how to write a resume if you have never worked

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25 Things to Put on a Resume When You Have No Experience

Creating a resume with no experience can seem daunting, but it’s not impossible. Our goal with this article is to provide you with the information and guidance you need to create a compelling and effective entry-level resume that will get you noticed by hiring managers.

We understand that starting your career journey can be challenging, especially when it comes to highlighting your strengths and abilities without previous job experience. This article will cover various strategies and tips that will help you build a solid foundation for your resume and showcase yourself as a desirable candidate for your dream job.

We aim to provide you with practical insights on how to outline your skills, education, volunteer work, and other relevant experiences even if you don’t have direct job experience. This article will also dive into the importance of tailoring your resume to the position you’re applying for and optimizing it for applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Our goal is to show you that a lack of experience does not have to hold you back from landing your dream job. By the end of this article, you will be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to create a top-notch resume that highlights your shining qualities and sets you apart from other applicants.

So, let’s get started!

Understand the Importance of a Strong Resume

The job market can be a competitive and challenging space, especially for those who are just starting out or have little to no experience. In such situations, having a strong resume is an essential tool for anyone to succeed in their job search. Understanding the importance of a well-written resume can mean the difference between landing your dream job and never getting past the application process.

Why a resume is important for a successful job search

A resume serves as your personal marketing tool; a document that introduces you to prospective employers and communicates your skills, experience, and achievements. It is your opportunity to present yourself in the best possible light, showcase your strengths, and convince employers that you are the right person for the job. A well-crafted resume can help you stand out from other candidates, create a positive impression, and get your foot in the door.

What employers look for in a resume

Employers have specific criteria when it comes to screening resumes. They want to see that you have the relevant skills, experience, and qualifications for the job; that you possess the qualities that match their company culture; and that you can contribute to the organization’s success. To make a good impression on employers, it is crucial to tailor your resume to each job you apply for, highlighting your relevant skills and experience.

Employers typically look for the following things in a resume:

• Clear and concise presentation of your skills and experience
• Relevance to the job you are applying for
• Consistency in all the information provided
• Evidence of your achievements and contributions
• Attention to detail in formatting and style

How a good resume can increase your chances of getting hired

A well-crafted resume can significantly increase your chances of getting hired. It can catch the employer’s attention by presenting a clear, concise, and compelling snapshot of your experience, skills, and qualifications. Additionally, a good resume can help you pass the initial screening process and make it to the next stage of the hiring process.

A good resume can help you:

• Stand out from other applicants
• Demonstrate your potential value to the employer
• Highlight your most relevant experience and achievements
• Show that you are a professional and take your career seriously

A strong resume is an essential tool for anyone searching for a job, especially those with little or no experience. A well-crafted resume can make all the difference in securing your dream job. Ensure that your resume highlights your most relevant skills and achievements, is tailored to each job application, and presents you in the best possible light to increase your chances of getting hired.

Identify Your Relevant Skills and Qualifications

One of the biggest challenges for individuals with no work experience is identifying their relevant skills and qualifications. However, it is important to note that prior work experience is not the only factor employers consider when evaluating candidates.

Here are some tips on how to determine your relevant skills and qualifications:

1. Consider Your Education

Your education can provide insight into the skills and knowledge you have acquired. Make sure to include any relevant coursework, academic achievements, and extracurricular activities. For example, if you are applying to a job in marketing, you may want to highlight any coursework in advertising, market research, or business strategy.

2. Assess Your Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are skills that can be applied to various settings and industries. Some examples of transferable skills include communication, leadership, problem-solving, and organization. Assess your own transferable skills by thinking about experiences in your personal life or volunteering activities. For example, if you have volunteered at a community organization, you may have developed leadership and communication skills that can be applied to the workforce.

3. Use Job Descriptions as Inspiration

Reading through job descriptions of positions you are interested in can provide insight into the skills and qualifications employers are looking for. Take note of any recurring requirements such as computer proficiency, attention to detail, or customer service.

How Soft Skills Can Play an Important Role in Your Resume

Soft skills, often referred to as people skills, can be a valuable asset in any professional setting. While technical skills such as coding or accounting are important, soft skills demonstrate personal qualities that can set you apart from other candidates. Here are some examples of soft skills to include on your resume:

1. Communication Skills

Communication skills are essential in almost any job. Being able to convey ideas and actively listen to feedback can lead to better collaboration and more successful projects. Highlight your communication skills by mentioning any public speaking or debate experience as well as any strong writing capabilities.

2. Leadership Skills

Leadership skills can also differentiate you from other candidates. Even if you haven’t held a formal leadership role, experiences such as leading a project or working in a team can demonstrate these skills.

3. Problem-Solving Skills

Being able to approach problems with creativity and adaptability is a sought-after trait. Showcase your problem-solving skills by mentioning any experiences where you had to troubleshoot a tricky situation or come up with an innovative solution.

While job experience is a valuable asset, it is not the only factor employers consider when evaluating potential candidates. Identifying your relevant skills and qualifications and highlighting your soft skills can make you a strong contender for a position.

Highlight your Education

One of the best ways to showcase your potential as an entry-level candidate when you don’t have work experience is to highlight your education. Your education section is prime real estate on your resume, as it gives employers insight into your capabilities, potential and desire to learn.

How to showcase your educational background

When it comes to highlighting your education on your resume, be sure to include the following information:

Name of the institution  – Start with the name of the institution where you received your degree. Be sure to spell it correctly and include the official name, as well as any commonly used abbreviations.

Degree name and level  – Include the name of your degree, such as Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Also, indicate the level of the degree, whether it’s an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree.

Major/field of study  – Indicate your area of focus, such as marketing, psychology or computer science.

Graduation date  – Include the date you received your degree.

Relevant coursework  – If you don’t have any work experience, your coursework can help you showcase your abilities and qualifications. Include any relevant courses that you took in college that relate to the position you’re applying for.

GPA  – Including your GPA is optional, but can be helpful if you have a high GPA or if the employer asks for it.

Honors and awards  – If you received any academic honors or awards, such as Dean’s List, Phi Beta Kappa, or scholarships, be sure to include them.

Including relevant coursework and achievements in your education section

When it comes to highlighting your relevant coursework and achievements, be strategic about what you include. Only include coursework and achievements that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Here are some tips:

Focus on skills and competencies  – Instead of listing individual courses, focus on the skills and competencies you developed in those courses. For example, if you took a course in project management, you can highlight your ability to manage timelines, budgets and resources.

Quantify your achievements  – If you received high grades in your coursework, mention your GPA or any academic awards you received. If you completed a project, mention the scope of the project and any measurable outcomes.

Speak to the job requirements  – Look at the job description and identify the key requirements. Then, tailor your education section to highlight the coursework and achievements that demonstrate your ability to meet those requirements.

By highlighting your education in your resume, you can demonstrate your potential and willingness to learn. Don’t shy away from showcasing your relevant coursework and achievements, as they can help you stand out in a competitive job market.

V. Emphasize Your Extracurricular Activities

One of the best ways to showcase your skills and potential when you have no professional experience is to highlight your extracurricular activities. From leadership roles to volunteer experiences, including these on your resume can demonstrate your commitment, passion, and ability to excel in various areas.

When featuring your extracurricular activities and involvement, be sure to include specific details about your role and responsibilities. For example, if you were a member of a club, mention the projects you worked on, the events you organized, and the skills you gained through your involvement. If you volunteered at a non-profit organization, highlight the impact you made, the challenges you faced, and the lessons you learned.

In addition, don’t forget to mention any leadership roles you held. Clearly state the position you held and the size of the team you managed, as well as any accomplishments or initiatives you spearheaded. This can demonstrate your ability to take charge, delegate tasks, and motivate others.

Finally, if you have received any awards or recognition for your extracurricular activities, make sure to mention them. This can add credibility to your accomplishments and prove your dedication and excellence in a particular area.

Including your extracurricular activities and involvement on your resume can help you stand out from other candidates and give potential employers a more well-rounded view of your skills and potential.

Highlight Any Relevant Internships or Work Experience

One way to compensate for a lack of direct experience in a particular field is to refer to relevant internships or work experience, even if they occurred in other industries or areas. Such experiences can still be valuable in terms of teaching transferable skills that can be applied to the job at hand.

For instance, highlighting that you interned as a sales associate in a retail store can illustrate key skills such as customer service, teamwork, and handling money. If you worked as a waitress, you might have developed communication skills, multitasking abilities, and attention to detail. You can then demonstrate how you can apply those acquired skills to a different role or industry.

Be sure to highlight any relevant work or internships in your resume by including detailed descriptions of your responsibilities and accomplishments. Use active verbs and quantify your achievements to give potential employers a clear understanding of your contributions. Additionally, you can showcase your transferable skills learned from previous experiences through your cover letter, emphasizing how they can translate into relevant tasks and requirements of the job you’re applying for.

Even if you don’t have direct experience related to the field you’re applying for, highlighting previous relevant work or internships and demonstrating transferable skills can still make you a strong candidate for the job.

Showcase Your Relevant Achievements and Accomplishments

When listing your achievements on your resume, it is important to do so in a clear and concise manner. Rather than simply listing your responsibilities, focus on highlighting the impact you had on previous projects or positions. This will demonstrate to potential employers that you can contribute to the success of their organization. Here are some tips to showcase your achievements effectively:

Highlight quantifiable successes

Using numbers and data to quantify your successes can be a powerful way to showcase your achievements. For example, instead of saying “increased sales,” you could say “increased sales by 20% within the first quarter.” This adds context to your achievement and demonstrates your ability to impact a business. Other examples might include reducing costs, increasing productivity, or improving customer satisfaction.

Be specific

When listing achievements, be specific about what you achieved and how. Simply saying you “improved a process” doesn’t give potential employers any real insight into your abilities. Instead, say something like “streamlined a process that reduced production time by 50%.” This provides a clear picture of your accomplishments and how they benefited the organization.

Focus on relevant achievements

When listing achievements, make sure they are relevant to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a marketing position, list achievements related to marketing or advertising campaigns you have worked on. This will demonstrate that you have the necessary skills and experience for the job.

By following these tips, you can effectively showcase your achievements and make your resume stand out to potential employers. Remember, your accomplishments demonstrate your value as an employee and can make a big difference in landing your next job.

Utilize Resume Keywords

In today’s job market, it is crucial to have a resume that stands out. One way to achieve this is by utilizing keywords throughout your resume. Keywords are specific words or phrases that are relevant to the industry, job, or skills you possess. By incorporating these keywords your resume, it can help you stand out from the pack.

Understanding how to use keywords in your resume to stand out

To make the most of keywords, it’s important to understand how to use them. One way to do this is by reviewing the job posting to identify the keywords that the employer is looking for. You can then incorporate these keywords into your resume in the relevant sections to ensure that your resume matches the job requirements.

Another approach is to use keywords that reflect your skills and achievements. Think of words or phrases that describe your strengths and experience. For example, if you’re a graphic designer, some keywords might include design software, branding, layout, and typography.

When using keywords in your resume, it is important not to go overboard. Don’t just list a bunch of random words or phrases that are not relevant to your industry or experience. Instead, be strategic about where and how you use them. This may include integrating them into your professional summary, work experience, or skills sections.

Examples of relevant keywords for various industries

Here are some examples of relevant keywords that you might consider using in your resume based on the industry:

• Social media
• Advertising
• Marketing campaigns
• Brand management
• Market research
• Content creation
• Lesson planning
• Classroom management
• Curriculum development
• Student assessment
• Differentiated instruction
• Educational technology
• Parent-teacher communication
• Programming languages
• Database administration
• Network security
• Agile methodology
• Cloud computing
• Cybersecurity
• Electronic health records
• Patient care management
• Medical terminology
• Diagnostic procedures
• HIPAA compliance
• Healthcare regulations
• Clinical trials

By using relevant keywords in your resume, you can demonstrate your skills and experience more effectively to potential employers. It helps you stand out and gets you noticed in the hiring process. Make sure to avoid overusing them and follow best practices to tailor them to each application you submit.

Structure and Design of a Strong Resume

When it comes to creating a strong resume, formatting and structure are essential for making sure that your document is easy to read and well-organized. Not only will a well-designed resume grab the attention of potential employers, but it will also make your experience and qualifications stand out.

Here are some tips for formatting and structuring your resume for maximum impact and readability:

How to Format and Structure Your Resume

• Use a clear and consistent font throughout your document. Arial, Calibri, and Times New Roman are all good options.
• Limit your use of bold, italic, and underline to highlight important information like headings and job titles.
• Break up large blocks of text with bullet points to make your resume more reader-friendly.
• Use white space to separate different sections and make your resume easier to navigate.
• Use a chronological format to showcase your work experience, with your most recent job listed first.

Tips on Choosing a Resume Template

When it comes to choosing a resume template, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you want to choose a template that fits your style and personality. If you’re applying for a more creative job, you might want to choose a template with a more design-focused layout. If you’re applying for a more traditional job, a clean and simple template might be a better choice.

Here are some additional tips for selecting a resume template:

• Look for templates that match your industry or career level. You don’t want to choose a template that’s too casual or too formal for the job you’re applying for.
• Use color sparingly. A pop of color can help your resume stand out, but too much color can be distracting.
• Use a template that’s easy to edit and customize. You don’t want to spend hours tweaking a template that doesn’t quite fit your needs.

By following these tips for formatting and structuring your resume, as well as selecting a template that fits your style and needs, you’ll be well on your way to creating a strong and effective resume even if you have no prior experience.

Tips for Writing a Compelling Resume Summary or Objective

When it comes to writing a resume, a common section that’s often included is a summary or objective statement. These statements serve as an introduction to your potential employer and give them an idea of your background and goals. However, it’s important to know the difference between a resume summary and objective.

Resume Summary vs. Objective

A resume summary is a brief paragraph or bullet points at the top of your resume that highlights your professional accomplishments and experience. It’s a great way to give a quick snapshot of who you are as a candidate and what you bring to the table.

On the other hand, a resume objective is a statement that outlines your career goals and what you hope to achieve. It’s typically used by job seekers who have little to no work experience or are transitioning into a new industry.

Tips on Crafting a Strong Statement

Whether you’re writing a resume summary or objective, there are certain things to keep in mind to make your statement compelling and memorable. Here are a few tips:

Keep it concise: Your statement should be no longer than 2-3 sentences or bullet points. You want to quickly capture the reader’s attention and not overwhelm them with unnecessary information.

Focus on your strengths: Highlight your most relevant skills and achievements that make you a standout candidate. Tailor your statement to the job you’re applying for and emphasize what you can bring to the role.

Use keywords: Make sure to include keywords and phrases that are relevant to the job description. This can help you get past applicant tracking systems and catch the attention of the hiring manager.

Show your personality: While it’s important to keep your statement professional, don’t be afraid to inject some personality and showcase your unique voice. This can make you more memorable and help you stand out from other applicants.

Your summary or objective statement should give a clear picture of who you are as a candidate and what you can bring to the table. With these tips and a little creativity, you can craft a compelling statement that will make a lasting impression.

Incorporating Relevant Examples in Your Resume

When it comes to resumes, listing your skills and qualifications is important, but it’s not enough. In today’s competitive job market, recruiters and employers are looking for candidates who can provide tangible evidence of their abilities. That’s where incorporating relevant examples in your resume becomes crucial.

Providing examples of your accomplishments, skills, and experience is an effective way to stand out amongst other job applicants. It allows you to showcase your strengths and capabilities, instead of simply stating them. Including examples in your resume can help to give recruiters and potential employers a better understanding of your abilities and achievements, making you a strong candidate for the job.

Here are some examples of relevant and resonant examples to include in your resume:

1. Academic Achievements

Include any academic achievements such as awards or scholarships you’ve received. If you were involved in any academic competitions, mention your achievements and your role in the team. For example, if you competed in a science fair and won an award, mention that in your resume.

2. Volunteer Work

Volunteering can give you valuable experience and skills that you can highlight in your resume. If you volunteered in a leadership role, be sure to mention that. If you volunteered for a non-profit organization and helped raise money, include the amount you raised and how you accomplished it.

3. Internships

Internships are a great way to gain work experience in your field of interest. Highlight your contributions to the company you interned at and any projects you worked on. Be sure to mention any new skills you learned while on the job.

4. Freelance Work

If you have done any freelance work, be sure to include it in your resume. This could include anything from designing a logo to writing an article. Mention the project you worked on, what you accomplished, and the impact it had on the client.

5. Personal Projects

If you recently completed a personal project, it’s worth mentioning in your resume. This could include a website you designed or a YouTube channel you started. Highlight your skills and the impact your project had.

Incorporating relevant examples in your resume is a powerful tool to showcase your abilities, accomplishments, and potential. By providing tangible evidence of your skills and experience, you can make yourself stand out from other job applicants and increase your chances of securing the job of your dreams.

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More from ResumeHead

How to Write a Resume with No Work Experience in 2024 (With Examples)

Don't worry, we've all been there. Thrown into the job world with little to none work experience and no idea how to start a resume. We're here to help.

With more and more people on the job hunt each year, entering the work force with minimal to no experience on your resume can be a daunting and frustrating task.

However, no need to worry, all is not lost for applicants lacking in relevant work experience.

We've all been there.

This guide is here to help you learn how to shift the focus of your resume onto your skills, unpaid experiences, and education in order to frame your lack of experience in a more appealing manner.

• What Resume Format is Best for Someone with No Experience?

Adding Transferable Skills to Resume

Including unpaid experience on resume, listing education on a resume as a student.

• Finally, Getting Jobs with a No-Experience Resume

What Resume Format is Best for Someone with No Experience

The first and arguably most important decision when it comes to crafting a resume is deciding which format is best for you.

When you are lacking in relevant work experience, using the standard resume format – also known as the reverse-chronological resume – may not be the best idea.

Reverse-chronological resumes are centered around the work experience section, which is precisely the section you want to shift the attention away from when your experience is limited.

Instead, you should consider using either a functional or a hybrid resume .

If you are unsure which resume format best fits your needs, check out our guide on choosing the correct resume format.  

1) What are Functional Resumes?

Unlike reverse-chronological resumes, functional resumes are not designed or formatted to be primarily focused on relevant work experience.

Because of this, the functional resume has become the favored format for applicants who do not have work experience to showcase.

There are a number of reasons why a person may not have work experience to feature on a resume. Common circumstances include an individual being a student or recent grad.

Veterans who lack non-military experience and people looking to re-enter the workforce after a gap in their employment history also may favor a functional format. 

The benefits of using a functional resume include:

• Well-suited for applicants who have gaps in their employment history or lack relevant work experience.
• Greater flexibility in how sections of the resume can be structured, allowing for a skills section to be the main centerpiece of the resume.
• Provides better opportunity to highlight any unpaid experiences or academic credentials an applicant may have. 

2) What are Hybrid Resumes?

A hybrid resume mixes the formatting of functional and reverse-chronological resumes in order to make a resume that includes elements from both.

These kinds of resumes are highly customizable and can be restructured according to the applicant’s needs.

Using a hybrid resume may be wise for someone who has some work experience that may or may not be wholly relevant

For people with no work experience whatsoever, however, sticking to a functional format may be best.

Benefits of using a hybrid resume include: 

• Opportunity to show work experience, even if it is not relevant to the job being applied for
• Good for applicants who have limited paid working experience but have extensive history working in unpaid opportunities, such as volunteering. 
• Hybrid resumes may more closely resemble a reverse-chronological, which is the standard resume format that employers typically expect. 

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

Making a resume as a job applicant with little to no experience requires you to take an in-depth personal inventory of your personal skills and talents.

Everything from your communication skills to your time management and teamwork skills matter here and creating a definitive list of your greatest strengths is key.

There are two categories of skills to consider: hard skills and soft skills .

1) Hard Skills 

Hard skills are more quantifiable and are typically gained through some form of education, training, or certification program.

This can include skills such as computer programming, speaking foreign languages, or being a mathematician.

While you may not have gained hard skills through prior work experience, there are still potentially hard skills you obtained through other channels, such as through school or from the military.

Writing down your hard skills is important, as this is where you will find your most relevant skills for a job application. 

2) Soft Skills

Soft skills are less quantifiable and have more to do with your personality, work ethic, and how you interact with other people.

Communication, problem-solving, and cooperative skills all come into play here. 

Though soft skills may not be as easy to directly relate to a job application, they are still necessary and helpful to include in a resume with a limited work experience section.

Additionally, job descriptions often lend hints to the kinds of soft skills an employer is looking for, and including those skills can show you pay close attention to information given to you. 

Examples of Transferable Skills

Below we have provided a list of common transferable skills to help get you started on identifying which skills you possess and how you can frame them on your resume to improve your chances of landing a job interview. 

Of course, there are hundreds of skills that are good to include on a resume.

It is important to choose skills that both accurately represent your talents as well as provide relevance to the job description provided.

For more ideas on good skills to include, check out our guide on 100+ key skills for a resume in 2024.

Here are a few examples of transferable skills and how to list them:

1) Collaboration

Collaboration skills generally indicate your ability to work well with departments, professionals, or teams outside of your own.

This can show employers your ability to form connections with others within an industry

Incorrect: Collaborated with volunteer teams from other counties.

Correct: Learned strong collaboration strategies through participating in volunteer service activities involving multiple groups of volunteers.

2) Teamwork 

While collaboration shows your ability to work with external connections, teamwork emphasizes your ability to work well within your own team.

Teamwork requires you to pay close attention to your teammates and be willing to compromise in order to make things happen.

Incorrect: Gained teamwork skills through community service.

Correct: Achieved effective teamwork through helping to organize meetings for a community service group.

3) Communication

Communication skills largely involve your public speaking abilities and your capability for expressing yourself in a clear and concise manner.

Including examples of how you have honed your communicative abilities is key. 

Incorrect: Strong communication skills

Correct: Developed communication skills through working as a peer mentor at the university. 

See how this Art Director resume example listed Communication as a skill on her resume:

4) Computer Skills

Nowadays, digital and computer skills are a must and the more you know, the more opportunity you may have for employment.

Detailing your computer skills and programs you can properly operate is essential. 

Incorrect: Strong computer skills and knowledge of software.

Correct: Experienced in the use of Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Creative Cloud. Certified in the use of Microsoft Excel. 

5) Dependability

When an employer is considering a job applicant with little to no experience, that applicant’s dependability will be one of their major questions.

As such, including dependability in your skillset is generally a smart idea. 

Incorrect: Provided dependable service as an intern.

Correct: Proved dependability through being on time or early every day on an internship. 

6) Critical Thinking

An employer will want you to be fast on your feet while also being able to think things through thoroughly.

Emphasizing your critical thinking skills helps to show a potential employer your attention to detail and ability to problem solve. 

Incorrect: Gained critical thinking skills through membership in a chess club. 

Correct: Employed critical thinking skills during a chess club competition, placing in second. 

7) Leadership

Taking on leadership roles oftentimes comes with hefty responsibilities.

Showing employers your ability to handle and succeed as a leader can greatly impact their impression of your work ethic and ability to work well with others. 

Incorrect: Grew leadership skills in military training.

Correct: Developed leadership skills in the role of a platoon leader during military training. 

For example, take a look at how Elysse added Leadership skills on her chef resume :

For many job applicants with little to no work experience, there are oftentimes other experiences they have that can be used to emphasize and showcase work done to better hone one’s skills and expertise.

Two common examples include experience gained through volunteering or internships .

When you have no experience or gaps in your employment history, having experiences like these to fill the gaps and give context to your skills is key. 

1) Volunteering

Taking advantage of volunteering opportunities is a great way to both begin to build out your resume while also giving back to your community.

There are all sorts of volunteering positions to consider, from working in a local animal shelter to helping with inventory at a food bank. 

Volunteer service shows not only that you have experience to back up you the skills you claim to have, but it also shows your commitment to your work even if there is no compensation involved.

This can reflect very positively on your work ethic to future employers. 

Incorrect: Volunteered at a local shelter.

Correct: Spent six months volunteering at a local homeless shelter, helping to take daily and weekly food and supply inventories.

2) Internships

Internships are especially common for current students or recent grads to take on, as many jobs require some amount of relevant experience to be considered for open positions.

Internships provide the opportunity to gain relevant working experience for those with little to no prior experience.

Inclusion of internships is important, as though it is unpaid work it still can hold a similar weight to paid work experience, especially when applying to entry or low level positions. 

Incorrect: Interned at a local newspaper for one semester. ‍

Correct: Earned a semester-long internship working as an assistant to an investigative reporter at a locally-run newspaper. 

Aside from internships and volunteer experiences, things such as community leadership or fundraising can be useful to include as well.

Basically any experience that helped you to gain and hone your skills is good to consider adding to a resume. 

See how Marianne added her internship in this graphic design resume example :

When figuring out how to list education on a resume it is important to be mindful of what the job description listed as the educational requirements for the position.

Generally speaking, unless a resume is meant to be more academically focused, it is recommended to keep education sections rather short.

For those with no experience, however, the education section may be a good opportunity to showcase activities, clubs, leadership roles, and other similar experiences.

Showing your involvement on campus can help to fill the time gaps in employment history if you are a student or recent grad. 

Incorrect: Played on an intramural soccer team. ‍

Correct: Participated on an intramural soccer team and earned the role of team co-captain. 

Finally, How to Get Jobs with a No-Experience Resume

When it comes to writing the perfect resume in 2024 , there are lots of considerations to keep in mind.

With so much competition, it can sometimes feel disheartening for those of you with no experience.

However, there is a lot of power in the format and wording of your resume and learning how to optimize your resume is key to overcoming a lack of experience.

Here are three key takeaways for writing resumes with no experience:

1) Be Extra Attentive to Formatting

When you are using a functional or hybrid resume format, it may be immediately noticeable to employers that you have chosen against using the standard reverse-chronological format.

As such, you need to be extra careful with your formatting and design in order to ensure your resume looks clean and is easy to follow. 

2) Contextualize Your Information for Specific Jobs

Since your resume will likely be centered around you skills rather than your experience, it is very important to relate your skills back to the job you are applying for and contextualize for the employer how you will apply you skills if given the position. 

3) The More Detail the Better

You don’t want to leave employers feeling like they’ve been left hanging.

While you should still strive to maintain clarity and conciseness in your descriptions, do not be shy in adding heftier amounts of detail than you might in a more standard resume.

You want to stand out to employers and showcase exactly how you are perfect for the role being offered.

Our Last Thoughts

Landing a job with no experience can be tricky, but it’s nowhere near impossible.

The key to crafting a resume when you lack relevant experience is to identify and showcase your relevant and transferrable skills. 

If you are unsure how to get started formatting your resume, check out our resume templates and examples !

Browse more resume templates that fit your role

Get inspired with more resume examples

Read our how-to guides on making your resume perfect, how to list accomplishments on a resume in 2024 (including awards & key achievements).

Showcasing your achievements is what can be the cherry on the cake to help you stand out from the crowd as a top performer and really attract employers.

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How to Write An Effective Resume With No Work Experience (with Templates and Examples)

A recruiter-backed guide to writing an effective resume if you don't have enough (or any) work experience - with downloadable templates and examples.

3 years ago   •   13 min read

Navigating the job market without professional experience can seem daunting, but you can still write a competitive resume with no work experience. The key is to present the experience you do have, and show a recruiter why it’s relevant to them.

Remember, a lack of work experience doesn't mean a lack of skills or potential. Unpaid roles, student activities, internships, personal projects, and volunteer work can all provide substance for your resume, showing your potential to employers and highlighting your transferable skills.

In this guide, we'll take you through crafting a compelling resume without formal work experience, covering how to quantify your skills, focus on education, and fill your resume with competitive keywords.

How to write a resume with no work experience

If you're writing your resume but lack enough (or any) professional work experience, here's a quick step-by-step guide to help you get started:

• Include any internships, extracurricular activities , freelance, and volunteer work to supplement your experience.
• List your education section at the top of your resume.
• Use numbers and metrics to quantify your skills and explain how your experience is relevant, even if it's in a different field.
• Include a skills list of relevant keywords and competitive skills.
• Include in-progress education, training and qualifications relevant to your desired field, and consider enrolling in online courses that match the job description.
• Write a resume summary to highlight transferable skills and career goals.
• Stick with a standard reverse chronological resume format. (Not sure what that means? Don’t worry; we'll explain below.)
• Run your resume through a free online resume checker for personalized advice on targeting your resume to your application.

Remember, just because you lack paid work experience doesn’t mean you lack skills! All you need to do is learn how to highlight those skills in a way that will grab a recruiter's attention. Here is an example of how you can create a well-rounded resume with limited paid experience:

Top tips for creating a resume if you have no work experience

Here are 8 top tips for creating a professional-quality resume, despite having little to no work experience.

Highlight transferable experience

The experiences you highlight on your resume should be relevant and tailored to the job you are applying for, but that doesn’t mean they need to be in the same industry. Many skills are transferable between jobs and industries; these are the ones you want to highlight.

Look carefully at the job description and consider what you’ve done previously that demonstrates those skills. Recruiters look for transferrable technical skills, as well as soft skills, so demonstrate these through any experience on your resume, paid or non-paid.

Focus on accomplishments

Once you have decided what experience to include on your resume (more on that in our sections below), remember to talk about your accomplishments , not your job duties. “Responsible for closing the store every night” is a duty — it tells recruiters what you were asked to do, but not what you actually did or how you’re likely to perform in the job you’re applying for. Narrow down the accomplishments most relevant to the skills listed in the job description and focus on those.

Include a resume summary

Adding this optional section at the top of your resume can benefit those with limited or no work experience. A resume summary outlines your essential skills, experience, and noteworthy accomplishments to highlight why you're a good fit for the job.

Use the job title of the job you're applying for, regardless of your past experience, and list 2-3 key skills that match the job description. Mention if you have relevant background experience in that field, paid or not, and highlight any standout accomplishments.

For example:

Quantify your accomplishments and skills

Including numbers and metrics can help any experience look more impressive. This is known as quantifying your resume ; start with an action verb and include a metric or result that demonstrates your achievement.

If you’re having trouble coming up with metrics, here are some questions to consider:

• How many people have you worked with? Instead of saying that you worked in a team, specify the size of the team.
• How many people attended an event you organized? If it was for charity, how much money did you raise?
• How many customers did you serve on an average day? How many sales did you make?

Here is an example of how to quantify a previous job on your resume:

Use the right keywords

Most resumes nowadays go through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) , automated programs that scan your resume for certain keywords. This means you have to include the right words on your resume to make it past the filter.

Search our list of top resume skills and keywords to get an idea of the specific skills hiring managers are looking for. Being a match for the essential skills the job requires is much more important than having the perfect background or experience!

Keep your formatting simple

You don’t need a fancy-looking resume to impress. In fact, going overboard with creative elements like downloaded fonts, colors, and images can actually do more harm than good. Stick with an easy-to-read font, clear section titles, and standard one or two-column format, or download a free resume template that does the work for you.

Use reverse chronological format

Reverse chronological format simply means that your most recent experience and qualifications are listed first. This is the most common format for modern resumes and is what most hiring managers are expecting. That applies to work experience, but also to your education, projects, and extracurricular activities.

Use a cover letter

You can get ahead of most other applicants simply by writing a cover letter . A cover letter is a great opportunity to talk about why you’re interested in the job and what you would bring to the table, which, when you lack traditional work experience, may not always be obvious from your resume alone.

Pro-tip: Choosing the right examples

If you’re not sure if you have chosen the right examples of your skills for your resume, upload it to the tool below to get a detailed review of your resume and personalized suggestions on how you can improve your word choice, brevity, impact and style, and if there are any critical keywords missing from your resume.

Professional resume template with no work experience

If you have little to no work experience, you can still write an effective resume with only unpaid experience (internships, online training, volunteer work, etc.) by highlighting your most impressive and quantifiable accomplishments, and accomplishments that showcase transferable skills.Here is a professional resume template you can use to improve your existing resume or build one from scratch. You can download this template and more from our resume templates page.

Pro tip: For students writing their first resume

As a student or recent graduate, you will likely have limited or no experience to fill your resume. But don’t worry. This template is also for you!

Notice how this template lists extracurricular, volunteering and personal experiences as 'Leadership and Work Experience', and the resume starts with an Education section. This is a good approach to take if you're a student just getting started in your career.

You can download this template for free here .

Writing a resume for a career change with no previous experience

Making a career shift without prior experience in your proposed field can seem daunting, but it's not impossible. Just like the template above, your resume should focus on transferable skills and competencies that could apply to your desired role and highlight relevant training and certificates. The goal is to convince potential employers that while you may lack direct experience, you have the aptitude and enthusiasm to excel in this new career path.

For more information, read this article on updating your resume for a career change in 2024 .

Pro tip: Gaining industry-specific knowledge

Although you may not have direct experience in your new field, showing that you have done your homework about the industry can go a long way. This could include enrolling in online training, such as Google Career Certificates or Coursera online courses, attending seminars or workshops, or self-study. Make sure to mention these in your education or training section to show your initiative and commitment to learning about the new field.

How to write each section of your resume when you have no previous experience

There are important key sections that should be part of every resume, such as education and qualifications, work experience, hard skills and a resume summary. But don’t worry if you don’t think you have anything to write.

Below, we will explain how to tackle each section of your resume if you have little to no work experience, including formatting options, what to include and the best way to showcase your skills.

Education and qualifications

If you’re new to the workforce or are changing careers, your education and training are likely the most recent and most relevant experience you have. That means you can list your education section at the top of your resume, which takes some of the focus away from a limited work history.

Capitalize on this by elaborating on your academic achievements. Anything from relevant coursework to study abroad can be listed in your education section.

If you're a current student or recent graduate

If you’re a current student or recent graduate, you can also list your education section at the top of your resume above your work experience. The more recently you graduated, the more detailed you can make this section.

Include the name and location of your school, university or college, your field of study and your graduation date (or expected date if you’re yet to graduate). You can also include relevant honors or awards, and significant coursework.

Here is an example of how this would look on your resume, using the template above:

If you didn’t complete your degree

If you didn’t complete your degree , that’s not a problem. You should still list an unfinished degree on your resume a) if it's relevant, or b) until you have more work experience.

Include the name and location of your university, the field of your degree and the dates you attended school. You can also include the number of course hours completed.

Work experience

This is the dreaded section for most people. How are you supposed to write a work experience section when you don’t have any previous paid experience? You need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get experience!

The most important thing to remember is that experience doesn’t need to be formal or paid to be considered experience. Work experience can include volunteering, freelance work, internships, part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, or personal projects. These all demonstrate transferable skills that hiring managers are looking for.

Internships

Internships and student placements are ideal experiences for your resume since they’re still professional settings. You can list internships under your experience section, especially if you don’t have other paid experience.

Include the name of the company, the dates of employment and your specific job title, and list your experience in 3-6 bullet points describing your duties or accomplishments.

Volunteer work

Volunteer work is another excellent substitute for paid experience. Just like an internship, volunteering can be listed in your experience section or a separate volunteer work section .

Include the organization's name, the dates you volunteered and your role within the company. List 1-2 accomplishments in bullet point format, and include accomplishments to demonstrate your skills.

Extracurricular activities and projects

Extracurricular activities or personal projects are great ways to demonstrate relevant skills, especially when you don't have traditional paid experience. Both can showcase leadership , teamwork , or other valuable attributes, even if they are not specifically relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Think about the skills you demonstrated in your activities and frame those skills as accomplishments. List the name of the activity or project, your role, and then 1-2 bullet points detailing your accomplishments. Remember to start each point with a strong action verb and highlight your essential skills and achievements.

For an extracurricular activity, your entry might look something like this:

For personal or community projects, ensure to include the focus of the project and your specific role. Here's an example:

Freelance work

If you’re still struggling to think of things to include on your resume, consider gaining additional experience by starting up a side project , like running a blog or picking up freelance work .

Include the name of the company you worked for, your role, your date of employment and the projects you completed.

Work experience or no, you should still include a skills section on your resume . This doesn’t mean you need to list every skill you possess, just those most relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Look for the skills listed in the job description and list those if you have them. If you’re not sure what skills hiring managers are looking for, you can use Targeted Resume Tool and our skills and keyword finder to look for relevant skills to include.

How to list hard skills

Your skills section should only include hard skills . In other words, things you can prove and quantify, like proficiency with a software program or technical process. Good skills to list could include:

• Software programs
• Programming languages
• Foreign languages
• Certifications
• Design skills
• Data analysis
• Specific types of writing, like proposal writing or SEO

If you have some experience with a skill but are not yet proficient, you can still include it on your resume. Consider arranging your skills by proficiency to show the skills you are currently improving.

How to show soft skills

Soft skills , like communication , leadership , and initiative , are great skills to have, but simply listing them isn’t going to impress a recruiter. Instead, consider a time you demonstrated those skills and include them in your bullet point accomplishments.

If you’re unsure which skills to include in your skills section, use the tool below to get a list of skills and keywords relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Additional sections

When you’re just starting out, anything that gives hiring managers a better sense of who you are and what you’re capable of could be worth including.

Here are some examples of additional sections you could include on your resume:

• Certifications and Courses : If you've taken additional courses or certificates that are relevant to the job you're applying for, this is the place to include them. For instance, if you're applying for a digital marketing role, you might list a Google Career Certificate or a course in SEO.
• Languages : Proficiency in foreign languages can be a significant asset in many roles. Whether you're applying for a job at a multinational company or a position that involves communication with diverse populations, list your language skills here. Ensure to mention your level of proficiency (beginner, intermediate, advanced, or fluent).
• Professional Associations or Memberships : If you belong to any professional groups or organizations related to your field, mentioning them can demonstrate your commitment to your industry.

Remember, when including additional sections, the qualities or skills you’re trying to highlight should be directly relevant to the job, even if the experience itself isn’t.

Common mistakes to avoid when writing a resume with no experience

When creating a resume with no work experience, it's easy to fall into certain pitfalls. Avoid these common mistakes to write a strong and impactful resume:

Over-inflating your experience

While it's important to highlight your skills and activities, remember to remain honest and genuine. Overinflating your experience can lead to awkward situations during interviews and may raise doubts about your credibility. If you've been involved in student activities or volunteer work, these are great to include, but don't make them sound like full-time professional roles unless they were.

Not tailoring your resume

Many job seekers make the mistake of sending the same generic resume to every job they apply for. Tailor your resume for each specific job posting by highlighting the skills and experiences most relevant to that position. This shows employers you've put thought into how you would fit in the role and makes your application stand out.

Overusing buzzwords or vague language

One of the common pitfalls in resume writing is the use of overused or vague language. Phrases like "hard-working," "team player," and "detail-oriented" are often overused and do not provide concrete evidence of these traits. Instead, demonstrate these skills through specific accomplishments or responsibilities from your past experiences.

Including too much irrelevant information

When writing a resume with limited experience, it can be tempting to include everything you have ever done. While it might be tempting to include all your experiences and accomplishments, it's important to remember that recruiters often have a large number of resumes to go through, so your resume should be as concise as possible.

Only include the experiences and skills that can be related to the job you are applying for, and leave out information that does not directly support your candidacy for the specific role.

Forgetting to proofread

This may seem minor, but a resume riddled with spelling and grammatical errors can create a negative impression. Always proofread your resume multiple times, and consider having someone else look it over too.

Is it worth applying for jobs that require experience even if I don't have any?

Yes, it's always worth applying for jobs that require experience, even if you don't have any. Job requirements are often a ‘wishlist’ from employers, and not having every requirement doesn't disqualify you. It's more about how you can convey your transferable skills, whether it's from your education, volunteer work, or extracurricular activities.

Are there any potential red flags to employers if a resume has no paid work experience?

While a resume with no paid work experience may initially raise questions for employers, it's not an insurmountable hurdle. The key is in how you present your other experiences and skills. Employers understand that everyone starts somewhere, and they are more interested in your potential, adaptability, and willingness to learn.

How should I handle gaps in my resume due to a lack of work experience?

When you have little to no work experience, it's normal to have gaps in your resume . Instead of worrying about these gaps, focus on activities you undertook during these periods. You can include volunteer work, courses, personal projects, or relevant hobbies.

If the gap is due to education or training, that information should be clearly stated in your education section. Remember, employers are more interested in seeing a continuous journey of learning and development rather than a timeline filled solely with traditional employment.

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• Guide to Writing a Great...

Guide to Writing a Great Resume with No Work Experience

16 min read · Updated on August 01, 2024

No work experience? No problem.

Just because you don't have skills that are relevant to the job, or experience in a traditional work setting, doesn't mean you can't craft a convincing first job resume. Whether you're a high school or college student, you may be wondering: how do you write a resume with no work experience? Well, we'll tell you with these expert tips.

1. Choose the best format for a resume with no experience

There are a few dominant resume templates in use today:

Chronological

Hybrid - a blend of the chronological and functional formats

A  chronological resume format  lists a candidate's work experience in reverse-chronological order and a functional resume format focuses on highlighting the candidate's hard and soft skills and achievements, rather than work experience. While the functional and hybrid resume formats can be attractive options for job seekers with little relevant experience, most employers and hiring managers prefer a chronological format.

Aside from hiring managers preferring it, it's best to use a reverse chronological resume for two additional reasons:

It's the most used format in the US, making it easy for hiring managers to review and find the information they're seeking

It's the most liked by employers' applicant tracking systems, or ATS. If an ATS can't read your resume properly, it might not get into the hands of a human reader - even if you're the perfect candidate for the job

The primary sections of a reverse chronological resume are:

The heading (with your contact information)

Resume summary

Work experience (which will be substituted with other sections when you have no work experience)

Education 

2. Incorporate your contact information 

Now that you've chosen the best format for a resume with no experience, it's time to complete each section. The first section of your resume is the header section. This is the section that includes your name and contact information. In this section, you'll provide:

Phone number

Email address

Location and zip code

LinkedIn  or professional website URL (optional)

Your name should sit above your contact information in a larger font size than the rest of the information included in the header. You also want to ensure you use a professional sounding email address. Using something like “[email protected]” or “[email protected]” will likely come across as unprofessional and won't gain you any points for the “yes” pile. A good choice is to use your name (or a combination of your initials and surname), instead. 

Here's an example of how to list your contact information at the top of your resume:

Joseph Smith

555.555.5555 | [email protected] | WV 26250 | linkedin.com/in/jsmith28

3. Include a strong summary statement

The next section of your resume, your Resume Summary, will fall just below your contact information. Your resume summary is not to be mistaken for a resume objective. 

Resume objective statements , where you state exactly what career goals you wish to achieve, have mostly fallen out of fashion. This is largely because you want to focus on what you can do for the employer, not what the employer can do for you. A resume summary statement, on the other hand, sums up who you are professionally at the top of the page in two to five sentences and serves as the first impression you give a hiring manager to entice them to keep reading. 

For a resume with no experience, your resume summary can still pack a punch. Include some of the key skills you have relevant to the job, while emphasizing your major and any type of experience that speaks to your ability to succeed.

Here's an example of a resume summary for a recent grad with a human resources degree:

Human resources graduate with diverse knowledge base in employee relations, benefits design, employment law, and policy design. Avid learner with solid written and verbal communication skills and a strong desire to support all levels within an organization for improved employee morale and productive collaboration. 

4. Substitute the Work Experience section with other types of experience

Writing a resume with no experience can feel like a daunting task. Fortunately, recruiters and hiring managers are seeking candidates that have a robust background, regardless of experience level. Here are some sections you can substitute in lieu of a Work Experience section:

Internships

Graduate assistantships, extracurricular activities.

Volunteer Work

Hobbies and Interests

When you include these additional types of experiences on a resume, you can include them as a standalone section or create a “Relevant Experience” section. Depending on the type of experience you're including, you might find it's best to use a section heading that aligns with the type of experience (“Internships” for internships, “Volunteer Work,” for volunteer work, and so on). 

Landing paid or unpaid college internships  are one of the best weapons you have against "experience required." Not only do they give you some real-world work experience, they also allow you to network and make connections that can put you in a job later. When applying for a job without experience, be sure to list any internships you've completed. 

If you haven't had an internship, consider applying for one as a step before an entry-level job.

Here's an example of how to include an internship on your resume:

Finance Intern

New York Secretary of State Office, New York, NY

Jan 2021 - May 2021

Reconciled budget sheets for quarterly processing

Supported accounting team in year end tax return audits 

Analyzed 15 budget reports over a two-month period to ensure accurate data reporting 

Similar to internships, a graduate assistantship secured during school is also a great way to gain valuable experience to include on a resume. Graduate assistantships are paid opportunities provided to graduate students. They typically involve part-time teaching or research within their field of study. 

Here's an example of how to include an assistantship on your resume:

HR Graduate Assistant

West Virginia University School of Business and Economics, Morgantown, WV

August 2020 - May 2021

Reviewed 100 collective bargaining agreements to identify and document similarities and inconsistencies throughout

Worked with academic Professors to develop research guidelines for future assistants

Volunteer work

When surveyed, the majority of employers say that they take  volunteer experience listed on your resume , such as being a soup kitchen volunteer, into consideration alongside paid work experience. So any volunteer work that highlights your talents or a new skill should be put on your well-prepared resume. 

You'll list volunteer work in a similar way to how you would list internships and actual work experience:

Animal Transport Volunteer

Friends for Life Animal Shelter, Philippi, VA

April 2022 - Present 

Working with local shelters to transport animals to and from shelters and foster homes

Assisting in cleaning kennels and common areas to support sanitation efforts

Spearheading animal supply drive, collecting $10K worth of supplies

Though it might not seem like it at first, extracurricular activities can add a lot of value to your resume in lieu of work experience, if you can relate them to the job you're applying to. For example, if you were an officer for a club during college or a captain of a sports team, these roles speak to leadership ability. 

In general, these types of activities show you have the ability to collaborate with others. It also shows you have the ability to keep up with school work while being involved in other areas outside of school, which speaks to time management and organizational skills. 

Here are some of the top extracurricular activities to include on a resume with no experience, as well of some of the skills they help to highlight:

Artistic endeavors: speaks to creativity, problem solving, perseverance, ability to learn 

Sports: speaks to teamwork, collaboration, hard work, problem solving, conflict resolution

Club leadership roles: speaks to leadership, organization, perseverance, time management

General club membership: speaks to time management, community involvement, prioritizing

Student government: speaks to leadership, public speaking, time management, problem solving, organization

Here's an example of how to list extracurricular activities on a resume with no experience:

Student Council Vice PresidentBelington High SchoolAugust 2020 - May 2021

Spearheaded clothing drive to support the homeless in the state of Virginia

Wrote and delivered 3 speeches to the student body focused on student wellbeing, fundraising events, and life beyond high school

Special Projects

If you completed job-related projects during high school or college, they can be a valuable addition to your resume. Personal projects are also game for a resume with no experience, if they're relevant to the job. 

Here's how you might list a personal project on your resume:

Social Media Campaign

Sparkle and Shine Fundraising Event

February 2022 - Mar 2024

Created social media campaign to support fundraising efforts for local children's shelter, supporting education in underprivileged youth

Increased followers by 25% in two months

Generated leads that converted to $3,000 in donations

Here's how you might list school projects on your resume:

Beaumont University

Masters in Counseling and Development

Career counseling planning design for women with chronic fatigue syndrome

Group counseling proposal for friends and family members of those who have mental health challenges

Behavioral health program design to work with males ages 18 to 30 with adverse childhood experiences

Hobbies and interests

It's more common today than ever before to include hobbies and interests on a resume - they help to provide insights into who you are as a person, to enhance your resume story. Hobbies and interests require soft and hard skills, many of which are required to succeed on the job, and they can especially be useful to fill in gaps when you lack work experience.  

For additional information on how to list hobbies and interests on your resume with no experience, refer to “ How to List Hobbies and Interests on a Resume (With Examples) .”

An award can signal to an employer to take note, since they're a distinction that speaks to your skills, abilities, and accomplishments. Adding an Awards section is an excellent way to showcase your ability to succeed in lieu of work experience. 

When you list an award, include the award and issuing institution. For example:

2023 Science Olympiad Award recipient, Science Olympiad Foundation

Certifications

Acquiring certifications provides an excellent opportunity to add value and fill in gaps in terms of skills and work experience. There are a lot of opportunities to secure certifications for free through sites like LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and  Grow with Google . Certifications not only highlight your skills but also show that you're focused on personal and professional development, which employers appreciate in candidates.  

You can list certifications in a standalone Certifications list or with your Education section. For more information on how to best include certifications on a resume with no experience, refer to “ How to List Certifications on a Resume (with examples) .” 

5. Include your education 

When you have work experience, it's common to include your Education section after your Work Experience section. However, on a resume with no experience, many opt to list and emphasize their education after the resume summary. This is largely due to the fact that your education is what's most relevant to employers when you're straight out of school. 

Also, in lieu of a Work Experience section, especially if you're running thin on any of the relevant experience options listed above, you can expand and focus on the  education section on your resume  to highlight the marketable skills you've developed. What can you do well that this job requires? What will be useful to the hiring company? What have you done in school and what have you studied that has prepared you for assuming this job?

This is generally a little easier if you're a college graduate with specialized education, but even a high school graduate can talk about their electives and relevant coursework, why they wanted to take them, and what they learned from the class. It's also acceptable to include any awards, scholarships, honors, or any student clubs and committees you participated in. For example, if you were on the Dean's list, include it. 

Many also wonder if they should include their GPA on their resume. The short answer is yes, if it's 3.5 or higher. This level of achievement highlights your potential and the hard work you're willing to put in for success. 

Here's the order to list items in your Education section, with items 5 to 8 being optional:

Degree issued

Issuing institution

City and state of institution 

Graduation date (or expected graduation date, if in progress)

Relevant coursework

Student committees

Here's how your education might look laid out on your resume:

Bachelors of Science - Psychology (3.5 GPA, magna cum laude)Maryland State University

Relevant coursework: human growth and development, assessment, treatment planning, abnormal behavior

6. Emphasize your skills

Even when you don't have actual work experience, you have definitely acquired skills to support you on the job, which can set you apart from the competition. Be sure to highlight both hard and soft skills on your resume. You can do this by including a Skills section near the end, or by adding a Core Competencies section just below your Resume Summary. 

You also might be wondering what the difference is between hard and soft skills. Hard skills are technical skills that are measurable and learned. Softs skills are tangible skills that are difficult to measure. 

Examples of valuable hard skills on a resume include:

Mathematics

Computer skills

Data analysis

Project management

Social media

Language skills

Here are some common soft skills employers seek in their employees:

Communication

Problem solving

Organization

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Working well under stress

7. Add a cover letter

Even if one isn't required, it's generally a good idea to send a short cover letter along with your resume. Cover letters are where your personality comes out and you can use them to make the case for why you're the perfect candidate for this job. 

A standout cover letter can convince an employer to bring you in for an interview, even if your resume itself doesn't have all the things they'd like to see. Your cover letter provides you with the opportunity to show a bit of personality and express why you're interested in the job, as well. Be sure your cover letter uses the same font and style as your resume, for consistency. 

Elements you should never include on a resume

While there are many elements you should consider adding to your resume, career experts say there are a few things you should never include because they waste space, don't tell the employer anything relevant, or could damage your personal brand. This list includes, but is not limited to: 

Employment references

Writing samples

Photos  of yourself

Do not add this information to your resume unless an employer or recruiter asks you to provide it. 

Additional tips for a resume with no work experience 

As you develop your resume with no experience, here are a few more tips to consider. 

Take stock of your achievements and activities

Make a list of absolutely everything you've done that might be useful on a resume. From this list, you'll then need to narrow down what to actually include on your resume. Different things might be relevant to different jobs you apply for, so keep a full list and pick the most relevant things from it to include on your resume when you send it out. This will help you to identify which sections to include in lieu of work experience.

Pay attention to technical details

When editing your resume, make sure there are no punctuation, grammatical, spelling, or other errors that will make your resume look unprofessional. Then, have a friend or family member read it again to catch any mistakes you might have missed — you can't afford a typo or missing word as a candidate with no prior work experience. Also, be sure to vary your language and use action verbs throughout your resume to keep your reader engaged.

Keywords, keywords, keywords!

Most employers use some form of  applicant tracking system (ATS) to scan and sort resumes . This may seem unfair, but it's the reality of modern-day hiring. To combat this, you'll want to come up with, and include, a list of keywords in your resume when applying for any job. The best place to  find these keywords  is in the job post itself, or in ads for similar jobs. One caveat: don't use meaningless "buzzwords," such as "go-getter," "team player," and “detail-oriented." Unfortunately, sometimes these buzzwords are the only keywords listed in the ad. If that's the case, you'll need to sneak them in alongside your detailed accomplishments and academic achievements.

Customize your resume for each job you apply to

The last and most important thing to remember when creating a good resume is to  customize it for every job to which you apply . Different job postings are going to have different keywords, different job duties listed, and so on. Appealing to each individual employer's needs and job requirements is the best strategy for getting your application noticed and hopefully landing your first job.

Relevant experience goes beyond work experience

At the end of the day, the only perfect resume is the one that gets you the interview. Regardless of whether you have work experience or not, it's still possible to stand out by highlighting other types of experience that relate to the role. 

Even once you're comfortably employed, be prepared to tweak and update your resume to get noticed with each job application you submit. In the meantime, use any type of relevant experience to help you shine and land an interview. Sooner or later, you'll land that job - and gain that much-coveted relevant work experience.

Tackling this kind of resume isn't easy. If you've recently graduated or are in an entry-level job search, a  professional resume writer  can prepare you for success.

This blog was originally written by Riya Sand and has been updated by Ronda Suder. 

Recommended reading:

5 Things You Should Always Include on Your Resume

Should You Include Social Media on Your Resume?

How to Be a Great Candidate Even If You're Under-Qualified for the Job

Related Articles:

How to Maximize Your Resume Action Words to Wow the Employer

Is Your Resume Inspirational? If Not, Here's How to Fix It

7 Ways You Try Too Hard in Job Applications

See how your resume stacks up.

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CVs & Résumés

• Jan 11, 2024

How to Write a Résumé with No Relevant Experience (Example)

You can still put your best foot forward.

Mike Dalley

HR and Learning & Development Expert

Reviewed by Chris Leitch

We will all have times in our careers when we need to consider applying for jobs with little to no experience. Often, this is when we’re starting out in our careers, but also you might be thinking about relocating or changing jobs.

Applying for a job with no relevant experience is challenging, but it can be done. The process starts with a great résumé, and this article will cover what goes into one. We’ll discuss how to write a résumé with no experience, what to focus on, résumé tips, and also a sample résumé for your inspiration.

Should you apply for a job when you have no relevant experience?

There are plenty of valid and perfectly acceptable reasons for applying for jobs when you have no relevant experience.

For starters, if you’re a college graduate or looking for entry-level jobs , then you will likely have no experience at all to share with employers. Secondly, if you’re considering changing careers, then you might also have no relevant experience to share.

In many cases, employers love to hear from candidates with little to no experience. Such candidates can bring fresh perspectives and new ideas. They will often come with a wide variety of transferable skills that can be applied to many different jobs or educational achievements that can be applied to new industries.

Candidates who show a great attitude, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn can bring many benefits to the workplace, and all it takes is to ensure your résumé stands out from the crowd when the time comes to apply.

What should you include in your résumé?

A résumé should never be a list of skills and experience, and when writing a résumé for a job when you have no relevant experience, this is doubly so.

A good résumé starts with a strong personal statement, as this is where you want to grab the hiring manager’s attention and encourage them to keep reading. After this, focus the résumé on transferable skills: abilities that can be used in a variety of settings, such as communication skills , administrative ability, or technical credentials like programming ability or word processing capability.

Also include your academic achievements and qualifications, as these also hold relevance to a wide variety of situations. Talk about coursework and projects, as these can highlight transferable skills too. Also, if you have held volunteering roles or undertaken community work, these can also add an extra dimension to your application.

What’s the best résumé format?

If you have no relevant experience, steer away from a traditional chronological résumé format , which is geared to showcase work history. Instead, consider both functional and combination résumé layouts. Both are well-known and understood by recruiters.

Combination résumés balance soft skills and qualifications with an abbreviated work history section. These are good to use when you have some work history but also want to highlight academic achievements.

Functional résumés focus on categorizing skills, putting them into sections, and explaining how you have used these skills. These résumés are best to use when you have little work experience or are changing careers.

Résumé writing tips when you have no relevant experience

Carefully preparing your résumé is critical when it comes to applying for a job with no experience. Here are 10 tips to help you do just that:

1. Start with a strong objective or summary

The key to any résumé is to pique the reader’s interest.

If you have no relevant experience, then the most important thing to start with is to create an eye-catching personal statement or objective that illustrates why you want the job and what skills, education or achievements mean that you are qualified for it.

Ensure this section is tailored to the job you’re applying for (using keywords from the vacancies or job descriptions), and keep the language punchy and positive.

A good summary section should only be a few lines long. If you feel you want to add more, consider attaching a cover letter to your application as well.

2. Emphasize what you can do, not what you can’t do

When applying for a role with no relevant experience, it’s important to think positively and reference in your application everything that you can bring to the organization.

Avoid using phrases like “Although I have not worked in this field before” or “I might not have the experience you need, but I can…” as this language is passive and presents a negative “you” that might discourage recruiters from considering your application further.

Instead, ensure you reference in your résumé everything that is relevant and transferable to the role, and explain these points positively.

3. Pick and choose what to include

Focusing on what not to include in a résumé is just as important as focusing on what goes into it.

When applying for a job with no relevant experience, sometimes certain elements of a traditional résumé can be left out. This can include specific work experience that is not relevant to the job or even some qualifications that will not be applicable to the role you are applying for.

Certain résumé types , such as functional and combination formats, are structured in such a way to support you in omitting the right information so that your application is laser-focused on the things that will matter and add value to your application.

4. Proofread

When writing a résumé with no relevant experience, it's too easy to focus on the wrong information or go off on a tangent, writing about things that might not matter, just because we think more information is better.

When you have written your résumé, either proofread it yourself the day after you have written it or ask someone with a fresh pair of eyes to go over the document and see whether it makes sense and if it is concise and focuses on the job.

Go through the drafting and proofreading stages a couple of times until you are sure that you have a résumé that isn’t waffling and is highlighting the right things about your credentials.

5. Hire a professional writer

When you’re applying for a role with little to no experience, creating a résumé that will resonate with recruiters is challenging. The role of a professional résumé writer is for them to support you and write a professional modern résumé that is ATS compliant and gives you the best chance of success.

Professional résumé writers can be a great investment. They will meet with you to understand your career needs, and once it's written, you can use it over and over again.

6. Use action verbs

Action verbs can really make your résumé come to life. They are especially useful in functional or combination résumés, as they can make your skills and achievements jump off the page. They also convey experience, even if you don’t have much. Examples of action verbs include “led”, “executed”, “increased”, “managed”, “facilitated” and “analyzed”.

Using a combination of action verbs gives the best impact in a résumé, as does using them to start off bullet points . Make them even more powerful by tailoring them to job descriptions and ensuring you are using them in the same tense throughout the résumé.

7. Emphasize achievements

When writing about your skills and education in your résumé, it's important to make them jump off the page.

Tying achievements into your résumé brings it to life and shows recruiters that you not only have credentials, but you have put these to work as well. You can also talk about your achievements when writing about your extracurricular activities .

Where possible, when adding your achievements into a résumé, relate them to the organization or industry you are applying to for maximum impact. Give particularly important achievements emphasis by highlighting them in your personal statement.

8. Tailor your résumé for each application

Tailoring your résumé for each application ensures that recruiters see the context and reasoning behind your application. This can be done by talking about your motivations, education and skills, and referring to the industry or the job description at the same time.

Similarly, you might want to only include relevant skills or education that are aligned to particular roles.

Tailoring your résumé also ensures it’s ATS friendly. Aligning verbiage to words and phrases in the job description means that the résumé’s information is parsed effectively, making it pass automated screening systems.

9. Emphasize your skills section

When you have little to no relevant experience when applying for a job, your skills section is your best friend. When emphasizing your skills section, bump it to the top of your résumé, under your objective or personal statement.

But don’t just list your skills: explain them, detailing accomplishments and aligning them to the job you’re applying for.

Furthermore, highlight two or three of your strongest or most relevant skills in your personal statement. This drives home to recruiters your competencies and what you are strongest at.

10. Get the formatting right

When applying for a job using a résumé, the document is making your all-important first impression to your potential employer. Therefore, you must ensure it’s professionally laid out and expertly written.

Sure, professional résumé writers can help with this, but expert formatting only requires following a few fundamental rules .

Format your résumé consistently and spell check it too. Make sure the relevant information is meaningful, concise and accurate. Finally, ensure you present yourself positively and professionally in the résumé, as this will make recruiters sit up and take notice of your application.

Résumé example

Below, you will find an example combination résumé for someone with a finance background wanting to work in sales.

Get the ATS-Friendly template

Final thoughts

When you have little to no experience, a great résumé focuses on all the positive things you can bring to an organization in place of a work history. Typical résumés in this regard are functional or combination-based and will focus heavily on relevant skills and the education section.

Ensure that your résumé is created with care and detail, and tailored to the role you want. Ensure that it positively showcases all that you have to offer, and that everything relevant is included and everything that doesn’t need to be there is minimized or omitted. This will ensure your application is seen as relevant and aligned to the role you are applying for, giving you the best chance of success.

Got a question? Let us know in the comments section below.

Originally published on June 5, 2015.

Work Experience

Résumé Writing

Resume Summary with No Experience: Examples for Students and Fresh Graduates

By Biron Clark

Published: December 18, 2023

Recent Grads | Resume/CV

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

If you’re looking for how to write a summary for your resume with no work experience , you’ve come to the right place. I’m going to walk you through exactly what to do, and then we’ll look at resume summary examples for entry-level job seekers, students and fresh graduates. 

How to Write a Summary For Your Resume With No Experience:

First, a resume summary is different than an objective . And it’s much better. Putting an objective on your resume is outdated and unnecessary. Resume objectives are useless because they don’t share anything the hiring manager doesn’t already know (such as “my goal is to obtain a position in the ___ industry”). So what we’re doing here is better and will help your resume stand out from people who simply put an objective. Whereas, the resume summary gives a quick highlight reel of your qualifications, education, and more. If you’re not sure what a resume summary actually is, check out this article on 10 resume summary examples . And while it’s easier to figure out what to put if you’ve built up some work experience, you can still write an effective resume summary with no work experience whatsoever.

So in this article, I’m going to show you how. What should go into your summary when you don’t have any work experience? 

1. Put academic accomplishments and leadership

What did you study? Did you just graduate with a degree? Mention that. If you took a leadership role in your class projects, or clubs/groups at your school, you can mention that too. Leadership doesn’t need to be in a job to get the hiring manager’s attention! Taking a leadership role in a sports environment is impressive as well. You’re not going to mention specific accomplishments in your resume summary usually (you can do that later in your resume), but you can say things like “proven leadership” or “natural leader”, etc.

2. Put your interests and passions

Are you passionate about startups and technology? Great, put that. Want to make a difference in the world, and focus your career on social impact? Mention that. This can include the grades you received, but also leadership positions you led, and clubs/groups you participated in.

3. Put “hard” skills

If you’re proficient in any tools, technologies, etc… you can include that in your resume summary. Don’t list 20 things. That’s what your “Skills” section is for. But pick the three or four things that are most relevant for the job you’re applying for.

Coming up in this article, we’re going to look at two resume summary examples for people with no experience. .. and in the second example, you’ll see how this would look.

4. Include soft skills

Are you great at analytical thinking? Do you love working as a part of a team? Are you great at multi-tasking and handling a fast-paced team environment? While these shouldn’t be the main focus of your resume summary section, they can be worth mentioning. It’s especially good to include soft skills that you see mentioned in the job description.

For example, if you see they mention wanting someone who’s great at multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment, and you feel that describes you well, then your resume summary is the perfect place to include this.

5. Put statements that will grab the employer’s interest and make them want to ask you questions!

If you mention leadership they’ll want to ask you more about your leadership experiences. That’s a good thing. Remember, whatever you put, they’ll probably ask you about. So as you write your summary for your resume, try to think about what you want them to discuss with you, and what you want a chance to talk about. And try to “tailor” your resume to fit the companies you’re applying to. If you’re applying to large corporations don’t start your summary by saying “Startup enthusiast”.

3 Resume Summary Example for Students, Fresh Graduates and Entry-Level Job Seekers:

In this section, I’m going to share three examples of how to write a summary for your resume with no experience. You can use these resume summary examples as a student, entry-level job seeker, or any job search where you don’t have experience:

Resume Summary with No Experience – Example #1: Economics Student

Enthusiastic, highly-motivated Economics student with proven leadership capabilities, who likes to take initiative and seek out new challenges.

In this example above, you’re showing that you completed your Economics degree and have an interest in the subject, and you’re mentioning leadership and making the reader want to learn more about this. You’re also making yourself sound ambitious and motivated at the end, which is always a good thing (I’m referring to the part that says “who likes to take initiative and seek out new challenges). Notice the format too. This is how I recommend phrasing it. Don’t say “I am a ___”. Just start with the descriptive words.

This is a simple yet effective resume summary example for students OR recent graduates.

Resume Summary with No Experience – Example #2: Fresh Graduate in Computer Science

Computer Science graduate passionate about data engineering and machine learning. Highly-capable leader, having led multiple Senior class projects to completion. Proficient in a range of modern technologies including Python, Java and Scala.

This is another good example of a student or fresh graduate resume summary that still shows your skills and academic focus, even if you have no formal work experience.  In this entry-level resume summary example, you’re highlighting accomplishments and leadership as a student and you’re also showing that you’re passionate about your work. Saying you’re passionate about data engineering is much better than just saying, “Looking for a job in data engineering.” They’ll know you’re looking for jobs because you applied. Taking up space to say it is a bad use of this area of your resume, and is why I never recommend having a resume “Objective” section. The summary exists instead of an “Objective” and is much better.

The example above also included some great programming keywords (Python, Java, Scala) to help get past any automated application systems and grab the hiring manager’s attention very quickly when they first look at your resume. If you work with any tools or technologies that have names like these, you can include it in your entry-level resume summary if you’d like. Other examples of tools/technologies: Photoshop, MS Excel, etc.

If you decide not to include these on your resume summary, make sure to include them elsewhere such as your Education or Skills section .

Resume Summary Example with No Experience #3: Math Student Graduating Soon

4th year mathematics student passionate about statistics and data analysis. Proven project leader. Active member of Boston University’s Mathematics Club. Speaker at 2018 “New York Young Mathematicians Conference.”

This resume summary example for students shows how you can list accomplishments even if you’ve never formally worked before. Did you participate in any clubs at school? Have you led any class projects? These are impressive pieces you can add to your resume summary with no experience formally working. 

How to Write a Resume Summary For Students/Fresh Graduates – Quick Recap

• Skip buzzwords like “hard-working” and put real academic accomplishments instead, like projects you produced and tasks you led
• Include what you’re interested in and passionate about to show them why you are applying for this position
• Mention hard skills like “Java Programming” or “Excel,”  especially if they’re listed on the job description
• Include soft skills as well like, “excellent at multi-tasking”, especially if you saw these keywords anywhere on the job description
• Include statements in your resume summary that will catch the employer’s interest and make them want to talk with you and ask you more. Remember – the entire goal of your resume is to get invited to interview. So if you did anything unique like giving presentations, working in an internship , participating in a school club, etc., you can include this in your entry-level resume summary.

If you follow the tips above, you’ll have a great entry-level resume summary that will stand out and catch a recruiter’s or hiring manager’s attention so you can get more interviews.

After you write your entry-level resume summary, here are two more articles that may be helpful when job searching with no experience:

• The best times of year to job search
• How to create a great elevator pitch for job hunting

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

More Resume Tips & Guides

Crafting the perfect resume for teens (template & expert advice), are resume writers worth it, don’t say you’re a quick learner on your resume, what do recruiters look for in a resume, chronological resume: the best format (and how to write it), the 3 best colors for a resume, career change resume: examples and tips from experts, what makes a good resume 9 ways to know, how long should a resume be, walk me through your resume: answer examples, 7 thoughts on “resume summary with no experience: examples for students and fresh graduates”.

This site was pretty helpful in guiding me throughout my school resume, would love other tips would do well.

This is a great guide. If only schools were actually interested in teaching children real life skills like this.

Hi, I am a student who has been finding it very difficult to make resumes due to the lack of working experience. I am currently trying to find a job while studying at the same time. I am in University completing a certificate and will soon be applying for a BA in Psychology and Criminolgy. However, I wish to apply for a part time job in the fashion industry. Can you please leave me some tips about what I can do to ensure that I can find a job without needing experience.

Your page has really helped, Thank you.

Hi, I’m a job seeker with 2 years experience working as a cart collector at grocery store and an Associate’s Degree in Computer Information Systems, is this a good professional summary?: “Reliable team member with a keen interest in information technology and other applications. Capable of handling multiple projects within deadlines. Eager to apply my professional and academic background as an Administrative Assistant at Bogdan Contracting.”

I’ve been job seeking since October 2018, I’m hoping I can start a career in tech support as soon as possible.

Hi Marcais,

I think it sounds pretty good. My least favorite part is the first word, though. “Reliable” sounds pretty average/boring. Sure, you show up, do your job, etc. That’s what I think when I hear “reliable”. But not much more.

I’d look for a better word to lead off with.

I would like to say thank you for making this article about writing a summary for a resume. For the past couple of months, I have been struggling to find someone who can help me with that because I don’t have a lot of experience in my field (i.e. engineering). I do have one question though. Is it appropriate to use first-person nouns in the summary section? I have seen people do that, but I find it quite odd.

Please let me know as soon as you can. Thank you.

Hi Frances,

I’d avoid saying, “I” if that’s what you’re asking.

Just say “Led team of 7 people to accomplish ___”

Just start without a pronoun.

Another example: “Highly-accomplished accounting professional who has ____”

Comments are closed.

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How To Write Your First Resume With No Work Experience

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Find a Job You Really Want In

You may think your lack of work experience pulls you out of the running for most jobs. While having limited or no work experience may narrow your job search down, it doesn’t eliminate you entirely. Just because someone has a lot of experience, doesn’t mean they will have stellar application materials. Whether you’re right out of college or have no work experience, we’ll go over how to write your first resume with no work experience, we’ll go over what counts as work experience, and provide an example resume with no work experience to help get you started on yours. Key Takeaways: You will want to focus on your education and any experiences you have when you don’t have any work history. If you do not have a college education, list your most recent education experience, like the date of your high school graduation or when you received your GED. It’s important not to lie on your resume to make it seem like you have more experience than you do because it can come back to haunt you. Tailoring your resume and using keywords is a great way for your resume to stand out. In This Article    Skip to section How to write a resume for a first job with no experience First resume with no experience example What counts as work experience for your resume? What do you put on your resume if you don’t have a college education? How a career objective is different than a career summary Should I send a cover letter? Tips for writing your first resume with no experience Writing a resume with no work experience FAQ Final thoughts References Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs Show More How to write a resume for a first job with no experience

When you write a resume with little or no experience you will have to craft it differently, and you will want to focus on your education and skills section. Here is a more detailed list of how to write a resume for a first job with no experience:

Contact information. The first thing you want to add is your contact information. You should include:

First and last name

Phone number

Email address

A link to a professional profile

It’s important to keep in mind that if you have been using a school email, or your email isn’t professional, create a new one. Once you have graduated that email won’t be active anymore and no employer wants to see an email from when you were in middle school.

Include a career objective. This is a statement that summarizes what you have to offer the company and why the position fits well into your career goals.

Education. This is the section you really want to emphasize. On a regular resume you would include your work experience, but since you don’t have any, this section should be at the top.

If you have a college degree or a technical degree, the experience you have gained from that alone is important to emphasize on a resume. And since those experiences are likely recent, you have fresh, up-to-date knowledge about the field, which is a great asset. Here’s what to include in this section.

Name of degree

Name of institute or university

Location of institute or university

Graduation date

GPA (optional)

Relevant coursework (optional)

Honors (optional)

Work experience. Now since you don’t have much work experience you can add any relevant experience for the job. This could include internships, part-time work, or any organizations that you have been in. We will go over more on what you can consider work experience later on.

Skills. Your resume’s skills section is where you can really line up your background with the job, even if you don’t have any formal experience. First, review the job description and highlight all of the action verbs and skills. The two types of skills to include and highlight on your resume are:

Hard skills are generally things that you must be taught to do through schooling or on-the-job training. These skills are measurable.

Soft skills are the intangible interpersonal qualities that make you pleasant to work alongside. They cannot be taught, but you can certainly improve your soft skills through experience.

For a resume with no work experience, you likely have more soft skills than hard skills. That’s okay — just be sure that you’re highlighting the soft skills that the employer values most, based on what you find in the job description (time management, collaboration, and communication are popular ones).

Awards and certifications (optional). This is the place to add anything you think might show off some of your skills to the employer. This can replace any degrees that you might not have completed yet. Having them shows that you are eager to continue learning and you have some experience.

First resume with no experience example

Here is an example of writing a first time resume with no experience. Be sure to tailor your resume to each job you are applying to.

John Smith [email protected] 123-456-7890 September 12, 2023 OBJECTIVE Recent graduate with a degree in English seeking a position as a High School English teacher . Strong skills in written and verbal communication and the ability to work in a team environment. EDUCATION Penn State University Major: English Graduation Date: May 2023 GPA: 3.4 Honors: Deans List Fall 2020 through Spring 2023 SKILLS Strong written and verbal communication skills developed through coursework and extracurricular activities. Ability to work effectively in a team environment, as demonstrated in group projects and team sports. Proficient at identifying and solving problems logically and efficiently. Excellent time management skills honed through balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and personal commitments.

What counts as work experience for your resume?

Past experiences or short-term work can count as work experience for your resume. Here is a more detailed list of what both of those include:

Past experiences. There are all kinds of acceptable forms of work experience you can put in a section titled “experience” versus “work history.” It’s all about the framing, folks. Some of these include:

Internships

Volunteering

If you are still feeling uncomfortable about the blank space under your experience section, start filling it up. Yes, you read that right — find some new experience to put in the experience section.

Short-term work. If you are facing a resume deadline that is quickly approaching, gathering experience might not be feasible. If you know you will be applying for a job in the next few months and don’t have any experience, then it’s the perfect time to be on the lookout for short-term work opportunities .

There are many short-term opportunities that are open to freelancers. Anyone can become a freelancer . It is essentially a position in which you get paid to do contract work with no benefits and rarely guaranteed hours.

But that’s okay — because you don’t need all the perks of a full-time job yet. Think of doing freelance work as your stepping stone to a full-time job or internship . So work a few extra hours to bulk up some small gigs to add to the experience section.

Other options include volunteering , writing articles, and internships. Anything to help make it look like you’ve been putting some effort into getting real-world experience for this type of job.

What do you put on your resume if you don’t have a college education?

If you do not have a college education, list your most recent education experience, like the date of your high school graduation or when you received your GED.

If you are in college currently and have not graduated, include your expected graduation date on the resume.

Maybe you have a college education or a high school diploma, but you are worried about your GPA. If you do not have a competitive GPA (a GPA of 3.5+) you can opt to not include your GPA on your resume . If you are many years past your graduation date, you can also consider not including your GPA.

How a career objective is different than a career summary

When writing a resume for a first job with little or no experience, you will want to write a career objective instead of a resume summary statement . You are probably wondering what the difference is between the two. And yes, there is definitely a difference.

A career summary is a statement that summarizes your work history section and gives some details about what type of worker you are and how you will fit the role. A career objective, on the other hand, is a statement that summarizes what you have to offer the company and why the position fits well into your career goals.

Examples of Career Objectives:

Career objective example

A dedicated worker with a BA in Marketing from the University of Connecticut. Looking to join the XYZ Inc. marketing team to aid in developing digital marketing campaigns that drive traffic and increase conversions. Background in consumer psychology and collaborative projects, including creating materials for UCONN’s writing center.

Highly motivated graphic designer hoping to obtain an entry-level position to leverage skills with Adobe Suite. Trained in modern graphic design elements and integration.

Recent graduate with a degree in Finance seeking a position at a reputable financial institution. Strong skills in mathematical modeling, market research, and personal finance tools like Quickbooks and Excel.

Should I send a cover letter?

The only time you shouldn’t send a cover letter is if the company specifically asks applicants not to. A cover letter can help boost your application’s chances of success if you don’t have much work experience.

A resume answers the “who, what, where, when” while your cover letter answers the “how” and “why.” A cover letter should show the hiring manager how you’ll do the job better than the competition, as well as show off your intrinsic motivation

You should tailor to the job for each cover letter you send. Do some research on the company’s culture , mission, and values, and try to show how you’re the perfect cultural fit.

Just keep your cover letter to under one page long and about 200-400 words ( shorter is usually better ).

Tips for writing your first resume with no experience

You should proofread your resume and don’t lie or exaggerate any of your skills. Here are some more tips to keep in mind when making your resume:

Proofread. It’s so important to proofread before you submit your resume. Take an extra few minutes and look over for any spelling or grammar mistakes. Make sure all of your dates and information are correct.

It can come across as unprofessional to submit a resume with mistakes. You can even have a friend look it over for anything you might have missed.

Don’t lie. Don’t lie about anything on your resume. If you don’t have any work experience or didn’t join any clubs while in school, it’s okay. Everyone has to start somewhere. If you do end up lying, be prepared for your boss to find out and potentially fire you.

Tailor to each job. Take a few minutes are reread the job description to include any relevant skills to your resume. Doing this will help your resume get noticed by a hiring manager and show that you are the right candidate for the position.

Pick a simple format. You want to make sure your resume is easy to read. A hiring manager usually only takes about six to seven seconds to read a resume before moving on. You don’t want them to spend that time trying to figure out what your text says.

Use keywords. Take some time and look over the job description and look for keywords. It’s a great way to tailor your resume to each job while highlighting the skills that they are looking for.

Apply for the roles that fit your skills. When you don’t have experience, you want to find jobs that fit your skills. This means focusing on entry-level jobs or internships. These jobs are often looking for candidates with little or no experience.

Writing a resume with no work experience FAQ

How do you say you have no experience but are willing to learn?

An example of saying you have no experience but are willing to learn is “While I don’t have the necessary experience, I believe my enthusiasm and willingness to learn makes me a strong candidate for this position.” This answer shows the interviewer that you are excited and enthusiastic about the position and you are highlighting your willingness to learn.

Can you still get a job without experience in the field?

Yes, you can still get a job without having experience in the field. When applying for jobs without experience, you want to apply for entry-level positions and highlight all of your transferable skills. You should also consider any volunteer work or internships that you have done.

What can be used on your resume when you don’t have experience?

When you don’t have experience for a job, you can use the following on your resume:

Past experience such as internships or volunteering.

Short term work such as freelancing.

Extracurricular activities such as clubs and sports

Final thoughts

Many hiring managers want someone who has the experience to prove a candidate has a good work ethic, but not too much experience that they can’t be molded to the job. Luckily for you, with the tips listed in this article, you will be able to show hiring managers that you are just that person.

It can be scary to apply with other candidates who have a lot more experience, but when it comes to applying for jobs, one of the best skills you can learn is how to frame yourself as the perfect candidate.

Emphasize what you can bring to the position. Be honest but don’t sell yourself short. Highlight what you have accomplished and your enthusiasm for the position and you will be one step closer to landing the perfect job. In the meantime, check out Zippia’s resources for finding your first job.

Champlain College Online – Writing a Resume When You Have No Relevant Experience

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Heidi Cope is a former writer for the Zippia Career Advice blog. Her writing focused primarily on Zippia's suite of rankings and general career advice. After leaving Zippia, Heidi joined The Mighty as a writer and editor, among other positions. She received her BS from UNC Charlotte in German Studies.

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Table of Contents

Knowing how to write a resume when you don’t have any work experience can be confusing and even frustrating. How are you supposed to fill a whole page if you’ve never had a job to begin with? Why do you need work experience to get work experience? Luckily, not all hope is lost — even if you’ve never stepped foot in an office or had an official manager.

So, how do you write a resume with no work experience? Here’s a step-by-step guide that will showcase your skills and wow employers with your potential, without any work experience needed.

Resume Writing Class

Learn how to write a resume hiring managers are looking for — even if you don't have any experience.

Avg. Time: 5-6 hours

Skills you’ll build: Industry keywords, transferable skills, identifying strengths

Yes, generally you need a resume to apply for and get any job, including your first one. Your resume for your first job will look different from your resume once you’ve had multiple years of work experience, and that’s OK.

Your resume for your first job will include non-work experiences, such as internships, volunteering, and extracurriculars. It will likely also focus on your education and any courses you took or projects you worked on. This is because your education is a key indicator of your skills at this point in time.

Once you’ve worked for a few years, you’ll naturally start focusing your resume more on your work experiences and less on non-work experiences and your education. 

You know you need a resume for your first job — so how do you write one? You’ll need to write to the job description and highlight experiences that have bolstered your skills.

1. Pull From the Job Description

Every resume you submit should be tailored for the job description you’re applying to. This is especially important when you’re first starting out and may be applying to different types of roles. For example, you don’t want to have one resume that simply pulls every single experience, from your tech programming skills to your creative writing. Instead, you may have different versions of your resume depending on the type of role you’re applying for.

Before you even pull up your Google doc, resume template, or whatever program you’re using to write your resume , look at the job description. You’ll want to focus on three things:

• Relevant experience the employer’s looking for
• Hard and soft skills the employer’s looking for
• Any education or certification the employer’s looking for

These three elements will likely be sprinkled throughout the job description, both in the main description of the role and responsibilities, and in the “qualifications” section where the employer outlines what kind of experience they’re looking for.

Once you’ve identified these three things, you’ll better understand what types of experiences and skills you should prioritize on your resume. For example, suppose you’re applying for a software engineering position at a gaming company. The company might say it’s looking for someone with programming skills . In that case, you might want to prioritize adding the gaming project you worked on in class to your resume instead of the writing skills you picked up working for the school newspaper. 

The job description is a preliminary set of guidelines for how you should approach your resume. However, this doesn’t mean you need to have every single experience, skill, and education requirement they’re looking for. You can still apply for — and land — the job even if you only have most (not all) of the requirements. 

Use each job description as a starting point. Then, you can draft your resume by finding the overlaps between what the hiring manager is looking for and what experiences you have.

2. Include Your Education

When you don’t have any work experience, your education can be a helpful indicator of what skills you’ve built and where your knowledge lies. For example, if you want to be a software engineer , showing that you majored in computer science and sharing relevant coursework can help a hiring manager understand the technical skills you have.

In your education section, you should include:

• School details: Include the name of your school, your major, and your expected graduation date (or your graduation date if you’ve already graduated).
• GPA: You should include your GPA on your resume if the employer asks for it. If they don’t, you should still include it if you’re been out of school for fewer than three years and if your GPA is higher than a 3.5.
• Honors and awards: If you’re received any specific honors or awards, list them under this section. 
• Relevant coursework: Share the names of classes you’ve taken that relate to the job description, especially if they indicate that you’ve learned specific skills the hiring manager is looking for. For example, if the company is looking for someone with proficiency in another language and you took Spanish classes in college, add the name of the highest level course on your resume.
• School projects: School projects that relate to the job description can be a great way to show you’ve had hands-on experience. You can list this in your education section. If you have multiple projects you want to highlight, you can make a separate “projects” section.

3. Include Any Experience You Already Have

I know, but you’re reading this article because you don’t have any experience! Yet just because you don’t have professional work experience doesn’t mean you don’t have relevant experience. Other types of experience you can include on your resume include:

• Internships (both virtual and in-person): Internships are any short-term experiences where you’ve done entry-level work for a specific company. You should name the company you worked for, achievements you had in that role, and any skills you learned — especially workplace soft skills like teamwork , communication , and collaboration . 
• Externships : Externships are short programs where you shadow a professional in the workplace. While you may not have as direct an impact as you might in an internship, try to quantify what you learned and include any hard or soft skills you learned along the way.
• Job shadowing : Like an externship, job shadowing typically involves more following and observing a professional than completing work-based tasks. However, job shadowing still shows initiative, curiosity, and willingness to learn — which is crucial to show on an entry-level resume!
• Extracurriculars, like school clubs and sports teams: Even though extracurricular activities are often fun things you participate in during your free time, they demonstrate a commitment to your interests and skills. They’re also a great way to show off your soft skills; for example, if you were the captain of your club basketball team, that shows leadership . 
• Volunteer positions: Volunteering not only shows potential hands-on experience you’ve had, but also your ability to engage with other people, help your community, and work for causes you care about.
• Part-time jobs: Jobs like babysitting, lifeguarding, and being a hostess are all incredibly valuable work experiences that can show your dedication and responsibility. Pull out transferable skills that relate to the job you’re applying for now. For example, you may have picked up great customer service skills while you were a hostess, which can translate well to client work in client-facing roles.
• Independent projects: If you’ve sought out projects on your own, whether that’s designing posters for a friend’s event or doing some independent coding work, you can add this to your resume, too. This shows dedication, drive, and commitment.

If the experience is relevant to what the employer’s looking for, it’s OK to include it, even if it’s not a traditional work experience.

How to Include Non-Professional Experience on Your Resume

Now you know that you can include non-professional experience on your resume — how do you actually write a resume with no work experience? For each experience, you’ll want to include your position, where you worked, and when you did it. 

Then, you’ll write a few clear bullet points that explain what you did in that position. For each section, aim to:

• Use strong action verbs that communicate how you contributed
• Show your quantifiable impact by using numbers
• Include any hard or soft skills you used (more on skills in the next section!)

For example, maybe you worked at a local ice cream shop over the summer and decided to revamp the business’ Instagram. Now, you’re applying for a marketing position that’s looking for candidates with a design background. You can include your social media experience and focus on the images you posted to market the business. 

• Increased brand awareness by 300% by refreshing and redesigning the business’ Instagram 
• Boosted likes and comment engagement by 200% by creating five unique graphics weekly 

In this example, we used strong action verbs like “increased” and “boosted,” showed quantifiable impact by including how much reach the Instagram posts got compared to before, and demonstrated social media and graphic design skills.

4. Show Off Your Skills

Hard skills you’ve learned from college courses, certifications, and Forage job simulations are not only relevant but critical to a resume without work experience. You can list these skills in a separate “skills” section. You could also describe how you’ve used them in your “experience” section if you’ve done a project or worked in a position where you applied them.

Hard skills examples include:

• Data analytics
• Programming languages
• Copywriting
• Foreign languages
• Graphic design
• Social media marketing
• Project management

Rather than including them in a separate skills section, the best way to show off your soft skills is in the descriptions of your work experiences. For example, if you want to mention you have good collaboration skills, you might write:

Collaborated with team members to brainstorm, test, and implement new marketing strategies to drive 40% more students to the club’s homepage

Soft skills include:

• Time management
• Creative thinking
• Adaptability
• Public speaking
• Interpersonal skills
• Negotiation
• Conflict resolution

5. Include Any Certifications

If you’ve taken any courses outside of school or gotten specific certifications, you should include these in a certifications section of your resume.

If you’ve done a Forage job simulation, this is the best place to detail your work. You can include Forage on your resume in this format:

[Insert Company Name] Job Simulation on Forage – [Month and Year of Completion] [Insert detail on what you did and the skills you learned]

Adding Forage to your resume shows recruiters you have experience with real-world work scenarios in the industry and that you’ve built key skills for that role. 

For example, if you completed the BCG Strategy Consulting Program , you could write:

BCG Strategy Consulting Job Simulation on Forage – March 2024 Conducted market research, consumer needs analysis, and data analysis to create a client recommendation. 

Haven’t taken a Forage job simulation yet but want to get experience to add to your resume? Try out top Forage programs across different industries:

Resume With No Work Experience: Sample and Template

Resume sample.

Here’s a sample resume for someone who is applying for a UX designer role. While this person doesn’t have any professional design experience, they’ve done some independent design projects and have learned about UX design at school. 

Log in or sign up to view this sample resume.

Resume Template

So, how can you write a resume with no experience that looks like this? We talked to hiring employers to learn what they’re looking for from student resumes — and made a template that you can use to help you stand out.

View and download a free resume template that will help you stand out to the hiring manager.

Now that you know what to include on your first resume, what else should you remember as you start to work on your applications?

Show Your Initiative

When you don’t have any professional work experience, it’s crucial to show how you’ve demonstrated drive and passion without working in the industry. Have you done a project related to something in the field? Started a club that gave you transferable skills? The best resumes for people without professional experience show how you’ve built skills and cultivated interest even despite not having that experience.

“Showcase what you can do now and how you see it growing into something else with the help of the job or company you are looking to work for,” Elisa Pineda, recruiting and human resources professional, says. “I know a developer that created a mini-maze game for fun while learning and teaching himself to code. He had no actual work experience outside of his projects and self-initiative to see what he could do. He presented that maze to the interviewing team as a small two-minute tidbit and asked if they could solve it and how long it took them. It was a creative way to showcase what you can do.”

If you’ve done any side projects or have an online portfolio , your resume is a great place to showcase this self-initiative. You can include a separate “special projects” section of your resume to describe what you’ve worked on — and even include links if you’re sending the resume virtually.

Stay Relevant to the Role You’re Applying For

When you’re trying to write a resume with no experience, it can be tempting to try and fill up the page with everything you’ve ever done. Instead, it’s crucial to stay relevant only to the role you’re applying for. 

To help you tailor your resume for each role, you can come up with one giant “braindump” resume that includes every experience you’ve had, no matter how relevant it may be to one position or another. Include every project, extracurricular, or internship you might want to put on a resume.

Then, as you apply to roles, create a fresh resume doc and copy and paste the experiences that match that role from your “braindump” resume. This way, you’re only selecting experiences that matter to the role you’re applying for — and you don’t have to worry about forgetting your overall experience.

Focus on What You Do Have

It can be easy to stress about the work experience you don’t have when applying for your first job. However, it’s important to remember that employers aren’t looking for someone with years of experience to fill entry-level positions! 

Instead, focus on the experiences you do have, whether you participated in school projects, volunteering, or extracurricular activities, and how to best articulate your impact. 

Employers look for motivated, dedicated students who can learn quickly and have a growth mindset . They’re not looking for resumes with tons of expertise, but rather people who have  potential. 

Overall, the worst thing you can do when writing a job resume with no experience is show that you have no experience. 

“This is a huge red flag and does not demonstrate any effort that you at least tried to do something,” Pineda says. “You have little to showcase, do not make it seem so little. Get creative with your resume to showcase what you can already do.”

Just because you don’t have work experience doesn’t mean you don’t have valuable knowledge, experience, and skills to bring to the table. Consider how what you’ve already done fits into what the employer is looking for.

Looking to build more experience — without needing to get professional experience? Try a free Forage job simulation to build your skills and get job-ready.

If you don’t have any experience, you can include non-professional work like internships, extracurriculars, part-time jobs, volunteer work, and even school and personal projects on your resume.

To write your first resume with no experience, focus on experience and skills you’ve built from activities, school work, and even independent projects. Make sure you can demonstrate how your experience and skills are transferable or applicable to the job you’re applying for.

When writing a resume for your first job, be sure to look closely at the skills and experience the employer is looking for. Then, include skills and experience you’ve built that match that — whether they’re from internships, volunteer work, school projects, or other non-professional activities.

Yes, you should have a resume if you have no experience — because you do have skills and experience, even if it’s not professional! There are still ways to be creative and show off what you can do, whether you’ve built skills from a class, Forage job simulation, volunteer position, or a sports team.

Image credit: Pexels / Artem Podrez

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First-Time Resume With No Work Experience Example

Writing Your First Resume

What to include in your resume.

• Tips Preparing Your First Resume

Resume Template and Example

More resume examples and templates.

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Writing your first-ever resume can be a challenge. How do you sell yourself to an employer when you’re a student who doesn’t have any experience in your targeted field?

When writing your first resume with no formal work experience, it's appropriate to include casual jobs like babysitting, pet-sitting, lawn-mowing, and shoveling snow. You can also include volunteering, internships, extracurriculars, and community activities.

All experience counts. The best way you can present yourself, your skills, and your assets to a hiring manager is to provide them with a strong resume that showcases your unique talents.

Here's how to write your first resume, what to include, how to show employers the skills you have, a sample resume to review, and a template you can use to get started writing your resume.

To get started, review information on the  different parts of a resume  and what is included in each element. It's a good idea to review high school resume examples to get an idea of what is appropriate. Even if you've never held a formal job, you still have important life experience that applies to the job search.

Don't forget to look at volunteer work, civic groups, and youth organizations (for example, the Scouts or 4-H). The skills you have developed doing these things have given you valuable experience that will impress employers.

The bottom line is you actually have a lot more experience than you think you have.

Writing your first resume  can seem intimidating, but if you take it step-by-step, you will be able to put together a document that will highlight your abilities and show the hiring manager that you’re worth calling for an interview.

Start by mining your life experience and academic achievements to show you'll be an asset to the company even though you don't have any related job titles to show off at this stage in your career.

For your first resume, take the soft skills (also known as “people skills”) you have and show how they translate into success where you choose to apply them. Include volunteer experience, school achievements, sports, clubs, and organizations you belong to.

Scan the job descriptions for the positions to which you're applying. Look for keywords that indicate what the hiring manager values in a candidate.

For example, the job listing might say, "Successful candidate will be a self-starter who delivers on time and within budget." In that case, although you don't have relevant work experience in the same field, you can get the hiring manager's attention by being sure to include (and emphasize) projects that you've successfully led, such as high school clubs in which you held a leadership role that required you to manage both your time and the team's money.

Other people skills that employers often seek in entry-level job applicants include traits like dependability, good communication, organizational skills, a solid work ethic, and teamwork.

If you start with the job listings instead of a blank page, the hiring manager's keywords will guide you, and help you focus on which of your academic or after-school experiences have prepared you for this first step in your career.

Once you've compiled a list of what you need in your resume, it should include:

• Contact information
• Experience (casual work, volunteering, clubs, youth organizations, and teams)
• Skills (related to the job)
• Awards and Achievements (academic and extracurricular)

Tips for Preparing Your​​ First Resume

• Don't lie.  No matter how tempting it might be to stretch the truth, lying on your resume is always a bad idea. You might make it through this round of interviews and even get the job, but you won't be able to deliver on the promises your resume offered. Plus, you'll potentially be caught—and fired.
• Don't pad.  You don't need to include the line "references upon request," personal information beyond your contact information, or a bunch of unrelated hobbies. In fact, there's a lot of stuff you don't need to put on your resume, even when it's your first one.
• Proofread.  Nothing is less persuasive than a resume full of typos and inconsistencies. Have a trusted friend or family member  proofread your resume  before you submit it.

Download the resume template  (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) to use as a starting point for your own resume.  

Resume Example (Text Version)

Michelle Washington 18 Sunnyside Boulevard Arlington, NY 16543 mwashington@email.com 111.123.1234

EDUCATION Arlington High School, Arlington, NY CLASS OF 2024 (3.9 GPA)

Pet Sitter — Arlington, NY JUNE 2022 - PRESENT

Established successful pet-sitting business including dog walking, feeding, and yard care. Responsible for obtaining clients, scheduling and attending visits, organizing visits, and maintaining client relationships.

Soup Kitchen Volunteer — Arlington, NY SEPTEMBER 2022 - PRESENT

Act as weekend/holiday volunteer manager at local soup kitchen, scheduling volunteer time slots, managing intake of donated food, and assisting with preparation and distribution of meals on Sundays and holidays including, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

Child Care Provider — Arlington, NY JUNE 2020 – JUNE 2022

Provided child care for several families after school, on weekends, and during school vacations.

SKILLS                                                  

Customer service Hospitality Microsoft Office Google Drive

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

National Honor Society Honor Roll President of Arlington High School Volunteer Club MVP, Arlington Varsity softball team

Here are more examples that you can use to get ideas for your own resume:

• Entry-Level Resume Example
• High School Student Resume Example
• High School Student Resume Template

Key Takeaways

Think about everything you've done. Incorporate casual jobs, volunteering, internships, extracurriculars, and community activities to showcase your skills and assets, even if you lack formal work experience.

Highlight your transferable skills. Emphasize soft skills like communication, dependability, organizational skills, and teamwork that align with the job requirements.

Tailor your resume to the job. Customize your resume for each application by including relevant keywords from the job description and focusing on experiences that demonstrate your fit for the position.

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CareerOneStop. " Resumes ."

What to Put on Your Resume When You Have No Relevant Work Experience

Your dream job just got posted, and you’re super excited. There’s just one problem: You literally (and I actually mean literally) have zero relevant work experience. Whether you’re a career changer or a new grad with no internships under your belt, what can you actually put on your resume that makes you look as qualified as possible?

Fret not. There are a few different things you can include, as well as a couple of formatting tricks, that will help you present yourself in the best light possible.

Relevant and Transferable Skills

Most resumes will begin with relevant work experience (or education followed by relevant experience if you’re a new grad). That becomes a problem when relevant experience isn’t your strong suit. But rather than waste that prime real estate on your resume on things that will just confuse the recruiter, start instead with your relevant skills.

And don’t tell me you don’t have any. There must be a reason why you think you can do this job. You might have transferable abilities from a previous, unrelated experience, or maybe you developed skills while in school doing academic projects. In any case, if you’re a career changer, try tying all your skills together with a summary statement at the beginning of your resume. New grads, pop your skills section from the bottom of your resume to the spot right under your education.

Related Side and Academic Projects

Speaking of academic projects, it’s important to note that those are fair game and should definitely be included in your resume. The same goes for side projects that you’ve tackled outside of work or school. As long as you are clearly labeling this experience as project work, there is nothing preventing you from including it in your resume—and you absolutely should! Don’t make the assumption that only full-time, paid experiences can be on your resume.

One way to do this is to create a “Projects” section. Here, you would write about your project work the same way you would for work experience. Think about the experiences you’ve had that helped you realize your career interests. Was it a class project? Maybe you volunteered to help with something that ultimately sparked your newfound career goals—that’s experience that you can include on your resume under a “Projects” section. Format it similarly to help the recruiter understand that this, too, is valuable experience that should be evaluated when considering your candidacy for the position you are interested in.

An Enthusiastic and Specific Cover Letter

Okay, this isn’t technically part of your resume, but I am a firm believer of always coupling a resume with a strong cover letter. This is especially important if you have no relevant experience or a winding career path. As career expert Ryan Kahn explains , “find a way to connect your passions and life experiences with the company, then explain how that will translate into you hitting the ground running once you’re hired. You’ll find that link is exactly the kind of experience employers are looking for from recent grads.”

This is true for career changers, too, but you also have a little bit more experience to work with. The cover letter is the perfect opportunity for you to connect the dots between the company’s needs and the skills you’ve built across your eclectic career. Be specific here. You want to really spell it out for hiring managers and explain why your non-traditional background might even be an asset, so that when they’re done with your letter they have a good understanding of why it makes sense for them to hire you.

Breaking into a new career is hard work, especially since many entry-level jobs are now asking for two or three years of experience. The trick to overcoming this is to really tease out those details like relevant skills and related side projects, and break out of the resume “rules” that are preventing you from including them front and center on your resume. Add on a riveting cover letter and, with a combination of networking and some luck, you’ll be sure to pique a hiring manager’s interest soon.

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How to Write a Resume when You Have No Work Experience

Last Updated: July 14, 2020 References

This article was co-authored by Kent Lee . Kent Lee is a Career and Executive Coach and the Founder of the Perfect Resume, a career development services company based in Phoenix, Arizona. Kent specializes in creating customized resumes, LinkedIn profiles, cover letters, and thank you letters. Kent has over 15 years of career coaching and consulting experience. Previously, he has worked as a Career Consultant for Yahoo and has worked with thousands of clients including Fortune 500 executives from around the world. His work and career advice have been featured in ABC, NBC, CBS, Yahoo, Career Builder, and Monster.com. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 186,726 times.

In a tough job market it can be hard to find employment even with ample experience. Do not despair though, it is possible to write a strong resume without a long track record. Everyone has to start somewhere. Employers look for more than just work experience when reviewing resumes, and what you have on yours can land you that dream job.

Developing a Strategy

• Consider searching postings for similar jobs. These might have alternative qualifications and skills that would be useful and could be highlighted in your resume.
• Research the history and activities of the company to discern what unlisted skill sets might be important.
• Usually the job posting will include buzz words that can be hard to decipher. Think long and hard about what they mean and frame your resume to highlight these skills. If, for example, the ad asks for good communication skills, list experience writing, speaking, and coordinating activities with coworkers. If it calls for you to be "results oriented," focus on accomplishments and specific projects that you have completed. [3] X Research source

• In your cover letter you should try to show why not having work experience is an asset, not a liability. Maybe you are young and ambitious. Perhaps you are coming from a different perspective that would help you approach the subject in a creative way.

• Make sure that everything is in the same font, that you include clear headings and that items like dates are consistently located in the same place on the page. Employers spend thirty seconds on average reviewing each resume. You should clearly highlight relevant information so that it will be obvious even to someone making a quick survey. [5] X Research source
• You will also want to organize some parts of your resume differently than someone with experience would. The most important selling points should come at the beginning of your resume where they will be most noticeable. Normally, you would highlight your job experience. In your case, however, you will want to focus on skills or objectives, placing these ahead of experience.
• Monster.com posts sample resumes by field, so that you can see how people in similar fields have crafted their resumes. On the other hand, Business Insider has a superb example of what a resume for a new entry into the workforce should look like.

Rearranging the Resume

• Tailor your objective statement to the job you are applying for and use it to convey your qualifications even as you write about your goals: "Motivated and empathetic student of childhood development eager to enter the field of early childhood education. Interested in using communication skills and understanding of psychology to provide children with a firm foundation for their intellectual and emotional development in a fashion consistent with the reputation of a distinguished institution of learning." [7] X Research source

• Consider including sections like “Relevant College Coursework” and “Achievements and Awards.” In relevant college coursework, list only classes you took that have direct bearing on the job. You do not need to list individual grades for courses.

• In describing your skill you can discuss experience, including how you have exercised that skill in school, clubs, or your personal life. Or, if for example you are computer savvy and have experience with social media, discuss the media platforms you are familiar with or the computer programs you can use.
• The skills section allows you to discuss experience you’ve had that would look flimsy in a section like “Work Experience.” You can say that you know about databases because you used them for a particularly large school project or that you have experience advertising via social media from running your own blog.
• List languages that you are fluent in.

• Standard page margins of approximately one inch are typically best. If you do want to stand out and are struggling to fit all of your experience onto one page, you can consider 0.63 inch margins.
• Times New Roman, 11 point font, is a good standard.
• Use good, thick, white paper, 20-25 bond.
• The only acceptable symbols to put on a resume are line breaks and bullet points. Avoid emoticons, emoji, and other unprofessional symbols.

Expert Q&A

• Don't be afraid to try lots of places. Even if one doesn't hire you, you'll still have the rest. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Always stay upbeat. Even if you're nervous, employers like to see motivated, confident workers. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't get discouraged if you don't get the job. Just try some other places, and once you have more experience under your belt, come back and try again. Thanks Helpful 43 Not Helpful 2

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Kent Lee. Career & Executive Coach. Expert Interview. 2 April 2020.
• ↑ http://www.inc.com/alison-green/why-don-t-job-ads-list-the-real-qualifications-the-employer-wants.html
• ↑ http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/03/15/8-job-posting-buzzwords-explained/
• ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2014/11/13/what-to-put-on-your-resume-when-you-have-no-relevant-work-experience/
• ↑ http://www.businessinsider.com/resume-for-job-seeker-with-no-experience-2014-7
• ↑ http://www.livecareer.com/resume-tips/how-to/write-your-first-resume/how-to-write-a-resume-when-you-have-no-work-experience
• ↑ http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/resume-objective-statements-catch-managers-eyes
• ↑ http://www.livecareer.com/career-tips/resumes/no-experience-resume

About this article

To write a resume without any work experience, focus on your academic achievements instead, like any diplomas you've earned, relevant courses you've taken, or awards you've received. Put this information near the top of your resume so it's one of the first things people see. Then, add a skills section under it that emphasizes any relevant skills or expertise you have that would help you with the job. Remember to use a simple 12 point font and limit your resume to 1 page so it looks professional. To learn how to write a cover letter without work experience, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Stephen Arthur

Jun 23, 2017

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How to write good resume if you've never worked before.

Many students may find themselves approaching graduation and about to enter the job market . Some students will have worked part-time jobs, likely during the summer, or had student internships. For these students, they will be able to fill out an employment history section on a resume. Some graduating students, though, find themselves with the prospect of writing a resume and having no job experience. You may be someone who has raised children, then finds herself divorced and looking for employment. Whatever the reason, you can write a resume that will help get you a job.

Begin writing your resume by placing your contact information on the top of the page. Many resumes have their names in larger print than the address, phone number and email address. Use a resume template such as those found in Microsoft Word or online if you feel more comfortable using a template.

Include a section titled “Objective” and write a sentence that describes your objective in finding employment. You can always write something such as “To find employment that utilizes my skills in a professional and productive work environment.”

Follow your objective with a section on education. Include the names of schools you attended and graduation dates. If you have an excellent GPA, list it.

Complete a section on qualifications. This is the section you need to highlight because you have no work experience. Instead of past employment, list any writing or communication skills, any organizational skills, the ability to work in a team environment (which can be a quality shown in school), skills with using tools or other machinery and any skills displayed through volunteer work.

Add a section on computer skills. List any computer applications, such as word processing applications, with which you are familiar.

Finish your resume with a section on “pre-employment experience.” You can list activities in this section that demonstrate the qualifications you listed in a previous section. You can also list any organizations with which you’ve had experience, any clubs that you’ve been a member of and volunteer work you’ve performed.

• Create a new email address that you will use specifically for your job hunting and to put on your resume. This way, you can select a professional-looking email address.
• Job hunting, even for those with work experience, can be a long and frustrating task.

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• Employment Spot: How to Make a Student Resume

Doug Hewitt has been writing for over 20 years and has a Master of Arts from University of North Carolina-Greensboro. He authored the book "The Practical Guide to Weekend Parenting," which includes health and fitness hints for parents. He and his wife, Robin, are coauthors of the "Free College Resource Book."

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College Magazine

College Life, Colleges, Career & Campus Advice

What to Put on a Resume When You’ve Never Worked a Job in Your Life

A resume. That one piece of paper that everyone needs but dreads crafting. This becomes especially terrifying when you realize that you’ve never had an actual job . Thoughts such as, “my resume will look so blank” and “no one will ever hire me” begin filling your brain. But don’t start hyperventilating just yet.

This guide lays out the necessary steps to writing a kickass resume without any work experience.

Where do you even begin.

Throughout life, students’ heads have become filled with that one statement: “to get a job you must have work experience.” But what about the kids that have poured themselves into sports or schoolwork? Remember, work experience doesn ’ t always make you qualified , so try to find which experiences make you a good fit for the job. To get in the door, you have to start somewhere. Before you even begin typing up your resume, you need to take a few steps back and get to know yourself. Time to do a little self-discovery and get you that job.

1. Assess your strengths

Think back on the experiences and opportunities that have helped you develop certain strengths . Through volunteer work you might have displayed your leadership, organizational skills and quality of character. Just as beneficial, participating in clubs on campus shows time management. Really dig into how you have spent your time over the years. “Often students are aware of their weaknesses, shortcomings or challenges which may be a barrier to pursuing certain positions. We may delve into brainstorming ways to communicate these weaknesses or ways to overcome them,” said Linda Whited, career coach for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Wake Forest University. Figuring out these strengths can match you with many different career fields you may not have even considered.

2. Figure out your interests

Resumes can differ in information depending on the job that you want to apply for. To craft the perfect resume, explore whichever industry that you want to work in. Along with assessing your strengths, figuring out your skill sets narrows down which jobs to apply for. You can make a comparison analysis of your skills geared towards particular jobs. To start, just set up two columns. On one side, list the requirements and skills that the job asks for; on the other side, figure out and list any volunteering, course work or internships that match each area of the job. Think about what you enjoy and fit your resume to match that.

3. Try a starter resume

Containing your highlights and a four to five sentence profile, the starter establishes what makes you different from everyone else. To capture interest, make a basic layout of your strengths and interests. “It is very hard to create a resume when you don’t have anything to put on it. So for the people that you are about to go out and meet and network with, instead of handing them an inferior resume, hand them a resume of who you are, what goals you have and what you have done,” said Brooke Thomas, Wake Forest Assistant Director of Student Athlete Development. You don ’ t want to beat around the bush on your resume, so find a list of adjectives that describe you and highlight the ones that stand the best. Once you finish, use them to start your sentences. With these sentences, your future employer can’t say no.

You’re Ready to Start Writing

You have figured out your strengths and where you would like to apply, so now the resume must take shape. Even though resumes have some differences here and there as you get older, these core factors serve as a common structure. As difficult as bragging about yourself may seem, embrace this process and have fun crafting what makes you great.

• Layout the strengths that you can bring to their organization (three to five bullet points). This can include what makes you unique and separates you from the rest
• Build out your volunteer and or leadership activities to form your “experience” section with two to three activities that have two to four bullet points. These activities show that you can work as a team and that you want to take part in something bigger than yourself.
• Include your educational background or current schooling. You can include making the dean’s list, receiving other academic honors or relevant coursework.
• Include additional skills such as a second language and different software or technology proficiencies . Shoot for a list of six to eight things at the bottom.
• Still needing space to fill? Include a highlights section at the top. “Add a quick two to four sentences about who you are because that is the first thing the employer is going to see. Fill space with value , not just random stuff that will lose your reader,” said Ashley Wechter, Assistant AD, Student Athlete Development. This can take your resume to the next level.

Honest vs. Too Honest

Trying to get a job brings a lot of stress but, remember, you must not lie to yourself. You have to truly believe in what you put on your resume because employers can spot fluff words. “If you know the reason they shouldn’t employ you then you shouldn’t be applying to this company just as a matter of being honest to yourself,” Dr. George Lunsford, life and career coach said. You can save time and avoid rejection heartache by honestly looking at your flaws. Spend time working on the areas that you know must improve while continuing to move forward.

Now That You’re in the Door, What Happens Next?

Congratulations, you’ve crafted the perfect resume that showcases your strengths and got the interview. At the end of the day, that piece of paper serves as an access ticket into a job or internship . Now it comes down to how you present yourself and support what you wrote. Remember that a resume does not get you the job, so speak clearly on what you have written and bring the experiences to life. Believe in your strengths and what you have accomplished so that you can articulate these things with passion. The confidence you have in the words that you penned, makes your resume that much more powerful. And don’t forget: as you begin to take the corporate world by storm, continue to update your resume. The time has come to go out there, write that resume and get that job (and check out all you need to know about landing that internship here ).

About Jaclyn Childress

Avid writer, Wake Forest volleyball player and an aspiring investigative journalist. Jaclyn Childress is a junior at Wake Forest University studying Sociology and Communications.

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