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How to Write a Resume With No Experience (First Resume Guide)
By the CV-Craftor team · Updated October 11, 2026
Writing your first resume feels impossible because the template asks for experience, and you don't think you have any. You almost certainly have more than you think. Hiring managers for entry-level roles know you haven't had a career yet. They are looking for signs that you are reliable, that you can learn quickly, and that you've done something, anything, with effort and a result.
That evidence comes from school projects, part-time and casual jobs, volunteering, clubs, sports, caring responsibilities and personal projects. This guide shows how to find it, how to describe it, and how to arrange a one-page resume that gets a first interview.
What counts as experience
Experience is anything where you took on responsibility and produced something. It doesn't need to be paid, and it doesn't need to be related to the job you're applying for. What matters is what it shows about you.
- Part-time and casual jobs: retail, food service, delivery, tutoring, babysitting, lifeguarding.
- Volunteering: charities, community events, religious organisations, school open days.
- School and university projects, especially group projects with a deliverable.
- Clubs, societies and sports: especially any role such as captain, treasurer or organiser.
- Personal projects: a website, an app, a YouTube channel, a small online shop, a research project.
- Responsibilities at home: caring for a family member or running part of a family business.
The right section order for a first resume
With little work history, lead with what is strongest. For most students and recent graduates, that's education followed by projects or experience. Keep it to one page.
- Header: name, phone, professional email, city, and a LinkedIn or portfolio link if you have one.
- Summary: 2–3 lines stating what you are studying or have finished, what role you want and your strongest relevant strength.
- Education: school or university, qualification, dates, and relevant modules, grades or awards.
- Experience: jobs, volunteering and leadership roles, all in one section, in reverse-chronological order.
- Projects: 1–3 projects with what you did and the result.
- Skills: software, languages and practical skills you could demonstrate in an interview.
Turn everyday tasks into strong bullet points
Use the same formula experienced professionals use: action verb + what you did + result or scale. Numbers help even when they are small, because they make your work concrete.
Before: "Worked at a café." After: "Served 150+ customers per shift at a busy café, handling cash and card payments with zero till discrepancies over 8 months."
Before: "Helped at the food bank." After: "Sorted and packed food parcels for 200 families a week, and trained 6 new volunteers on the intake process."
Before: "Did a group project." After: "Led a 4-person team to build a budgeting app in Python for a software engineering module; scored 82% and presented the demo to 60 classmates."
Before: "Treasurer of the chess club." After: "Managed a $1,500 annual budget for a 40-member club, organising 3 inter-school tournaments."
Write a short, specific summary
Skip phrases like 'hard-working team player seeking a challenging role'. Every first-time job seeker writes that. Say what you are, what you want and one thing that sets you apart.
"Business administration student (graduating May 2026) seeking an entry-level marketing coordinator role. Grew a university society’s Instagram from 300 to 2,100 followers and ran its first sponsored event."
"Recent high-school graduate looking for a retail sales role. Two years’ weekend experience at a family hardware shop, comfortable with stock-taking, POS systems and helping customers find the right product."
Choose skills you can prove
List skills that the job posting asks for and that you could demonstrate if asked. Software and languages are easy to verify, so include the ones you genuinely use. Soft skills such as communication and teamwork are better shown in your bullet points than listed on their own.
- Software: Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Canva, a POS system, a programming language.
- Languages: give your level honestly (native, fluent, conversational).
- Practical: food safety certificate, first aid, driving licence, typing speed.
Common first-resume mistakes
- Going over one page. At this stage, one page is enough.
- An unprofessional email address. Create a simple name-based one.
- Listing duties instead of results. Add a number or outcome to each bullet.
- Including a photo, date of birth or marital status in countries where it is not expected (for example the US, UK and Canada).
- Typos. Read it aloud, then ask someone else to check it.
- Sending the same resume everywhere. Adjust the summary and skills for each job.
Add a cover letter whenever you can
For entry-level roles a short cover letter can matter more than the resume, because it lets you explain your motivation and point to your best evidence. Keep it to three paragraphs: why this job, the two strongest things you bring, and a confident close.
Frequently asked questions
Can I write a resume with no work experience?
Yes. Use education, projects, volunteering, clubs and casual work as your experience. Employers hiring for entry-level roles expect this.
Should I include my high-school education?
If it is your highest qualification, or you are still in or just out of high school, yes. Once you have a university degree, you can usually drop it.
Should I include my GPA or grades?
Include them if they are strong or if the employer asks for them. Otherwise, relevant modules, projects and awards are more useful.
How long should a first resume be?
One page. Focus on the most relevant and recent items, and cut anything that doesn’t support the job you are applying for.
Do I need references on my resume?
No. It is standard to leave them off and provide them when asked. You don’t need to write "references available on request" either.