How to make a resume for a student with no experience?

When you are a student, it is always very difficult to write a CV without professional experience. Professional experiences are few and far between, internships are short or unrelated to the position you are looking for. So how can you enhance your application?

Discover all our tips to understand how to write a student CV, even without experience . In this article you will discover:

• Adapting the conventional CV structure
• How to develop the potential of your student profile
• Learn how to value your student experiences
• 10 examples of student CVs to download to inspire you

Create your student CV by adapting the structure

When you are a student, at 16 or 17 years old, and you have little or no professional experience to highlight , it is better to start making your student CV by placing the section on your training before that of professional experiences in the CV. Inside, it will be the opportunity to detail in depth your options, majors. Writing a thesis or specific work is also interesting to highlight your expertise on a particular subject, and therefore your CV.

The structure of your student CV is completely adaptable. Don't feel stuck in a conventional structure. This is precisely the time to think outside the box.

Add a "Recommendations" section if your first experiences were successful. Add an "Introduction" section and describe your ambitions, your motivation and the logic of your path. Show that you know where you are going, that you have a clear vision of your goal and avoid overly generic terms.

The student CV template with no experience below is a good example of adaptation. If you look closely, it is almost free of any professional experience (only one line!) despite a very complete visual and no gaps in the candidate's background.

Writing a student CV by playing on the profile's potential

When writing a student CV, early experiences are important, even when they are not directly related to the position sought. Everything is subject to enhancing your profile, your personality and this can enrich your CV as a young graduate. They allow you to enhance your "engine" once the direction is given by your introduction (see above).

Highlight the various internships that you have had the opportunity to complete, and do not hesitate to mention your student jobs or seasonal employment . This demonstrates your desire to work and not to sit around doing nothing. Your personal projects (e.g.: creating blogs, websites) or your attempts to create a business are also interesting.

Skills for a student CV are also very important : IT, foreign languages, know-how and knowledge...

A little extra can also be to illustrate your projects and experiences with concrete achievements (photos or copies of elements of the project) that you can share with the recruiter when sending your CV.

The student CV template (above) offers a simple design with attractive colours and dynamic shapes. Ideal for catching the recruiter's eye. Its layout will also allow you to highlight your skills and personality without risking having a gap in your presentation.

Promoting complementary student experiences

If you want to make a student CV without professional experience, you are probably asking yourself the question "What to put in a student CV?". It's simpler than it seems...

Your associative experiences

Do you have any association experience? Mention it, especially if it is related to your professional project. This will allow you to highlight certain skills. You can add them in the section concerning your professional experiences, or create a separate section that you call “Association experiences”.

Don't hesitate to highlight your volunteer work or student activities (e.g. Student Office) with the results you have managed to achieve. For example, the number of students at your parties, the different communication media produced or the budgets you have managed. This will highlight your sense of challenge and conquest.

Conversely, taking your failures into account is also an interesting point to develop. This highlights your tenacity and your ability to step back, always interesting for high-quality decision-making.

Our no experience resume templates highlight this principle:

Student jobs and summer jobs

Did you know that student jobs and small summer jobs can also make a difference on a beginner's resume? Even if these experiences are short, they prove that you are a motivated and independent candidate. To convince your recruiter, however, it is important to carefully select these professional experiences of a few weeks.

Start by making a list of the small jobs that you have had the opportunity to try. Forget simple babysitting if you are not applying for a job related to early childhood and only keep the jobs that have a real interest in the position you are applying for.

It is not necessarily a question of choosing the same sector, but rather jobs for which you have acquired essential skills such as teamwork, adaptability, marketing or material techniques, etc.

Finally, as with the rest of the professional experiences that can be found in a CV, it is important to describe the missions that have been entrusted to you. Stay honest, clear, concise and do not hesitate to indicate your results. For example: "I had the opportunity to work on my mastery of English by communicating with foreign clients". Even simple tasks like answering the phone can be important!

How to write a CV when you have never worked?

If you have not yet had the opportunity to justify a professional activity such as an internship, you can even allow yourself to start your internship CV directly with a Skills block in which you can develop skills that you have developed during non-professional experiences.

Start by taking a pen and paper and listing everything that comes to mind : an associative activity, an option taken at school, trips, the sport you practice, your favorite hobby, a blog, a social network that you are particularly good at, your cinema outings, your festivals, your readings, your personal accomplishments...

Then, for each activity, look for how it has allowed you to mature, to train yourself, to learn. Forget at this stage any direct connection with the professional environment because you risk holding yourself back.

At the end, keep the ones that seem most interesting to you to draw a parallel with professional life. The goal here is to reveal a truth, not to invent. You have to really believe you have learned something to be able to talk about it naturally. Later, in an interview.

Examples of student CVs to download

To make a good student CV, the idea is to balance your CV template with a structure less oriented towards professional experiences. So very oriented towards presentation, skills, training and recommendations. You should therefore favor a CV example with these sections highlighted, as well as a relatively airy space.

The CV template for young people without experience

This very dynamic CV template is perfectly suited to young people with no experience, as it highlights your training, diplomas and student jobs before professional experience. This last section can also be removed without the risk of leaving a "gap" in your CV!

In addition to its attractive and modern colors, there are blocks for your "soft skills" and technical skills that can be highlighted by progress bars or keywords in bold. There is even an insert reserved for interests! The little extra? An optional world map on which to indicate the countries you have traveled to.

📥 Download this example of a Young CV

A great example of a student CV to download

In this example of a beginner's resume, we find a professional layout that highlights your strengths before your experience. The main section offers two blocks that will catch the recruiter's eye: skills and your personality.

The section reserved for professional experience, at the bottom of the document, can be modified to indicate your student jobs. In the section on the right, you will find your training, the languages ​​spoken highlighted by a graph and your hobbies in the form of pictograms.

📥 Download this sample Work CV

Create an original and effective student CV

This example of a CV for a young graduate attracts the eye with its originality, its bold fonts and the logos that make up your experiences. The upper part allows you to describe your application and highlight your strengths.

In a very distinct and contrasting column, the recruiter can consult your language level, your technical skills (computer skills for example), the sports practiced or your interests. It is even possible to integrate a link to a site or a professional profile like LinkedIn.

The “training” and “experience” sections can be reversed. They are highlighted by the logos of the companies you have worked with, to make you stand out and convince!

📥 Download this modern CV example, 100% free

The CV for a student job

Even more daring, this CV template for a student job is organized like a newspaper page to highlight your strengths as a young candidate.

First, we find your "about", your contact details and your training supported by pictograms. The skills are presented by progress bars and logos symbolizing your main interests. It is possible to integrate an inspirational quote (or a catchy phrase). Professional experiences can be easily replaced by your summer jobs, if necessary.

📥 Download this example of an Atypical CV

Beginner CV objective with this very trendy model

This CV template adopts a very professional and classic structure of the CV, so as not to fall into an excess of originality. Your application is nevertheless highlighted by a contrasting and modern section which highlights your CV photo, your contact details, the languages ​​you speak and your skills, indicated by levels of expertise.

In the main section, a large space is given to your description and your objectives. Then we find the training, a more condensed block for your experiences and finally your interests highlighted by pictograms.

📥 Download this Beginner CV example

A student CV that is both modern and original

This student CV focuses on the essentials to reassure your recruiter and show them your strengths in the blink of an eye.

The reading direction is supported by a crossbar. We therefore begin by discovering your training and your diplomas, your professional skills or student jobs, then your technical or soft skills underlined by level bars. The left section leaves space for your description and your interests.

📥 Download this example of a convincing CV

How to make a student CV easily with this template

In this example of a student CV without experience, we find a very modern and engaging structure. You don't have any professional experience? Don't panic since the focus is on your CV photo and your "about".

The "education" and "experience" sections are at the bottom of the page, they can be reversed if necessary and contain other information such as your student jobs. The little extra? It is possible to integrate links to your networks, to give the recruiter the opportunity to learn more about you.

📥 Download this sample CV Profile

A beginner's CV without (too much) experience

This beginner's CV is ideal for candidates who do not yet have a lot of professional experience. Its structure organized by "points" highlights the candidate's personality and their strengths.

In addition to a neat and colorful design, we appreciate the integration of keywords near the CV photo and above the description. The main section provides information about your academic background and training before your experiences. In the left column, we can find your passions and hobbies, then your assets in a very clear and concise way.

📥 Download this Adam CV example

The typical CV for a student starting their career

Still appreciated by student profiles, the standard CV template has everything to convince. Thanks to a sober and neat design, it is your skills and your assets that are highlighted.

Its header specifies your "about", your contact details and the title of the position sought. The main section allows you to include your student jobs, but especially your professional projects (the two blocks can be reversed if necessary). In a separate column, we have access to your training and the skills you wish to highlight. An insert is reserved for spoken languages, highlighted by flags.

📥 Download this First CV example

The ideal CV for a summer job

If this resume is suitable for summer jobs, it is because it gets straight to the point and focuses on the substance to highlight your assets. A touch of originality is brought by the colorful header and footer, the rest of the document adopts a classic and very professional structure.

In this CV example, the focus is on your description and your skills. A second block advances your education and the languages ​​spoken. Professional experiences (internships, summer jobs, etc.) are indicated at the end of the document.

📥 Download this Business CV example

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