If you’re applying for your first job, you can still write a strong resume even without work experience.
Focus on your education, skills, volunteer work, and activities that show employers you’re reliable, motivated, and ready to learn.
How do you make a resume for your first job?
To make a resume for your first job, focus on the skills, education, and experiences that show employers you’re responsible and ready to work.
Even without formal work experience, you can highlight school projects, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and transferable skills that demonstrate your potential.
If you need more detailed guidance, see our guide on how to write a resume with no experience.
1. Choose the right resume format
Before writing your resume, choose a format that highlights your strengths.
You have three main options:
- Chronological: Most professionals use the reverse chronological format, but it can also work for a first resume if you have volunteer work, internships, or school projects to include.
- Functional: A functional resume prioritizes skills over work history, making it a good option if you have little or no experience.
- Combination: Also called a hybrid resume, this format combines the functional and chronological styles. It works well if you want to highlight both your skills and your education or projects.
Once you choose a format, create a clean and easy-to-read layout.
Use one-inch margins and a simple font such as Arial or Times New Roman.
Your resume should include sections for your header, summary or objective, education, experience, and skills.
2. Add your contact information
Your resume should start with a header that includes your contact details so employers can reach you easily.
Place this information at the top of your resume, with your name in a larger, bold font.
Your resume header should include:
- Your phone number so recruiters can contact you
- Your professional email address, ideally using your name
- Your location, usually your city and state
- Your LinkedIn profile, if it’s up to date and relevant
Avoid listing your full mailing address.
A city and state are usually enough.
3. Write a resume summary or objective
Below your header, include a short paragraph that explains who you are and what you bring to the role.
This section helps employers quickly understand why you’re a strong candidate.
For a first resume, you may choose either:
- A resume summary, which highlights your strengths and abilities
- A resume objective, which focuses on your career goals and interest in the position
Keep this section to two to four sentences and emphasize qualities such as communication, teamwork, reliability, or a strong work ethic.
Example objective for a first job resume:
Motivated high school student with strong communication skills seeking a part-time retail position.
Eager to provide excellent customer service with a positive attitude and strong teamwork skills.
4. Highlight your education
If you’re writing your first resume, your education section will often be the most important part of the document.
Place it near the top of your resume below your summary or objective.
Include the following information:
- Your degree or diploma
- The name of your school
- Your graduation date or expected graduation date
You can also add extra details that demonstrate your strengths, such as:
- GPA (if it is 3.5 or higher)
- Relevant coursework related to the job
- Academic awards or honors
- School projects
- Extracurricular activities
These details help show employers your initiative, dedication, and areas of interest.
5. Include volunteer work, projects, or activities
Even if you haven’t had a formal job yet, you likely have experiences that show your skills and responsibilities.
Examples of experience you can include on a first resume include:
- Volunteer work
- Internships
- School or personal projects
- Student clubs or extracurricular activities
Describe what you did and the skills you used.
Focus on achievements or responsibilities that demonstrate teamwork, communication, organization, or leadership.
6. Add relevant skills
Your resume should include a skills section that highlights what you can bring to the role.
Aim to include a mix of soft skills and hard skills.
Soft skills
These describe how you work with others and handle responsibilities, such as:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Time management
- Organization
- Problem solving
Hard skills
Hard skills are technical abilities you learn through study or practice, such as:
- Microsoft Office or Google Workspace
- Social media tools
- Graphic design software
- Programming languages
- Data analysis
Review the job description and include skills that match what the employer is looking for.
7. Consider optional sections
If your resume still has space, you can add optional sections to showcase more of your abilities and interests.
Common additional sections for a first job resume include:
- Languages and your proficiency level
- Certifications, such as CPR or coding courses
- Awards outside of school
- Hobbies or interests that relate to the role
These sections can help employers learn more about you and show your enthusiasm for the job.
What should you include on a resume for your first job?
A resume for your first job should focus on the experiences and skills that show your potential as an employee.
Even if you have little or no work experience, employers still want to see evidence that you’re responsible, motivated, and able to learn quickly.
Most first-job resumes include these key sections:
1. Contact information
Start with a resume header that includes your name and contact details.
Employers should be able to quickly see how to reach you for an interview.
Include:
- Your full name
- Phone number
- Professional email address
- City and state
- LinkedIn profile (optional)
2. Resume summary or objective
A short summary or objective introduces you to the employer and highlights your strengths.
For a first resume, this section usually focuses on your skills, positive attitude, and interest in the role.
Keep this section brief, ideally two to four sentences.
3. Education
For many first-time job seekers, the education section is one of the most important parts of the resume.
Include:
You may also include details such as relevant coursework, academic honors, extracurricular activities, or a strong GPA.
4. Experience
Even without a traditional job history, you may still have valuable experience to include on your resume.
Examples of relevant experience include:
- Volunteer work
- Internships
- School projects
- Clubs or extracurricular activities
- Personal projects
5. Skills
Your skills section highlights the abilities that make you a good fit for the role.
First job resumes often include a mix of:
- Soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, and time management
- Hard skills, such as Microsoft Office, social media tools, or programming languages
Choose skills that match the requirements listed in the job description.
What does a resume for your first job look like?
A resume for your first job is usually a one-page document that highlights your education, skills, and relevant activities rather than professional work experience.
It should be clean, easy to read, and organized into clear sections so employers can quickly understand your strengths.
Here is a simple example structure for a first job resume.
Example structure
Jordan Taylor
Chicago, IL | 555-123-4567 | jordan.taylor@email.com
Objective
Motivated high school student with strong communication and teamwork skills seeking a part-time retail position.
Eager to provide friendly customer service and contribute to a positive team environment.
Education
Lincoln High School – Chicago, IL
Expected graduation: May 2026
GPA: 3.7
Experience
Volunteer | Community Food Bank
June 2024 - Present
- Assist with organizing food donations and preparing packages for distribution
- Help coordinate weekly deliveries for families in need
- Work with volunteers to maintain an organized and efficient workspace
Member | School Debate Club
September 2023 - Present
- Participate in weekly debates and develop strong public speaking skills
- Collaborate with teammates to research and prepare arguments
Skills
- Customer service
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Microsoft Office
- Time management
This example shows how you can highlight school activities, volunteer work, and skills to demonstrate your potential to employers, even if you’re applying for your first job.
What tips help you write a strong resume for your first job?
A strong first-job resume focuses on your strengths and presents your experiences clearly and honestly.
Even if you’re early in your career, you can stand out by highlighting transferable skills, tailoring your resume to the job description, and presenting your achievements in a clear, professional format.
Here are some helpful tips for writing your first resume:
1. Focus on transferable skills
Even without a formal job history, you likely have skills that employers value.
Skills such as communication, organization, teamwork, and reliability can come from school activities, volunteer work, sports, or personal projects.
2. Use keywords from the job description
Many employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to review resumes.
These systems scan resumes for keywords related to the role.
Read the job description carefully and include relevant keywords that match your skills and experience.
3. Use strong action verbs
Strong action verbs can make your resume sound more confident and professional.
Instead of phrases like “helped with” or “assisted,” use verbs such as:
- Collaborated
- Organized
- Created
- Contributed
- Managed
4. Be honest about your experience
It can be tempting to exaggerate your achievements when applying for your first job, but honesty is essential.
Employers value authenticity and may verify the information on your resume.
Focus on the real experiences and skills you already have.
5. Proofread your resume carefully
Small mistakes can make a negative impression on employers.
Before sending your resume, check it carefully for spelling or grammar errors.
You can also ask a teacher, mentor, or trusted friend to review it and provide feedback.
Resume examples for a first job
Looking at resume examples can make it easier to understand how to structure your own first resume.
Reviewing examples for students, teenagers, and recent graduates can also help you see how others present their education, activities, and skills when they have little or no work experience.
Explore these related resume examples for inspiration:
- High school student resume
- Teen resume
- Student athlete resume
- College student resume
- College graduate resume
These examples show different ways to organize your education, activities, and skills so employers can quickly see your strengths when applying for your first job.
High school student resume example
Teen resume example for a first job
Student athlete resume example
College student resume example
College graduate resume example
Tips for writing a first job resume
Crafting a stellar first resume can get your foot in the door and lead to more opportunities in the future.
Here are some additional tips for making your first-time resume stand out:
- Be honest: It might be tempting to embellish a few details here and there, especially when trying to get your first job. However, lying on your resume can result in serious consequences, including losing your job. Stick to the facts and focus on the skills you already have.
- Focus on your transferable skills: Even if you’ve never had a job, you have transferable skills that you can bring to the workforce. Your first resume should emphasize these skills, such as time management or creativity.
- Include keywords: Your resume might go through an applicant tracking system (ATS), which scans and ranks resumes based largely on keywords. Read the job description to find notable keywords and include those phrases on your resume to help it get past the ATS.
- Use strong action verbs: The right resume verbs can make you sound confident, powerful, and professional. For example, instead of saying “helped with” or “assisted,” use strong verbs like “contributed” or “collaborated.”
- Proofread your resume: A small mistake can be all it takes to get your resume tossed. Proofread your resume using online tools, such as Grammarly, or ask a detail-oriented friend to review it.
- Be kind to yourself: Above all, remember that everyone had a first resume at some point. Focus on your strengths, skills, and achievements, so that employers can see all that you have to offer.
Use our resume builder for a fast, professional resume.
If you don’t want to make a resume from scratch, start with our ai resume builder.
All you need to do is choose your resume template and fill out some basic information.
In the builder, you can even reorder sections or create new ones, depending on what you want to highlight on your first resume.
Key takeaways
- You can still create a strong resume for your first job even without formal work experience.
- Focus on your education, skills, volunteer work, and activities that show responsibility and potential.
- Use a clean, simple format that makes your resume easy for employers to scan quickly.
- Highlight transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management.
- Tailor your resume to the job description and proofread carefully before submitting it.
If you’re writing your first resume, you might feel like you don’t have much to offer yet.
In reality, everyone starts somewhere.
The skills and experiences you’ve gained through school, activities, and everyday responsibilities can still show employers that you’re ready to learn and contribute.
FAQs on applying for your first job
Here are the answers to other frequently asked questions about how to make a resume for your first job:
Do I need a resume for a first job?
Yes! Even if it’s a part-time or entry-level position, a resume shows that you’re a serious, professional candidate.
It also allows you to highlight the skills and other experiences you have that make you a great fit for the role.
How long should a first job resume be?
Your first resume should be no longer than one page. Focus on your best qualifications, such as your education and skills.
If you need to include more to fill out the page, mention relevant projects or volunteer work, your hobbies and interests, or any awards you’ve won.
How can I make a resume for a first job after a career break?
Re-entering the workforce after a break can feel daunting, even if you’re not technically applying for your first job.
You can address employment gaps on your resume by explaining what you did during that time.
For example, if you left the workforce to raise a child or care for a family member, list that as experience on your resume.
Discuss the relevant skills you used or gained during that time, such as budgeting, household management, and organization.
