Lead with attitude and availability
For entry-level roles, employers hire attitude and train the rest. Open your profile with reliability, a strong work ethic and clear availability. 'Available immediately, flexible on shifts including weekends' is a genuinely powerful line.
Count the experience you didn't get paid for
Plenty of real, transferable experience never came with a payslip. Include it honestly:
- Volunteering, community or church work
- Helping in a family business or on a farm
- Sports teams, clubs or committees (teamwork, commitment)
- Caring for a family member (huge for care roles)
- School or college projects, work experience placements
Get a cheap ticket or two
A few low-cost certificates instantly widen the jobs you qualify for and show initiative. Depending on the sector: Manual Handling, Safe Pass (site work), a Food Safety/HACCP course, or a first-aid course.
Keep it honest and one page
Never invent jobs or exaggerate — it falls apart at interview. A short, honest, well-organised one-page CV that shows you're reliable and ready beats a padded one every time.
Frequently asked questions
What do I put on a CV if I've never had a job?
Lead with reliability, availability and willingness to learn, then include volunteering, education, projects, sports and any family or community work. Add any tickets (manual handling, Safe Pass, HACCP) you can pick up cheaply.
How do I get my first job in Ireland?
Target entry-level and general operative roles that train from scratch, apply widely with a targeted CV, and emphasise that you're reliable and available immediately. A cheap ticket or two makes you stand out.
Should I include hobbies on my CV?
Only if they show something relevant — teamwork, commitment or responsibility. 'Captain of a local GAA team' says more than 'reading and music'.