By Thea Theresa English

Preparing your resume without a work history

You are preparing your resume but if you have no work history, it can be difficult to pull off. But it is possible to get a certain position even if you have inadequate experience. In this situation you want to present your most important qualifications as it relates to the job you are applying for. If you are applying to be a teacher's aide but you worked primarily as a babysitter, you can list the skills you gained as a babysitter on the resume.

Include volunteer work

Volunteer work counts as job experience as long as it relates to the job you are interested in. If you are preparing a resume for a home health care aide but you volunteered as an assistant to the nurses at a local nursing home for 15 years, make this the focus of your resume. Highlight your major duties as a volunteer at the nursing home and these could include bathing patients, getting them dressed, taking them to doctor's appointments, and providing recreational activities.

Create a strong objective

A strong objective is a great asset if you are writing a resume and have limited experience. You need to emphasize your best character traits and discuss how you plan to utilize them in the position you are applying for. When hiring managers see a strong career objective, they might overlook your lack of adequate experience.

Educational experience

Another thing you can do is emphasize your education on the resume if you have no work history. Talk about specific courses you took and how this relates to the job you're applying for. If you completed internships, discuss specific accomplishments you achieved and other duties you performed. This lets the hiring manager know that you used your college experience to gain knowledge in your field.

Accompany resume with cover letter

When you write the cover letter, you should highlight significant accomplishments that are not listed on your resume. Also demonstrate your knowledge of the company by discussing ways you can contribute to the company based on their mission and expectations of potential employees.

Follow standard resume format

Your resume should be one page long and typed using Times New Roman font. The font size should be 12 and do not print the resume on colored paper as this looks unprofessional. Include your name, phone number, mailing address and e-mail address in the center part of the document.

Include references

References can work in your favor when you do not have a lot of work experience. Some good source of references might include former professors, supervisors of places where you volunteered, former members of campus organizations you joined and those from your church. This gives the hiring manager an idea of how trustworthy you are as an employee.

It is possible to create a well-constructed resume without work experience if you focus on other activities that prepared you for the position you are applying for. Have a professional review your resume and give you feedback before turning your resume in.

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