If you want to know how to make a standout resume, then you’re in the right place. Entry-level roles are often really competitive, especially at a graduate level. This means you need to spend time creating a resume that helps you to make it to the top of the pile.
In this guide, we cover exactly how to create your first resume when you have no experience to help you secure a role.
Here’s everything you need to know:
- Why would companies hire someone with no experience?
- How to format your first resume
- How to write a resume for your first job
- How to write a resume as a high school student with no experience
- How to write a resume as a college student with no experience
- How to write a resume after a long career break
- How to develop skills for a resume
- What to put on your resume instead of work experience
- Who should I use as a reference on my resume?
- What is ATS software and how will it affect my resume?
Why would companies hire someone with no experience?
Everyone has to start somewhere, and even the most senior business leaders started right down the ladder with a first job.
When employers are looking to hire someone junior they won’t be focusing on experience but instead looking for key skills that said person can bring to the role. Often, the fit they’re looking for might be based on personality, enthusiasm and eagerness to learn.
With this in mind, it’s worth creating a resume that showcases exactly this. Who you are, what you’re good at, and what skills you have.
A willingness to learn is going to be a big incentive for companies as they’ll be looking at your potential and whether you can grow in the role.
To help you do exactly that, the rest of this guide addresses how to create a resume from start to finish.
How to format your first resume
When wanting to find out how to write your first resume, you need to start with a basic format. Recruiters will expect to see a resume that is clear, consistent, and clean. That means no graphics, just plain, simple, and sleek.
Of course, you can download many resume templates online, which is extra handy when it’s your first one. However, make sure that what you produce can be read by a screen reader. A lot of the time, the first time your resume is read is actually by a computer and resume templates on Canva actually aren’t readable as all of the text is saved as an image rather than text.
An easy way to check if your resume is readable is with our Value My Resume tool which pulls out all the key information. It’s also a handy way of seeing what kind of roles you should be looking for if you’re not sure.
If you’d like to simply take inspiration from a resume you’ve found online, you should create something with the following sections:
Always at the beginning
- Full name
- City, state
- Telephone number
- Objective statement
In an order of your choosing
- Education – in reverse chronological order, the most recent listed first
- Work Experience – in reverse chronological order, the most recent listed first
- Skills
Use a standard font throughout your resume. Times New Roman and Arial are good examples. Set margins around your resume and use font size, bold, and italic consistently.
An example might look something like this:
Even if you don’t have easy access to Microsoft Word to create your resume template, don’t forget there are free versions online that come with a Gmail account. Google Docs has a lot of the same features.
With regards to the order of your resume, your name and contact details should always be at the top, followed by your objective statement. The other sections can be moved around.
Most recruiters only look at the top third of the page in any detail, in fact, some recruiters only read resumes for 10 seconds. This means that you need to put the most relevant information at the top. This could be your education, some amazing volunteering work and internships you’ve done, or your key skills.
How to write a resume for your first job
Once you have a template and format, it is time to populate your resume. Below, we’ve outlined what each section might look like. For each of these sections, it’s worth thinking about the specific skills you have to make your resume unique to you.
Your contact details
This is pretty self-explanatory. However, it’s worth thinking about your email address. If you have an embarrassing email address, consider setting up something more professional using your name and your email provider. ILoveCats99@internet.com might not send the right message to an employer.
Your objective statement
This should be a paragraph that introduces who you are, what your career ambitions are and how this links to the skills you have. When it’s your first resume, think about some of the soft skills you’ve developed, integrate voluntary work, and focus on any educational successes.
We’ll cover this in more detail if you’ve just graduated high school or college below.
It’s worth noting that the first third of your resume is prime real estate and the thing that recruiters will read in full, so your objective statement is really important. Make sure you change it for every job you apply to.
Your work experience
This is where you can showcase any work experience you may have. Now, even if you’ve never had a paid job before, remember that you can integrate volunteer work, school projects, or even things you have done unpaid for friends and family.
Some examples might include: regular babysitting, being on the cheer squad, organising a charity event, or having a role at school such as the editor of the student paper. A lot of this can be made relevant.
For each role, think about the role, the company, and when you did it, and add 3-5 bullet points about this experience. Each bullet point should start with a strong action verb such as drove, led, created, or raised and ideally each action verb should be different.
Here’s an example:
Babysitter, self employed Jun 2021
- Understood the needs of my clients and their children.
- Created a program of play activities while taking responsibility for three under-fives on a weekly basis.
- Successfully helped a child, aged four, to read independently within three months.
An example such as this one would be ideal if you were looking for a role in childcare or teaching. You could also use this example to demonstrate organizational skills.
Education
If your work experience is lacking, make the most of your education. As your career progresses, this section will become less and less relevant, but for now, there are loads of things that can be said.
Firstly, begin by listing your most recent education, and then list other education in reverse chronological order. Then consider what relevant information you can add to your education. You might, for example, add your GPA or if you made the dean’s list or honor roll, and any courses or programs you studied that are relevant to your future career.
If you are interested in a career in finance and are soon to graduate from college. Your education section may look something like this:
Missouri State, Missouri August 2020 – Graduating June 2023
Math Major (3.6 GPA)
Relevant courses
- Introduction to Numerical Analysis
- Introduction to Differential Geometry
- Computational Number Theory
- Business and Analysis
Relevant coursework
- An analysis of the American banking industry during periods of recession, comparing 1923 – 1933 and 2007 – 2009.
- The power of statistics in predicting financial trends.
Extra-curricular activities
- Led a program tutoring high school students from deprived areas in Missouri to improve their math ahead of their college applications. Over 75% of these students gained college places with a full or partial scholarship.
- Joined a research group with Professor Suarez, focussing on actuarial science.
- Played football at a college level all three years, and captained the 2022 – 23 college year.
Skills
This is a section that you can move around your resume. A lot of people keep this section to the bottom. However, if this is your first resume, you may decide you want to put your skills at the top, just after your statement, so it is one of the first things a recruiter sees.
Your skill section can look different, depending on whether you’re struggling to find ways of expanding your education and experience or not.
If you’re finding it easy to find ways of expanding your experience then your skills may look something like this:
Skills
Microsoft Office | Google Suite | 65 words per minute | Customer orientated | Bi-lingual (French and English) | Organized | Friendly | Hard-working | Personable
However, if you would like, you can add further information, this is called a functional resume.
Skills
Microsoft Office
- Completed advanced skills training (June 2022) in Excel, Word, and Outlook.
- Applied this knowledge to produce high-level coursework to gain a 3.8 GPA during my studies.
Detail oriented
- Led my high-school paper as Editor in Chief for three years. Proofing and editing at least 20 submissions per monthly issue.
- Competed in chess at a state level for five years, successfully winning state championships in 2016 and 2020.
If a job description is asking for specific skills, think about changing to the language they are using so that you’re an exact match. For example, they may use “Highly organized” whereas you have simply used “organized”. Update your resume with the company’s language.
How to write a resume as a high school student with no experience
There are two main points in life when you might be writing your resume for the first time and these are the two points of leaving education, high school and college.
Starting with high school, your focus will be on your academic achievements and anything you’ve done alongside your studies during your teenage years. Your objective statement will look different depending on what you’re looking for.
If you’re currently studying and looking for additional income while you’re still in high school, focus on your soft skills as the roles will probably be in unskilled work such as hospitality.
An example of soft skill focus:
A customer-focused and friendly high school student looking to secure a part-time role as a waitress. Quick thinking, I’m able to manage heavy workloads and revision timetables alongside a wide range of extracurricular activities.
With ambitions of attending an Ivy League school after I graduate high school, I am determined to work ten hours a week during term time to help me fund my future studies.
If you’ve finished studying and are looking to secure a summer role you might be interested in securing an internship or work experience that is relevant to your planned major.
An ambitious high school graduate who joins Missouri Tech this fall to major in veterinary medicine. Achieving a 4.0 GPA throughout high school while balancing volunteering at a local animal shelter as well as being captain of the cheer squad, I am looking to secure an internship this summer at a veterinary hospital.
Hard-working, dedicated, and knowledgeable with regard to small animal care, I am looking to expand my experience into farm animals and exotic pets.
If you’ve finished high school and do not have plans to continue education at this stage but would like to get on the career ladder then your statement will focus on your high school education, your extracurricular interests, and your career ambitions.
A career-orientated honor roll student who has just graduated high school with a 3.7 GPA looking for a role in financial administration. Having achieved state-level success as a mathlete while studying, I also acted as student counsel chairperson for the last two years.
With a strong work ethic and a successful academic record, and ambitions of a long-term career in finance, I am looking for a role with career progression.
As a high-schooler, think about adding more information to each of your skills so that you can showcase things you have developed outside work experience and education.
How to write a resume as a college student with no experience
As a college student, you’ll have a few more years of academic experience under your belt, and probably a few more extracurricular activities to draw from.
Again, focus your opening statement around what you’re looking for and highlight what makes you ideal for the role you’re applying for.
Firstly, if you’re looking for your first job and are hoping to work part-time alongside your studies.
A dedicated second-year student, majoring in marketing at Utah State, looking to secure part-time retail work. Hard-working, detail-oriented, and available for two six-hour shifts per week, I have recently received a 90% on my paper “Fashion merchandising in retail for Gen Z”.
I have used sales systems and card machines previously while acting as Glee Club treasurer for a period of three years during high school (where I graduated with a 4.0).
Internships are a fantastic way of gaining vital experience during your summer break from college. Some students work as an intern each summer to gain work experience, however, sometimes these are unpaid. If you’re looking to explore an internship your statement may look something like this:
A Utah State student who has just successfully completed their first year majoring in business with a 4.0, looking to secure a summer internship program in Business Consulting.
Detail-oriented, and driven by numbers I recently achieved a 95% on my paper “The future of business in the age of remote work”. As a previous mathlete and current statistics minor, I am skilled with numbers and data.
If you graduate college without any internships, never fear. It can feel like internships are the only option, but it is not unusual to leave college without any experience. Focusing on your studies and achieving a good GPA should always be priority number one.
If you’re leaving college and looking for your first graduate role without any experience, focus on what you have achieved during your time at college. Think about relevant programs and coursework.
An ambitious newly graduated Utah State Biological Sciences major with a 3.7 GPA, seeking a role as a graduate laboratory assistant.
A team player who successfully led a small team of fellow Biology research students for a project focusing on the effects of long Covid. The study, which fed into the research published by Professor Zayal, has gone on to inform state health policies.
With little or no experience, college students need to focus on their studies, and any impact they have made on research, published papers, or student life.
How to write a resume after a long career break
Career breaks can happen for a number of reasons such as health, personal circumstances, or caring responsibilities. Approaching a resume for the first time after a long break may mean that a lot of your previous experience is out of date, or no longer relevant. If this is the case, the information in this guide will be relevant as although you do have experience, it’s long out of date and no longer suited to your career ambitions.
It’s worth writing about your career break during your resume objective statement, pulling out why you are re-entering the workforce.
Example one
Detail-oriented financial administrator with over a decade of experience in a range of fast-paced multinational firms.
Re-entering the workforce after a two-year sabbatical which involved voluntary work overseas building schools for remote communities.
Example two
A creative Fashion Designer with five years of experience looking to pivot into social media coordination after building a successful personal brand.
Re-entering the workforce after a decade-long sabbatical, caring for my three young children. During this time I have developed a 150k following on my Instagram and receive 10,000 daily visits to my blog which details my experience of motherhood. I am looking to use my creative flair to successfully grow accounts for my employer.
Example three
An experienced administrator with over twenty years of experience in the advertising industry. Adept at creating digital systems to automate processes.
Due to ill health, I am re-entering the workforce after a period of two years. Having overcome many hurdles along this journey I am dedicated to returning to work on a part-time basis in the health industry.
With regards to your work experience, only choose to detail roles that are relevant to your current ambitions and list your period of absence as a sabbatical.
You may decide that rather than listing the month and year of each role, you instead list just the year so that the length of your sabbatical seems a bit less dramatic.
Relevant voluntary roles, new responsibilities such as childcare, and any hobbies or sport activities can all be bought in to enhance your resume further.
How to develop skills for a resume
Depending on the urgency of securing a role, try to look for ways to enhance the skills and experience on your resume, prior to submitting it for your first job.
In this section, we will detail some often asked-for skills in entry-level roles and how to develop these. You never know, you might have this experience already, but not have thought to highlight them.
Customer service is a skill that is relevant to so many jobs. From hospitality to retail, to business consulting or PR. Although customer service can be developed in the workplace, it is also a skill you may be able to pick up doing voluntary projects.
Perhaps you led a series of bake sales in your local community to raise money? Here you can showcase how you successfully retailed a range of baked goods, serving over 100 customers in a 3-hour period, and raising $400 dollars for charity. You may also have been able to answer consumer enquiries regarding allergens in a timely and knowledgeable manner.
Teamwork can be developed in a range of ways. Most obviously in sport or extracurricular activities.
Perhaps you played on your school softball team for a number of years? Use this to showcase how you were part of the wider success of the team, working together to bring them to state finals for the first time in 10 years.
Leadership is a skill that you may not need for an entry-level role but it shows employers your potential in future. Did you lead a successful project in class that received a good mark? Or perhaps you acted as editor of a college publication or newsletter?
Ambition is something that a lot of graduate roles are looking for. This is what your academic achievements are for as it shows you’re hard-working.
If you majored in something relevant to the role, even better, as it demonstrates your ambitions for a career in this area. To demonstrate personal growth, you might use raising your GPA year on year as an example of how you went the extra mile.
Attention to detail is a skill that a lot of employers value. It shows employers that you aren’t going to make mistakes, as often mistakes can cost them money.
First things first, when you check through your resume and covering letter, make sure you keep an eye out for silly mistakes, as there’s nothing worse than stating you have attention to detail just before a typo. If you have the capacity, offer to proof other students’ work and state on your resume that you provided editorial and proof-reading support to students to a high level of accuracy.
What to put on your resume instead of work experience
Just because you haven’t been permanently employed or worked full time before, doesn’t mean you’ve never worked. Sometimes your hobbies, sport, or education may not feel like work, but you have worked hard.
Sport is a great way of showcasing to employers a range of skills. Teamwork, dedication, ambition, self-motivation the list goes on. You don’t even need to have been on a specific sport team but perhaps you’ve spent a decade learning something like dance or gymnastics. All of these show that you’re able to push yourself and stick to something even when times are tough.
Volunteer work can look like anything. From running a local event to befriending people who are lonely in your community, walking dogs, cleaning horse stables, or working with a local charity. All of these experiences will give you a new skill. If you have a specific career in mind, then try and find volunteering opportunities in a similar field.
Student counsel and any student activism and politics are brilliant opportunities to use your voice for good. Wanting to explore careers in the public sector, politics, or even PR and speech writing? These kinds of activities can take you places.
Helping in your family business may not feel like work, in fact, mom and dad may call them chores instead. Whether it’s a shop, restaurant, or office, you might have lived and breathed that business for as long as you can remember and it’s an experience worth talking about.
Social media and blogging might not feel like work at all. Perhaps your TikTok about student life went viral or your creative writing blog gets loads of readers? These show you’re good at communicating, able to stick to something (as social media rewards consistent posters) and are able to build something yourself.
Who should I use as a reference on my resume?
On most resumes you won’t need to put a reference down, just state that references are available on request. However, you’ll be asked for them at some point during the application process.
Without previous work experience, you can’t put down a previous employer. Focus on thinking about who knows you and your work ethic best. This might be a teacher or a tutor, someone you volunteer with, a sport coach, or even a family friend who you’ve done some work experience for.
Whoever you choose, make sure that the experience they relate to is on your resume.
What is ATS software and how will it affect my resume?
If you’re applying for a role online, often your resume will go through something called an ATS, Application Tracking System. This will scan your resume and look for keywords and phrases that match the job specification.
When employers use an ATS, a person may never look at all the resumes. It’s a way of them saving time, especially for really competitive roles.
ATS tend to be used by big companies. If you’re applying for a role at a local independent retailer then chances are, they’ll just look at your resume. However, what we can learn from ATS is relevant to us all.
First and foremost, make sure the digital version of your resume is readable. Often application sites will ask for a Word document or PDF for this reason. Even if you know an employer isn’t using one, sometimes the person reading your resume might be using a screen reader.
Next, make sure that there are words and phrases used in your resume that are used in the job specification. If an employer is asking for a certain list of skills, make sure they feature. Even if an employer is not using an ATS, using the same language and phrases is the difference between being “perfect for the job” and an “OK fit”.
And finally, check your resume, and then check it again. ATS also pick up on spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, much like spell check on your computer. If you can, ask someone else to give your resume a read-through before you send it in.
So that’s it. We’ve explained how to create a killer resume to help you to apply for your first role.
Ready to find your first role? We have thousands of new jobs listed each and every day and you can find them here.
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