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How To Write A CV For A Job With No Experience In Kenya
By Lilian Wamaitha
Applying for a job when you have no work experience can be a daunting task. If you are feeling like this, worry not because you are not alone. There are several ways on how to write a CV for a job with no experience.
Right now it can seem like an impossible task to write a compelling CV especially when it seems like every job wants work experience. This is a common problem for recent graduates who have just left school and want to find work in their respective fields.
One thing you need to remember is that we all start from somewhere. Ask anyone who has been in the job market, very few are lucky to land jobs immediately after graduation or leaving school. This is because no one walks into the job market with years of experience under their belt.
However, even without the job experience, you still have valuable skills that recruiters in Kenya still find relevant and your only job is to convince hiring managers that you are the perfect fit.
5 Ways On How To Write A CV For A Job With No Experience
1. Strong profile summary
The format for writing a CV with no experience begins with a strong opening statement. Best tip? Keep it as short and simple as possible. At most have 150 words.
An overdone personal statement will only act as a turn off and you will not get the job.
An example of a strong personal statement;
“I am a Bachelor of Science – Communications and PR graduate with experience in different fields including public relations and communication. My academic training has provided me with knowledge and skills to conduct research, collect and analyze data and create mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its clients. I am looking for an entry level position with an institution where I will be able to increase my work experience and develop abilities and skills required for this industry.”
2. List key qualities you have
A CV is supposed to serve as a sales pitch to getting shortlisted for a job.
First and foremost, you need to figure what it is that you are selling. Come up with a list of all the things you are good at whether they are professional or not and then match these to the key skills the employer is looking for.
For instance, you may be good at writing which is a very impressive quality that employers look for. Do you have your own blog in case employers are looking for people with great writing skills?
3. List skills rather than roles
One of the important things to consider when writing your curriculum vitae with no experience is that your skills matter more than the roles you have been involved in.
Normally when writing a CV, most people tend to include their most recent work experience and the roles they were tasked with.
However, if you have had no jobs in your related field of study, it would be better to list your skills instead.
This should come just after your personal statement. Teamwork and leadership would communicate a stronger message than stacks up shelves at Tuskys Supermarket.
Find Out >>> 7 Sections You Must Include When Writing A CV
4. Make the extra-curricular activities appear like jobs on your CV
Just because you only played the role of a communication officer at your course association at the university, doesn’t mean you didn’t gain valuable experience you can transfer to your job. Most job seekers often overlook the important of extra-curricular activities.
If you have no work experience in your industry, these roles could come in handy. You would be better off than someone who has not listed any.
5. Don’t forget the most obvious skills
If you are fortunate enough to have taken driving lessons or other short courses, include then on your CV.
Often most entry level job seekers tend to leave out some of these skills because they think they are not important or think that everyone has them and listing them on their CV wouldn’t make a difference. Well, it does. This is what gets you ahead of the pack.
In a nutshell,
Whether you are a fresh graduate or have a few months experience, you can still write a compelling CV that will get you a job. Your CV should be able to have the hiring manager want to meet you for an interview. You can apply these tricks when trying to figure out how to write a CV for a job with no experience.
The writer is a Communication Officer at Career Point Kenya. Email her if you have any questions via lilian@careerpointkenya.co.ke.
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