If you're just leaving school and joining Australia's workforce, you're lucky! Why? Well, because the job market has never looked so plentiful in the post-pandemic world. In 2023, just 3 people are going for each job - meaning the odds of you landing your dream role are that much better. However, if you've not got any work experience on your CV, it's going to ruin your chances…or is it?
Is It Okay Not To Have Experience On A Resume?
Actually, it's fine. Millions of school leavers enter the Australian workforce each year, and companies know this. So, depending on what you're aiming for in recruitment online, it doesn't necessarily have to be a deal breaker, especially as you can still make your resume look great anyway - something we aim to help you with within this article.
What To Put If You Never Had A Job?
Framing yourself as a fresh professional at the start of your professional journey is how you need to approach your CV when you have no work experience. Of course, you can’t quite apply to be a senior executive at BHP when you're fresh out of school, so the tips we offer here are going to be ideal for your resume when applying for entry-level positions and/or apprenticeships.
Your Experience Doesn't Have To Be Work-Based
Obviously, it will help if you have work experience of some kind, but other types of life experience can still be listed. Many life skills are transferable directly into the workplace, so there is some real value in mentioning what you've been involved with.
Perhaps you were a leader in the Army Cadets, during which you learned how to manage people at an early age. Just because you're at the beginning of your personal development doesn't mean that your experience isn't worth something. It's also much better than putting nothing.
Try And Show Your Passion & Personality
Another way to get yourself seriously considered for job applications you make is to do your best to show your passion and drive. With CVs, online learning shows us that you need to aim for succinctness and avoid waffling on, but you also need to demonstrate why you would be a good hire. Bad hires cost businesses thousands, so you can see employers might be would be cautious.
Try and talk about what drives you and what you've been doing to try and gain experience in any field, such as animal care or accountancy. Also, lay out your long-term goals to show that you're a serious proposition and you'll add value to any company that hires you.
Make Use Of Strong Action Words
Another tip you can use to make yourself look good on your resume is to employ plenty of strong action words. For example, if you passed a digital marketing course, say, “I ACHIEVED a pass on my marketing course” instead. This sounds great and helps recruiters to skim what you’ve written more efficiently - and the recruiter is someone you want to keep happy!
Other action words include…
- Facilitated
- Directed
- Enabled
- Guided
- Attained
While this might seem like a minor point, it can mean the difference between getting called for an interview and not. The small details really matter, and when you focus on them, good things can happen on your professional journey.
OCA Online Learning - A Great Professional Resource
With a good CV and a positive attitude, there's nothing holding you back on your journey to professional achievement. However, if you feel like your CV needs to be improved, don't worry, as video-based, CPD-Endorsed online learning like our How to Write a Resume course offers an easily digestible, industry-recognised way to develop a wide range of work-based skills.
According to the feedback we get from our students, we offer the best online courses Australia has in terms of engagement, retention, and flexibility. However, you don't have to take their word for it, as our Student Study Demo clearly illustrates the great experience every OCA student gets - detailing the one-to-one mentoring and tutorial support that comes with every course.
To discover more about our full course library that covers more than 20 different professional sectors and us, visit us today at www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au. There you'll also see a selection of flexible payment options designed to make our already cost-effective training even more appealing.
Alternatively, if you have any questions for us that you like answered before you enrol - no problem! That's what we're here for! Just give us a call at 1300 611 404 or drop us an email at [email protected], and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we possibly can.
