A CV for Jobs in Norway When You Have No Work Experience

Published October 17, 2026

Writing your first CV can feel impossible when the section called Work experience is empty. Maybe you are an international student, you recently moved to Norway, or you have never had a paid job. Everyone has to start somewhere, and many entry-level jobs are open to people applying for the first time. Your CV needs to show what you can already do, how you learn and why you fit this particular job.

This guide shows you how to build that CV step by step, with examples you can adapt.

What Norwegian employers look for in a first-time applicant

For entry-level jobs in shops, cafés, warehouses, cleaning, care homes or student positions, employers rarely expect a long career. They usually look for signs that you are:

• Reliable. You show up, keep agreements and finish what you start.
• Willing to learn. You can follow instructions and ask questions.
• Good with people. You can work in a team and treat customers or residents politely.
• Honest about your level. Norwegian workplace culture values modesty and straight answers. Overselling yourself usually works against you.

Your job is to give proof of these qualities from school, studies, volunteering, hobbies and everyday responsibilities.

Use a clear structure that puts your strengths first

Norwegian CVs are usually one to two pages. With no work experience, one page is normally enough. List items in reverse chronological order, with the most recent first. A photo is optional and not required.

A structure that works well for first-time job seekers:

1. Contact details: name, phone number, email and the town you live in.
2. Short profile: two or three sentences about who you are and what you are looking for.
3. Education: your current or most recent studies first.
4. Projects, volunteering and other experience: this replaces the work experience section.
5. Skills: practical and digital skills.
6. Languages: including your honest Norwegian level.
7. References: name, role and phone number, or available on request.

Here is an example profile:

Second-year bachelor's student in logistics at Z University. I am organised, used to working in teams, and I am looking for a part-time job in a warehouse or shop alongside my studies.

It is short and concrete. It also tells the employer exactly what kind of job you want.

Turn school, studies and everyday life into experience

Many first-time job seekers have more experience than they think. They just have not described it as experience. Think about:

• Group projects and your thesis
• Volunteering at a local sports club, a church, a student organisation or a second-hand shop
• Helping in a family business
• Babysitting, dog walking or helping neighbours
• Organising events, for example a student party or a cultural evening
• Taking care of younger siblings or older relatives

Describe what you did and what came out of it. Compare these two versions:

Before:

Volunteer, local sports club, 2023–2024

After:

Volunteer, X Sports Club, 2023–2024
Sold food and drinks at the kiosk during weekend matches, handled cash and card payments, and helped set up and clean the hall. Worked in shifts with other volunteers.

The second version shows customer service, handling money and teamwork. Those are exactly the skills a supermarket or café needs.

You can do the same with your coursework:

Before:

Group project in marketing

After:

Group project, Z University
Planned a social media campaign for a fictional local café together with fellow students. Responsible for the schedule and for presenting our results to the class.

Write a skills section that says something real

Avoid lists of empty words such as hard-working, flexible, team player. Many applicants write exactly those words, so they do not help you stand out. Instead, name skills you can actually use from day one:

• Microsoft Office or Google Workspace (Word, Excel, Sheets)
• Social media, Canva or basic photo editing
• Driving licence, if you have one
• Food safety, first aid or other courses you have completed
• Experience with cash registers or customer service from volunteering

If you want to mention a personal quality, connect it to something you did:

Used to early mornings: I delivered newspapers before school for several years.

Describe your Norwegian level honestly

Many Norwegian job ads (stillingsannonser) ask for Norwegian language skills, even for simple jobs. Do not hide your level, and do not exaggerate it. If you overstate it, it is likely to show in the interview.

If you know your level on the CEFR scale (A1–C2), use it. If not, use plain words such as basic, conversational or fluent. Always add what you are doing to improve.

Norwegian: B1 (conversational). Taking an evening course and practising daily with colleagues in my volunteer group and with friends.

A simpler version:

Norwegian: basic, can handle simple conversations with customers. Currently taking a Norwegian course.
English: fluent.
Arabic: native language.

Your other languages can be a real strength, especially in shops, care homes and customer service, where colleagues and customers may speak many languages.

Adapt your CV to each job ad

Good places to look for job ads include FINN.no, arbeidsplassen.no, which is run by NAV, and LinkedIn. Always check the søknadsfrist (application deadline) and whether the ad names a contact person.

Before you send your CV, read the ad and underline the words that describe the person they want. Then adjust your CV:

• Keep the order of entries, but put the points that matter most for this job first within each entry and in your profile.
• Use some of the same words as the ad, as long as they are true for you.
• Remove items that have nothing to do with the job.

If an ad for a care home asks for someone who is patient and caring, mention your experience helping an elderly grandparent in your profile and describe it well. If a warehouse ad mentions physical work and early shifts, give your newspaper route more space than your marketing project.

Remember that in Norway you usually send a short application letter (søknad) with your CV. Keep it to one page, be direct and modest, and address it to the named contact person when the ad gives one. If you want help comparing your CV with a specific ad, you can paste the ad into ReadyCV and get an honest view of where you fit and what is missing.

References when you have never had a job

References (referanser) are common in Norway, and employers often contact them. Without previous employers, you can ask:

• A teacher at your upper secondary school (videregående skole) or a lecturer at your university
• The leader of a club or organisation where you volunteered
• A supervisor from a work placement or internship
• A neighbour or family friend you have done regular work for

Ask for permission first, and tell them which jobs you are applying for. On the CV, write name, role and phone number:

Kari Nilsen, volunteer coordinator, X Sports Club, phone: [her phone number]

You can also write References available on request if you prefer.

Summary

• Keep your CV to one page, in reverse chronological order.
• Replace the empty work section with projects, volunteering and responsibilities.
• Describe what you did and what it shows, not just a title.
• Name concrete skills instead of generic qualities.
• State your Norwegian level honestly and show that you are improving.
• Adapt the CV to each job ad, and list references or offer them on request.

A first CV is never perfect. Each version you write, and each ad you read carefully, makes the next one stronger.

Read in other languages: CV uten erfaring: slik søker du jobb uten erfaring, med mal og eksempler