No work experience yet? Here's what you can put on your CV
Companies advertising roles for fresh graduates don't expect years of work experience. They're looking for evidence that you're willing to learn, can work with others, and get things done. You often already have that evidence; it just hasn't been written up the right way.
Resmi.ID Team · 5 min read ·
Photo: Satria Perkasa / Unsplash
What you can include
- Your final project, thesis, or university projects, along with the results.
- Student organisations, event committees, or youth community groups, and the roles you held.
- Internships, field work placements (PKL), or university–industry project programmes.
- Part-time jobs, such as barista, cashier, private tutor, or courier.
- Freelance work or a small business, such as designing logos, running social media accounts, or selling online.
- Courses, certifications, and competitions relevant to the role.
Write it like work experience
Treat each activity like a job: state your role, what you did, and the result. This pattern makes informal experience look on a par with work experience.
- 1Organisation"Head of the events division for the faculty anniversary; coordinated 15 committee members and drew about 600 visitors over two days."
- 2University project"Built a simple stock-recording app for a relative's grocery shop as my final project; the owner now uses it every day."
- 3Part-time"Part-time barista for 1 year; handled the morning rush and was trusted to open the shop alone at weekends."
- 4Small business"Sold snack products on a marketplace; handled product photos, customer chats, and shipping myself."
A fresh graduate CV layout
- 1HeaderName, city, WhatsApp number, professional email, and a portfolio link if you have one.
- 2SummaryTwo sentences on your major, key skills, and the type of role you're looking for.
- 3EducationUniversity, major, graduation year, final project title if relevant, and GPA if requested.
- 4ExperienceInternships, organisations, projects, and part-time work with achievement points.
- 5SkillsSoftware, languages, and certifications you genuinely have.
Example summary: "Management graduate with a marketing internship and experience running a student organisation's social media. Comfortable creating content, reading insight data, and writing campaign reports. Looking for a digital marketing staff role."
A simple portfolio helps too
In fields such as design, writing, digital marketing, or programming, evidence of your work is often more convincing than a list of skills. You don't need an expensive personal website. One online folder with three to five of your best examples, each with a short note on its purpose, your role, and the result, is enough.
Make sure the link opens without requesting access permission, and don't include confidential client or university documents. If an example came from group work, state which part you did yourself so it's judged fairly.
Government internship programme
If you've just completed a D3 diploma or a bachelor's degree and need your first experience, keep an eye on the National Internship Programme run by Kemnaker (the Ministry of Manpower) through the MagangHub site (maganghub.kemnaker.go.id). When this article was updated in late October 2026, the site was announcing registration for Batch 3 of 2026. Requirements and schedules can change with each batch, so always check the official site directly.
Common fresh graduate mistakes
- A two-page CV listing seminars you only attended as an audience member.
- Listing generic skills like "Microsoft Office" without examples of how you used them.
- Using an old, unprofessional email address.
- Sending the same CV to every job without tailoring it.
- Including sensitive data such as your national ID number (NIK) or bank account.
A short cover message
If the job asks for a cover letter or message, three or four sentences are enough: the role you're applying for, the single most relevant piece of evidence from your CV, and why you're interested. Example: "I'm applying for the admin staff role. During my internship in the finance department, I compiled more than 200 invoices a month with no discrepancies. I'm interested because I want to learn at a growing logistics company."
Build evidence while you job hunt
Use your job search period to add to your CV. Take one relevant short course, do a small project for a local small business, or volunteer where your skills are needed. Two or three months later, your CV will have new evidence you can talk about in interviews.
On KarirResmi, save the jobs you like and turn on saved searches to get WhatsApp or email alerts when a matching new job is posted. After applying, follow its status on your application timeline; if an application isn't processed, it's closed automatically and you're still notified, so you're never left waiting without an answer.
References
This information is general. For important decisions, check the latest rules at official sources or consult the relevant authorities.
