internship resume examples no experience

Internship No Experience Resume Examples [+4 Samples]

Discover our complete guide and selection of Internship resume examples with no experience to use to create your own resume with our easy-to-use resume builder. Below you'll find our how-to section that will guide you through each section of an internship resume with no experience.

Landing your first job can be challenging. A certain level of work experience is increasingly in demand, even on the lower rungs of the career ladder. But how can you build that experience if you can’t get onto the ladder in the first place?

Enter the internship – a short-term, ground-floor work placement that will allow you to build valuable experience in the industry of your choice. Internships have become such a part of working life that some companies will expect applicants for full-time roles to have worked as interns in the past! For hiring managers, an internship is proof that you have worked hard to acquire experience in your field, and that you are capable of balancing the commitments of a job with any other commitments you may have.

As a result, internships can be pretty competitive. To have the best chance of landing the internship you want, you’ll need to make sure your resume meets the very highest standard. Luckily, we’ve prepared an in-depth guide to building an internship resume that will give you a competitive edge.

Read on for advice and examples that will help you build your first resume!

What is an Internship?

An internship is a way to learn, network, and experience day-to-day life in the industry of your choice. It’s a short-term role designed to give you a taste of working life in your field, as well as to give you a chance to learn how to conduct yourself in a work environment. Though they’re commonly associated with young people, particularly students, internships are open to anyone of any age without much experience in their field.

As an intern, you won’t just gain authentic work experience. You’ll have an opportunity to learn directly from experienced industry professionals – whether you’re learning about the industry itself, or the work you’ll be expected to do in a similar role. It can also be a way to acquire valuable professional contacts, which you can maintain and use if you decide to look for full-time work in the field later on.

Internships can also offer a low-stakes, low-commitment way to try out different careers. They don’t last for long, so taking on an internship doesn’t require you to commit yourself to an industry forever – or even for longer than a matter of months. If you don’t enjoy the work you do during your internship, you can save yourself a time-consuming and potentially expensive mistake at a more impactful stage of your career.

It’s important to remember that not all internships are created equal. While some strike a great balance between work and learning, others are more interested in sourcing cheap (or even free) labor from a population less savvy about hiring norms. Ranges of pay can also vary wildly between internships: industries like tech tend to pay higher wages to interns, while nonprofits, by their nature, may not be able to offer wages at all.

When looking for an internship, make sure you do your research, and look for comments online from previous interns if you can find them. If you’re a student, your careers center may have some reliable contacts at reputable firms; this could give you a better chance of finding an internship that will treat you fairly.

How to Write an Internship Resume

If you’re hoping to score the internship of your dreams, your resume needs to demonstrate two things. The first is that you have the skills, both hard and soft, to thrive in the role of your choice. The second is that you have a specific interest in the industry or field where you’re hoping to intern, and that your interest is borne out via your education, interests or skills.

As a would-be intern, no hiring manager will expect you to have much direct work experience. However, depending on what you’re studying and where you’re studying it, you may have acquired some combination of clinical training and residency- or internship-based experience. You may also have acquired some relevant experience through volunteering or hobbies.

All of this should be included on your resume. That holds especially true if you have experience that aligns with the field of the internship you want. It will show a hiring manager that you have enough investment in the industry to make an internship worthwhile.

In general, an internship resume should contain the following:

• Your education
• Any experience you have
• Your skills, including any certifications

The Best Format for an Internship Resume

The most important thing to keep in mind, when choosing your internship resume template from our selection of layouts, is what hiring managers are looking for. As we’ve already explained, you won’t necessarily need a layout that foregrounds your experience. You may not have much of it, so a layout that pulls focus to the experience section may highlight an aspect of your resume that isn’t going to help you get the internship.

If you’re hoping to land an internship, you likely already have some level of education – even if it’s still ongoing. Look for a format that will allow you to put your education at the heart of your resume. This early in your career, it’s likely to be your strongest asset.

Once you start looking for non-internship jobs, however, it’s important not to rely on the format that landed you the internship. Full-time jobs are more likely to be interested in your experience, so you’ll need to consider a format that balances your education with any experience you’ve built.

When considering your layout, you should also remember that many hiring managers use an applicant tracking system (or ATS) to sort through resumes they receive. For companies, this is a great asset; it allows them to speed up the hiring process by streamlining the early stages of sorting through candidates. But for applicants, it’s frustrating to have your resume dismissed before it reaches a real person.

You’ll be pleased to know that all of VisualCV’s resume templates are designed to outsmart ATS software. The layouts used in our templates will allow the ATS software to parse the text of your resume without getting confused – which will dramatically increase your chances of success.

• 3 Internship Resume Examples

The first thing to work on is your summary – a concise encapsulation of what makes you right for the internship you want. This usually appears at the top of your resume, so it’s one of the first things a recruiter will see about you. As a result, you need to tailor it to each internship you apply for, taking into account the job description and any person specification you are given.

Later in your career, your summary should focus on your experience and skills. However, as a student or a recent graduate, you should make sure your summary draws attention to your educational achievements. If you have extracurricular or volunteering experience that’s relevant to the internship you want, you can use that, too.

3 summary examples:

• Computer Science student with a 3.8 GPA, with extensive volunteer web and graphic design experience. Proven ability to meet deadlines and balance multiple competing priorities.
• Current student in English Literature maintaining a 3.6 GPA. Editor of the college newspaper, with experience in leadership and team-based collaboration alike.
• Current Dean’s List student (3.9 GPA) motivated to apply studies in Politics to a career in legislature. Quick learner and hard worker with experience in college student government.
• How Not to Write an Internship Resume Summary

It’s important to remember that there’s a difference between your summary and your cover letter. Your summary needs to be clear and to-the-point, with an exclusive focus on what you have to offer as an intern. Your cover letter, on the other hand, can be longer and more personal, telling the story of why you actually want the internship.

So keep your resume summary as focused as possible, and save the rest for your cover letter!

Don’t Do This: I’m passionate about animal welfare, and have channeled that passion into a BSc in Veterinary Medicine. I’m at my happiest when working closely with animals, and so I would love to transform my degree into a career in a veterinary clinic. I believe this internship will allow me to learn the skills I need to thrive.

Do You Need a Resume Objective For an Internship Resume?

As you progress further in your career, you generally won’t need a resume objective. But as a current student or new graduate, an objective can act as a useful supplement to your resume summary.

Not sure what the difference is? Your summary, as we’ve explained, is a snapshot of the qualities and skills you have that make you the best candidate for your internship. An objective, on the other hand, is just a statement about your long-term career goals. Internship Resume Objective Example:

• Double major in Communications and Spanish, seeking to build experience in the field of radio broadcasting.

How to Describe Your Experience on Your Internship Resume

If you’re applying for an internship, it’s likely that you don’t have much direct work experience to bulk out your resume. The good news is that hiring managers won’t expect you to have much experience yet! The whole point of internships is to acquire that experience, after all.

But remember, you need to show passion and excitement about the industry where you want to intern. A great way to demonstrate that is to build up some non-work experience, whether through college extracurriculars or through volunteering commitments. If you have any of those under your belt, they can and should form part of your internship resume.

• Describe Your Experience Effectively

A good rule, even when you’re describing experience that doesn’t come from a paid job, is to write about your experience in a way that reflects the work you put into it. It’s about more than the bare bones of what you did! It’s about what those tasks achieved, and what you achieved while doing them.

This is how applicants for full-time jobs have to approach their resumes. If you can show that you’re able to do that, even just for an internship, recruiters are much more likely to take you seriously as a candidate. Internship Resume Experience Example: Volunteer Server, Redbridge Soup Kitchen | 2019-2020

• Served meals to service users at peak times, delivering exemplary standards of customer service
• Observed all food hygiene and safety regulations, both personally and while helping to maintain the working environment
• Supported new volunteers with informal training and advice to ensure consistent service across the whole team
• How Not to Describe Your Experience

Remember, hiring managers look for specific achievements and impacts. That’s why you should always avoid writing a straightforward list of all the tasks you performed in your previous experience. It doesn’t showcase any of your skills or any of the effort you put into the work you did. Don’t Do This: Volunteer Server, Redbridge Soup Kitchen | 2019-2020

• Served food
• Observed hygiene regulations
• Helped other volunteers
• How to List Skills on Your Internship Resume

The skills you’ll need to list on your resume will vary depending on the exact nature of your internship. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the job description, which will give you a sense of the skills you will need to thrive as an intern. You can also use the list below, which suggests some skills in high demand for interns in almost every field.

For general information about skills on your resume, check out our resume skills guide here!

• Top Internship Resume Skills in Demand

The Most Important Soft Skills for Your Internship Resume

Some degree courses may teach you valuable hard skills, and depending on your industry, they may help you out in your internship. However, most hiring managers looking for interns will be interested mainly in your soft skills. These skills are critically important in almost any workplace – they will help to make you a good colleague, and they will give you an edge when performing more specialized tasks.

You probably already have at least a few soft skills! If you’re a student, you’ll be expected to manage your own time effectively, as well as to stay organized and on top of your studies. Think about the skills you use every day, even in situations that don’t feel like work – all of them will serve you well when the time comes to apply for an internship.

Here are some of the most important soft skills to include on your internship resume!

• Communication

Are you the kind of person who can chat to anyone? Do you have a knack for explaining complex information in simple, accessible ways? Do you always have a good read on the mood of the room, and do you know how to respond to it so people take you seriously?

Communication is an absolutely vital skill in almost every job. As an intern, you’ll need to be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, in a variety of situations. If you already have robust communication skills, you’ll be very well prepared for your internship.

• Organization

Interns are held to professional standards of personal organization. You’ll be expected to show up to work on time, dressed appropriately, and prepared to meet any obligations you’ve committed to. You may be asked to hit deadlines, balance competing priorities, and generally prove yourself to be a well-organized individual.

By highlighting your organizational skills on your resume, you’re throwing up big green flags for hiring managers. No company wants to be stuck with an intern who can’t meet the bare minimum obligations of the working world! Prove that you can do that, and you’ll give yourself a competitive advantage.

An internship is, at its core, a way for you to acquire experience in an industry. But like any experience, it is what you make of it. In order to really thrive in an internship, you will need to be able to take the initiative, seek out opportunities to learn new things, and seize every moment of your time in post.

Hiring managers will be looking for evidence of initiative on your resume. This is the real advantage of having extracurricular or volunteer experience to showcase – it proves that you’re the kind of person who goes beyond the bare minimum. On the other hand, if you aren’t interested in putting in some extra work, internships may not be for you.

Internship Salaries

The topic of internships and pay can be pretty contentious. As we’ve already discussed, wages for interns can vary between industries. If you’re interning in finance or tech, you’re more likely to be paid at a respectable rate than an intern working in journalism or fashion.

According to Indeed, interns in the USA can expect to be paid an average of $16.57 per hour. But because the standards of pay are not uniform across different fields of work, you shouldn’t necessarily expect that to be an exact measure of your salary.

It’s worth noting that some companies, though they might pay less per hour, may offer interns a stipend or an up-front sum to help with their living costs. Always make sure you get comprehensive information on the policies of the company you’re applying to intern for. The last thing you want is an unpleasant surprise when you open your first paycheck.

Final Thoughts

As internships get more popular, it’s more important than ever to present hiring managers with a resume that really stands out. Whatever your industry, VisualCV has you covered – we have an amazing range of templates and samples to give you that all-important head start.

The right resume can make all the difference, so don’t settle for anything less than the best. You’ll be celebrating your first week on the job before you know it!

Copyright © 2024 Workstory Inc.

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How to Write an Internship Resume [w/ Examples]

Internship Resume Sample for 2024

Are you required to present your resume to secure an internship and have conflicted feelings about how your resume should look for such an internship?

Are you scared that you’d be over or under-qualified?

Do you fall into the above categories or more that hinder you from getting your resume to the appropriate places? Then this article is written especially for you.

Sample of Resume for an Internship Application

Writing resumes can be a very tricky affair because your resume is basically an introduction to your employer. So you can be rest assured that first impression matters. Prior to receiving your resume, the recruiter or employer has no knowledge of who you are or your previous achievements as grand as they might be, so always aim not to impress but to express.

The recruiter will probably be more interested in getting to know who you are as a person than the things you’ve achieved and there’s a very high probability that it is not a lot given that you’re applying for an internship anyway.

A recent study conducted shows that the average recruiter takes a look at a resume for no longer than six-seven seconds and will only look for any longer period of time if the six-second glance was worth it.

So kindly look inwards and try to come up with a way to establish a relationship between you and the recruiter in less than six seconds. You’re most probably wondering how on earth it’s possible to do that sort of thing. Well, it is and you’ll learn just how to do it right here. 

The first thing to do while writing that resume is to look at your previous experiences and check if you’ve done anything related in any way at all to the work you’re currently trying to apply for. 

If you’re applying for an internship at a digital marketing agency, then you should be looking out for any experience in a field such as social media management. Look for times where you have handled any social media account for any brand, even if it’s a personal one and turn it into a corporate experience.

While writing your resume for an internship, you can be rest assured that the recruiter or company does not expect you to have serious professional qualifications and your current qualifications are only expected to boost your academic or career goals, hence you can totally include all those skills you gained on your own and show willingness to gain more skills.

• It should perfectly highlight your strengths and be appropriately structured.
• There is absolutely no need for preambles so you should go straight to the point and make the position you’re applying for very obvious.
• Avoid errors and make your resume very easy to read.
• Above all, make sure that your resume isn’t more than one page .

Reiterating the above, the recruiter does not expect you to have tons of experience but that does not give you the permission to fill up your resume with generic information as it sends a very bad message to the recruiter about you.

Also, keep it in mind that your recruiters are looking for someone who has skills that are honed personally through practice and very willing to learn.

Skills such as; the ability to work under pressure and meet target deadlines, a very high level of creativity, impressive communication skills , hard work and exceptional leadership abilities.

It is very common while writing a resume for internships to see many students stressing or having a meltdown because of their GPA.

If you’re in that category, then you need to take a step back and desist from giving yourself a high blood pressure because, in actual fact, recruiters in most cases usually do not take the school GPA into cognizance or let it determine if you deserve to be recruited or not.

Although always make sure to include your academic qualifications as poor as they might be on your resume because for someone in your stage, you might not possess enough field experience and as I said before, even recruiters do not expect you to.

Recruiters are usually more interested in relevant work experiences so kindly focus more on that.

On your resume, there are basic things that should attack your recruiter first, and one of them is your ' Professional Summary ' which is where you tell your recruiter what you have got to offer in just a couple of sentences.

Always make sure that you do not turn in a resume without a professional summary as that’s the best way to let your employer know what you’re good for or at.

Your resume should be tailored to fit the position you’re applying for, as this gives the recruiter the idea that you’re already a nice fit for their company even long before you’re offered a position. 

You should also never forget to include all the awards and honors you’ve received as little as they might be, they go a long way in creating a lasting impression in the mind of your employer and give you an edge of credibility over other resumes.

 With all the above insights, you should be well on your way to securing that dream internship, without an atom of doubt that you can be absolutely sure of.

Related Resume Examples

• No Experience Resume
• Research Assistant Resume
• High School Resume
• College Resume
• Students and Graduates Resume
• Teacher Resume

Suggested Readings:

• +150 Best Skills to Put on Your Resume
• How to Write a Cover Letter for an Internship
• Strengths & Weaknesses for Job Interviews

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5 College Student Internship Resume Examples for 2024

College Student for Internship Resume

• College Student for Internship 2
• College Student for Internship 3
• College Student for Internship 4
• College Student for Internship 5
• Resume Writing 101

Taking a deep breath after seeing the perfect-looking web developer job ad, Dahlia Mathers pulled up her old resume. Having built some solid IT experience debugging software and troubleshooting networks, she was ready to make her next career move with a web developer internship . . . as soon as she celebrated her impending graduation in computer science, that is!

But her college student internship resume needed an update: Dahlia wanted a layout that aligned with Coursera’s vibe to show her enthusiasm for an internship there. Plus, she learned that writing an effective cover letter could be the touch her application needed.

Now, after referencing our time-tested resume examples , Dahlia is sporting a post-interview smile with her new start date! If you’re seeking your own college student internship, we’re confident our resume layouts and cover letter examples can help you, too.

or download as PDF

College Student for Internship 2 Resume

College Student for Internship 3 Resume

College Student for Internship 4 Resume

College Student for Internship 5 Resume

Related resume examples

• College Student No Experience
• Current College Student
• College Graduate
• Grad School
• College Student

What Matters Most: Your Skills & Experience Sections

While the types of skills you include will directly depend on which type of internship you’re applying for, balance and clarity are always helpful! Recruiters want to see that you have what it takes—plus a little something extra that sets you apart.

If you’re going for a more technical role (like just about anything within the realm of computer science), it’s especially important for you to be precise about your hard skills. That means each list item should be both professionally relevant and specific.

So, avoid generic skills or terms that could apply to just any field, and focus on honing your presentation to show more in-depth abilities that specifically qualify you for that internship. Don’t pitch your cooking skills for an IT internship!

Check these out:

9 top college student internship skills

• RESTful APIs
• Algorithm Design

Sample college student internship work experience bullet points

Some applicants get a bit uncertain about this part, so let’s go over a few ways you can show recruiters how you’ve put your skills into action.

Plenty of people already have some job experience that’s at least somewhat relevant to the internship they’re hoping for. List it if you have it! It isn’t “backwards” to go from a job to an internship if you’ve just graduated or decided to switch to a more specialized field.

Use any previous teen jobs , other internships, or even volunteer projects that relate to your career goals and demonstrate your abilities. And always measure your impact! You need quantifiable data like time measurements or budget savings to back up your achievements and prove that you’ve already made a difference.

Here are some examples:

• Performed bug fixes by utilizing JavaScript proficiency to reduce glitches by 11%
• Updated software on computers and performed basic maintenance on office devices to save $12.3K+ in repair costs
• Streamlined work flow by implementing a ticketing system and grouping similar issues together, reducing time to complete inbound requests by 3 days
• Build a scraper in Python to structure data on thousand of publications, using the Natural Language Toolkit library to improve abstract searches for research publications by 14%

Top 5 Tips For Your College Student Internship Resume

• Since you’re applying for an internship, it can be especially helpful to include other relevant courses within or alongside your degree in your education section. Don’t forget any independent classes you’ve taken—especially if they lead right up to your internship!
• Keep your skills list tidy and organized by arranging your skills in groups. So, if you’re applying for a software-related internship: List Python-related skills together, name JavaScript tools in succession, and so on.
• If applicable, make sure you’re upfront about your graduation date on your internship application. You don’t want to confuse recruiters—or wind up biting off more than you can chew to avoid passing up an opportunity for much-needed internship experience!
• Some people really can’t resist including a bold color or two on their resumes, but you really want to keep this to a minimum. Stick with just one color, use it sparingly, and ensure that everything is still highly readable. Show recruiters that you’re already professional and polished for your internship!
• When you pick your resume template , go for one that puts your greatest accomplishments front and center. But don’t be afraid to leave a little breathing room, too—it’s better than your resume looking crowded or filler-heavy. When you’re applying for an internship, you want all emphasis to rest on your qualifications.

Yep, and it’s easier than you might think! Refer to the internship description for phrases and keywords that stand out as good examples of team culture. Reflect these in your resume with a few tweaks to your wording or skill choices to show how you’re already the ideal intern.

Keep it to just one page, and don’t feel pressured to fill the page. Just stick with your highest achievements from college and your most impactful qualifications. Remember, if you’ve got the itch to say more, say it in your internship cover letter .

Just like your color usage, your font choices should be understated. Think “clean, modern, and readable.” Recruiters can only spend a few seconds skimming your college internship resume, so make it easy for them to see the good stuff at a glance!

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How to Get Work Experience This Summer — Without an Internship

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How to Get Work Experience This Summer — Without an Internship was originally posted by Forage

Knowing how to get work experience when you’ve never worked before can feel like a paradox. You need  job skills  to get hired, but you also need a job to build those skills. What are your options? While many students look to  internships  to get their first professional work experience, internships can be highly competitive and you might not always land one. That’s OK! There are tons of alternative ways to get work experience, network, build your skills, and boost your resume. Here’s how to get work experience this summer — even if you don’t have an internship. 

1. Get a Summer Job

Many local businesses hire seasonal workers, including students who may not have a wealth of professional experience. These gigs are a great way to make some cash, but they’re also an opportunity to gain valuable experience, even if the position is outside your desired field of expertise.

“I encourage my students to ‘think outside the box’ in their part-time job,” Kirk Hazlett, Adjunct Professor of Communication at the University of Tampa, says. “Ask [your] supervisor for additional, perhaps more challenging, assignments. Volunteer to help co-workers with tasks.”

Be sure to leverage and capture the  soft skills  you develop on your resume. For instance, if you’re working as a restaurant server, emphasize your experience with customer service,  problem-solving  and  project management , Hazlett suggests.

Forage Resume Masterclass

Learn how to identify and include the skills recruiters are looking for on your resume.

Avg. Time: 5-6 hours

Skills you’ll build: Professional brand, industry keywords, transferable skills, illustrating your impact

2. Freelance

Freelancers, or contractors, are self-employed and work for one or several companies on a short-term basis. Companies pay freelancers per-project or task. For instance, they could contract a freelancer to write a blog article, edit videos, or design a website for a small business.

“With freelancing, you can bring in actual money that some internships don’t even offer and effectively broaden your skill set to bolster your resume,” Steven McConnell, career expert and director of sales and marketing at Arielle Executive, says.

Unsure how to get this work experience? If you haven’t freelanced before, consider finding work through sites like Fiverr or Upwork.

“Also check out the Gigs section of Craigslist,” Amanda Brandon, resume coach at ProPolish Resume and Career Services, says. “You can find some great opportunities there.”

3. Complete a Job Simulation

Wondering how to get work experience from the comfort of your own home? A  virtual job simulation  is an online course that simulates the tasks you would perform if you worked in a particular role at a specific company. Forage, for instance, offers free programs that allow you to experience  marketing at Lululemon ,  sales at Red Bull , and  software engineering at JPMorgan Chase . (Check out our  complete course catalog  to find a free job simulation in the industries you’re most interested in exploring.)

These programs have many benefits. You can build new skills and showcase your completion certificate on your LinkedIn profile and resume. Many companies add  amenable participants to their talent pool .

4. Work on Your Certifications

Career-specific certifications can set applicants apart in the job market. For instance, prospective project managers might want to get a Scrum Master certification, while computer programmers can benefit from becoming certified in specific  programming languages , like C and C++. 

“Quite often, certifications require a practical demonstration of the skills — a project, a white paper, a use-case analysis,” Brandon says. “This is considered real-world experience. Draw on your instructor’s feedback and share that on your resume.”

5. Volunteer

You won’t get paid for the time you put in at a local non-profit or charitable organization, but there are unique benefits to volunteering your services.

“It will signal to employers and recruiters that you are determined and actively in pursuit of self-enrichment,” McConnell says. “These organizations will also put you under mentors who will help guide you to developing  key career skills you can include in your resume .”

You can also pursue unpaid industry-specific projects or competitions to demonstrate practical skills and showcase your abilities. These projects could include participating in hackathons, joining innovation challenges, or contributing to open-source projects. You can then include links or examples of your work in your job applications in an  online portfolio . 

6. Build Your Brand and Personal Profile

A robust digital presence can set you apart from new graduates with similar skills and credentials, McConnell says.

“Work on your  LinkedIn profile , establish a personal website, start your own blog, or initiate a social impact project,” he suggests. “These channels will demonstrate how well you apply what you know and ultimately lead you to the right employer who will value what you can bring to the table and help you achieve even more.”

7. Do An Externship

Not to be confused with an internship, an  externship  is an experiential learning opportunity that typically involves shadowing a professional during their workday. 

>>MORE:   Externship vs Internship: What’s the Difference?

“Take some time to follow a professional person around for a day or two to get an idea of how they work and if this career is something you feel is worth pursuing,” suggests Kathy Bennett, CEO and Founder of Bennett Packaging.

You can find externship opportunities through your college career center or by asking family, friends, or local businesses if they know of anyone you can follow in their day-to-day for a brief time.

“Take time to get out in your community and  network  with other companies and professionals to build connections and collide with potential opportunities,” Bennett says.

For instance, if a company won’t let you job-shadow, they may agree to an  informational interview , a short informal discussion of their role, company, and industry. In addition, consider attending meetings of local professional organizations within your career of interest.

“For my students, it’s the local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, or, perhaps, the American Marketing Association,” Hazlett says.

But how does talking to people help you get work experience? Don’t underestimate the power of networking. Building relationships and seeking mentorship can open doors to valuable opportunities and help you establish a strong professional network.

9. Keep Up the Search

Leveraging these and other connections could help you get work experience, but they can also secure that elusive  summer internship  or, perhaps, the coming fall.

“I also make sure that [my students] maintain constant communication with their school’s career service office and/or internship coordinator,” Hazlett says. “Occasionally, an internship will pop up that had not previously been advertised.”

Ready to being your job search? Check out the  85 best job search sites and apps !

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Landing an entry-level job without experience

Apr 30, 2024

Starting your job search can be a daunting task for anyone. Whether you’ve recently finished school or you’re looking to make a career change , it can be hard to decipher how to land a job in a new industry. No matter your circumstances, finding and applying to entry-level positions can be a long and difficult process, especially if you don’t have previous experience. As technological and cultural shifts change the workplace, entry-level jobs are falling by the wayside as they are replaced by internships and mid-level positions.

These positions are great ways to get your start in a new field, but as they become harder to come by the competition for these coveted openings is fiercer than ever. For those without relevant experience, it can seem almost impossible. In the US, 27% of employers prefer candidates with internship experience when filling entry-level roles, and 79% require at least a Bachelor’s degree to apply. However, it’s important to not be discouraged. There are many things you can do to maximize your job search and increase your chances of landing an entry-level job without experience.

Craft your CV

The first thing to do when starting any job search is to update your resume. When applying to a job, your CV is your first impression. It’s often a make-or-break opportunity to get into the recruitment funnel. In fact, research shows that most recruiters only spend a mere seven seconds reviewing individual resumes. So, it’s important that your CV is a well thought-out representation of who you are as a candidate.

For applicants with limited work experience, your CV should highlight different factors than someone who has been in the industry for a few years. The most important thing to emphasize for entry-level positions is your education. While you may not have a relevant work history, your education is another way you can show your achievements and knowledge in your field. You can highlight any specialized areas of study that would give you an advantage in the role you are applying for as well as any research, publications, or special projects you contributed to while studying. Your degree is a great way to illustrate your interest and commitment to the work you would be doing.

Alongside your educational background, soft skills are another important component to lean on when you lack experience. While you may not have technical skills, soft skills are often harder to learn and more important when finding a cultural fit. Take this section as an opportunity to show off your unique personality, and what you would bring to the team as an individual.

Build your portfolio

The next step in leveling up your candidate profile is to create a portfolio. This is a useful tool that allows recruiters to look at your previous work, especially in creative industries. Think of it as an expansion of your CV where someone can go to learn more about who you are and what you do. Usually, someone’s portfolio is a personal website that can be linked to on job applications or added to your CV. Building your portfolio is a chance to highlight your unique personality through what you choose to represent your personal brand.

While portfolios are especially useful in fields like journalism, photography, graphic design, and more, they can help set you apart in any industry by allowing you to take a more in-depth look into your background. You can write a bit about your life story, where you are now, and what your goals are. You can also showcase any academic or professional achievements that aren’t on your resume, such as awards, publicity, and anything else that could be relevant to your field.

Work on your elevator pitch

While it may seem unimportant when compared with other ways to land a job, never underestimate the power of a good elevator pitch . As Shakespeare wrote, “brevity is the soul of wit,” and when it comes to introducing yourself a little can go a long way. Honing your introductions can be especially valuable for job hunters with little to no professional experience. While a more seasoned worker can rely more on their experience to speak for itself, there’s no margin for error for those trying to land their first entry-level job.

If there’s not much on your CV to prove your commitment to an industry, that short blurb on a cover letter or phone interview is one of the simplest ways to set you apart from the competition. Don’t be caught out when an interviewer asks you why you want a job you haven’t done before. Instead, be prepared to explain why you are interested in the field, and why you feel you would make a valuable addition regardless of your experience. If you have an untraditional background, this is your opportunity to explain your unique career path, highlight relevant skills and qualifications, showcase your industry knowledge, and make a case for why you would be a better fit than someone with previous work or internship experience.

Expand your network

Anyone who’s been working for years will tell you that networking is one of the most powerful tools in your professional arsenal when it comes to building your career. From landing your first job to advancing to the senior level, professional relationships can be as important, if not more, than your capabilities or achievements. However, networking can also seem like the biggest hurdle to jump for job seekers at the beginning of their careers. Building a network from scratch can seem impossible, but rest assured there are plenty of ways to start making connections.

If you are a recent graduate, take advantage of the relationships you’ve built during your time at school. Professors, fellow students, and speakers can be great ways to hear about new openings and receive referrals. If you’ve had a great experience with a professor, worked a student job, or know a former classmate who works in the industry you can reach out to any of these people with questions or even request letters of recommendation for your job hunt. It can seem awkward reaching out, but remember one day you’ll be able to return the favor once they’re in your network!

Optimize your job search

Often overlooked, this strategy can be crucial to landing a job with no experience. While your instinct might be to apply for every position you can, practicing a bit of restraint can actually be more helpful. First of all, if you cast too wide of a net, it’s likely that the quality of your applications will suffer. Tailoring your candidacy for each position can be time-consuming, but it will also give you a stronger chance of landing an interview. For people with less experience, having your cover letter, resume, and work samples tweaked to fit the company you’re applying to is essential.

Secondly, you should also be strategic about which jobs you apply to. Not every company has the same standards when it comes to what they look for in an entry-level candidate, and you don’t want to waste any precious time applying somewhere that doesn’t value your unique background. Start by reading the job description carefully . Are there any major skills required that you’re missing, or are they saying they want 5+ years of experience for an “entry-level” role? There are plenty of signs in job descriptions that will tell you if the position is actually open to inexperienced job hunters, or if the company wants a mid-level employee with a junior salary. Do some research into companies that seem like a good fit and you will surely find organizations that value a nontraditional background or are willing to take a chance on someone lacking in experience, but full of potential.

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