You open a CV template, reach the heading “Work Experience,” and have nothing to put under it. That is where most first-time applicants get stuck.
Here is the good news: a CV with no work experience is not an empty CV. Employers hiring for entry-level roles and internships already know you have no job history. What they want to see is evidence that you can learn, work with others and finish what you start.
Harvard’s career services office makes the same point in its guidance on what to highlight when you have no work experience: projects, volunteering and campus roles all count. This guide shows how to turn them into a CV a recruiter in Pakistan will actually read. If you are still at the start of your search, our guide on going from fresh graduate to first job in Pakistan covers the bigger picture.
Table of Contents
- What Goes on a CV With No Work Experience?
- How to Build Each Section of Your CV
1. Contact Information
2. Professional Summary
3. Education
4. Academic Projects
5. Skills
6. Certifications and Training
7. Volunteer and Extracurricular Experience
8. Internships, Freelance Work and Informal Experience
- Make Your CV ATS-Friendly
- Tailor Your CV to Each Job
- Common CV Mistakes to Avoid
- Example CV Structure for Someone With No Work Experience
- Final Checklist Before You Send Your CV
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Get Help With Your First CV
What Goes on a CV With No Work Experience?
A CV with no work experience should include your contact details, a short professional summary, education, academic projects, relevant skills, certifications, and volunteer or extracurricular activities. Add internships, freelance work or informal work if you have any.
Lead with whatever is strongest for the job. For most graduates that is education and projects.
| CV Section | What to Include |
| Contact Information | Name, phone, email, city, LinkedIn |
| Professional Summary | Target role, strengths, key skills |
| Education | Degree, university, year, relevant coursework |
| Academic Projects | Research, presentations, practical work |
| Skills | Tools and abilities that match the job |
| Certifications | Relevant courses and training |
| Volunteer Experience | Societies, events, community work |
| Other Experience | Internships, freelancing, tutoring, family business |
The key word is relevant. You do not need to list everything you have ever done.
How to Build Each Section of Your CV
1. Contact Information
Put your details at the top, and keep them compact.
- Full name
- Professional email address
- Phone number
- City and country (for example, Karachi, Pakistan)
- LinkedIn profile, if it is up to date
- Portfolio or GitHub link, if relevant
Leave out your CNIC number, passport number and father’s name unless an employer specifically asks for them. They take up space and add nothing to your application.
2. Professional Summary
With no job history, the summary does the heavy lifting. In two to four lines, say who you are and what you are targeting.
Weak: “Hardworking and motivated person seeking a challenging opportunity where I can grow.”
That could describe anyone.
Better: “Recent BBA graduate with academic experience in digital marketing and market research. Skilled in Excel, Canva and social media content. Seeking an entry-level marketing role where I can apply analytical and communication skills.”
The second version names your level, your background, your skills and your target.
3. Education
For a recent graduate, education is often the strongest section. Include:
- Degree and university
- City and graduation year (or expected year)
- Relevant coursework
- Genuine academic achievements
Example:
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), University of Karachi, 2026
Relevant coursework: Marketing Management, Human Resource Management, Business Communication
Pick coursework that matches the job. An HR internship applicant should list Recruitment and Selection and Organizational Behavior. A marketing applicant should list Consumer Behavior and Digital Marketing.
4. Academic Projects
This is the most overlooked section. A university project is not a job, and you should not present it as one. But described properly, it shows real skills.
Do not write “Final Year Project, Marketing.” Say what you did:
Consumer Behavior Analysis (academic project)
- Surveyed 100 respondents to research purchasing factors.
- Analyzed responses in Microsoft Excel.
- Presented findings to a faculty panel.
- Worked in a team of four.
Now the employer can see research, analysis, presentation and teamwork. Only include numbers that are true.
5. Skills
Do not pad this section with a long list of buzzwords. Read two or three job descriptions for the role you want and list the skills that repeat, if you really have them.
- Technical: Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Canva, Google Workspace, SQL, Python, social media management
- Transferable: communication, research, presentation, teamwork, time management
Evidence beats claims. “Delivered a 15-minute presentation to a class of 40” is more convincing than “excellent presentation skills.”
6. Certifications and Training
Relevant certifications help when your experience is thin. Examples include the Google Digital Marketing certificate, Excel training, HR courses, graphic design courses and English-language tests.
Use a simple format: Certificate name, provider, year. Skip the courses unrelated to the job. Ten certificates with no focus look scattered.
7. Volunteer and Extracurricular Experience
Student societies, competitions and community work show initiative. Describe what you did, not just the title.
Marketing Coordinator, University Business Society
- Created promotional posts for society events.
- Coordinated content schedules with team members.
- Helped plan student engagement activities.
8. Internships, Freelance Work and Informal Experience
“No experience” often means “no full-time job.” Think harder about what you have done. Have you:
- Completed an internship?
- Freelanced or designed graphics for a small business?
- Tutored students?
- Run social media for a family shop?
- Sold products online?
- Built a website for someone?
If it involved responsibility or a result relevant to the job, include it. You do not need a famous employer for the experience to count.
Make Your CV ATS-Friendly
Many employers use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to organize applications. A clean, conventional CV is easier for these systems and for humans to read.
- Use standard headings: Professional Summary, Education, Projects, Skills, Certifications.
- Avoid text-heavy sidebars, decorative icons, heavy graphics and complex tables.
- Use readable fonts and consistent spacing.
- Use the job description’s wording for skills you genuinely have.
- Do not copy the whole job advertisement into your CV.
We cover this further in our guide to writing a professional CV.
Tailor Your CV to Each Job
Keep a master CV with all your education, projects, skills and activities. For each application, copy it and keep only what fits the role.
| Target Role | Emphasize |
| HR internship | HR coursework, recruitment project, Excel, organization skills |
| Marketing internship | Marketing coursework, social media project, Canva, research |
You are the same person in both. Only the positioning changes.
Common CV Mistakes to Avoid
- Writing “no experience” on your CV. Show what you have instead.
- Listing 20 soft skills. Pick the few that match the job and back them up.
- Inventing experience. Never fabricate a job, certificate or result. Employers check.
- Using a heavily designed template. A pretty CV that cannot be parsed is a weak CV.
- Making it too long. One focused page is usually enough at entry level.
- Sending the same CV everywhere. A software role and an HR role need different CVs.
- Using an unprofessional email address. Use a simple name-based address.
Example CV Structure for Someone With No Work Experience
YOUR NAME
Karachi, Pakistan | +92 XXX XXXXXXX | professional@email.com | LinkedIn
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Recent graduate with academic experience in [field] and skills in [skill 1], [skill 2] and [skill 3]. Seeking an entry-level [role] position.
EDUCATION
Bachelor’s Degree in [Field], [University], [Year]
Relevant coursework: [Course], [Course], [Course]
ACADEMIC PROJECTS
[Project name]: what you did, how you did it, and the result.
SKILLS
[Technical skill] | [Technical skill] | [Relevant soft skill]
CERTIFICATIONS
[Certificate], [Provider], [Year]
VOLUNTEER / EXTRACURRICULAR
[Role], [Organization]: one or two lines on what you did.
LANGUAGES
English, Urdu, [other]
Adjust the order to suit you. A student with strong projects can put them above education. For a ready-to-copy version, see our free CV template for fresh graduates.
Final Checklist Before You Send Your CV
- Name and contact details are correct.
- Email address looks professional.
- Target role is clear from the summary.
- Education is easy to find.
- Projects or other experience are included.
- Skills match the job description.
- Nothing is exaggerated or invented.
- Spelling and grammar are checked.
- File name is professional (for example, Ali_Ahmed_CV.pdf).
- Format matches what the employer asked for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a job with no work experience?
Yes. Internships and entry-level roles exist for people at the start of their careers. Your CV should show education, skills, projects and potential instead of trying to manufacture experience.
What should I put on my CV if I have never worked?
Include education, relevant coursework, academic projects, skills, certifications, volunteering, society roles, and any internship, freelance or informal work.
Should I include a career objective on a CV with no experience?
A short professional summary works better than a generic objective. Make it specific to your target role.
How long should a CV with no experience be?
One focused page is usually enough. Relevance matters more than page count.
Should fresh graduates include academic projects?
Yes, when they relate to the job. Explain what you did, which tools you used and what the outcome was.
How can I make my CV ATS-friendly?
Use a clean layout, standard headings, simple formatting and keywords from the job description that honestly apply to you.
Should I put my photo on my CV in Pakistan?
Practice varies by employer and industry. Follow the job advertisement. If it does not ask for a photo, you can usually leave it out.
Get Help With Your First CV
If you are stuck, Hicruit’s services can help you build a professionally structured, ATS-friendly CV for your target role. We also offer Career Counseling, Interview Preparation and Mock Interviews.
You can browse current openings on the free Hicruit Job Board.