How to Write CV as a Graduate without experience

How to Write a Good CV/Resume as a Fresh Graduate without Work Experience

 

As a fresh graduate, your number one weapon in the competitive job market is your CV/Resume. No matter how qualified and confident you may be for a job, it is your resume that does the first impression introduction to your potential employer; hence, the need to give your resume some serious thoughts before putting it out there. It's obvious that due to the economic downturn, most companies are bent on hiring applicants with previous work experiences, for several reasons among others, to save the cost of recruiting graduate trainees and to have professionals get the work done quicker. How then can a graduate, fresh out of school, without a work experience compete in the job market? I remember when still searching for a job, it was as though, every job vacancies, including so-called graduate trainee jobs, required a minimum of two to four years work experience in the field. You then begin to wonder where these experiences are supposed to come from. It can be discouraging sometimes, but you don't have to feel intimidated. If you are a fresh graduate without work experience, here are few ideas on how you can create a good resume that can land you that dream job as a fresher. It's more about how creative you can be, but I hope these tips will help you fashion out an attractive weapon for your job searching adventure.

 

Tweak your resume for every Job ApplicationOne complete resume cannot match every job you want to apply, and no single resume can do it all. A valuable qualification for one job may be a disadvantage for another job. For instance, if you are good at sitting at a computer for 15 hours a day; that may be a required skill for a programming job but a resume killer for a marketing job. Ensure to do a little work on your CV for every job application. Research the company you are applying to, and work your resume as best as you can to fit into the companies need. Always make adjustments where necessary to your existing CV before submitting for the next job. In other words, you should keep a soft copy of your resume.

 

Highlight your NYSC volunteer activities if anyUnfortunately, most corps members are much more in a hurry to leave National Youth Service that they don’t get seriously involved in NYSC (National Youth Service Corps- for Nigerian graduates) activities, during Orientation camp, Community Development Service (CDS) and Primary Assignment. However, experiences created during this period can help you when writing your resume for a job. Even if you are assigned to teach, you can devote some extra effort to make students in your class do better in the subject you teach. This can help your list of reference from your school head. Include bullet points with details of responsibilities you held and the experience you gained during your National Youth service. If you were a platoon leader, CLO or held any leader position, do not hesitate to include it to your resume. Make a list of your volunteer experience, community service and activities in which you have had to show some commitment to activities and events. List these experiences with the most recent activity on top.

 

Include your Hobbies and InterestsMany hobbies offer the opprotunity to improve your organizational skills, sociability or written communication. Even though your hobby is something that is considered to be for fun, it can also be very valuable to your first resume. You don’t know who will be reading your CV. People will easily get attracted to other people who like what they like, that is, share similar view. Don’t be shy to highlight your hobbies and interest. And Please, don’t say, “I’m an Arsenal fan”.

 

Reference is KingYou don’t underestimate word-of-mouth marketing. When you are short on experience, your references can make all the difference. Consider supplying a list of valuable references with not just their contact information, but also details on your relationship with them. This list should include people you have done work for. Including people who are not related to you will be more convincing. If you were in a sports team or music or dance group, include the names of the coaches and instructors. Make sure you ask permission of the people you would like to list as references, and get their approval. If they give you permission, write their addresses and phone numbers down accurately. Some employers will take the time to contact these people if they take interest in your qualification, and it will be more convincing if you have the right person(s) to recommend you for the job. It’s advisable to have as much potential referees as possible, so you can pick the most appropriate from your list for any specific job to include in your resume/CV.

 

Outline your SkillsSince you don't have work experience, your resume format should focus strongly on your skills. Separate these experiences by grouping them with the organization or group from which you learned these skills either during industrial attachment or National youth Service Corps. Don't forget to include the organization's name and contact information. Potential employers may want to contact the heads of these organizations to verify you have participated in their programs. If you have self-taught skills like photoshop design or any computer application, also include it to your list of skills. But be sure you are good at what you say you can do.

 

More Tips• Proofread your resume before you print it on paper. Look for errors and misspellings, and correct them. Then have someone else proofread the resume for further corrections. An extra pair of eyes is more likely to see things from an employer’s perspective.
• Don't lie on your resume. If you get a job as a result of a lie you included, your employer will likely find out afterwards, and you will lose your integrity. Don't include your weaknesses. Focus more on your strengths.
• Don’t use crazy sounding username for your contact email address. Create a professional-sounding username for job search purposes.