What actually counts as experience?
More than you think. Experience on a CV is about showing that you can take responsibility, deliver on a commitment, and function in a setting with other people. It does not have to be a formal employment relationship.
The following counts:
- Volunteer work at a club, association, or charity
- Leadership roles in student organizations or societies
- School projects where you had a clear area of responsibility
- Helping a family member or friend with their business or project
- Building something yourself: an app, a blog, a social media account with followers, an event
- Competitive sport at a high level (demonstrates discipline and drive)
- Regularly looking after younger siblings or children
None of those involve time in an office. All of them are still relevant to include.
How to structure your CV
Personal profile
Write directly about what you are looking for and why. Be honest. If you are applying for your first job, say so. Explain what draws you to the role or the industry. A genuine motivation weighs more than a polished but empty profile.
Education
Place education high up if you lack work experience. It is your primary argument. Include relevant courses, projects, and your dissertation or thesis if applicable.
Activities and involvement
This is your substitute for work experience. Write it exactly as you would write a job: what you did, where, and roughly when. Focus on what you actually achieved, not just what you participated in.
Skills
Focus on specific, concrete skills rather than vague traits. "Proficient in Excel, Google Sheets, and Canva" tells an employer something useful. "Good communicator" and "team player" tell them nothing. Lead with hard skills and software you actually use, and list languages with an honest level.
What not to do
- Fill space with empty claims. "Driven, ambitious, and solution-oriented" without a single concrete example adds nothing.
- Invent or exaggerate. It shows in an interview and it will cost you the job.
- Send the same CV to everyone. Tailor the personal profile for each application. It takes five minutes.
- Make the CV too long. One page is enough. Do not force content that does not exist.
Remember: Employers looking for junior candidates are looking for potential and willingness to learn, not a full CV. What matters most is that you seem to have thought carefully about what you are applying for and why.
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