How to Write a Resume With No Experience + Examples

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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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

Sample Resume With Personal & Volunteer Experience

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:

1. Apply the Best Format for a Resume With No Experience
2. Start With a Resume Header
3. Write a Compelling Resume Profile
4. Supercharge Your Education
5. Mention Relevant Experience
6. Highlight In-Demand Skills
7. 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:

1. Start with a personality trait that says you’re a great employee, such as “dedicated,” “goal-oriented,” “efficient,” etc.
2. 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.”
3. 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”.
4. 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.”
5. 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

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.

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.

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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

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.

High School Diploma

Salem High School, Salem, MA

September 2018–June 2022

GPA: 3.76

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.

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

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

Volunteer

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.

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
• IT skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Effective communication
• Interpersonal skills
• 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

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

Awards

• 2023—Outstanding Senior Project Award, University of Art and Design
• 2022—Best Design Concept, State Design Competition

• 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.

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Key Points

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!

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