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To get a job with no experience, count everything that shows you can do the work (projects, volunteering, part-time jobs, coursework, caring and freelancing), apply for roles built for beginners such as entry-level jobs, apprenticeships, graduate schemes and internships, write a CV that leads with transferable skills, and prepare a few true stories you can tell in interviews.
What counts as experience
Projects
Anything you built, researched or organised: a website, an app, a dissertation, a society event. Say what you did and what came of it.
Volunteering
Shows reliability, teamwork and often customer contact. Include the hours and what you were trusted with.
Part-time and casual work
Retail, hospitality and delivery jobs build customer service, time management and working under pressure. Employers value all three.
Coursework and qualifications
Relevant modules, group projects, certificates and online courses show skills directly. Put them near the top if they are your strongest evidence.
Caring responsibilities
Organising care for a family member involves planning, problem solving and responsibility. You can mention it briefly and positively.
Freelance and side work
Small paid jobs for friends or local businesses count, from design to tutoring. Treat each one like a role on your CV.
Roles that hire without experience
| Type of role | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level jobs | Junior roles where training is expected | Anyone starting out in a field |
| Apprenticeships | Paid work with structured training and a qualification | Learning a trade or profession on the job |
| Graduate schemes (UK) | Structured programmes for recent graduates, often with rotations | Graduates who want training across a business |
| Internships | Short placements, often for students and graduates | Building a first line on your CV |
| Customer-facing roles | Customer service, retail and hospitality | Building skills that transfer to almost any job |
Ready to put this into practice?
Practise an interview →How to get a job with no experience, step by step
Pick one or two starting roles
Choose roles where beginners are hired and that lead where you want to go. Read several ads and note the skills they share.
Write a skills-first CV
Open with a short summary of what you offer, then a skills section backed by evidence from projects, study and part-time work. See skills for a resume, resume summary examples and how to list education.
Show evidence, not adjectives
Swap "hard-working" for what you did: "Handled the till and stock checks on Saturday shifts for two years." Numbers help when they are real.
Look in the right places
Use entry-level and graduate filters on job boards, company careers pages, apprenticeship listings, your university or college careers service, and local businesses. Ask people you know which teams are hiring.
Apply with a short, specific cover note
Say why this role and this company, and point to one piece of evidence that you can do it. See how to apply for jobs.
Build experience while you apply
A small project, a short course or volunteering gives you something new to talk about and shows initiative.
Prepare for the interview
Write three or four stories in the STAR format and practise them out loud. See the STAR method and try the free STAR answer builder.
Where to find jobs that hire without experience
Start with job boards, but filter for entry-level, junior, trainee, apprentice and graduate roles rather than searching by title alone. Words like "training provided", "no experience needed" and "we will teach you" in an ad are good signs.
Then go direct. Many employers list beginner roles on their own careers pages first, especially large retailers, banks, public sector bodies and hospitals. In the UK, look at official apprenticeship listings and graduate scheme pages, which usually open in the autumn. In the US, look at entry-level programs, internships and community college or university job boards.
Finally, use people. Tell friends, family, teachers and former managers what kind of role you want. Small local businesses often hire someone who was recommended before they ever post an ad. Our guide to the hidden job market explains how to approach this.
Ready to put this into practice?
Practise an interview →Mistakes to avoid
Applying for everything
Sending the same CV to every job rarely works. Pick a few roles that suit you and tailor each application.
Apologising for no experience
Don’t open your CV or cover note with what you lack. Lead with what you can do and the evidence for it.
Leaving out "small" experience
Babysitting, helping at a family business or running a club all show responsibility. Include them if they are relevant.
Not preparing for the interview
With little work history, your answers carry more weight. Practise them out loud before the day.
Answering "Why should we hire you?" with no experience
Focus on what you bring now and how quickly you learn. Name two or three skills the job asks for, give a short example of each from study, volunteering or part-time work, and finish with why you want this role.
For example: "In my weekend job I dealt with customer complaints calmly and fixed most of them on the spot, and at university I ran our society’s budget. This role needs both, and I am keen to learn how your team works." More examples are in our behavioral interview questions and tell me about yourself guides.
Ready to put this into practice?
Practise an interview →How MockIF can help
First interviews feel easier once you have said your answers out loud. An AI mock interview on MockIF is built from your CV and the job description, asks follow-up questions in voice or avatar mode, and scores each answer on clarity, confidence and relevance. It is free to start.
Check your CV with the free ATS score checker, and when you are ready to apply, Auto Apply finds jobs that fit your CV and applies on employers’ own job sites with your answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What jobs can I get with no experience?
How do I write a CV with no work experience?
Is it OK to apply for jobs asking for experience I don’t have?
Do volunteering and part-time jobs count as experience?
How do I prepare for my first job interview?
Practise your first interviews before they count.
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