Nothing is more problematic as a fresh graduate than falling into the loop of “You need work experience to get a job, but you need a job to gain work experience.” We have all been there, and it undoubtedly a frustrating phase in a young graduate’s life.

However, the good news is that your career prospects arent entirely dependent on prior work experience. There are certain things you can do on your resume that will improve your chances of getting hired.

Below is a list of 10 helpful tips that will help you get a job even without work experience.

Begin with a summary statement

You have probably heard of objective statements, which used to be a common thing on resumes back in the day. Objective statements are usually a few sentences long and focus on your professional goals and personal qualities.

However, these days you will rarely find objective statements on resumes because they have become somewhat synonymous with generic cliches that say nothing about you and instead includes typical “self-praise” jargon.

For example, telling a recruiter that you are “motivated, hardworking, creative, go-getter, etc.,” doesn’t do much. Do you think other people applying for the same position aren’t those things? Would they write the opposite of that?

Recruiters are good at glossing over generic statements because they have seen them a million times. This is why instead of going with an objective statement, go with a summary statement.

Remember, you need to show the recruiters what you can do for them and not vice versa. Hence, write a summary statement that is 5-6 sentences long and talk about your strengths and why you would excel at the job you are applying to. Here is a detailed breakdown of what a summary statement should look like.

Formatting Matters

Don’t write up a random ensemble of your qualifications and achievements and send it off. You need to choose a format and stick with it for the entire resume. As a fresh graduate, you probably lack work experience, and you need to do things right in order to stand out. A poorly formatted resume doesn’t indicate proficiency.

There a few dominant formats for a resume that you need to be aware of:

• Chronological
• Functional
• Hybrid

A chronological resume states a candidate’s work experience in reverse-chronological order. A functional resume format highlights the candidate’s skills and achievements instead of work experience. Lastly, a hybrid resume is a combination of both fictional and chronological.

Since you lack work experience, you are better off with the functional format. Make sure that you stick with this format for the entirety of your resume.

Grammar and punctuation

Again, you need to do everything right in order to attract attention. A poorly worded resume with grammatical and spelling errors does the opposite of what you want from a resume. You can improve your vocabulary by playing games like Scrabble, and using word unscrambler tools like Unscramblex. However, make sure that you run your resume by a friend or family member to make sure you didn’t miss anything.

Make use of punctuation, steer clear of jargon and unnecessary details. Stick to the point and utilize action verbs to keep your reader engaged.

Detail your achievements and activities

With no work experience to include on your resume, you need to include everything that has to with your achievements and activities. Make a list of everything that you have done that may count as an achievement, and then narrow it down to the field you’re applying to. If an achievement is totally unrelated to the field, then perhaps not including it would be the right thing to do.

Talk in detail about your qualifications and skills

This is where you would do most of the heavy lifting. You don’t have work experience, but you have a history of education and skills you have acquired along the way. Ask yourself what you can bring to the table. What have you done in school and outside of school that can show your compatibility for the job.

Talk about your coursework and the things you have learned that will enable you to execute your duties. Don’t spare anything here; if it applies to the job, include it in this section.

Internships are second best thing to work experience

Internships are the best way to show your employer that you are up for the job. Paid and unpaid internships that you have done along the way are essential to your resume. The more internships you have done, the better. Don’t leave any out, even if they don’t directly relate to the field you are applying to. You need to communicate to the recruiter that you have been out and about pursuing experience. It conveys commitment and hard work.

Extracurricular work and volunteering

You’d be surprised how much attention recruiters pay to your extracurricular activities and volunteer work. These activities speak to your personality and character, and often times a recruiter will pay close attention to what you do in your free time.

Do you play an instrument? Do you paint or draw? Do you read extensively or write creatively? Do you play sports?

All these things illuminate what you as a person. It gives the recruiter a chance to view you in a different light and see what your life is outside of a professional setting. Playing an instrument shows character. It shows that you can put in the work and stick to something for a long period of time and do it well. Sports also illustrate hard work and discipline. Moreover, if your extracurricular activities correspond to the job you are applying to, that’s even better.

Volunteer work is also a great way to offer an insight into your character. Have you worked in a soup kitchen or helped the elderly in an old folk’s home? Be sure to include such things because they show you don’t just lay around all day and instead are a productive member of society.

Avoid these elements

Your resume should be aimed towards a specific job that you are applying to. This is why you shouldn’t use just one resume to apply to different jobs. Instead, make multiple resumes that take into account the occupation you are interested in.

There are some things that are a no-go when it comes to building a credible resume. For example, there is no need to include writing samples, references, or photos of yourself. Unless your recruiter specifically asks you to include these, there is a need for them.

Moreover, nothing hurts your resume more than an unprofessional email address that you created in your early teens when you thought it was cool. Email addresses like [email protected] are an instant turn-off for a recruiter looking to hire professional individuals.

Look for Keywords

Modern day job hiring is a tad different from back in the day. Most employers use some sort of an applicant tracking system that relies on keywords. This may sound unfair, but sadly, recruiters often can’t go through each resume due to sheer volume of applications.

To overcome this hurdle, you can include keywords that will register with the ATS. These keywords can be found in the job advertisement itself. Just make sure you don’t include generic buzzwords like “go-getter,” “team player,” etc.

Different jobs, different resumes

One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they send the same resume to all the different jobs they apply to. This is not the right approach. Every job has different requirements, and a resume that applies to one job may be irrelevant for another.

You have to customize each resume according to individual job postings. Different job postings have different keywords, duties, skill requirements, and so on.

You may have a lot to say on a resume, but not all of it will be applicable to the position you are applying to. This is why you will be better off if you customize each resume and add only the things that the recruiter would want to see.