If you have been out of work for a significant period, or never been in work at all, how you make your CV is very important. Read this dedicated guide for our top tips.

Writing a CV With Limited Experience or a Large Employment Time Gap

A regular modern CV gives a brief overview of your skills via qualifications and then your experience through your work history. Being NEET for an extended period, or since leaving secondary education, makes this difficult for you to create.

As such, it is important that you carefully consider what to include. However, you don’t need to worry as we have outlined everything you need to contemplate to make the perfect CV. Following our guidance will help you achieve your dream career.

Personal Statement

Opening your CV with a short description of what kind of worker you are and what your career aspirations are will encourage the employer to look past any gaps in your experience. Often, people will discuss their essential skills or characteristics, along with a 5-year aspiration for what role you want to work towards.

Relevance

Don’t worry, lots of content to a CV is not always better. In today’s recruitment, employers often have to read through hundreds of CVs a day. Those with too much irrelevant content will be thrown out immediately.

Keeping to the point is essential and a big part of that is tailoring the CV to the job role. That means that when you apply for a job you should only have the relevant skills, characteristics and experience displayed on your CV. If not, the employer will assume you are not that interested in the job.

Functional CV

For those with no work experience, many choose to develop a functional CV. This is a CV which highlights the skills and characteristics that make you great for the role, without a list of work experience.

Creating your CV in this way is not preferable but can be a way to get around the fact you have no work experience. If you have a small amount of experience, you can attribute where you picked up a skill with that experience.

Volunteering

A great option for anyone lacking in work experience is to go for a volunteering position. Not only does it demonstrate great personal characteristics but if you can access the right role you will be taught essential skills.

These skills may include handling money and a till, organising others or being responsible for opening and closing a store. Such skills and experience will set you up for a wealth of positions in a number of companies.

Double Proof-Read

Everyone makes mistakes, but typos or misspellings on your CV will only say to the employer that you are careless and have low quality standards for your work. It’s an easy win, so proof-read it and then proof-read it again!

Fill the Gaps

Gaps in your employment are ok, as long as you have a reason why. Don’t try to cover them up, acknowledge that they are there but also show that you weren’t doing nothing.

If you were creating your own projects or looking after children or a family member, an employer will see the value in that. If you try and hide your history an employer is likely to only see dishonesty.