If you have limited work experience, writing a CV might seem daunting. Does that blank page
stare back at you? I’ve got you.
Are you a recent graduate? Returning to work after a break? Maybe you just don’t have a lot of paid work experience. Either way, this article is for you.
We’ll look at how to use your life experience to identify transferable skills, and highlight your value. I will include practical tips to frame your skills and experience to make a real impact with your CV.
Remember, limited (paid) work experience, doesn’t mean limited value!
What counts as ‘experience’?
You might be thinking that you lack experience, so maybe we should start with a basic question. What counts as ‘experience’?
The good news is that experience is probably wider than you think. It includes paid work experience, obviously, but it can also include:
- Freelance/agency work.
- Unpaid work, like volunteering or community roles.
- Internships/apprenticeships.
- Life experience, e.g. caring roles, raising children.
- Managing projects, like moving house.
The even better news is that this list isn’t exhaustive.
If you can show you used relevant skills, you can include it in your CV. The key is to keep it relevant to the job you are applying for.
For more information about keeping your CV relevant, read my other articles here.
How do you identify your transferable skills?
If you have limited work experience, start looking at other areas of your life to identify your transferable skills.
This might seem daunting, but you can break it down into two simple questions:
1. What did you actually do?
Consider each activity, achievement, or event. What did you achieve? Think about how things changed over time and how you created that change.
2. What skills did you use?
Once you have identified what you did, think about what skills you used to do it. Some of the common ones to consider are:
- Communication – how did you interact with others or explain what you were doing?
- Organisation – how did you plan and track progress?
- Problem solving – when things went wrong, how did you get back on track?
- Leadership – how did you support others to achieve a common goal?
- IT skills – how did you use your technical skills to achieve your goal?
Ideally, you can use a job description to guide you. Find one that you are interested in and consider the required skills. These are the skills you should be focusing on when evidencing your wider experience.
Describing your skills with limited work experience
I usually recommend that clients include a ‘Key Skills’ section in their CVs. This is particularly important if you have limited work experience. Including this section presents an opportunity to showcase your transferable skills.
Evidence
A good format for this section is
- Key skill: Evidence of how you demonstrate it. [keep this to 2 lines where possible]
For example:
- Organisation: 5 years’ experience scheduling and coordinating multiple extracurricular activities for two children, including scheduling preparation/practice.
This tells the reader that you have the required skills but goes a step further by providing evidence. Remember to tailor your skills section to the job you are applying for. This will prove that you are a good candidate.
Language
In your CV, your words matter.
You should always be concise, but it also matters which words you choose. Where possible, use action verbs to describe what you did.
For example, instead of
‘involved with the parent teacher association (PTA)’,
you could say,
‘planned PTA fundraising events’, or ‘created promotional material for PTA events’.
Be specific about your involvement, so that your reader can understand your impact.
Facts and figures
Where possible, you should also quantify your achievements, using facts and figures.
This is particularly important if you have limited work experience. If you can be specific about your achievements outside of paid work, it will be easier for your reader to understand how it is relevant.
For instance,
‘Led a group of 5 students researching and presenting a group project on current marketing strategies.’
Tells the reader much more than…
‘Worked on a group project.’
You will usually be able to find a way to quantify your experience. For example, how many people you helped, or the budget you were responsible for. Your reader gets a greater understanding of your impact, scope of responsibility, and what you could do for them!
Common mistakes
Limited work experience doesn’t need to hold you back, but you need to know how to sell what you do have.
Here are a few common mistakes to avoid:
- Underselling yourself. Throw the word ‘just’ out of your vocabulary!
- Trying to hide career gaps. See another of my articles for more on this.
- Labelling roles as ‘casual’ or ‘temporary’. The experience counts, regardless of contract type.
- Claiming you have skills, without evidence.
- Using generic CVs and cover letters. Tailor them for each application.
For more tips on CV writing, you can also check out my library of free career support resources here.
Next steps
Now we have looked at a wider definition of ‘experience’ you will see that yours isn’t as limited as you might have thought.
Your life experience demonstrates your range of transferable skills, so use it! As you are writing your CV, be sure to stay focused on the skills which are most relevant to your chosen role. This will allow you to show that you are a great candidate with all the right skills to succeed.
If you need a bit more guidance on writing your CV, you could use my CV Success Toolkit to work through each section. Or if you prefer a personalised service, you can book a discovery call here.
Remember your CV should tell your story, not just a history of paid work. Don’t let limited work experience hold you back.