If you’re applying for a job but don’t have any, or much, professional experience, it can be tricky to know what to include on your CV. But any life experience you have will be valuable when applying for a job or apprenticeship – it’s how you talk about that experience that matters.
You might need to identify your skills for:
Transferable skills are things you can bring out when you:
Firstly, think about all the things you’ve achieved in your lifetime so far and write them down. You might want to think about:
any other life experience you’ve had: you may have been a young carer or had to manage some difficult circumstances throughout your life. This might have meant you couldn’t take part in typical school clubs and activities. But this can still show skills like resilience, independence, and problem-solving
Once you’ve written down all your achievements and activities, think about the skills to attach to them. It might be helpful to have a table including the achievement in one column and the skills you’ve used or gained in the other. This will give you a good starting point of the things to include.
If you’re working through a particular job description, always look at the skills the company is looking for and cross-compare them to your own.
For example, if they are looking for problem-solving, then think about a time when you did something to show that skill.
If you don’t have much experience, particularly as a school leaver, list some of the events you've attended. For example, networking events or insight events at a particular company. It shows initiative, drive, and passion. If you’re interested in something, you need to show it.
Below are some examples of how you might frame your experience into transferrable skills. The skills are highlighted in bold.
Ben works part-time as retail assistant in a supermarket at the weekends and in school holidays. He is also studying for his A levels at the same time. Ben could draw from this:
Anna is currently studying in her last year at college. In her first year, there was an opportunity to go out to Kenya and volunteer with school. She needed to raise £1,000 to go. She organised a bake sale and ran a 10K race through her local town. She managed to raise the money, and some extra for the charity. Anna’s transferrable skills might be:
Jodie has been part of her school football team for the past two years. She’s very passionate about football and helps organise the transport for matches, as well as playing herself. She’s always trying to boost team morale. Jodie could draw from this:
Aki has been playing the guitar since he was five years old and has reached his Grade 8. He also plays the piano and the clarinet. He’s played in lots of school concerts and has recently decided to start his own band. Some of Aki’s transferrable skills might be:
Sam has written for the school newspaper for two years. She was recently promoted to editor. She makes sure the paper gets out on time and manages a team of five other journalists. Some of Sam’s key skills might be:
Joel has been caring for his dad since he was 11 and helps looks after his younger sister. He does most things around the house, takes his sister to school, and makes sure his dad has the medication he needs. Some of Joel's transferrable skills might be:
You can find out more about skills as a young carer from the Carer's Trust.