resume no experience example

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How to Write a Resume With No Experience + Examples

Is it possible to write a great resume with no experience? Absolutely! And this guide will use no-experience resume examples for first jobs to show you how.

So, you’re browsing job postings on the Internet, and all you see are entry-level jobs that require candidates to have 2 years of experience. And to get experience, you need a job. It’s a never-ending cycle.

Not necessarily. I’ll show you how to escape this cycle and get your first job with a head-turning resume with no experience.

In this article, you’ll find:

• Two examples: one for a resume with no experience, and the other with some volunteering experience.
• How to make a resume with no experience for your first job.
• What to put in a no-experience resume for first jobs, so it’s full of relevant info instead of blank spaces.

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What users say about ResumeLab:

I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your resume.” Patrick I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work! Dylan  My previous resume was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful! George

Want some other first-time resume without experience? See our guides:

• College Student Resume
• Graduate School Resume
• High School Graduate Resume
• High School Resume
• Recent College Graduate Resume
• Resume for College Application
• Resume for Grad School Application
• Student Resume
• Teen Resume
• Undergraduate College Resume

Our review of over 500,000 resumes built with our tool revealed that*:

- 2.65% of our users report having no previous work experience, and 18.06% of users show below 3 years of experience.  - Problem-Solving, Teamwork, Collaboration, Adaptability, and Multitasking are the most popular skills overall.  - Median creation time for a resume on ResumeLab is just 21.3 minutes.  - 29.73% of our users include certifications on their resumes.    * The data comes from the last 12 months (August 2023-August 2024).

Sample Resume With No Experience

Alexandra B. Thompson

Graphic Designer

Personal Info

Phone: (555) 123-4567

Email: [email protected]

Portfolio: www.thompsondesign.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexandrathompson_design

Creative, recent Graphic Design graduate with a passion for visual storytelling and a strong foundation in design principles. Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and experienced in creating compelling graphics, logos, and layouts. Participated in a project, creating a logo, website, and promotional materials, improving engagement by 30%. Eager to contribute innovative design solutions to Turnover Marketing.

Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design

University of Art and Design, Artville, CA

2019–2023

GPA: 3.8/4.0

• Honors and Awards: Dean’s List (all semesters)

Typography and Branding

• Created comprehensive branding projects, including logo design, business cards, and style guides.
• Developed a brand identity for a fictional company as part of a semester-long project.

Web and Interactive Design

• Designed and developed 5 interactive websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Created responsive layouts, ensuring accessibility on various devices.

Print and Digital Media

• Produced high-quality print materials such as brochures, posters, and magazine layouts for a marketing campaign.
• Utilized Adobe InDesign for layout design and Adobe Photoshop for photo editing.

UX/UI Design

• Conducted user research and developed wireframes and prototypes for mobile and web applications.
• Collaborated on a team project to design a user-friendly mobile app interface.

Senior Capstone Project: Brand Redesign for Local Non-Profit

• Led a team of four students to redesign the visual identity of a local non-profit organization.
• Created a new logo, website layout, and promotional materials, resulting in a 30% increase in community engagement.
• Presented the project to a panel of industry professionals and received the Outstanding Senior Project Award.

Interactive Website Design for University Event

• Designed and developed an interactive website for the university’s annual art and design event.
• Incorporated responsive design principles to ensure accessibility on all devices.
• Increased event registration by 20% through effective use of visual elements and user-friendly navigation.
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Logo Design
• Attention to Detail
• Time Management

Additional Activities

• Vice President, University Art Club with 25 members
• Participant, Global Design Conference 2022
• Avid Photographer, with a focus on urban and landscape photography
• 2023—Outstanding Senior Project Award, University of Art and Design
• 2022—Best Design Concept, State Design Competition

Sample Resume With Personal & Volunteer Experience

Avery Waters

High-School Graduate

Phone: (123) 456-7890

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/avery.waters

Instagram: instagram.com/avery.loves.beauty

Personable high-school graduate with a passion for the beauty industry seeking a retail assistant position. Knowledgeable about leading makeup brands and a keen tester of new cosmetic products. Eager to educate customers at Lovely Organic about the product selection, plant-based ingredients, and benefits of organic skincare. Gained cashier experience while volunteering at a bake sale in 2021. Runs an Instagram account dedicated to cosmetology since 2019.

High School Diploma

Salem High School, Salem, MA

September 2018–June 2022

Academic Accomplishments:

• Participated in the Massachusetts State Science Exhibition in 2021 with a demonstration focused on harmful substances in everyday cosmetics.
• Selected as the sole participant in the 2022 U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad.
• President of the Applied Chemistry Club in 2021–2022.

Personal Projects

Makeup Artist

June 2019–Present

• Applied makeup for 20+ customers for a variety of events, including birthdays, prom, and weddings.
• Designed wedding makeup for the bride, bridesmaids, and mothers of the bride and groom that matched the color palette of wedding decorations.
• Educated clients about proper makeup application, skincare, and makeup brush selection.

Volunteer Experience

Salvation Army, Salem, MA

August 2020–Present

• Performed cashier duties at a holiday bake sale in December 2021.
• Helped sort donated items to select goods for the thrift store displays.
• Positive attitude
• Verbal communication
• Time management
• Interpersonal skills
• English—Native
• Spanish—Full Professional Proficiency
• French—Minimum Professional Proficiency
• Testing new cosmetic products and recording product reviews as stories for Instagram and TikTok accounts.
• Learning about cosmetology and plant-based cosmetic ingredients from books and independent blogs.

Ready to write a resume that’s as compelling as the above examples? Read on, I’ll walk you through each step of writing a resume with no experience.

To help you write your resume for your first job, you can click these links to read about certain steps of the process, with examples:

• Apply the Best Format for a Resume With No Experience
• Start With a Resume Header
• Write a Compelling Resume Profile
• Supercharge Your Education
• Mention Relevant Experience
• Highlight In-Demand Skills
• Add More Value to Your No Experience Resume

Let’s start:

1. Apply the Best Format for a Resume With No Experience

You might’ve heard about various resume formats . Which one should you choose for your resume with no experience? 

Go with the reverse-chronological resume . It’s preferred by recruiters and easily adjustable for any candidate, no matter their level of experience. It's also what career experts like me suggest most of the time.

Then, keep in mind these rules:

• Make a professional resume layout that’s scannable. I recommend you see this list of simple resume templates or browse through free resume templates to find the one you like most.
• Select a good resume font , such as Times New Roman, Calibri, or Georgia, and set the font size to 10–12 pts for the contents and 13–14 pts for the headings.
• Set resume margins to 1 inch on all sides to maintain the balance between the text and white space. Also, ensure you have enough spacing between lines of text.
• Create a resume outline with the sections you’ll use. These are the resume profile, education, experience, skills, and a few extra sections like languages or volunteer work.
• Limit the length of your resume to just one page—there’s no need to go beyond that in a resume with no experience.
• Save your resume in DOC and PDF files : first, check if the job ad mentions the preferred format. If not, go with a PDF, as this format best preserves the formatting the way you want.

If formatting documents in Word or Google Docs is not your strong suit, go with pre-made resume templates instead. You can easily find them online, or you can save some time and try our collection of Word resume templates or Google Docs resume templates to see if they match your taste.

2. Start With a Resume Header

The hiring manager’s gaze will first land at the top of your resume, where your resume header must appear. It’s not only a space to put your name in—it’s also the best section to display your contact information on a resume with no job experience.

Here’s what you should put in a resume header:

• Your full name 
• Job title of the job you’re applying for or your university major
• Phone number
• Email address
• Professional social media links

What does the term professional social media mean, exactly? From my experience, LinkedIn is your best choice, as it’s a network designed specifically for business purposes. But if you run an Instagram or Facebook account related to your profession, that’s a good option, too. For example, if you’re an aspiring graphic designer, an Instagram page showcasing your work is perfect.

But the header isn’t just the first section that gets noticed, it’s also the last. When the recruiter decides to contact you, they will need to use one of the contact options you provided. That’s why you need to quadruple-check that the contact information on your resume with no experience is correct and up to date.

Expert Hint: Make sure your email address sounds serious. An unprofessional email address is one of the most popular mistakes made on resumes when applying for jobs. Consider creating a new account for work and keep it separate from your personal email.

3. Write a Compelling Resume Profile

One of the things preventing your resume with no experience from securing you an interview might be the lack of a strong resume profile .

For a resume with no experience, the best type of profile you can use is a resume objective , which highlights skills and knowledge and specifies what you can do for the employer and the company. 

Use it to mention relevant skills and knowledge to help you succeed professionally. You might also say a few words about your relevant experience from part-time jobs, volunteer work, or university if you have it.

Here’s how to write the perfect introduction for a resume with no experience:

• Start with a personality trait that says you’re a great employee, such as “dedicated,” “goal-oriented,” “efficient,” etc.
• Follow with the desired job title, field of study, or education level, e.g., “third-year BBA student,” “recent university graduate with a Bachelor’s degree,” or “personal assistant.”
• Mention some skills you have and the company wants. You can do it this way: “...specializing in microbiology”, “proficient in Java and Python,” or “...with strong interpersonal and communication skills”.
• If you have any form of experience, be it internships, personal projects, academic awards, or others, mention one that’s the most relevant and impressive. Like that: “Developed interpersonal and organizational skills while volunteering at the student community center in 2022–2023.”
• Say how you can help. For example: “Eager to contribute innovative design solutions to [ Company Name ].”

The other profile type is a resume summary and is typically reserved for experienced professionals. However, if you have a lot of experience gained through personal projects, freelancing, academia, and volunteering, you can still go for it. If you do, focus purely on your achievements, proving your fit for the role.

Now, enough theory. I'll show you some examples:

Resume Example With No Work Experience—Objective

Hard-working student looking for a cashier job. I hope to gain customer service experience while working at Blue Fan Groceries. I’m a friendly person, and I easily get along with everyone.

The first example includes all the elements I’ve mentioned: the candidate’s knowledge, the goal they want to achieve for the business, useful skills, and relevant experience. It also expresses their keen interest in the job.

The second candidate could be a good fit for the job, but they don’t know how to express it. Statements like “I’m friendly” don’t sound professional. Also, the employer doesn’t care much about what the applicants want to gain from the job—they want to know what the business will gain.

And this is what a resume summary could look like on a resume with no experience:

Summary for a Resume With No Experience—Example

Detail-oriented software engineering student specializing in machine learning. Eager to join CodApply as a junior data analyst and use my knowledge of Python to assist with developing computer vision models. Completed a 3-month data engineering internship in 2022. Created a fake news detection application in Python as part of my bachelor’s thesis project.

This fresher resume summary includes all the important elements: applicable education and skills, a specific goal, and a relevant achievement. Even though this person has no work experience, their academic background, internship, and gained knowledge make them a valuable candidate.

Remember that you don’t have to write your resume profile immediately. In fact, it’s better to complete the other sections of your resume and then combine the best bits into your resume objective or summary!

Expert hint: Since you’re writing a resume with no experience, every bit of help is worth its weight in gold. See how ChatGPT can help you write a resume .

The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now .

CREATE YOUR RESUME NOW

Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now .

4. Supercharge Your Education

Even though not all well-paid jobs require a college degree , having one can significantly improve your career prospects . And since you don’t have work experience yet, your education section needs to do a lot of the heavy lifting to impress recruiters.

Here’s how to make a strong education section in your first-job resume:

• List your highest degree first. If you’re still in college or university, mention your current credits and include your high school education.
• Include the school name and years of study.
• Add your GPA if it’s above 3.5 . A good GPA can set you apart, so include it if it’s impressive.
• Mention relevant courses that fit the job you’re applying for. This shows you have the necessary background knowledge.
• Show off academic achievements. Include scholarships, awards, and honors to demonstrate your dedication and success.
• Throw in extracurricular activities. Participation in student organizations, conferences, charity events, sports, and other activities can highlight your leadership, teamwork, and time-management skills.

Doing more than just studying while at school can be really beneficial. Your time at college can not only get you a degree but also provide a chance to start networking as a student .

Here are examples of how your education section on a resume with no experience might look:

Resume Example for the First Job: Education

Brooklyn High School, New York City, NY

Graduated in 2021

• Joined the track and field team

In order to make the education section of your resume worth reading, add details showing achievements and actions on your part. A good way to do that is to use active verbs in your resume , such as “organized,” “demonstrated,” “completed,” etc. Give it a try—you’ll see an immediate difference in how your resume presents itself.

You can also see it in the examples above, especially the first one. You can tell that this candidate is very confident in his knowledge and can back it up as proof.

5. Mention Relevant Experience

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten that this is a guide for a resume with no work experience . But work experience commonly refers to paid employment or contract work. But that’s not the only kind of work in the world.

Here are the types of experiences you can talk about in your no experience resume:

• Internships: Even unpaid internships provide valuable work experience. Mention the skills you learned and the tasks you excelled at.
• Volunteering experience : It not only shows that you care about others but also allows you to prove your professionalism. Helping in a pet shelter, supporting a community organization, participating in fundraisers, and doing other volunteer activities can teach you skills to transfer between careers.
• Freelancing and odd jobs: Doing tasks like babysitting, lawn mowing, or grocery delivery teaches responsibility, time management, and customer service. For instance, "Provided babysitting services for multiple families, managing schedules, and ensuring a safe environment for children."
• Personal projects: They can demonstrate your passion and skills. If you’re applying for a job in a restaurant, mention your food blog where you share recipes and restaurant reviews. For example, "Maintained a food blog with over 100 posts, showcasing my culinary skills and ability to engage with an audience."

Check the no-experience resume sample below to put the theory into practice:

Resume Example for the First Job: Relevant Experience

Freelance Work

• Designing business cards
• Creating website graphics
• Retouching photos for the school basketball team

The first candidate knows how to show they’re not green behind the ears. They started each statement with power words to make a good impression. They also provided specific information about their skill set.

The second candidate may be promising, but they fail to show it. Generic statements like the ones you see in the second sample won’t inspire recruiters to choose their resumes above others.

When describing your experience, use resume keywords that match the job advertisement. They are individual words and phrases that signal that your qualifications match the job requirements. For example, if the job ad says: “Looking for a people person with strong interpersonal skills,” your resume needs to include the phrase interpersonal skills.

Expert Hint: Using keywords in a resume with no experience will help you create an ATS-friendly resume that will pass through ATS screening systems and has a better chance of getting noticed.

6. Highlight In-Demand Skills

The job of your resume with no experience is to convince the hiring manager of your potential. Even without previous jobs, you’ve gained valuable skills throughout your life, especially if you’re a student or recent graduate. Here’s how to showcase them effectively on your resume.

First, make a list of your skills in two columns: soft skills and hard skills:

• Soft Skills : These are interpersonal traits that help you interact with others and handle various situations. Common soft skills include teamwork, communication, time management, and problem-solving.
• Hard Skills : These are job-specific abilities you’ve gained through education, courses, or training. For example, if you studied software engineering, your hard skills might include programming and software testing.

Next, compare your skill list with the job ad. Highlight the skills the employer is looking for and ensure they appear in different sections of your resume. For instance, if the job requires excellent time management, mention how you met all the team project deadlines in college.

But don’t cram every single skill you can think of into the skills section. Select 6–10 skills that match the job requirements and include them in a dedicated skills section on your resume.

Check the list below to see the most popular skills for a resume with no experience:

Skills for a First-Job Resume—Examples

• Time management skills
• Organizational skills
• Creative thinking
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving skills
• Effective communication
• Presentation skills
• Teamwork skills
• Leadership skills
• Computer skills
• Research skills
• Analytical skills
• Adaptability
• Attention to detail
• Customer service skills
• Communication skills
• Public speaking
• Conflict resolution
• Collaboration
• Project management
• Multitasking abilities
• Data analysis
• Social media skills

The list above can inspire you for the skill section of your first-job resume. But don’t copy-paste it onto your application! The point of the skill list in a resume is to show the most relevant skills for the job, so you have to be selective.

7. Add More Value to Your No Experience Resume

You’ve done a lot of work, but it’s not the end yet. There’s still more information you can add to a resume with no experience to make it more attractive and effective. Additional sections are great for highlighting achievements, qualifications, and skills that couldn’t be mentioned in any of the previous sections. 

Choose from the following resume sections :

• Certifications and licenses : Doing certification courses is a great way to gain new skills and later prove your knowledge to recruiters. You can find lots of online courses, and many are free of charge!
• Language skills : Learning a language not only improves your brainpower and makes international travel easier, but it can also bring more work opportunities. Many overseas companies prefer hiring candidates who can communicate in several languages.
• Hobbies and interests : This section can give employers insight into your personality and help you connect on a personal level. Relevant hobbies can also demonstrate applicable skills or passions related to the job. For example, if you want to apply for an entry-level graphic designer job, mention your interest in visual arts.
• Memberships and associations: Want a job at your local library? Why not say being a member of a book club? Membership in professional organizations shows you are engaged in your field and committed to professional development.

Other less popular sections may include publications, conference speeches, or awards. If you have these wins, you can absolutely show them as well.

For now, see these examples for a resume with no experience:

Additional Sections Examples on a No-Experience Resume

• Languages: English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese
• Certification: Project Management certificate
• Interests: Basketball, coding, travel

The second example shows how not to write a resume with no experience. To be effective, you must provide specific information, just like the first candidate.

For example, when you mention your language skills on a no-experience resume, add information about your proficiency level. And when listing certifications, mention the organization that awarded them and when you received them.

Expert Hint: After completing your resume, take a well-deserved break and start writing a cover letter. Yes—you can write a professional cover letter with no experience , and it can really boost your chances of landing a job.

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

CREATE YOUR COVER LETTER NOW

Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here .

Here’s how to make a resume with no experience: 

• Use the no-experience resume templates that you saw up top. They can help stop the “can’t get a job without experience” cycle.
• Focus on relevant life experiences and accomplishments. Put them in your objective, education, and additional resume sections.
• Add the skills they need, not the ones you have. They’re your best keywords, and you can easily find them in the online job ad.
• Include a cover letter. Give evidence you’re a good fit despite a lack of work experience. You’d be surprised how big of a role “culture fit” plays in hiring.

Got questions on how to write a resume with no work experience? Maybe you don’t know where to start writing your resume for the first job? Leave a comment. I’ll be happy to reply!

About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process

At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines , ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets . Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.

Roma Konczak is a career expert and a Certified Professional Resume Writer with a background in education and humanities. She’s passionate about personal development and helping others advance in their careers. She writes guides that simplify complex HR terminology based on thorough research and factual information.

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Writing an Outstanding Resume with No Experience (+ Examples)

It might seem like an uphill struggle, or something that’s impossible to achieve. A resume with no work experience?  After all, the whole point of a resume is that it’s all about showcasing your work experience and career progression–isn’t it?

Well, yes–your resume is usually a succinct history of your career, skills, and qualifications.

But we all have to start somewhere in the world of work. We don’t want to have a Catch 22 scenario where you can’t get a job because you haven’t got any experience, and you haven’t got any experience because you can’t get a job!

So, don’t worry; help is at hand. Crafting a resume with no experience is not as daft as it sounds. It can certainly be done, and in such a way that means you’ll be snapped up in no time, if you follow ZipJob’s guidelines when applying for entry-level roles.

What can I put on my resume if I have no work experience?

It’s a real conundrum. How to fill a page with relevant information when you’re barely out of shorts, and certainly have no idea where to start?

We’ve got you covered, with a list of sections and the sort of information to include on your resume with no work experience.

The best way to start is by splitting the page up into different areas, and concentrating on each… one at a time.

Summary for a resume with no experience

The Professional Profile is the first bit of writing that a hiring manager will read, positioned just underneath your contact details. Try to avoid cliches and buzzwords . Instead, emphasize your transferable skills and what you can offer the organization, in a paragraph format, three or four sentences long.

Skills section

Underneath is the skills section. As you have little or no experience, chances are you’ll need to focus on soft skills here, such as polished communication, organization, time management, and decision-making. If possible, use examples of when you have used these to great effect within your resume with no work experience.

Education section

If you’ve graduated within the last year or two, your education section should come next since it’s the most recent thing you’ve achieved. Detail out your GPA if it’s high and include modules covered, with percentages of any exams taken.

If you achieved any extracurricular accolades while at college or university, include those as well.

Volunteer work section

There are many fabulous skills you can glean from volunteer work –from teamwork to collaboration and project management, so really go to town here with blowing your own trumpet.

Additional sections

This is the place where you can add anything else that hasn’t already been covered, such as relevant hobbies and interests , societies that you belong to, language ability, or internships.

Can ChatGPT build resumes?

One last word of advice, and it’s about ChatGPT . While it might be really tempting to let this AI tool do the work for you, resist! It has limited responses to any prompts, and will just splurge out generic fluff, without a thought for your individual achievements.

Craft your own resume, using ZipJob guidelines, and by looking at the three examples for inspiration.

First time resume with no experience samples

Check out our examples of resumes with no experience below.

1. This first one is an undergraduate looking for his first foray into the world of work. His resume is angled towards becoming an Actuary. Note how he focuses all his achievements and accolades towards this goal, detailing Math awards and other relevant skills. His core skills section is a bit further down the resume with no work experience, as relevant information and achievements are considered more relevant in this case.

2. The second example is a client with literally no work history at all, having spent all her precious time bringing up her family. She has opted to use first person for a more informal approach. See how she details out her skills, learned from being a homemaker, as well as emphasizing many transferable soft skills that should give her traction to land a role as a cleaner, which is her aim. 

3. Our final example is a school leaver, looking to enter the environmental sector by showcasing relevant volunteer work and further attributes. Here, the skills matrix, relevant information, and a voluntary post are the focus.

Writing a resume with no experience can be a daunting task to tackle on your own. Check out what ZipJob’s professional resume writers can do for you.

Recommended reading:

99+ Essential Keywords and Phrases for Impactful Resumes

10 Best College Grad Job Search Sites (Updated for 2024)

19 Essential Skills for Resumes: Examples Included

Elizabeth Openshaw, Editor & Content Writer, Elizabeth Openshaw, Editor & Content Writer

Elizabeth Openshaw is an Elite CV Consultant with over 12 years of experience based in Brighton, UK, with an English degree and an addiction to Wordle! She is a former Journalist of 17 years with the claim to fame that she interviewed three times Grand Slam winner and former World No.1 tennis player, Andy Murray, when he was just 14 years old. You can connect with her at Elizabeth Openshaw | LinkedIn .

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Write a resume with no experience

When you’re looking to land your first job, your resume needs to impress employers.

If you have little or no work experience, this can be tough.

But, with the right structure and approach, anyone can write an interview-winning resume.

This detailed guide, which includes a resume example, will show you how to write a resume with no experience, that will still impress recruiters, and take you one step closer to landing that first job.

• Resume examples
• Structuring and formatting your resume
• Writing your resume summary
• Your education
• Vital skills for your resume

Resume templates 

Resume with no experience example

This resume example shows you the basic format of a resume, and the type of content you can include when you have no experience.

I will now walk you through how to produce your own effective resume.

You can watch the video below or read through the rest of the guide on this page.

Top tips for writing a resume with no experience

• Although you may have no formal work experience, be creative and fill your resume with anything that can demonstrate your workplace skills
• Use hobbies, interests, after-school clubs, sports teams and volunteering to highlight transferable skills
• Head your resume with a punchy summary or personal statement to sell yourself to employers and explain why they should hire you
• Make your hard skill such as languages, IT software and written communication highly visible
• Provide lots of detail on what you have learnt in school to make up for your lack of experience

Resume structure & format

The key to getting recruiters to notice your resume, is having a structure that enables ease of reading and allows them to quickly navigate your educational background and relevant skills.

Using sections to clearly identify your transferable skills, assisting you in securing an interview.

This infographic will support you in creating a simple-but-effective format and show you what sections to include in your resume

Formatting Tips

• Use bold headers, bullet points and sections to break up information and support recruiters in easily navigating your resume
• Don’t over-design your resume with imagery such as company logos or headshots and instead keep to a subdued color pallet and a clear font
• Maintain a resume length of 2 sides of A4, don’t look to add irrelevant information to fill space and be comfortable with submitting a resume that is 1 to 2 sides

Structuring your resume

Highlight essential information within your resume by breaking up large blocks of text and working to a format that focuses on your relevancy for the sector you’re looking to apply to.

Stick to the below format when putting together your resume:

• Contact details – Make your contact details easily accessible at the top of the page
• Summary – Start your resume will a short paragraph summarizing your skills and qualifications, engaging recruiters to read further
• Education – Display your qualifications, especially those most applicable to the industry you’re looking to apply to
• Work experience – If you have any, detail voluntary experience or any part time employment
• Interests and hobbies – Look to add hobbies that document your transferable skills, providing added value to your resume

You can always use a resume template , if you want to make the structuring process easier and quicker.

Resume contact details

Keep your contact information to the top of your resume, allowing recruiters to easily reach you.

Stick to the essential information as seen below:

• Phone number
• Email address

Remove supplementary information such as marital status, profile pictures or date of birth that aren’t required in your application.

Quick tip: You can save space and add some design flair to your resume by adding some icons to symbolize the contact details in your header.

Resume summary

Start your resume with an attention-grabbing introduction, summarizing why you’re the ideal candidate for the positions you are applying to – in a punchy summary .

Give recruiters an insight into your background and core skills, making your educational history a focal point, displaying your interest into your preferred field – give them some good reasons to consider you.

These tips will support you in producing your resume summary :

• Research your chosen industry prior to creating your summary, making yourself custom-fit to the sector, adopting sector specific keywords
• Your summary should be between 5-10 lines; you’ll be able to elaborate elsewhere in your resume
• Avoid cliché and overused statements such as “I am punctual” or “I am hardworking” and instead, try to include key requirements from the job adverts you are applying to

What to include in your resume summary?

• Qualifications – Make your education a focal point, considering qualifications most imperative to the industry you’re pursuing
• Core skills – Document any transferable or marketable skills you’ve acquired in school or university, reflecting on strengths such as interpersonal skills , problem solving, or any skills that can translate into the workplace
• Passions – Why are you interested in pursuing your chosen career? What makes you a good fit?

Core skills & achievement section

Underneath your resume summary, add a skills section that consists of your core skills, using two to three columns of bullet points to list these strengths.

Allowing recruiters at first glance to establish your most applicable soft and hard skills, which relate to the industry you’re pursuing.

Before putting together this section, look to research the industry you’re applying to, adding keywords that make you custom fit to that sector.

When you’ve limited or no work experience, use your educational history as a focal point of the resume.

Represent the qualifications you have achieved as well as describing examples of coursework completed and including any specific accomplishments from your educational history.

Break up this information by clearly heading the type of qualification achieved, the dates obtained and the school or college you attended.

Use bullet points to list the qualifications you secured.

Clubs and Memberships

Within your education section look to incorporate the clubs you were part of and your role within that group.

For example, whether you were the captain of a football team or a prefect at school, even considering adding any charity work you may have done.

When writing about these; try to draw out relevant skills such as teamwork, leadership, communication etc.

See also: Graduate resume – Student resume

Work experience

Although you may have no formal work experience – be creative and add anything that could be demonstrate workplace skills, such as:

• Big projects
• Work experience placements
• A weekend job
• Volunteering
• Club or sports team membership

Quick tip: If you have no work experience, pick up a volunteer role so that you have something impressive to add to the resume.

Structuring your roles

If you have anything you could add as work experience – add to your resume like the below example.

Structure the information within your roles, by breaking up large blocks of text and using bullet points, and defined sections.

Give an overview of your voluntary position, what were your duties or what skills you obtained from this experience.

“Working in a busy café supporting the kitchen and front of house staff to ensure customers have a clean and safe environment .”

Key responsibilities

Use bullet points to document any duties you had within a position.

• Interacting with the waiting and kitchen staff to collect dishes and cutlery
• Supporting kitchen preparations during opening and closing of the café

Key achievements

Document any key achievements whilst in these positions, add relevant examples integrating any facts and figures to verify these where applicable.

• Achieved employee of the month, 2 months in a row

Interests and hobbies

When you have no experience, your hobbies could help boost your application , documenting your transferable skills gained within them.

Emphasize involvement in any clubs or teams, describing the contribution you had and providing any result driven examples.

Impressive hobbies for your resume could include:

• Being in a sports team
• Being a member of a club (book club, chess club)
• Writing a blog
• Building models or machines
• Running a marathon
• Taking part in school schemes

Look to display your personal pursuits, even if these interests don’t directly correlate to the industry you’re applying to, reveal how you can use the experience or skills gained within the industry you’re pursuing.

For example, if you’re looking to gain employment in technology then exhibit your passion for working with computers and the skills you’ve gained such as the ability to solve problems and work methodically.

Essential skills for your resume

Portray the skills you have obtained throughout your experience in education, placements or extra curriculum activities, explaining how these can transition into a work environment.

Look to include these fundamental skills:

Communication – the ability to speak with people of a variety of levels, whether teachers, professors, customers or colleagues

Organizational Skills – the ability to juggle studies whilst taking on voluntary work.

Teamwork – the capacity to work within a team to overcome obstacles and achieve common goals, whether in a school project or extra-circular team

Commitment and Drive – showcase your passion and commitment towards your chosen career path.

Customer Service – a talent for putting customers first and going the extra mile.

Writing your resume with no experience

When you have no work experience, your resume is your first impression in the recruitment process and your opportunity to display what makes you an ideal candidate.

Highlighting all aspects of your educational background as well as the skills that make you applicable for the industry you’re looking to transition into.

By using this guide, you’ll be able to produce a well-structured resume that will assist you in obtaining your dream career.

Good luck in your next application!