there has been voices against including this in a specific section on your CV. This goal shouldn't be vague and must be totally aligned with the company's goals.

CV personal statement student examples

I am a multi-disciplinary creative professional with a passion for digital marketing channels and design. At a young age I got involved in multiple projects around personal and corporate communication and branding, including my Digital Marketing Youtube channel with over 1K subscribers. These projects have allowed me to develop a deep knowledge and understanding of how the main marketing channels work, as well as applying a wide range of skills like illustration, photo and video editing, motion graphics, etc.

With a year of experience in the retail industry and about to finish my double major in English and Scenic art studies, I am currently looking for a creative digital marketing position where I can be involved in the campaign design and strategy process in order to kickstart my career in the advertising industry.

I am a BA Student that has acquired excellent communication and visual art skills through my years of education and personal projects. I am a very curious person, specifically when it comes to social media platforms and I am highly motivated to add value to the company as a key part of your team.

Student CV key skills section

Skills are commonly divided into two categories: Hard and soft-skills. The hard skills are those skills that can be measured more easily, like languages or technical skills. You can say that you are proficient in the usage of Adobe Photoshop or fluent in Spanish and there isn't much room for interpretation: we are going to assume you can use photoshop like a pro and hold a conversation in Spanish understanding that you could make mistakes but these won't affect communication. These type of skills can be listed and included in your CV by quantifying them whether with proficiency descriptions or with scale charts:

Soft skills, on the other hand, are inter-personal and behaviorial skills, very hard to quantify and highly subject to interpretation. Therefore, it isn't generally a good idea to use lists to include soft-skills in a CV; instead candidates should use other sections to include them, as described here .

However, skill-based CVs are an exception to this norm, particularly in the case of students with a no-experience resume where the skills section becomes one of the most important sections. So, when it makes sense, it is totally fine to list your soft-skills in. But you should still avoid including bullet points in descriptionless lists. Instead, as shown in the examples below, you should include examples of how you have used those skills, alternatively mentioning how you acquired them.

When it comes to including the skills section in a Student CV there is many possibilities, here are three smart ways to go about it:

• A Skills / Skills summary section combining all your hard and soft skills, with subsections.
• Many sections grouping skills in categories.
• A dedicated section for each relevant skill.

Adding one or more skills sections to your CV doesn't mean you can't include examples showing off your skills in other CV sections. You should still use your achievements, responsibilites, executive summary etc. to emphasize what you are most talented at.

Great examples of student CV skills usage

MY STRONGEST SKILLS

EXCELLENT COMMUNICATOR

• My academic background in English and scenic arts along with my passion for creative writing have given me the confidence to effectively communicate messages across channels using strong storytelling techniques.
• Through my customer services experience in a busy and demanding retail environment, I have improved my interpersonal communication skills, particularly when it comes to effective client communication.
• I have a true passion for creative work. Bringing ideas to life is something that has always come naturally. I developed a passion for digital illustration earlier in life, and I have consistently created marketing materials for countless events and businesses. You can check out my portfolio here.
• I am always exploring and learning about new formats, developing an interest in short video materials and websites, what brought me to create my personal blog and Youtube channel, maintaining a strong publication consistency over the last three years.
• My Youtube channel and my blog have ignited my analytical skills, pushing me to measure every detail and audience interaction with tools like Google Analytics, Sendgrid, Google Data Studio and Tableau.
• This has allowed me to consistently grow my audiences and increase the monetization of my blog and my subscriber's email list.

FAST-LEARNER

• Thanks to the selfless community contributors, I have learned many skills and following the motto 'learn by doing' put them into practice. I am thrilled with the evolution of web and video formats and look forward to keeping learning and using new trends and formats to grow.
• Excellent Communicator
• Fast-learner

EDITION SKILLS

• Adobe Photoshop ●●●●●○
• Adobe Illustrator ●●●●●○
• Adobe After Effects ●●●●●○
• Adobe Premier ●●●●●○
• Final Cut Pro ●●●●○○
• Figma ●●●●●○

MARKETING SKILLS

• Email Marketing ●●●●●○
• Facebook Business Ads ●●●●●○
• Linkedin Ads ●●●●○○
• Youtube Editor ●●●●●○
• Google Analytics ●●●●●○
• Google Ads ●●●●●○
• Google Data Studio●●●○○○
• CMSs: Wordpress, Hubspot & Webflow ●●●●●○
• Languages: HTML5 & MySQL ●●●●○○
• Communication ●●●●●○
• Team Work ●●●●●○
• Organization ●●●●●○

In the following example, we can see how a student has done a great use of her personal profile to describe some of the skills required for the job, even though she has a no-experience resume:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I am a passionate electrical engineering student in my junior year, looking for an electronics apprenticeship in the Bournemouth area, that allows me to work on projects related to renewable energies , the internet of things or/and electric mobility.

I have more than 8 years experience troubleshooting electronic devices and home appliances, as well as installing electrical systems in tiny houses, caravans, etc. My engineering studies have given me the confidence and structure to start electrical projects around the internet of things and green power like the ones I present below.

• Organization skills
• Planning skills
• Internet of things
• Electrical Systems

Experience or no-experience, that is the question

Even though you might think that you don't have a work history, or that the experience you have doesn't relate to your targeted role, in most cases it is a better idea to include it in your student CV than to leave it out. The key is to take these informal or apparently unrelated experiences, and write a work description focusing on the transferable skills used in these kinds of experiences.

Let's take the case of the university student that is looking for an internship at a marketing or creative agency. He's never had a formal marketing job; however, he's been working on his personal brand for more than 3 years now with a blog with thousands of monthly visitors and a Youtube channel with more than 1K subscribers, the tasks he's performed to build those audiences will be very valuable on his next marketing job. Therefore he must mention these in his student CV, and even though they can be added in a separate section, including it as a work experience, it is a perfectly fine option to showcase his responsibilities and achievements.

Related experience example

BRAND MANAGER & PRODUCT OWNER 123easiestmarketing.com

08/2018 - Present

I started a blog and a Youtube Channel to share easy to digest but effective marketing pills with small business owners and entrepreneurs. My main responsibilities are:

• Create the content calendar for the Blog, the Youtube, and other social media profiles
• Researching and crafting interesting video and web content that drives traffic and engages users across channels focusing on Youtube, email subscribers & web visitors
• Developing a marketing automation strategy to onboard new subscribers across the different marketing channels ensuring a coherent brand identity

To the date, the site has consistently published a blog post per week and currently has 11K monthly organic visitors, while the Youtube channel has more than 1K subscribed users in more than 30 countries.

BRAND MANAGER & PRODUCT OWNER

123easiestmarketing.com + Youtube Channel

Non related work experience example

Likewise, his work history includes a retail weekend work at an electronics store for more than a year, even though at first it could seem that this experience is completely irrelevant for the job application at hand, it really isn't, since working in a retail position has most likely developed his customer service and teamwork, both very transferable skills to most positions at a marketing/creative agency. Therefore, when including this experience, his focus has been on responsibilities and achievements that showcase these skills. Next, you can see an example showing how to include a non-related work experience in your student CV:

Non related experience example

Customer Services Assistant Expert DominicSmith Dublin

09/2016 - 08/2019

I worked 8-hour weekend shifts at the Electrical & Home Entretainment Expert store in Dundrum. Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest days of the week, when the in-store assistance doubles. As a customer services assistant I:

• Strategically delivered marketing materials and information to customers making sure our merchants branding guidelines were followed
• Delivered customer service assistance and advice based on the customer needs, always with an active problem-solving approach
• Was in charge of the stock management for the portable devices section.

Over my 3 years at Expert DominicSmith, I contributed to always achieving our quarterly revenue goals and successfully passed mystery-shoppers test scoring above the chain's average, gaining the recognition of our regional manager.

• Assisted customers
• Cashier-related tasks if required
• Restocking goods

No-experience resume / CV for students

Now, we understand if your response to our question is that you are a high school student genuinely has no experience, not even in sporadic garden or lown mowing. This is then the only case where you should write a 100% no-experience CV , which is totally fine; you will then relay on other sections to showcase your skills, like the Education, Hobbies Interests or Volunteering sections.

Qualifications or Academic background section

If there is a case where the education or qualifications section is more relevant than ever is in the case of students and recent graduates. Take advantage of this section to highlight any awards, honors you have obtained over your academic background.

Include only your higher education diplomas, avoid including lower education if you have obtained higher education diplomas afterwards. High school student resumes, should also only include their current studies with the predicted year of graduation. College students, vocational students or university students should include their A-Levels, GCSEs and the current degree they are studying including their estimated time of graduation.

Following, we attach an example of how to successfully maximize the use of the education section on a student resume example:

Qualifications example for students

B.A. IN ENGLISH & SCENIC ARTS

American College Dublin

• Graduated with first class honors: 3.25/4

09/2017 - 04/2022

B.A. IN ENGLISH & SCENIC ARTS American College Dublin

The power of additional sections on a student CV

Even though we have set a layout framework for student CV sections, there is no limit when it comes to the number or nature of sections. There are typical additional sections that can be very useful on a student's CV to showcase skills:

• Language skills
• Honors & awards
• Interests or hobbies
• Volunteering experience
• Complementary education
• Extracurricular activities

But then, as you can see in this high school student resume , where she has added a section under the name "Highlighted products" or another one to explain a specific project she is currently working on, the possibilities are endless, and will depend on the position and the with a list of interesting projects she's done over her academic years and free time, and the candidate.

Is it necessary to add student cover letters to your applications?

As you probably guessed, the answer to this question is that it depends. If the application process has a field for it, then you definitely have to include one, and as it happens with the CV you should target it as much as you can to the targeted role.

On the other hand, if the job application doesn't offer the possibility to add one, don't add one. Your personal statement will act as a sort of brief cover letter targeted to the role.

Finally, students that are sending a spontaneous application, should evaluate the convenience of adding a covering letter on a case-per case basis. There is actually three recommended options:

• Send an email attaching your cover letter and CV
• Send an email with the cover letter as the email content with the CV attached
• Send a brief email attaching the CV that includes a targeted personal statement where the candidate clearly aligns his/her goals with those of the role and company

Once again, make sure to use a grammar checking tool when crafting your application email, linkedin message or cover letter.

Montse Lorente

Coach & recruiter @ kaelon.co and co-founder @ cvonline.me

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• Tips For a Student CV
• What To Include In A Undergraduate CV
• What To Include In A Graduate CV

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Diving into the world of job applications as a student can feel daunting. But with the right CV, you're already one step ahead of the competition! Whether you're just stepping into university or about to graduate, we have some stellar curriculum vitae examples for students like you. Crafting an impeccable CV is the key to leaving a lasting impression, and we're here to help you with this essential task. In this guide, we'll dive deep into various CV examples for students and share tips on what to include in each section to make your CV shine.

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Tips For Crafting a Student CV

Tailor Your CV: Customize your CV for each job application by emphasizing skills and experiences relevant to the specific role.

Be Concise: Keep your CV concise and to the point. Aim for a one-page CV if possible.

Use Action Words: Use action verbs (e.g., organized, led, collaborated) to describe your experiences and achievements.

Professional Email: Ensure your email address is professional and appropriate for job applications.

Proofread: Carefully proofread your CV for spelling and grammatical errors.

Example of What To Include In An Undergraduate CV

If you’re still studying and looking for part-time work, internships, or placements, an undergraduate CV example can guide you on how to balance your academic and extracurricular experiences. Of course, we are here for you, and we bring you all the essential information that should not miss from your undergraduate CV:

Personal Statement: Keep it short and sweet, focusing on what you’re studying, your key skills, and what you’re looking to achieve with the job or placement.

Education: List your current course of study, including any relevant modules, projects, or achievements.

Work Experience: If you’ve had part-time jobs, internships, or placements, include them here, focusing on what you’ve learned and achieved in these roles.

Skills: Highlight skills developed through your course and any extracurricular activities. Think about what might be relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Extracurricular Activities: Showcase any clubs, societies, or volunteering you’ve been involved in, highlighting any leadership or organisational roles.

Awards and Achievements: Include any academic or extracurricular achievements that make you stand out.

References: List references from your education or any work-related experiences, ensuring they can provide a positive and relevant reference.

CV Example For Students With No Experience

Of course, there is not just one type of CV, there are several! As a student, you may struggle to find a job when you have no prior work experience. However, this won't stop you from following your dreams because we have got the solution. Below, you will find a student CV, which you can follow to create your own. If you need a visual inspiration for more types of CVs, you can find them all under our CV Examples .

Example Of What To Include In A Graduate CV

Graduates, this one's for you! A graduate CV example should strike a balance between your academic achievements and any work experience, internships, or placements you’ve completed. Have a look at what it should include:

Personal Statement: Clearly articulate what you bring to the table. Highlight your degree, key skills, and any industry-relevant experience. Make it clear why you are a perfect fit for the job.

Education: Start with your most recent qualification, including any specific modules or projects that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Work Experience: Include any internships, placements, or part-time jobs, focusing on the responsibilities and achievements in each role. Use action verbs and quantify your achievements where possible. You should be able to elaborate on these in your internship cover letter .

Skills: Highlight both technical and soft skills, providing examples of how you've demonstrated these in your studies or work experience.

Projects: If you’ve worked on any noteworthy projects, either as part of your course or in your own time, showcase them here.

Hobbies and Interests: While this section is optional, it can be a great way to show a bit of personality and highlight additional skills or passions.

References: Include references from your education or any work placements, ensuring they’re relevant and can vouch for your skills and experience.

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Take a look at our part-time, internships and graduate positions today!

FAQ About CV Examples for Students

I'm currently an undergraduate student applying for part-time jobs and internships. What can I do to make my CV stand out, despite having limited work experience?

When creating your undergraduate CV, focus on presenting a well-rounded view of your academic and extracurricular experiences. Highlight skills developed through your course and activities, and don't forget to showcase your involvement in clubs, societies, or volunteer work. Including any awards or achievements can also help your CV stand out.

I'm a recent graduate and unsure about how to balance academic achievements and work experience on my CV. Any tips?

When crafting your graduate CV, it's important to strike a balance that showcases both your academic background and any practical experience you've gained. Make sure to detail your education and any internships, placements, or part-time jobs, focusing on your responsibilities and achievements in each role.

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5 College Student No Experience Resume Examples & Templates [Edit Free]

College Student No Experience Resume

• College Student No Experience 2
• College Student No Experience 3
• College Student No Experience 4
• College Student No Experience 5
• Resume Writing 101

Sometimes, ambitious college students can’t wait to start working. Janee considered how to show value on her resume as a grad: Dreaming of working as a business analyst at Resource Data fueled her to research the company and think of relevant college achievements.

Janee recalled real projects from her degree in math and economics that saved a local manufacturer thousands. Even her stint as basketball captain highlighted her ability to organize, boost morale, and drive positive results.

Referencing her class movie recommendation project and the time her random forest model outperformed projections by 19 percent, Janee topped off her college student no experience resume with a career objective . Bam—hired. Try our resume templates for yourself; we can’t wait to applaud your success, too!

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• Follow Janee’s college student no experience resume and make the most out of your project work to showcase your abilities in programming, modeling, data visualization, and teamwork. Finally, celebrate your victory lap with a well-crafted career objective.

College Student No Experience 2 Resume

College Student No Experience 3 Resume

College Student No Experience 4 Resume

College Student No Experience 5 Resume

Related resume examples

• Current College Student
• College Student Internship
• College Graduate
• Grad School
• College Student

What Matters Most: Your Skills & Background Experience

When you lack experience, your skills become more important than ever! As a college student, you now have a nice, clear understanding of what you can do, and recruiters want to know all about it.

Make sure you list skills that are relevant to your field. For example: If you’re eager to step into the world of business analysis, then prioritize technical skills and highly relevant abilities.

And make sure those skills are worded in a deliberate and specific way, too! The last thing you want is to sound too apathetic about your future role to dig deeper than the usual generic terms on your resume.

Here are some examples of more specific skills you can use to show off your potential:

9 Best College Student No Experience Skills

• scikit-learn
• Linear Regressions
• Logistic Regressions
• Data Reporting
• Google Sheets

Sample College Student No Experience Work Experience Bullet Points

Now we’re on to the fun part! No really: It’s time to get creative and look for some nifty spins to put on your past projects and internships. Class groups, teams, clubs, and volunteer initiatives can all be used to demonstrate your ability to make the most of your skills, too.

Just make sure that anything you include is highly relevant to the field you want to work in! Use those sharp, specific skills you honed earlier to recall examples of experiences when you used them.

And always measure the impact you had when you reached those milestones! Use quantifiable data to back up your achievements and make them look way more credible:

• Reported to executives during business analytics class and initiated re-evaluation of resource allocation, saving $47K in vendor costs
• Aggregated data from Rotten Tomatoes and used k-nearest-neighbors in scikit-learn to improve recommendation system for personal tastes, boosting positive feedback by 12%
• Organized a community outreach for the university basketball team to train at-risk high school students and boost morale, leading high school teams to win 92% of total games
• Compiled and prepped 4 years of fantasy football projection data from 8 independent sources into a MySQL database, boosting positive ratings by 14%

Top 5 Tips for Your College Student No Experience Resume

• I know, I know, we just talked about it, but this really is a crucial aspect of your resume! When you don’t have any job experience yet, you’ll really need to hand-pick the most relevant bits and pieces of as many projects and college teams as you can.
• Many people hear “one page” and assume that filling their resume page is as important as limiting themselves to one page only. But this isn’t the case: Just focus on your best relevant achievements and allow some white space for things to breathe.
• Get strategic about your skill placement. Group similar types of skills together, such as everything related to Python, followed by everything related to data analytics, and so on.
• By all means, try out as many of our resume templates as you can! But while you compare them, keep a deliberate eye out for which one makes your college and project history look the fullest and most impressive.
• Keeping your experience examples sleek and to-the-point demonstrates your ability to get things done and convey info efficiently. You don’t have time to ramble since recruiters have to read things quickly!

Honestly, this isn’t something to worry much about: As long as it’s all together in one place and easy for recruiters to spot at a glance, you’re fine.

Customize it for each job description . It’s easy: All you need to do is reference the job description again and grab some key phrases and buzzwords to switch out in your resume, and boom: You’re now delivering a hand-tailored resume that’s designed to impress!

In our honest opinion, writing a cover letter is better. You get the best of both worlds: Your project and educational history will be able to take center stage while you use your cover letter to detail your qualifications in greater depth than you’d be able to with an objective statement.

• We’ll show you how, step-by-step • Real, practical tips and tools • 100% free

Craft A Standout CV with No Work Experience: Examples & Tips

9 minutes to read

• 01. How to Write A CV With No Experience
• 02. CV Examples For Students With No Experience
• 03. CV Format without Experience: What to Include
• 04. References
• 05. CV Format and Layout
• 06. Tailoring Your CV to the Job
• 07. Proofread and Edit

Looking for jobs with no qualifications? This article will help you learn how to write a CV without experience. It is still possible to get a role without some experience – you have to start somewhere, right? Many employers will be willing to consider people without qualifications if they can prove their work ethic and skills.

It can be tricky writing a CV when you don’t have any professional work experience to include. There are several sections you can focus on instead to help you stand out and land your first job.

Highlight relevant skills and use examples like CV work experience, no qualification jobs, and no experience CV. Discover tips for writing a CV with no experience, including CV examples for students in the UK. Creating a compelling document highlighting your skills, education, and other relevant experiences is still possible, as we explore.

How to Write A CV With No Experience

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you to create a top CV. Remember these tips when you are looking to create a CV with no experience.

• Start with a solid personal statement or objective: Begin your CV with a summary of your career goals, skills, and what you hope to achieve. Highlight your enthusiasm, motivation, and willingness to learn.
• Emphasise your education: Since you lack work experience, focus on your educational background. Include the institution's name, degree or qualification earned, dates of study, and any relevant coursework or projects. Highlight any achievements or honours you received.
• Showcase relevant skills: Identify and highlight skills applicable to your target job or industry. These can be soft skills (e.g., communication, teamwork, problem-solving) or technical skills (e.g., proficiency in specific software or programming languages). Provide examples of using these skills in your education or other activities.
• Highlight extracurricular activities: Include any extracurricular activities, clubs, or organizations you were involved in during your education. Focus on leadership roles, teamwork experiences, or projects demonstrating your skills and abilities.
• Volunteer or internship experience: If you have volunteered or completed any internships, include them in a separate section. Highlight the tasks you performed, skills you gained, and any accomplishments during these experiences.
• Include relevant coursework: If you've taken any courses relevant to the job you're applying for, list them separately. Mention specific projects or assignments that showcase your skills and knowledge in those areas.
• Highlight personal projects: If you've undertaken any personal projects, such as building a website, creating artwork, or developing an app, include them in a dedicated section. Briefly describe the project, your role, and any outcomes or achievements.

• Showcase certifications and training: If you have obtained any certifications or completed training programs, list them along with the issuing institution, dates, and any notable achievements.
• Tailor your CV to the job: Analyse the job description and identify the skills and qualities the employer seeks. Customise your CV by aligning your qualifications and experiences with those requirements.
• Format and layout: Keep the CV clean, well-organised, and easily read. Use clear headings, bullet points, and a professional font. Keep the document concise, ideally within one or two pages.
• Proofread and edit: Before finishing your CV, thoroughly proofread it to correct any spelling or grammatical errors. Make sure the information is accurate and up to date.
• Use a CV template or sample: To get started, search for CV templates or samples online designed for individuals with limited work experience. These templates can provide a structure and guide you through the process

CV Examples For Students With No Experience

Remember, even without work experience, you can still highlight your skills , education , and other rele vant experiences to showcase your potential to prospective employers.

Find part-time , easy jobs near you that don't require a CV. Overcome the lack of experience by showcasing previous skills and work experience in your CV. Explore opportunities like unqualified teaching assistant jobs or unqualified nursery assistant jobs.

Here are a couple of examples of student CVs that you can take as inspiration for layout, format, and elements to include:

University Student CV Example

Sixth Form Student CV Example

CV Format without Experience: What to Include

Now that you've seen several sample CVs, let's look in detail at how to format your CV and what to include. Firstly, you should work out the structure from a practical standpoint. Where is information included?

Usually, you should include contact details at the top , underneath your name. Then, the personal statement, work experience if you have it to offer, and other aspects like education, personal skills, and possibly references.

In terms of the actual information to include, and the sections of the CV, we recommend considering the following. Most people use the following structure when creating a CV for a role if they don't have relevant work experience to put at the top of the CV:

Personal Statement CV

The first section of any CV should be a personal statement tailored to the role you’re applying for. Suppose you’re applying for a job as a receptionist. In that case, your personal statement should be completely different to if you were applying for a role as a sales assistant in your local supermarket. Ensure you edit this section each time before sending your CV out.

With a personal statement, you want to answer any introduction questions a recruiter may have: Who are you? What do you offer to our company? What are you aiming for in your career?

Here are some do's and don'ts to remember while writing a personal statement.

As the job you’re applying for will be your first or one of your first, focus on your skill set rather than your limited work history. Showcase what you know and what you can bring to the company , especially modern skills that young people may more commonly possess.

Try to go into detail as much as possible when listing relevant skills. For example, if you list IT skills, name the programs you’re good at.

As well as specific qualifications and hard skills, it’s also good to include soft skills such as confidence in public speaking, a positive attitude and time-keeping skills. Giving examples of times when you’ve used these skills can help back up the points you’re trying to get across.

You should include all your education achievements from GCSEs onwards . Giving an overview of the subjects you took and your grades is a good idea.

Employers respect high grades and hard work.

If you’re still awaiting the results, including the mock exams you’ve sat or your expected results . Make sure you list your results in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent events at the top of the section.

Image by Rubén Rodriguez

Hobbies & Interests

On CVs, a hobbies section is always optional. However, if you haven’t any work experience to include, then listing your hobbies and interests can be a great way to get your skills and personality across.

Make sure any hobbies you list are not too generic. Hanging with friends or watching Netflix isn’t going to impress the recruiter. Completing a sailing course or becoming a black belt in karate shows you have the determination and a get-up-and-go attitude and a level of dedication.

A good question to ask yourself when writing this section is: "Will adding this information help me get the job? "

Employment History

We're exploring the top tips when making a resume for students with no experienc e, so, if you have no employment experience, you can always skip this section.

However, if you’ve done some work experience at school or participated in a volunteering project , this can also be included, even if it was only for a few days. It shows that you have a willingness to work and some experience at least. Here are some examples of things you could add to this section with minimal work experience:

• tutoring experience
• internships
• working in schools or as a teaching assistant
• volunteer experience
• student ambassador
• student council member
• peer mentor
• event organiser
• work experience placement/experience days
• library assistant
• sports team captain or coach

Once you've done a brainstorm on all the different types of relevant experience you could add to your CV, check out this helpful podcast for useful tips for writing a CV from scratch:

If you have no work experience, your school teacher or a family friend is an excellent reference option. Some employers will ask for references directly in the job advert. However, if this isn’t specified, then it’s perfectly fine to state that they are available upon request.

CV Format and Layout

A well-organised and visually appealing CV can leave a positive impression on employers. Consider the following formatting tips:

• Use clear and concise headings for each section (e.g., "Education," "Skills," "Volunteer Experience," etc.).
• Use bullet points to list your achievements, responsibilities, and skills. This makes it easier to read and scan.
• Choose a professional font that is professional and easy to read, such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
• Maintain consistency in formatting, spacing, and indentation throughout the CV.
• Keep the document clean and uncluttered . Avoid excessive use of fancy fonts, colours, or graphics unless you're applying for a creative field where visual elements are expected.

Tailoring Your CV to the Job

To make your CV stand out, it's important to customise it for each job you apply to. Carefully review the job description and identify the key skills, qualifications, and experiences the employer seeks. Then, highlight the relevant skills and experiences that align with those requirements. Use similar language and keywords from the job description to make it easier for employers to recognise your suitability for the role.

If you still have trouble creating a personal statement for CV with no experience, look at this list of 5 questions you must ask when writing your personal statement.

Proofread and Edit

Before submitting your CV, proofread and edit it for any errors or inconsistencies. Here are some steps you can follow:

• Read the entire CV, focusing on grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Pay attention to details such as verb tenses and subject-verb agreement.
• Use grammar and spell-checking tools to catch any obvious mistakes.
• Review the content for clarity and coherence. Ensure that the information is presented in a logical and easy-to-follow manner.
• Consider also asking a friend, family member, or mentor to review your CV. Fresh eyes can often catch errors or provide valuable feedback.

Our how to write a cv with no qualifications examples should help you to provide something that still looks professional.

By tailoring your CV to a specific job, paying attention to formatting and layout, and thoroughly proofreading it, you can increase your chances of making a positive impression on potential employers. Remember to showcase your enthusiasm, willingness to learn, and any transferable skills you possess, as these qualities can make up for the lack of work experience.

Get started on your journey today and improve your CV, even without a history in the workplace.

Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!

Ben Jacklin

Ben is a writer from the UK with a passion for all things relating to learning and tuition, especially music, arts, entertainment, and sports.

Frequently asked questions

📃 what to include on a cv without work experience.

If you have no experience in a workplace, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great CV! Include your education, as well as other personal achievements and things you are involved in within the community, such as clubs you are involved in. Any positions of responsibility you’ve held can be useful, too.

🕵🏻‍♂️ Where to find CV examples for students with no experience

Fortunately, we have provided an example above, or there are plenty of others available out there for people who want to see what others have done. If your school has a careers department, you can also ask them, they may have CV examples for students.

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Student CV template + 10 CV examples

Build your CV on this template 

Finding a job as a student can be challenging… Especially when you have little or no experience

But having a strong student CV will get you noticed by employers and help you to land the interviews you deserve.

This student CV template and 10 student CV examples show you exactly how to create an interview-winning CV, no matter what your current situation is.

There’s also a detailed student CV writing guide at the bottom.

Student CV template (With part time experience)

CV templates 

Why this CV is effective

Writing a school leaver CV is a big challenge, especially when you have no work experience, but all of the job adverts seem to be asking for experienced people.

Here’s how this candidate overcomes this barrier and creates an attractive CV.

The profile/personal statement

This 16 year old candidate doesn’t have any full time work experience in the field they are hoping to work in, so they use their profile to sell their academic achievements and transferable student skills .

The purpose of the profile (or personal statement) is to catch recruiters’ attention as they skim through all of the CVs in their inbox. This profile contains lots of information around highest level of qualifications, subjects that are relevant to their target roles, and extra-curricular activities

They also clearly mention their desire to enter the finance industry, and demonstrate why they have the necessary skills to succeed in it.

Quick tip:  If you struggle with spelling and grammar, try our quick-and-easy CV Builder

Build your CV now 

The core skills and achievements

The core skills and achievements are in the bullet pointed section under the profile, and as you can see, the points are very short and sharp. This ensures that they can be seen from a quick glimpse of the CV and they gives recruiters a snapshot of this person’s skills.

Good skills and achievements to include are things like:

• Highest qualification level
• Skills relevant to the industry you are targeting
• School teams and clubs
• Positions of responsibility
• Awards and recognition

Education section

As a school leaver, your education is going to be of great interest to employers , so you should include details of your subjects and grades.

You can even include details of any coursework or projects that might be relevant to the jobs you are targeting.

• Work experience

This teenager candidate’s work experience consists of one part time kitchen role which isn’t relevant to the finance roles they are applying for. However, this doesn’t stop them from using the role to their advantage.

Throughout the role description, the candidate showcases lots of transferable workplace skills such as communication , teamwork , and problem solving .

The role is structured for easy navigation by including an outline at the top, followed by bullet pointed responsibilities.

Student CV (no experience )

    Top tips for writing a CV with no experience

• Research your target jobs thoroughly to find out exactly what skills and knowledge you need to highlight in your CV
• Draw out transferable workplace skills from your school work, studies, projects and extra-curricular activities to prove that you have valuable skills that employers are looking for
• If you have any hobbies or interests that are relevant or impressive (such as sports teams, writing, club membership, charity work etc.) add them to your CV to give it a boost
• For a quick way to add experience to your CV, pick up a short term voluntary role in your local area

College student CV

University student CV / Graduate

As a graduate , you are competing against lots of other similar candidates to land graduate jobs and internships – so it’s important to get your CV ( curriculum vitae ) right and make it stand out from the pack.

The personal statement / profile

As a graduate, it’s vital to make recruiters stick to your CV when they first open the document. This candidate does that by writing a powerful personal statement which summarises all of the skills they have picked up in university, work placements, and personal projects .

It’s short, sharp and punchy, which makes it an interesting read, and it’s heavily tailored to the needs of the candidate’s target employers, by including plenty of relevant terms and key words .

Core skills and achievements

To give readers a quick snapshot of their most in-demand abilities, this candidate has included a bullet pointed list of some impressive skills and achievements which relate to their target roles.

Related projects

As a graduate with limited experience, it’s wise to highlight some relevant projects that you’ve undertaken from university, school, or personal work. It’s a great way to compensate for a lack of work experience in your field.

This candidate is keen to land a product design role, so they have gone into huge detail around the product design elements of their studies. They have highlighted subjects and modules to give recruiters a deep insight into their technical knowledge.

Whilst this candidate’s work experience is not relevant to the roles he is applying for, he still uses them to demonstrate his ability to work in a team environment and contribute to an employer. Roles are well structured and broken up into easy-to-read segments so that employers can read them quickly and find the info they need.

Download CV template

You can also check out our example CV for PhD applications

Internship CV

Finance student CV

Law student CV

Masters student CV

Medical student CV

See also: Student nurse CV

How to write a student CV

Writing your student CV is a lot easier when you have sample CVs and CV templates , but it’s still important to understand what recruiters want to see in your CV – and the type of information you need to get across.

These tips will help you perfect your student CV and land a junior role or apprenticeship with a good salary and progression opportunities.

• CV structure and format

Student CV structure and format

Firstly, you must structure and format your CV in a fashion that makes it easy to read, and gives it a professional outlook.

Use a word processor like Google Docs to create your CV and check out this overview of how to layout your CV and the sections you need to include.

Formatting tips

• Keep the font simple and clear – don’t be tempted to use fancy fonts that might be tricky to read.
• The colour scheme should be toned down and clear with black text on a white background creating the easiest reading experience.
• Text should be broken up as much as possible to ensure that busy recruiters and hiring managers can digest the information quickly
• Use big bold headings to clearly define sections and break the information up further

Do your research

Before you start writing your CV it’s crucial to find out what your target employers want to see in a candidate.

Without knowing the skills and knowledge that are required for the jobs you are applying for, it will be difficult to know what you should populate your CV with.

I would advise heading over to the job sites and scanning through plenty of adverts to find out what the most important skills in your niche are.

CV personal statement/profile

Your personal statement or profile is an introductory paragraph which sits at the top of your CV, and is designed to give employers a high-level summary of what you can offer them

The personal statement is arguably the most important part of your CV because it is the first part of the CV that a recruiter’s gaze will be drawn to – if it’s weak, they may skip on to the next CV in their inbox.

So, ensure that your personal statement is packed with relevant skills and gives a good overview of your abilities – this way it will persuade recruiters to read the rest of your CV.

What to include in your student CV profile

• Summary of your education – Being a student, your education is going to be of great interest to hiring managers, so add a high-level overview of your education to your profile, focusing on your highest levels of achievement and qualifications that are relevant to your target jobs.
• In-demand skills – To ensure that your CV gets noticed by recruiters, you need to pack your profile with skills that are important to the jobs you are applying for. Read the job descriptions of the roles you are applying to and include as many of the essential skills as you can (you could have gained these through studies, work experience or even personal achievements)
• Work experience – As a student you might not have much (or any) work experience, but anything you have done should be included in your profile because recruiters love to see it. This could include school  work placements, internships, freelancing or even volunteering.

Your education section

As a student it’s unlikely that you will have a lot of experience to write about, so your education section will provide you with more opportunities to write about your skills and knowledge.

Add your education section near the top of your CV, unless you have some highly relevant work experience that will be more interesting to employers (e.g. a work placement within the industry you are applying to)

Formatting your education section 

Your education needs to be easy for recruiters to navigate, so break it down into clear sections for each qualification, using bullet points and bold headings.

Head each entry with;

• Name of qualification and subject (e.g. GCSE in Maths)
• Institution studied at (school, college, university etc.)
• Dates Studied 

And for your most recent and relevant qualifications you should expand by adding details on:

• Awards and achievements

This will allow you to provide employers with plenty of detail on the skills and knowledge you picked up, along with the achievements you made.

For older and less relevant qualifications you don’t have to provide as much detail because employers will be less interested. For example, if you have a marketing degree and are applying to marketing roles, it will be important to add lots of information on your marketing degree, but your primary school studies will not be as interesting to readers.

Adding your work experience (paid or unpaid)

As a  student, it can be difficult to find experience to place in your CV or resume . – especially if you don’t have any paid work experience.

But the key to adding work experience to your student CV is being creative.

The work experience that you include in your CV doesn’t have to be limited to full-time paid jobs only.

Think outside of the box and include any instances where you have shown initiative outside of your studies, such as:

• Volunteer work – Volunteering for a local or online business in your industry can be a great way to learn relevant skills and add them to your CV.
• School/University work placements – If you have done any work placements within your studies these will give you a great chance to prove your skill set and work ethic.
• Freelancing – Getting freelance work is easier than ever now, thank to sites like Fiverr and PPH. Set up a profile and start offering freelance work, then add some of your projects to your CV.

Writing about these types of activities will give you plenty of opportunities to showcase workplace skills and prove you are a motivated candidate.

How to structure work experience in your CV

Use the structure below to write about your work experience and provide recruiters with a pleasant reading experience, whilst highlighting your skills and achievements.

Hobbies and interests

When you don’t have much work experience, your hobbies and interests can be used to demonstrate lots of workplace skills and qualities.

Add interesting and constructive hobbies that will demonstrate a range of skills and personal traits, like the following

• Playing for a sports team – Shows teamwork, dedication, leadership…
• Being a member of a club – Shows organisation, passion, consistency…
• Writing a blog – Shows writing skills, pro-activity, tech knowledge…
• World travel – Shows confidence, coordination, people skills …

Avoid common passive hobbies like…

• Watching TV
•  Eating out
• Going to the cinema

They are unlikely to impress anyone.

Check out my video on how to add hobbies and interests to your CV..

Using your student CV template

Once you’ve written a winning student CV (or student resume ) it’s time to start landing job interviews.

Apply for jobs on multiple job websites with a strong cover letter , as well as searching for your target companies and sending them emails speculatively. You can learn how to write a cover letter with my detailed guide .

You would also benefit from attending jobs fairs locally and in major cities.

Job hunting is never easy, so don’t give up if you don’t get responses straight away. Be patient, keep making applications and adjust your approach based on feedback.

Stay positive and you’ll be in your dream job in no time.

You can also try our editable CV template .

Good luck with the job search !

PS. You can also use an online CV creator or a blank CV template .

How to Write a CV Personal Statement [+4 Real-life Examples]

Creating an effective CV takes time and close attention to detail. You've already included your jobs and experience , and now you want to allow the recruiter or hiring manager to understand the strategic value you can add.

This is when you need to utilize a personal statement at the top of your CV.

How to Write a CV Personal Statement [+4 Real-life Examples] 

What is a Personal Statement? 

A personal statement is a few brief and direct sentences at the top of your CV. The personal statement is also referred to as a career summary or personal mission statement.

This is used to grab the attention of the recruiter or hiring manager and summarizes essential experiences or training that you can bring to this position.

Why do I Need a Personal Statement?

A recruiter or hiring manager is tasked with sorting through an enormous amount of resumes every single day. A personal statement is a way to separate yourself from the other applicants.

This statement summarizes your experience and highlights your unique talents . The CV personal statement is meant to demonstrate why you are the perfect fit for the job. 

Even med students need a medical school personal statement , as it is what differentiates them from all the other students applying. Plus, it allows them to share their personal stories and objectives.

Where do I Start? 

Always begin by reading the job description carefully and thoroughly.

Your personal statement should be tailored to each job description, so it explicitly states the value you’ll bring to the position you are applying. A generic personal statement cannot do that. 

Once you have a solid handle on the job description, you can begin writing. It’s important to keep your personal statement brief, about 50-200 words will do.

Don’t forget that you have your whole cover letter to show some personality and include engaging content.

The personal statement should be a quick summary that highlights why you are the best person for the job. 

You’ll need to decide whether you are writing your personal statement in first- or third-person. This should follow how you've written the rest of your CV.

For example, if you've already written, “I grew and developed a team of 50 salespeople,” in your CV then you will want to keep your personal statement in first-person to match the prevailing style.

No matter what you choose, make sure that you keep it consistent throughout. Do not switch between first- and third-person as that will get confusing to the hiring manager.

Writing a personal statement for your CV in first-person does not mean you need to start every sentence with “I.”

There are ways to craft your personal statement to sound snappy, concise and personal, and here are a few examples to help inspire your personal statement. 

CV Personal Statement Examples

It doesn’t matter what chose as your desired career or how much experienc e you have, use these examples to drive the creation of your own personal statement.

You can take snippets from each or write something completely different. Always remember that your personal statement is a reflection of yourself and should align with your own personal goals and experience.

If these examples don’t fit your exact career, feel free to take some pointers and write yours from scratch. 

#1: Personal Statement Example for Recent Graduate CV

“As a recent graduate from university, with an honors degree in communications, I held several internships within leading organizations, including Bertelsmann. These internships enabled me to gain experience in the field and learn how to serve up valuable contributions in a fast-paced, professional environment.”

Explanation: This example should be customized to include the university you’ve graduated from and any relevant internships. A compelling personal statement always highlights relevant skills and experiences.

In this case, a recent graduate does not have extensive experience in the workforce, so soft skills like experiencing success in a fast-paced work environment and becoming a trusted team member become even more critical.

#2: Personal Statement Example for Returning to the Workforce CV

“A highly motivated and experienced office administrator, I am currently looking to resume my professional career after an extended hiatus to raise my family. Proficient in all Microsoft Office programs, I can lead meetings and work with clients to keep your office running smoothly and efficiently. After spending several years volunteering as an administrative worker for a local charity, I am committed to resuming my professional career on a full-time basis.”

Explanation: After time off from a career, it can be hard to break back into the market. This personal statement outlines the reason for the break, the relevant qualifications and what the applicant has been doing in between jobs.

Any volunteer experience becomes highly relevant when there is no concrete professional experience to draw upon, to demonstrate the use of those skills. 

#3: Personal Statement Example for a Career Change CV

“With over 15 years as a sales manager, I have extensive experience building high-functioning sales teams that consistently achieve budget numbers. In fact, my ability to grow talent led to a 20% increase in annual renewals across the board. Now, after 15 years, I am seeking new challenges to flex my marketing muscles in a fast-paced environment.” 

Explanation: When changing careers , it's essential to highlight skills that are transferable between industries.

In this case, leadership and team-building experience can apply to any industry. Homing in on concrete numbers and percentages increases credibility when applying for a position.

The applicant ends with the reason behind the desired career change. This part is not necessary but may be appealing to some hiring managers who are wondering what the impetus for the career change.

#4: Personal Statement Example for a Experienced Professional CV

“As a friendly, professional and highly trained educator, I am passionate about teaching and have an innate ability to understand student’s needs. Creating a safe and productive environment for optimal learning is my top priority. I’ve worked as a teacher for nearly 10 years in a variety of subjects and my experience and skill set make me the perfect fit for your team.”

Explanation: With more experience comes more skills and a better idea of strengths and weaknesses. Showcasing your passion for the industry is a great way to begin a personal statement, as it shows the hiring manager your dedication to the craft. 

A personal statement can be written in many different ways, but it is ultimately up to you to determine what skills you want to highlight for your chosen position.

You can follow these examples or take learnings from each to contribute towards your personal statement. 

If you understand the job you are applying for and know the unique skill set that you bring to the table, you will have a stellar personal statement for your CV that will get you across the table from the hiring manager in no time.  

Suggested Reading:

• How to Write a CV (Curriculum Vitae) in 2024 [31+ Examples]
• 43+ Resume Tips and Tricks to Land Your Next Job
• 150+ Must-Have Skills for Any Resume  [With Tips + Tricks]
• How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself”

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CV Personal Statement Examples and Tips

Your personal statement is the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager will read when flicking through what will usually be a huge pile of CVs. With so much competition, you need a personal statement that grabs their attention for all the right reasons. But how do you write one? Here’s our guide along with a couple of personal statement examples for inspiration.

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a concise paragraph that sits at the top of your CV just below your name and contact details and tells the reader why you would be a fantastic asset for their company. It should include a summary of your most relevant skills and experience and give the recruiter an insight into your ambitions and character.

Your personal statement should explain:

• Who you are
• Your suitability for the role and the value you can add
• Your career goals

Conveying all that information in just a few sentences is certainly not easy, but with research suggesting that recruiters spend an average of just six seconds reviewing each CV before deciding whether the applicant is a good fit, you must get it right.

How to write a winning personal statement for your CV

No one has your specific skills and experience, so your personal statement must be unique. However, there are some universal tips you can follow.

• Length, formatting and tone of voice

Probably the biggest challenge you’ll face when writing a personal statement for your CV is keeping it between 50 and 150 words, or around four or five lines of text. It should be clean and concise, formatted consistently and written in the same font and point size as the rest of your CV.

Personal statements can be written in the first (“I am a marine biologist”) or third-person (“Marine biologist looking for”), but whatever voice you choose, keep it consistent throughout your CV.

Recruiters read so much hyperbole and waffle that being honest and understated will help you stand out. This is not The Apprentice, so buzzwords, empty promises and meaningless metaphors should be avoided at all costs.

• Back up your claims

Cliches like ‘hard worker’ or ‘experienced’ are just empty words that recruiters see hundreds of times a day. Instead, establish your credentials with relevant vocational qualifications or professional memberships you have and quantify the level of experience you have. For example, “I am a RICS qualified surveyor with eight years’ experience working for a property development company”.

• Include statistics from your career

Including specific data or statistics in your personal statement will immediately make it stand out from the hundreds of others recruiters read every day. Metrics of success are far more memorable than simply listing your achievements. For example, “I introduced a new lead qualification tool that increased sales by 15 percent”.

• Remove pronouns in the third person

The personal statement on your CV is the one place where it’s okay to talk about yourself in the third person. However, using pronouns, for example, “he is a conscientious worker with 12 years of experience...” is a step too far. Instead, drop the pronouns, so that would become “A conscientious worker with 12 years of experience…”

Personal statement examples

Here are a few examples of personal statements to keep you on the right track and hopefully provide a little inspiration.

Written in the first person by a graduate looking for their first professional role.

I am a recent graduate with a first-class degree in economics, specialising in econometrics and international trade. I have commercial experience in the finance sector courtesy of an internship with a UK corporation, where I developed the technical data engineering skills you are looking for. I have a proven ability to meet deadlines and produce consistently high-quality work, as evidenced by my degree, and would relish the chance to develop my skills within your organisation.

Written in the third person by an experienced purchasing manager looking to climb the ladder.

Purchasing manager with 12 years of experience who wants to progress to a more senior role within the aviation industry. Has developed strong and lasting relationships during previous managerial positions in the sector and wants to put this strong network to good use to add value to your business.

Time to get hired

Writing a winning personal statement that you’re happy with and that summarises your skills and experience effectively in just a few lines will take time. However, using these tips and examples as a guide and editing your personal statement for every role is an important piece of the puzzle.

To hear Guardian Jobs reader Elia’s story and how her Personal Career Management programme helped land her ideal job watch the video .

Personal Career Management can offer you a  free review to assess your needs and to see which programme is right for you.

To book call Personal Career Management on 01753 888 995 or fill in the contact form .

Personal Career Management are Career Management Partners for the Guardian and are a specialist career coaching and outplacement company.

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CV Personal Statement:  Examples and Actionable Tips

Fact: recruiters spend only 6 seconds reviewing each CV. So poorly organized CVs inevitably get discarded. 

Having an effective CV layout is the first step to attracting their attention. And the second step is topping that CV with a compelling personal statement (also known as a personal profile, personal summary, or executive summary).

What is a Personal Statement in a CV? 

A personal statement for a CV is a short and compelling paragraph that summarizes why you’re the most qualified person for the offered role. It tells the reader who you are and what valuable qualifications you will be bringing to their company.

NB : Opening statement, personal profile, personal summary, or executive summary are the other common names for a personal statement. 

Many believe that the work experience section is the most important element of a CV. Yet, it is your personal statement that can end up making or breaking the success of your job application. 

Because it provides the reader with a quick answer to one question they have on their mind: Are you qualified for the job or not? 

Remember: You’ll be directly competing with numerous other applicants with similar skills and work experiences. A compelling CV statement sets you apart by giving the reader a condensed snapshot of who you are as a person. 

Do I Need To Include a Personal Statement On My CV?

The short answer is YES! A personal statement entices the reader to read your entire CV by giving them a preview of your most valuable skills. It also helps you differentiate from other candidates by explaining your background, motivation, and personal character traits concisely. 

In essence, a personal statement helps you express why you are the right choice for the job in one condensed paragraph.

Where Should a Personal Statement Go in a CV?

A personal statement goes into the header area of your CV. Include it right under your name and contact details as a separate, highlighted area. A good personal statement is about 3-4 sentences long and occupies not more than 1/4th of the page. 

Alternatively, you can design a two-column CV and allocate the upper sidebar area for your personal statement. As a recent survey found, 77% of recruiters prefer two-column CVs to single-column ones.

Sample personal statement placement on a CV template

What Do You Write in a CV Personal Statement?

A compelling personal statement summarizes your professional and educational background; highlights the main skills and accomplishments. It can also express your career objectives and/or interest in the particular industry or subject if you’re a current student or recent graduate.  

Personal Statement Examples for CV 

To give you an idea of how to write your statement, let’s look at some examples.

Remember: You need to write a unique personal statement for your CV. Simply copying and using these examples may not be the best move because the sample CV statements won’t reflect your unique experiences and personality. 

Good CV Personal Statement Examples

Employers want to see experts. Therefore, your personal statement must speak directly to your most marketable skills. 

You should never come off sounding desperate or diminish your worth (even if you have been recently laid off ). Use a confident tone with first-person implied and strong verbs to describe your core competencies and other benefits you can bring to the workplace. 

General Jobseeker Personal Statement Example

Highly motivated, fully trained engineer with 15 years of experience in the telecoms industry. Worked with XYZ Telecoms Ltd, Cool Mobile Carrier, and Acme Telco as a field engineer and project team leader. Successfully managed large commercial telecom infrastructure installations. Currently unemployed due to the relocation of the company. Open to new opportunities in NOC. 

Personal Statement CV Example For an Administration Position 

Adaptable and resourceful facilities manager with experience in supporting enterprise-sized organizations in real estate, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing industries. Strong organizational skillset: Six Sigma, standardized method of procedure (MOP) policies implementation. Was responsible for facilities operations on 2.4 million square feet in a 20-building chemical manufacturing campus, serviced by a 20+ people team of building engineers, electricians, HVAC technicians, and cleaners.

Accountant Personal Statement CV Examples

Below are two samples for a senior and a junior accountant. 

Chartered Accountant 

ACCA-certified accountant for mid-market and enterprise-sized companies. Conducted due diligence and tax audits for FTSE 500 companies. Commenced for a 100% accuracy track record in financial reporting, as well as fast turnaround on complex analytical reviews. Provide on-demand advisory on trust setup, company incorporation, and tax deferrals. 

Account Assistant 

Detail-oriented, certified accounting assistant with experience in payroll administration. Familiar with Gusto, Xero, and Intuit software. Effectively process payroll, benefits, taxes, and social contributions for over 1500 employees per month. Possess a strong foundation in employee classification,  tax reporting, and financial management. 

CV Personal Statement Examples for Students

Whether you’re applying for an internship or looking for a part-time job , a compelling personal is a must-have for a student CV. 

Since your work experience history may be a bit “thin”, you need to persuade the employer via other means — your transferable skills, academic interests, and personal traits. A personal CV allows you to spotlight all of these. 

Remember that you are bringing your energy, dedication, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn to the table. As you will not have any employment history, you need to make sure to get your personality and your soft skills over in your statement.

CV Statement for a Student Looking for a Full-Time Summer Job 

Junior copywriter, enrolled in a BA Writing Program at the University of Manchester (graduation date: fall 2025). Alumni of the 2022 Copywriting Bootcamp program from Matters Agency. Well-versed in target audience analysis, brand positioning, and editorial campaign planning. Writing clips for eCommerce and SaaS brands are available in my portfolio.  

CV Statement for an Internship 

Second-year mechanical engineering student at the University of Leeds, seeking to apply theoretical knowledge in safety system design. Proficient in AutoCAD and completed a series of blueprints for fire and water safety systems as part of my coursework. Fast learner, self-starter, and team player, I’m excited to contribute my technical expertise to a dynamic engineering team.

CV Statement for a Student Looking for a Part-Time Job 

Junior front-end developer (React, Angular JS), seeking a part-time programming position in the Great London area. Current availability is 10-15 hours per week, preferably with hybrid work arrangements. Solid understanding of design systems and UX/UI best practices. Past work experience in finance and eCommerce sectors. 

CV Personal Statement Examples for 16-Year-Olds

Joining the workforce straight after high school makes sense if you want to take a gap year or pursue trade education later on. The wrinkle, however, is that most employers may be wary of your age and lack of experience.

The goal of a personal statement is to dispel those doubts by showing that you’re a serious, mature, and hard-working candidate, eager to learn and hone your craft. 

Personal Statement for a Barista Position 

Genuine coffee lover and frequent guest at Maddie’s Cafe, I would love to join the barista team. As a former head of the prom planning committee, I understand the importance of good teamwork, efficient planning, and following instructions. My main objectives are to learn more about beverage prep and deliver exceptional experiences to customers. 

CV Personal Statement Examples For A Graduate

Your personal statement should focus on your main educational attainments and experiences. If you are applying before you have had your degree results, it is fine to give a projected grade. You can also mention any specific modules you have studied that are relevant to the job on offer and how much you enjoyed working on them.

Remember: Your goal is to explain why you’re interested in this role and what you could bring to the table. 

Graduate Personal Statement Example

Business administration graduate with a 1:1 honors degree from XYZ University. Interested in an entry-level merchandising position within your Commercial Sales Department to expand my knowledge in retail merchandising, procurement, and inventory management. Looking to apply my analytical and data modeling skills for merchandising strategy optimization. 

Personal Statement for High School Graduate 

Energetic and enthusiastic high school graduate (June 2023) with top A-levels grades in English, Maths, and French. Seeking an entry-level role in sales, where I can make use of and develop my language skills. My long-term career goal is to further my language qualifications and position myself as a European sales manager living and working overseas for a global company.

Personal Statement Examples for CV With No Experience

Lack of experience in a particular role or industry should never discourage you from applying. Although you may not tick all the criteria boxes, you still have transferable skills and unique work experiences to showcase.

Moreover, ongoing talent shortages are prompting employees to reconsider their hiring criteria, plus invest more in new hire training and upskilling. Four in five companies now struggle to fill in open vacancies, which is the highest number in the past 17 years. 

So take your chances and apply even if you don’t have sufficient work experience. 

Personal Statement Example with No Relevant Work Experience 

Former front-desk hotel employee, looking for an opportunity to leverage strong service orientation and organizational skills in new roles (Customer Success or Customer Support). Familiarity with appointment booking software, digital chat apps, and CRM software. With my strong commitment to personal growth and my adaptable nature, I believe I could be a valuable asset to customer-centric teams.  

Personal Statement Example with No Industry Experience 

Self-starter with a BA degree in Communication and experience in corporate event management seeking a transition to music festival management. Experienced in organizing off-site events for 100+ people (including location scouting and travel coordination). I thrive in fast-paced environments and am eager to build a strong network of new partners. 

Discover even more personal statements from our collection of CV examples . 

CV Personal Statement For A Career Change

Career change is a big decision, but it can lead to a more fulfilling professional life. Besides, you’re not completely starting anew. Many of the hard and soft skills are quite universal. There is any number of different jobs that need the same set of skills that you have developed, so always try to lead with these and use real-life examples of your experience.

Career Change Personal Statement Example:

Working for the past 10 years as a regional sales manager has allowed me to develop keen skills in building strong working relationships and lucrative networks. Communication skills I developed during my time at my current employer enabled me to win vital contract wins that increased sales revenue by 20% over three years. I am now ready to take on a new challenge and want to work in the charity sector so that I can use my skills to give something back for the direct benefit of others.

How To Write A Strong Personal Statement for a CV 

An effective personal statement summarizes your skills and experience in a relevant way i.e., it indicates how you can be of help to the employer. 

In short, a compelling CV personal statement: 

• Lists your most marketable skills and qualifications 
• Highlights your industry knowledge and work experiences 
• Mirrors some of the key phrases, used in the job description 

And here’s how to write a personal statement that makes a mark.

1. Review the Job Description Once Again 

As you go through the role description, pay attention to the words, used by the employer, to describe the candidate’s requirements, duties, and personality. Keep those in the back of your head. 

These are the keywords you’d want to use all around your CV — in the personal statement, work experience, education, and skills areas. 

2. Do a Mental Tally of Your Skills 

Try to remember the times in your previous work roles when you accomplished notable objectives, went above and beyond expectations , or otherwise did better than your peers.  

Note down everything that springs to mind including your years of experience in a similar role, challenges you took on and the positive results achieved, new projects you kick-started – anything that has close relevance to this new position.

3. Make a Draft Personal Statement 

Write down a sample personal statement. Don’t worry about the length – just put as many details as you’d like on paper. Once you’re done, revisit the job description. See how your personal statement compares to the description. Does it paint a picture of someone who would fit the role? 

4. Edit for Clarity and Briefity 

A good CV personal statement shouldn’t be longer than 3-4 sentences. Take a critical look at your draft version and condense it to the bare essentials: 2-3 main skills, a major accomplishment, and a note on your motivation and/or personal traits. 

Other things that don’t belong in your personal statement are:

• Explanation of employment gaps or present unemployment status 
• Information about hobbies or personal interest 
• Any mention of references or recommendations 
• Irrelevant skills or work experiences 

Want to stand out even more? Add a persuasive opening statement that highlights your strengths as a candidate. 

A compelling personal statement can be the key between your CV making the ‘yes’ pile or the reject bin. Take some time to get your statement right and always write a new one for each job you apply for by mirroring the employer’s language. 

Finally, to give your CV a polishing touch, try out one of our fancy, but free CV templates , coming in multiple styles: professional, modern, simple, and creative!

Elena runs content operations at Freesumes since 2017. She works closely with copywriters, designers, and invited career experts to ensure that all content meets our highest editorial standards. Up to date, she wrote over 200 career-related pieces around resume writing, career advice... more

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