Law Student with no experience CV example

To land a good junior law job with no experience, you need a winning CV that will wow recruiters and hiring managers.

Learn how to create your own winning CV with our example Law Student (with no experience) CV along with a step-by-step CV writing guide.

 

Guide contents

• Law Student with no experience CV example
• CV layout and format
• Your CV profile
• Work experience
• Education section

 

CV templates 

 

Law Student with no experience CV example

CV templates 

 

This example CV demonstrates how to structure and format your own aspiring law professional CV, so that it can be easily digested by busy hiring managers, and quickly prove why you are the best candidate for the jobs you are applying to.

It also gives you a good idea of the type of skills, experience and qualifications that you need to be making prominent in your own CV.

 

 

Law Student with no experience CV layout and format

First impressions count, so a sloppy, disorganised CV may cause your CV to be overlooked..

Instead, perfect the format and structure of your CV by working to a clear logical structure and applying some simple formatting tricks to ease readability.

Don’t underestimate the importance of this step; if your CV lacks readability, your written content won’t even be seen.

 

 

Formatting advice

• Length: Recruiters will be immediately put off by lengthy CVs – with hundreds of applications to read through, they simply don’t have the time! Grabbing their attention with a short, snappy and highly relevant CV is far more likely to lead to success. Aim for two sides of A4 or less.

• Readability: Recruiters appreciate CVs that they can quickly scan through without trouble. Ensure yours makes the cut by formatting your headings for attention (bold or coloured fonts should do the trick) and breaking up long paragraphs into smaller chunks or short, snappy bullet points.

• Design: When it comes to CV design, it’s best to keep things simple and sleek. While elaborate designs certainly command attention, it’s not always for the right reasons! Readability is key, so whatever you choose to do, make sure you prioritise readability above everything.

• Avoid photos: It’s tempting to add a profile photo or images to your CV, especially if you’re struggling to fill up the page – but it’s best avoided! They won’t add any value to your application and, as are not a requirement the UK, so recruiters do not expect it, or want to see it.

 

CV templates 

 

CV structure

Divide your CV into the following major sections when writing it:

• Name and contact details – Head your CV with your name and contact details, to let the reader know who you are and how to contact you.

• CV profile – A brief paragraph which summarises your skills and experience and highlights why you’re a good match for the role.

• Core skills list – A snappy, bullet-pointed list of your most relevant skills.

• Work experience – A structured list of your work experience in reverse chronological order.

• Education – A summary of any relevant qualifications or professional training you’ve completed.

• Hobbies and interests – An optional section, which should only be used if your hobbies are relevant to the jobs you’re applying to.

 

Now I’ll tell you exactly what you should include in each CV section.

 

 

CV Contact Details

 

Write your contact details in the top corner of your CV, so that they’re easy to find but don’t take up too much space.

You only need to list your basic details, such as:

• Mobile number
• Email address
• Location – Don’t list your full address. Your town or city, such as ‘Norwich’ or ‘Coventry’ is perfect.
• LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – Remember to update these before listing them on an application.

 

 

Law Student with no experience CV Profile

Your CV profile (or personal statement, if you’re an entry-level applicant) provides a brief overview of your skills, abilities and suitability for a position.

It’s ideal for busy recruiters and hiring managers, who don’t want to waste time reading unsuitable applications.

Think of it as your personal sales pitch. You’ve got just a few lines to sell yourself and prove you’re a great match for the job – make it count!

 

 

Tips for creating an strong CV profile:

• Keep it concise: Recruiters are busy, so to ensure your profile is actually read, it’s best to keep it short and snappy. 3-5 punchy lines makes for the perfect profile.

• Tailor it: If recruiters don’t see your suitability within a few seconds, they may close your CV straight away. Your CV profile should closely match the essential requirements listed in the job ad, so make sure to review them before you write it.

• Don’t add an objective: You only have a small space for your CV profile, so avoid writing down your career goals or objectives. If you think these will help your application, incorporate them into your cover letter instead.

• Avoid cliches: Focus on fact, not fluff. Phrases like “Committed and enthusiastic thought-leader” and “Dynamic problem solver” might sound fancy, but they’ll do nothing for your application. Not only do they sound cheesy, but they have no substance – stick to real skills and facts

 

Example CV profile for a Law Student with no experience

 

What to include in your Law Student with no experience CV profile?

• Summary of experience: Demonstrate your suitability for your target jobs by giving a high level summary of your previous work work experience, including the industries you have worked in, types of employer, and the type of roles you have previous experience of.

• Relevant skills: Make your most relevant key skills clear in your profile. These should be tailored to the specific role you’re applying for – so make sure to check the job description first, and aim to match their requirements as closely as you can.

• Essential qualifications: If the jobs you are applying to require candidates to have certain qualifications, then you must add them in your profile to ensure they are seen by hiring managers.

Quick tip: Your CV is your first impression on recruiters, so it’s vital to avoid spelling and grammar mistakes if you want to appear professional. Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to add pre-written content that has been crafted by recruitment experts.

 

Core skills section

Next, you should create a bullet pointed list of your core skills, formatted into 2-3 columns.

Here, you should focus on including the most important skills or knowledge listed in the job advertisement.

This will instantly prove that you’re an ideal candidate, even if a recruiter only has time to briefly scan your CV.

 

 

 

Work experience/Career history

Next up is your work experience section, which is normally the longest part of your CV.

Start with your current (or most recent) job and work your way backwards through your experience.

Can’t fit all your roles? Allow more space for your recent career history and shorten down descriptions for your older roles.

 

 

Structuring your roles

Recruiters will be keen to gain a better idea of where you’ve worked and how you apply your skill-set in the workplace.

However, if they’re faced with huge, hard-to-read paragraphs, they may just gloss over it and move onto the next application.

To avoid this, use the simple 3-step role structure, as shown below:

 

 

Outline

Begin with a summary of your role, detailing what the purpose of your job was, who you reported to and what size of team you were part of (or led).

 

Key responsibilities

Using easy-to-read bullet points, note down your day-to-day responsibilities in the role.

Make sure to showcase how you used your hard sector skills and knowledge.

 

Key achievements

Finish off by showcasing 1-3 key achievements made within the role.

This could be anything that had a positive effect on your company, clients or customers, such as saving time or money, receiving exemplary feedback or receiving an award.

 

CV templates 

 

Education section

In your education section, make any degrees, qualifications or training which are relevant to junior law roles a focal point.

As well as mentioning the name of the organisation, qualification titles and dates of study, you should showcase any particularly relevant modules, assignments or projects.

 

Interests and hobbies

This section is entirely optional, so you’ll have to use your own judgement to figure out if it’s worth including.

If your hobbies and interests could make you appear more suitable for your dream job, then they are definitely worth adding.

Interests which are related to the industry, or hobbies like sports teams or volunteering, which display valuable transferable skills might be worth including.

 

 

Writing your Law Student with no experience CV

Once you’ve written your Law Student CV, you should proofread it several times to ensure that there are no typos or grammatical errors.

With a tailored punchy profile that showcases your relevant experience and skills, paired with well-structured role descriptions, you’ll be able to impress employers and land interviews.

Good luck with your next job application!