How to Write a CV With No Experience (UK Guide 2026)

UK CV vs US resume: key differences

If you're applying for jobs in the UK, a few things are different from the US resume format:

→It's called a CV, not a resume: Both terms are used in the UK, but CV is standard

→No photo: UK CVs don't include a photo — it's considered unprofessional

→No age or marital status: UK equality law means you never include this

→2 pages is standard for graduates: Unlike the US where 1 page is pushed for entry-level

→Include a personal statement: UK CVs typically open with a personal statement (equivalent to a US professional summary)

What to put on a UK CV with no experience

Personal statement

This is the most important section on an entry-level UK CV. Write 3–5 sentences that introduce who you are, what you're studying or have studied, your key skills, and what you're looking for. Be specific about the role you want.

Example personal statement

“Recent Business Management graduate from the University of Leeds (2:1) with a strong interest in digital marketing and brand strategy. During my degree I led the social media accounts for the Marketing Society, growing our Instagram following by 800% in one academic year. I am now looking to apply my content, analytics, and communication skills in a junior marketing role.”

Education

As a graduate or student, your education section does more heavy lifting. Include:

→Degree title, university, grade (or predicted grade)
→A-Levels and GCSEs (grades, school, year)
→Relevant modules or units
→Dissertation or final year project if relevant
→Academic prizes or awards

Work experience (even if minimal)

Include any paid work — Saturday jobs, babysitting, supermarket work, delivery driving. UK employers specifically value evidence that you've held a job and shown up reliably. Write 2–3 bullet points for each, focusing on responsibility and any customer or team interaction.

Positions of responsibility / extracurriculars

UK graduate employers pay close attention to extracurricular involvement. Student societies, sports teams, elected positions, volunteering, Duke of Edinburgh — these are all CV-worthy. Treat each one like a job entry with 2–3 bullet points.

Skills

List hard skills relevant to the role: software, languages, certifications. Avoid vague soft skills like “good communicator” — demonstrate those in your bullet points instead.

UK graduate CV structure

1Personal Statement

2Education (most recent first)

3Work Experience (including part-time)

4Positions of Responsibility / Extracurriculars

5Skills

6Interests (optional — only if genuinely relevant)

ATS on UK job sites

Most large UK employers (graduate schemes at Deloitte, KPMG, Unilever, etc.) use ATS systems. The same rules apply: single column, standard fonts, keyword matching, no tables or graphics. Read our full guide on how ATS systems work before applying to any graduate scheme.