9 answers
Nombuso
Student
Rustenburg, North West, South Africa
1
Question
Updated
3051 views
How to describe myself according to cv with no experience and finished school last year
How to describe myself according to cv with no experience and finished school last year
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8 answers
Wong Loke Yuen
Head of Programme cum Senior Lecturer
645
Answers
Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Updated
Wong’s Answer
Hi Nombuso. Even though you don't have job experience yet, you have learned many useful skills during your time at school. Instead of focusing on what you lack, highlight the skills and attributes you've gained through your academic career, extracurricular activities, and personal projects.
You can start your CV with a strong personal statement or profile. This is your chance to make a great first impression. In 2-3 sentences, briefly introduce yourself and state your career objective.
Your education section is very important, you should include any key projects you did. This shows what you know and how you used your skills. If you had a good GPA or won any awards, be sure to add those, too.
Next, you may create a "Key Skills" section where you can list both hard and soft skills. Since you don't have work experience, your soft skills are particularly important. Examples include teamwork, leadership, time management, communication, and adaptability. For hard skills, list any technical proficiencies you have, such as programming languages, software, or data analysis tools.
Finally, dedicate a section to "Extracurricular Activities & Volunteering". This is a great way to showcase your abilities outside of a traditional classroom setting. Did you lead a club? Did you volunteer for an event? Use these examples to illustrate your leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
By focusing on your school achievements, your skills, and your activities, you can create a great cv that shows you're ready for a job, even without any formal work experience. All the best!
You can start your CV with a strong personal statement or profile. This is your chance to make a great first impression. In 2-3 sentences, briefly introduce yourself and state your career objective.
Your education section is very important, you should include any key projects you did. This shows what you know and how you used your skills. If you had a good GPA or won any awards, be sure to add those, too.
Next, you may create a "Key Skills" section where you can list both hard and soft skills. Since you don't have work experience, your soft skills are particularly important. Examples include teamwork, leadership, time management, communication, and adaptability. For hard skills, list any technical proficiencies you have, such as programming languages, software, or data analysis tools.
Finally, dedicate a section to "Extracurricular Activities & Volunteering". This is a great way to showcase your abilities outside of a traditional classroom setting. Did you lead a club? Did you volunteer for an event? Use these examples to illustrate your leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
By focusing on your school achievements, your skills, and your activities, you can create a great cv that shows you're ready for a job, even without any formal work experience. All the best!
Natasha Byrne
Sales
3
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Natasha’s Answer
If you've just finished school and don't have formal work experience, don't worry. Your CV can still shine by focusing on your strengths and experiences. Employers understand that new grads are starting out, so they look for potential, motivation, and a willingness to learn. Highlight skills you've gained through schoolwork, hobbies, or clubs. For instance, if you led a group project, organized a presentation, or solved problems creatively, mention it. If you were active in clubs or sports, talk about your roles, like organizing events, mentoring others, or showing teamwork and leadership. Your personal interests can also make your CV stand out, especially if they show creativity, discipline, or persistence. Instead of just saying "recent graduate," describe yourself as "a motivated and adaptable graduate with strong collaboration and organizational skills, active in student leadership and team activities, eager to bring initiative and enthusiasm to new challenges." This helps employers see you as a well-rounded person, not just a student without work experience.
Sangeetha Venkatraman
Technical Program Management
4
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Sangeetha’s Answer
Hi Nombuso
Your first CV is always the hardest to put together, but in hindsight you will learn a lot about yourself as you put it together.
Since you already finished school, think hard about all the courses you took in school and what you learnt from them - classify them into hard skills and soft skills.
For e.g. if you learnt about Environmental Sciences, or Computers, those are hard skills but if you were part of a Sports team and learnt how to be a Team Player, or Leadership skills, then those will be soft skills.
Make sure you think about all extra-curricular activities, volunteer opportunities that you have been part of in addition to projects that you took up in school to elaborate on your resume.
If you go through this exercise and still feel your CV is light on skills and experiences, you should look for volunteer opportunities through portals like VolunteerMatch.org and those can help you upskill and showcase experience that you can add to your CV.
In addition to skills, since you are just starting off, best to mention areas you are interested in so it becomes easier for employers to find a role for you as well as for you to try and figure out if your interests last or pivot once you land a relevant opportunity. Hope this helps!
Your first CV is always the hardest to put together, but in hindsight you will learn a lot about yourself as you put it together.
Since you already finished school, think hard about all the courses you took in school and what you learnt from them - classify them into hard skills and soft skills.
For e.g. if you learnt about Environmental Sciences, or Computers, those are hard skills but if you were part of a Sports team and learnt how to be a Team Player, or Leadership skills, then those will be soft skills.
Make sure you think about all extra-curricular activities, volunteer opportunities that you have been part of in addition to projects that you took up in school to elaborate on your resume.
If you go through this exercise and still feel your CV is light on skills and experiences, you should look for volunteer opportunities through portals like VolunteerMatch.org and those can help you upskill and showcase experience that you can add to your CV.
In addition to skills, since you are just starting off, best to mention areas you are interested in so it becomes easier for employers to find a role for you as well as for you to try and figure out if your interests last or pivot once you land a relevant opportunity. Hope this helps!
wendy gibson
Senior Program manager
10
Answers
Omaha, Nebraska
Updated
wendy’s Answer
If you do not have any experience and just finished school, no worries! You can still create a great CV based on your life experiences, skills and activities. Congrats on starting this journey, and have no fear, EVERYONE (literally everyone) has to start somewhere! When you are creating your CV, think of all of the activities that you participated in while you were in school. Sports, clubs, volunteer work, you name it... all of those are EXCELLENT sources to show your character and work ethic. When focusing on these activities, think of the skills that you used to participate in them, and what each activity taught you. Did you use your leadership skills in a club you were in? Did the sports team teach you perseverance? All of those skills help to show the person that you are and how you would be valuable to a potential company.
I would also look into getting an internship as well as volunteer positions where you can learn skills. Good luck on your journey!
I would also look into getting an internship as well as volunteer positions where you can learn skills. Good luck on your journey!
Michelle M.
Actress
3284
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Nombuso !
It's always exciting creating your first Curriculum Vitae and I would be happy to share some advice for you. It is a document that details your academic and professional or work history, so you will get a very effective guidance for this if done in person with someone that can ask you questions and bring out information that can be composed in a professional way for your CV.
My first experience for my professional resume for Acting was amazing. I went to a resume expert who specialized in my field of work (you didn't mention what your field of work is) and she knew just what to ask me to bring out things I didn't even realize were important for the resume. Work that I didn't even realize that was good to be on the resume and she filled it up wonderfully even though I had comparatively little experience straight out of college (you didn't say if you just graduated secondary school or college).
It is my experience and therefore opinion that you really need to have this done in person and that you wouldn't get the full impact by reading about it. Return to your secondary school or your college's Career Center on campus to meet with someone that can sit with you for a while and has the insight on how to word it and ask you questions about all the paid and unpaid work you have done so far. Doing it this way will make your CV look polished and professional.
In your country of South Africa, there are some special differences (from the U.S.) that they like to see included in CVs. It is common to include a photo on your CV. You can look up some of these CVs online to see how they look, it is usually a small photo. Also, they like to see a Linked In URL included in your contact information. Go to Linked In and create a full profile so you can use the link to it on your CV. Before you meet with someone in person for your CV, you can read about CVs specific to your country at the website Resumeable for which I have left the link to below.
For assistance with your CV in person, in addition to staff at your former schools, you can try the South African Voluntary Foundation, the Department of Employment and Labour or other social services. Be sure to be detailed with them about what field of work you will be applying for.
I hope this advice helps and I wish you all the best !
CVs FOR SOUTH AFRICAN APPLICANTS https://www.resumeble.com/career-advice/how-to-write-a-cv-in-south-africa
It's always exciting creating your first Curriculum Vitae and I would be happy to share some advice for you. It is a document that details your academic and professional or work history, so you will get a very effective guidance for this if done in person with someone that can ask you questions and bring out information that can be composed in a professional way for your CV.
My first experience for my professional resume for Acting was amazing. I went to a resume expert who specialized in my field of work (you didn't mention what your field of work is) and she knew just what to ask me to bring out things I didn't even realize were important for the resume. Work that I didn't even realize that was good to be on the resume and she filled it up wonderfully even though I had comparatively little experience straight out of college (you didn't say if you just graduated secondary school or college).
It is my experience and therefore opinion that you really need to have this done in person and that you wouldn't get the full impact by reading about it. Return to your secondary school or your college's Career Center on campus to meet with someone that can sit with you for a while and has the insight on how to word it and ask you questions about all the paid and unpaid work you have done so far. Doing it this way will make your CV look polished and professional.
In your country of South Africa, there are some special differences (from the U.S.) that they like to see included in CVs. It is common to include a photo on your CV. You can look up some of these CVs online to see how they look, it is usually a small photo. Also, they like to see a Linked In URL included in your contact information. Go to Linked In and create a full profile so you can use the link to it on your CV. Before you meet with someone in person for your CV, you can read about CVs specific to your country at the website Resumeable for which I have left the link to below.
For assistance with your CV in person, in addition to staff at your former schools, you can try the South African Voluntary Foundation, the Department of Employment and Labour or other social services. Be sure to be detailed with them about what field of work you will be applying for.
I hope this advice helps and I wish you all the best !
Michelle recommends the following next steps:
Rebecca Tang
Banking
2438
Answers
Hong Kong
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question.
Below are my suggestions:
1. Explore any intern opportunities in the industry you have interest.
2. Participate more extra curriculum activities and be the organisers
3. The above can help you to enrich your CV. Also, find some decent CV template online
4. For different job opportunities, read the job spec carefully. Identify the areas you can read the requirements. Customize your CV to emphasize the area you can meet the requirements
Hope this helps! Good luck!
May Almighty God bless you;
Below are my suggestions:
1. Explore any intern opportunities in the industry you have interest.
2. Participate more extra curriculum activities and be the organisers
3. The above can help you to enrich your CV. Also, find some decent CV template online
4. For different job opportunities, read the job spec carefully. Identify the areas you can read the requirements. Customize your CV to emphasize the area you can meet the requirements
Hope this helps! Good luck!
May Almighty God bless you;
Vannga T.
Linguist, Instructor, Teacher, Advisor, Tutor/Program/Resource Coordinator, Tutor, Pianist, and Composer.
14
Answers
Updated
Vannga’s Answer
1. You could list your interests and skills on your resume. You could describe in details your interests and skills and their positive impact on your life.
2. I would recommend getting a volunteer job that fits your skills and interests to prove that you are a helpful person with a good character. Listing that volunteer job on your resume would make your resume look much more interesting and attractive to reviewers.
Good luck with finishing your resume.
Vannga
2. I would recommend getting a volunteer job that fits your skills and interests to prove that you are a helpful person with a good character. Listing that volunteer job on your resume would make your resume look much more interesting and attractive to reviewers.
Good luck with finishing your resume.
Vannga
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
1093
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Nombuso,
You just finished school, so nobody expects you to have a super long CV with lots of experiences. I am not sure what kind of jobs you are looking for or if you will be heading to college or TVET to further your education, so I'll keep it general. You should tailor your CV to match the opportunity you want to apply for.
First, check out the format of a CV and what sections it should have. Decide on a design. Your CV should look neat and be easy to peruse. It doesn't have to be fancy or in colour. You can download a CV template so you only have to fill in your data. You find examples e.g. here:
https://www.careerjunction.co.za/blog/cv-template-school-leavers
https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/cvs-cover-letters/school-leaver-cv
https://www.myperfectcv.co.uk/cv/examples/student/high-school
At the top of your CV, put your name and contact information.
Under this header you can write a section called Personal Statement or Professional Summary or Career Objectives. Here you introduce yourself and your skills in 2-3 sentences.
Then you need a section for Skills. List hard skills like computer skills, but also soft skills and personal attributes like reliability, ability to work in a team, leadership or good communication skills. If possible be able to back it up with an activity that you did.
In the section Education you list your educational background, i.e. schools you attended, matric score, subjects you took.
Under Work Experience you can list any jobs or internships you may have had. If you volunteered anywhere, that can also go here (or it can go under Interests and Hobbies in a later section). If you don't have anything yet for this section, start working on it. Are there any businesses in your area where you could do an internship? Can you maybe job shadow in an industry that interests you? Are there any fast-food places or restaurants where you could get some experience? Animal shelters, old-age homes or hospitals are good places to volunteer.
You can have an extra section for Honours and Awards or Accomplishments. If you won any academic awards, participate in things like Science Expo, or won athletic medals, that can go here.
A section Interests and Hobbies allows you to show a bit more of your personality. Focus on things that are somewhat relevant in a professional context and can serve to back up your claims of personal attributes. If you are playing in a sports team, that would e.g. support your claim that you are able to work in a team.
Make sure your CV is not longer than one page. For every job that you are interested in, read the job description and tailor your CV so it matches as well as possible. If you are applying for a job in a restaurant kitchen your experience cooking in your home is interesting. If you are applying to an engineering company, they won't care.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
You just finished school, so nobody expects you to have a super long CV with lots of experiences. I am not sure what kind of jobs you are looking for or if you will be heading to college or TVET to further your education, so I'll keep it general. You should tailor your CV to match the opportunity you want to apply for.
First, check out the format of a CV and what sections it should have. Decide on a design. Your CV should look neat and be easy to peruse. It doesn't have to be fancy or in colour. You can download a CV template so you only have to fill in your data. You find examples e.g. here:
https://www.careerjunction.co.za/blog/cv-template-school-leavers
https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/cvs-cover-letters/school-leaver-cv
https://www.myperfectcv.co.uk/cv/examples/student/high-school
At the top of your CV, put your name and contact information.
Under this header you can write a section called Personal Statement or Professional Summary or Career Objectives. Here you introduce yourself and your skills in 2-3 sentences.
Then you need a section for Skills. List hard skills like computer skills, but also soft skills and personal attributes like reliability, ability to work in a team, leadership or good communication skills. If possible be able to back it up with an activity that you did.
In the section Education you list your educational background, i.e. schools you attended, matric score, subjects you took.
Under Work Experience you can list any jobs or internships you may have had. If you volunteered anywhere, that can also go here (or it can go under Interests and Hobbies in a later section). If you don't have anything yet for this section, start working on it. Are there any businesses in your area where you could do an internship? Can you maybe job shadow in an industry that interests you? Are there any fast-food places or restaurants where you could get some experience? Animal shelters, old-age homes or hospitals are good places to volunteer.
You can have an extra section for Honours and Awards or Accomplishments. If you won any academic awards, participate in things like Science Expo, or won athletic medals, that can go here.
A section Interests and Hobbies allows you to show a bit more of your personality. Focus on things that are somewhat relevant in a professional context and can serve to back up your claims of personal attributes. If you are playing in a sports team, that would e.g. support your claim that you are able to work in a team.
Make sure your CV is not longer than one page. For every job that you are interested in, read the job description and tailor your CV so it matches as well as possible. If you are applying for a job in a restaurant kitchen your experience cooking in your home is interesting. If you are applying to an engineering company, they won't care.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP