It is a competitive world out there especially when it comes to job hunting. Everybody seems to have a background and relevant experience that would make them appear perfect the job. But, do not let this discourage you from applying for your dream job. It’s perfectly reasonable to have minimal to zero experience if you’re a fresh graduate or entry-level applicant.

Believe it or not, there are actually many things you can include in your resume to make you look qualified and in the best light possible.

What to Put on Your Resume When You Have No Relevant Work Experience

1. Start With Your Educational Background

It’s understandable for fresh graduates and entry-level applicants to start with their educational background instead of professional experience. But this doesn’t mean you are at a disadvantage. There are still a lot of experiences and relevant skills you can include under this section.

First, your educational background tells a lot about your intellectual capacity, which can later transform into actual skills. To put things into perspective, if you apply as a Brand Manager, a course in Marketing or related degree will give the impression that you already have the working tools to succeed in this particular field.

You can even include your membership in school organizations. This gives the employers the impression that you have the ability to juggle academic and extra-curricular activities, making you a promising potential employee. Write down all the activities that you spearheaded or were a part of. Count the tasks assigned to you that are relevant to the position you want to apply for. In our sample, you can include raising funds by soliciting or partnering with companies. This gives them the impression that you’re resourceful and able to negotiate with professionals even if you were only an undergraduate.

You can also include both academic and non-academic projects you’ve worked on. These reflect both your intellectual and practical skills that may be relevant to the job position.

2. Follow It Up With Other Relevant and Transferable Skills

No one is entirely zero when it comes to having skills. It’s a matter of being able to present these skills in a way that will impress potential employers by your ability to link seemingly irrelevant skills to something of substance and material to the job you are applying for.

You can acquire skills from just about any activity such as internships, summer jobs, and volunteer work. While the skills you acquire from volunteering or interning may not relate to the industry, there are a number of transferable skills you acquired. Transferable skills include leadership, research, ability to work independently and work with others. Remember that you do not have to confine yourself within the walls of your job description. After all, you’re not expected to work solely on making feasibility studies on your product. Working in a company involves administrative and incidental tasks which include computer skills, presentation skills, and working with a team.

If you are still unable to come up with a good way to write your resume, you can always use professional services to help build a good resume that will help you win the job.

If you still don’t know what to include in your resume, start by asking yourself what you’re good at. Ask family and friends, they can enlighten you on some skills that you still don’t know you have. Try to always think outside the box. Think about whether you have people skills, organization skills, or problem-solving skills. These are skills that employers value because it shows how holistic a person is. Employers aren’t simply looking for someone who has marketing skills if they want a Brand Manager. They want someone well-rounded and full of potential. After all, they want to maximize everyone they hire.

3. Couple Your Resume With a Strong Cover Letter

While cover letters aren’t technically a part of your resume, they serve an important purpose of introducing yourself to employers. Strong cover letters make up for your lack of experience. You express your passions and life experiences that aren’t directly related to the industry but still put yourself in the best light possible that will spark the employer’s interest. You can present these in a manner that will connect it to the job you’ve applied for. As an example, you can express your interest in branding and present any item that makes it sellable. This way, the employers know that you are driven enough to learn more about the industry which compensates your lack of any professional experience.

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Try to be really specific in outlining these passions and life experiences by giving real-life examples in detail. If you can do this and create a strong cover letter, you might even end up as an asset, which will convince the employers to hire you or advance you in the application process.

Looking for a job whilst competing with thousands of other job applicants is tough and a job in itself. But your lack of experience should not discourage you because, as already mentioned, no one starts at zero. Everybody always has a working knowledge or skill she/he can bank on when applying for a job. The trick is to present these working skills in a way that will compensate for the lack of professional skills.

Additionally, employers today no longer settle for the conventional experience. Now they look for applicants who do not only have the relevant educational and professional experience but are also holistic and driven. Show them that you can make it in the industry. You’re truly interested in the position and didn’t apply just because you needed someone to hire you. Don’t cram your resume and spend time thinking about what you should include in it. Present these well, and you’ll look like the best applicant they will ever have.