Entry Level CV examples

When you don’t have much experience to show, your CV needs to work even harder to prove you’re capable. It should highlight transferable skills, enthusiasm, and anything else that shows you’re ready to hit the ground running.

This guide will walk you through how to structure and shape your CV so it doesn’t feel empty – it feels focused. Whether you’ve just finished school, graduated from university, or are changing careers, we’ll help you showcase what you do bring to the table.

If you’re applying for entry-level jobs, writing a CV which is clear and well-organised can instantly help you stand out. Employers know you may not have a long list of past roles, so what they want is clarity, structure, and signs that you’ve thought through your application, and a clear structure shows you’ve got your act together. 

Here’s the layout to follow:

• Name and contact details – Keep personal details right at the top so employers can easily get in touch; no photo required.
  
• Profile – Start with a few lines that summarise your strengths, interests, and what kind of role you’re looking for.
  
• Core skills – Highlight transferable or soft skills like communication, organisation, or digital literacy.
  
• Work experience – Include any part-time jobs, volunteering, internships, or school projects that show responsibility and initiative.
  
• Education & certifications – Clearly list your qualifications like a degree and any short courses or training you’ve completed.
  
• Additional info – Optionally include interests, hobbies, or awards that reflect your personality or potential.
  

Stick to two pages in length maximum – with no experience, you should fit everything onto just one. Stick with a professional font and use bullet points to make things skimmable, with clear borders between your sections. The more polished your CV format looks, the more likely it is to survive the recruiter’s 8-second skim.

A good profile doesn’t need to be long – it just needs to make it clear why you’re ready to start your career. Use this short summary to highlight your most relevant strengths and your motivation. Skip the ‘I’m a hard worker’ clichés – everyone says that. Tell them why you actually are: your CV profile should focus on tangible skills that recruiters actually care about.

Here’s some tips on what to include:

• Education and background – State your current situation: are you a recent graduate, school leaver, or career changer?
• Core strengths – Include two or three soft or transferable skills that make you a strong entry-level candidate.
• Career interests – Briefly outline the type of job or industry you’re looking to start in.
• Attitude – Employers want someone who’s eager to learn – make that come across.

Your experience might be limited, but your CV skills section shows you’re far from starting from scratch. With limited experience, it becomes especially important. Focus on transferable strengths you’ve developed through school, part-time work, or life experience.

Examples might include time management, communication, teamwork, adaptability, or IT literacy. Be honest and specific – but make sure they’re relevant to the type of job you’re applying for.

For entry-level candidates, this section often carries the most weight – so give it pride of place. Clearly list your academic history in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent qualification.

Include the name of the qualification, where you studied, and when. If you’re still studying, note your expected completion date. You can also mention relevant subjects, coursework, or modules if they relate to the job.

Example education sections

What to include in your education section

For each qualification, add the following info:

• Qualification & organisation – State the name of the certification and where you attained it.
• Dates studied – Provide the start month and year, and the finish (or state that it’s ongoing).
• Extra details – For particularly pertinent modules or courses, you should expand to tell the recruiters how they have equipped you for the roles you’re applying for.

You don’t need a fancy job title to show you’ve learned something valuable – use this section to prove you’ve stepped up. Employers want to see examples of responsibility, effort, and contribution – whether it was paid, voluntary, or part of your education. Even short-term roles or volunteer work can show commitment, responsibility, and maturity.

Start with your most recent work experience, and include things like part-time work, retail shifts, hospitality, internships, volunteering, or group projects. Describe what you did, how you worked with others, and what you learned.

• Outline – Mention where you worked (or volunteered), your role, and when.
• Responsibilities – Briefly describe your main tasks and responsibilities. Use action words like “assisted,” “organised,” or “contributed.”
• Achievements – Include any outcomes – did you receive positive feedback? Did you help your team succeed? Did you learn something valuable?

Junior candidates can make good use of the optional additional info section, especially as you’ve likely got space left over from the more important parts.

If you do anything in your spare time which could be relevant to the role you’re applying for, you should mention them here, and explain why each equips you for your target jobs.

Good additional info for Entry Level candidates

Additional info example