What Should a Student Put on a CV With No Experience?
Lead with education, then projects, volunteering, societies, informal work, and skills. Employers hiring students expect a short work history.
Last updated: 4/10/2026 · Author: MojCV Team · Reviewed by: HR Specialists
Last updated: 4/10/2026
Author: MojCV Team · Reviewed by: HR Specialists
Direct Answer
Lead with your education, then add projects, volunteering, clubs and societies, informal work such as babysitting or tutoring, and skills that match the job. Employers hiring students expect a short work history, so a clear one-page CV is enough.
What to put, in order
- Profile: two lines on who you are and what job you want.
- Education: your course, subjects, and grades.
- Projects: school, college, or university work, with what you did and the result.
- Volunteering and societies: your role, what you did, and numbers.
- Informal work: babysitting, tutoring, helping in a family business, dog walking.
- Skills: only skills that match the job, such as teamwork, customer service, or Excel.
What to leave out
- A photo, date of birth, or full home address on a UK or US CV.
- Long paragraphs. Short bullet points are easier to read.
- Skills you cannot back up with an example.
A simple one-page layout
- Top: your name, email, phone, and city, then a two-line profile.
- Middle: education, then projects and volunteering, each with two or three short bullet points.
- Bottom: skills, certificates such as first aid or food safety, and your availability.
Example bullet points to copy
Organized a quiz night for 60 guests as society treasurer and raised 780 pounds for a local food bank.
Society role
Look after two children aged 5 and 8 on regular evenings, preparing meals and helping with homework.
Informal work
Worked in a team of five to build and present a marketing plan for a local cafe.
University project
Common worries
Should I write that I have no experience? No. Show what you have done instead of pointing out what you have not. Is volunteering enough? Yes, if you say what you did and the result. Is one page too short? No. One clear page is what employers expect from a student.
What employers check first
Employers hiring students read for three things: that you can turn up reliably, that you can work with people, and that you can learn. Each section of your CV should point to at least one of them.
Also read: Not sure where to start? Open the student CV example in the free editor and change it into your own CV. More help in How to write a student CV and our student CV examples and guides. Browse all answers in our CV and resume FAQ.