How to write a CV with no degree that gets noticed
Plenty of people build great careers without going to university. Here is how to make your experience, skills and qualifications the first thing an employer sees.
Before you start
Not having a degree is common, and for most jobs it is not a barrier. Many employers look at skills and experience as well as qualifications, and apprenticeships, vocational courses and learning on the job are all respected routes.
The trick is to build your CV around what you have done, not what you have not. This guide shows how to order it, how to list your qualifications and what to do when an advert asks for a degree.
How to handle it on your CV
Step by step, from the layout to the last line. Take what fits your own story.
Want a clean layout to start from? See our simple CV templates.
Put experience before education
Once you have some work history, it should come straight after your profile, with your most recent job first. Education goes near the end, as it does for most experienced applicants.
Make every bullet point earn its place
Start with an action and end with a result: what improved, what you delivered, who you helped. Results show the things a degree is meant to show, such as learning fast, solving problems and working to a standard.
List the qualifications you do have
A levels, BTECs, T Levels, NVQs, apprenticeships, HNCs and HNDs, professional certificates and short courses all count. Give the subject, the level where it helps and the year. Your GCSEs can go in one line, such as "8 GCSEs including English and maths".
Show how you keep learning
Courses, licences, online certificates and in-house training show that you keep developing. Pick the ones that matter for the job and put them in a training section.
Treat "degree required" with care
Some jobs genuinely need a degree, for example where a profession sets it as the entry route. Others ask for "a degree or equivalent experience", and some list it out of habit. If you meet most of the other requirements, it is often worth applying, with a cover letter that shows how your experience matches the level of the role. Never claim a degree you do not have.
Consider an apprenticeship route
Higher and degree apprenticeships let you gain a qualification up to degree level while you work and earn. There is no upper age limit, and you can start one with your current employer.
Example wording to adapt
An example about a made-up person, to show the shape and the tone. Swap in your own facts, dates and words.
Office administrator with seven years’ experience in busy property and legal offices, confident with Excel, case management systems and client calls. Promoted from receptionist to office lead in my current firm, where I now train new admin staff. AAT Level 2 in Bookkeeping. Looking for an office manager role.
Training
- AAT Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping (2024)
- Microsoft Excel: intermediate and advanced courses (2023)
Education
- BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business
- 9 GCSEs including English and maths
Your advert asks for a degree or equivalent experience. I have seven years in office roles, the last three leading the admin team, and I would welcome the chance to show how that experience matches what you need.
What to say at interview
If you have been invited to interview, the degree question has usually been answered: they think you could do the job. Be ready to talk about how you learn, with examples that show the level you work at.
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You don’t have a degree. Why should we hire you?
Do not apologise. Point to experience and results that show you can do the job, and to how you keep learning.
An example to adapt
I went straight into work after college and have learned on the job ever since. I have been promoted twice in my current firm, I run our admin training and I have taken courses whenever the role needed something new, like my AAT certificate. I think that shows I learn fast and deliver.
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How do you approach learning something new?
Give a real example, with the steps you took and the outcome.
An example to adapt
When we moved to a new case management system, I asked to be trained first, wrote a one-page guide for the team and ran short sessions on each floor. Within a month everyone was using it, and the partners asked me to do the same for the next update.
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Would you consider studying for a qualification?
Be open and positive, and mention anything you already have planned.
An example to adapt
Yes, I would welcome it. I am looking at the AAT Level 3 next year, and I would be keen to hear what support you offer for training.
Preparing for a particular job? See our interview questions by job.
What to leave out
- Claiming or hinting at a degree you do not have. It is easy to check and can cost you the job later.
- Leaving education off completely. List what you have, even if it is short.
- Apologising for not going to university, in writing or at interview.
- Every short course you have ever done. Keep the ones that fit the job.
Read next
No degree: your questions
Should I put my GCSEs on my CV?
Yes, briefly, especially English and maths, as many employers ask for them. One line is enough once you have more advanced qualifications or work experience.
Can I apply for a job that asks for a degree?
If the advert says "or equivalent experience", or you meet most of the other requirements, it is often worth applying. Use your cover letter to show how your experience matches. Where a degree is a legal or professional requirement for the job, it is not worth applying without one.
What can I put in the education section instead of a degree?
Your highest qualifications, such as A levels, a BTEC, a T Level, an apprenticeship or an NVQ, then your GCSEs in one line. Professional certificates and courses can go in a training section of their own.
Is a degree apprenticeship worth it?
It can be a good route if you want a degree-level qualification while you earn, because you do not pay for the training yourself. It is a big commitment alongside a job, so check the hours, the length and the support on offer. Our apprenticeship CV guide shows how to apply.
Keep going
- Simple CV templatesFree designs that keep your story clear, with no watermark.
- Cover lettersExample letters by job: a good place to explain your situation in a sentence or two.
- Free CV checkerA CV Score out of 100 and the fixes to make first, in about 30 seconds.
Other CV guides: Returning to work After redundancy Over 50 Moving into management Leaving the armed forces
Ready to update your CV?
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