You have never worked, and yet a recruiter asks you for a CV. This situation is common, and it is not an obstacle. A CV without professional experience relies on other levers than a list of jobs held: education, skills, concrete projects. The goal is to show a coherent profile and credible potential.
CV and LinkedIn Profile Consistency: The First Filter Before Reading
Before you even start writing, ask yourself this question: does your online presence tell the same story as your CV? French recruiters are increasingly checking the consistency between the CV and the LinkedIn profile, even for a first job.
A discrepancy in dates, a different training title, or a vague level of education between the two documents is enough to create doubt. Align your information before sending anything.
If you do not yet have a LinkedIn profile, create a simple one with the same sections as your CV. No need for elaborate content: a clear title (“Accounting Student – Seeking Internship”), a neutral photo, and your education are sufficient. Knowing how to write a CV for the first time also involves thinking about this digital showcase from the start.
Projects and Achievements Section: Replacing Experience with Evidence
The empty “Professional Experience” section is the classic blockage. The most effective solution is to create a “Projects” section structured like a mini-experience.
Let’s take an example. You did a group presentation in a marketing class on the launch of a fictional product. Instead of ignoring it, phrase it like this: “Design of a product launch strategy (university project, 4 weeks, team of 3). Conducted market research, created visual materials, oral presentation before a jury.”
This format follows a logic that recruiters know well:
- An action verb at the beginning of the line (design, organize, analyze, write) that describes what you did concretely
- A precise context (academic, associative, personal) with a duration or scope
- An identifiable result or deliverable (report submitted, website launched, event organized)
This principle works for a school project, a personal website, organizing an associative event, or even a community garden that you coordinated. Any documentable project becomes proof of competence.
Education and Micro-Certifications: The Most Significant Section
Without experience, education is your main argument. Detail it more than an experienced candidate would.
Beyond the diploma, mention relevant subjects for the targeted position, final year projects, significant grades in a specialty. If you are applying for a communication position and received a good evaluation in a web writing module, indicate it.
Micro-Certifications and MOOCs
Online certifications effectively fill the absence of experience. In recent years, short certificates (MOOCs, Google certifications, OpenClassrooms training) have been increasingly valued by French recruiters.
A practical tip: rename your “Diplomas” section to “Education and Certifications”. Place your traditional diplomas there, followed by your recent certifications. This shows an active learning approach, a positive signal for an entry-level profile.
ATS-Readable CV: A Common Trap for Beginners
You may want to create a very graphic CV, with columns, icons, and colors. The problem: applicant tracking systems (ATS) read these layouts poorly.
These tools are no longer just for large companies. SMEs and recruitment agencies in France now commonly use them. A CV with an original section title like “My Enriching Journey” instead of “Education” risks simply not being detected.
Some concrete rules for an ATS-compatible CV:
- Use standard section titles: “Education”, “Skills”, “Projects”, “Interests”
- Prefer a single-column layout, without tables or floating text boxes
- Save as a simple PDF (not an “image” PDF from a design tool)
- Integrate keywords from the job offer into the body of the CV, not just in the title
A simple and well-structured CV will perform better than a visually appealing document that is unreadable by the machine.
Entry-Level CV Hook: Three Lines That Make You Want to Read More
The hook (or personal profile) is placed at the top of the CV, just below your contact information. For a first job, it replaces experience as the first signal sent to the recruiter.
A good hook is two or three sentences long and contains three elements: your current situation, your main skill or education, and what you are looking for. For example: “Third-year computer science student. Skills in Python development and database management acquired through a university project. Seeking a six-month internship in web development.”
Avoid vague phrases like “motivated and dynamic” or “looking for new challenges.” These expressions provide no actionable information. The recruiter wants to know what you can do, not how you describe yourself.
Tailoring the Hook for Each Application
If you are applying for positions in different fields, modify the hook for each submission. A recruiter in logistics and a recruiter in communication are not looking for the same words. Using the exact terms from the job offer in your hook increases your chances of passing the initial filter, whether human or automated.
The CV without experience does not need to be long or spectacular. One page, clear sections, projects phrased with action verbs, and a hook tailored to the position are enough to build a credible document. The recruiter is looking for potential, not a history. Provide concrete evidence that this potential exists.