Guide to Writing a Great Resume with No Experience

The ol' catch-22: you need a job to get experience, but you need experience to get a job. Either way, you need a resume, and what you don't need is to panic – because it is possible to write a resume with no experience that stands out. 

How to write a resume with no experience

You might be concerned about having a resume with no experience. However, there are several ways to craft a convincing first job resume that stands out and grabs the attention of hiring managers, even if you lack traditional work experience. 

The following tips will guide you in crafting a compelling resume with no experience, from selecting the best resume format to successfully highlighting your skills throughout this essential job marketing tool. 

1. Choose the best resume format 

There are a few dominant resume templates in use today:

• Chronological: A chronological resume format lists your work experience in reverse-chronological order

• Functional: A functional resume format focuses on hard and soft skills and career achievements, rather than work experience

• Hybrid: A hybrid resume blends the two.

The functional resume can be an attractive option for job seekers with little relevant experience, though most employers and hiring managers prefer a chronological or hybrid format.

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

• They’re the most used formats in the US, making it easy for hiring managers to review and find the information they're seeking.

• They’re 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 and hybrid resume are:

• The heading (with your contact information)

• Resume summary

• Core competencies or skills list

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

• Education

2. Start with your contact information

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:

• Your name

• Phone number

• Email address

• Location and zip code

• LinkedIn or professional website URL (optional)

Refer to these resume header tips for the best outcome:

• Your name should sit above your contact information in a larger font size than the rest of the information included in the header. 

• Ensure you use a professional email address. Using something like “jazzy123@email.com” or “havingfunjoan@email.com” will 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.

• Make sure your LinkedIn profile is current if you choose to include your LinkedIn URL. 

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

Joseph Smith

City, State 12345 | 555.555.5555 | jsmith@email.com | linkedin.com/in/joe-smith-marketing

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 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 three 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 are four resume summary examples based on level of experience: 

Recent college graduate

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.

Senior College Student nearing graduation

Motivated Communications student nearing graduation with a strong foundation in public relations, digital media, and organizational communication. Experienced in developing clear, engaging messages through academic projects, internships, and campus involvement. Eager to apply creativity and collaboration skills connect company messaging to target audience.

Freshman to junior-level college student

Enthusiastic Marketing student with a growing foundation in digital marketing, consumer behavior, and branding strategies. Experienced in collaborative class projects that required creativity, problem-solving, and strong communication skills. Quick to learn new tools and eager to apply classroom knowledge to real-world marketing challenges. 

High school student (seeking a Server role)

Enthusiastic and dependable high school student with strong communication skills and customer-focused attitude. Experienced in working with others through school activities and volunteer roles, with a proven ability to stay organized in fast-paced settings. Eager to contribute a positive attitude and teamwork to create a positive dining experience for guests.

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 with a robust background, regardless of their experience level. 

Here are some sections you can substitute in lieu of a Work Experience section:

• Internships

• Graduate assistantships

• Extracurricular activities

• Volunteer work

• Projects

• Hobbies and interests

• Part-time jobs

• Awards

• Certifications

When you include these additional types of experiences on your 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 best to use a section heading that aligns with the type of experience (“Internships” for internships, “Volunteer Work” for volunteer work, and so on). Many individuals also create separate sections for awards and certifications. 

Internships

Landing paid or unpaid college internships is one of the best weapons you have against "experience required." Not only do they give you some real-world work experience, but 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:

New York Secretary of State Office, New York, NY | Jan 2021 - May 2021

Finance Intern

• Reconciled budget sheets for quarterly processing

• Supported accounting team of 6 in year-end tax return audits

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

Graduate Assistantships

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:West Virginia University School of Business and Economics, Morgantown, WV | Aug 2020 - May 2021

HR Graduate Assistant

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

• Worked with three academic Professors to develop research guidelines for future assistants

Volunteer work

Many employers consider volunteer experience listed on your resume, such as serving as a soup kitchen volunteer, alongside paid work experience. Any volunteer work that highlights your talents or a new skill should be included on your well-prepared resume.

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

Friends for Life Animal Shelter, Philippi, VA | Apr 2022 - Present

Animal Transport Volunteer

• Work with local shelters to transport animals to and from facilities and foster homes

• Assisted in cleaning kennels and common areas to support sanitation efforts

• Spearheaded animal supply drive, collecting $10K worth of supplies

Extracurricular activities

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 demonstrate your ability to collaborate with others. It also shows your ability to balance schoolwork with other extracurricular activities, highlighting your 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:

Belington High School | Aug 2020 - May 2021

Student Council Vice President

• Spearheaded $25K 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:

Sparkle and Shine Fundraising Event | Feb 2022 - Mar 2024

Social Media Campaign

• 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

• Designed career counseling planning program for women with chronic fatigue syndrome

• Proposed group counseling initiatives for friends and family members of those who have mental health challenges

• Authored behavioral health program protocols used to work with males aged 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 provide insights into who you are as a person and they enhance your resume story. 

Hobbies and interests require soft and hard skills, many of which are required to succeed on the job. They can be especially useful to fill in gaps when you lack work experience.

Below are a couple of examples of what you might find in the Hobbies and Interests section on someone’s resume. The first example speaks to the transferable skills of leadership, teamwork, communication, and motivation, to name a few. The second example highlights competencies like creativity, the ability to work well under pressure, collaboration, and public speaking. 

• Baseball Captain. Led team to state championship. Trained 20+ junior players for regional league. 

• Improvisation. Performed weekly with a team of five in front of live audiences at local theatre.   

Part-time jobs

Part-time jobs are an excellent way to highlight transferable skills on your resume. Common part-time high school and college jobs include positions in restaurants and retail, which require strong customer service, communication, organization, and time management skills, as well as the ability to work effectively under pressure. 

Here’s an example of how to list a part-time job on your resume:

Shoney’s Restaurant, Elkins, WV | May 2025 - May 2026

Hostess - Part-time

• Greeted as many as 100 guests per shift with a professional and courteous manner.

• Monitored table rotations for 5 servers during high-volume afternoons and evenings. 

• Supported servers in clearing tables, getting drinks, and running food. 

Awards

An award can signal to an employer to take note, since it's 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 listing an award, include both the award and the issuing institution. For example:

• 2023 Science Olympiad Award recipient, Science Olympiad Foundation

Certifications

Acquiring certifications offers an excellent opportunity to add value and fill gaps in skills and work experience. There are numerous occasions 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. Include the name of the certification, issuing body, issue date, and expiration date, if relevant. For example:

• Notary Public, PA Secretary of State, Issued: 08/2025, Renewal date: 08/2029

5. Include your education

When you have work experience, it's common to include your Education section after your job history section. However, on a resume with no experience, it’s a good idea to list and emphasize your education BEFORE your work history. This is primarily 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 relevant experience options, you can expand and focus the education section to highlight marketable skills you've developed in school. 

• What can you do well that this job requires? 

• What will be useful to the hiring company? 

• What have you done in school?

• 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 if you’re a high school graduate, you can discuss your electives and relevant coursework, explain why you chose to take them, and describe what you 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.

You may also wonder if you should include your GPA on your 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 to achieve success.

Here's the order to list items in your Education section, with items 4 to 8 being optional:

• Degree issued

• Issuing institution

• City and state of institution

• GPA

• Honors (Important: laude designators are always lowercase and in italics)

• 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 | Maryland State University, Baltimore, MD

• Expected completion: May 2026

• GPA/Honors: 3.5 GPA, magna cum laude

• Relevant coursework: Human Growth and Development, Assessment, Treatment Planning, Abnormal Behavior

6. Emphasize your skills

No matter where you obtained the skills you’ll list on your resume, be sure to highlight both hard and soft skills throughout your resume. 

• Hard skills are technical skills that are measurable and learned. 

• Soft skills are tangible skills that are difficult to measure.

Examples of valuable hard skills on a resume include:

• Mathematics

• Computer skills

• Data analysis

• Research

• Project management

• Social media

• Editing

• Language skills

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

• Communication

• Problem solving

• Organization

• Interpersonal skills

• Analysis

• Time management

• Creativity

• Working well under stress

In addition to highlighting your skills in your Resume Summary and Relevant Experience sections, you also want to include a Core Competencies section just below your Resume Summary or a Skills section near the end of your resume. It’s good to aim for 9 to 12 skills to include. 

In rare instances, you may include both a Core Competencies and Skills section if you possess distinct skills to highlight in each. If you’re a recent IT graduate, for example, you might include a Core Competencies section that lists general IT-focused competencies near the top of your resume, as well as a Technical Skills list in the Education section near the end, which highlights the specific software and programming languages you’ve used. 

For example:

Core Competencies 

Hardware & Software Troubleshooting | Networking & Cybersecurity Fundamentals | Database Management | Programming | Cloud Computing | Web Development | IT Support & Help Desk Operations | Team Collaboration & Problem-Solving

Technical Skills

• Operating Systems: Windows, Linux, macOS

• Networking Tools: Cisco Packet Tracer, Wireshark

• Cloud Platforms: AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud (basic proficiency)

• Databases: SQL, MySQL, MongoDB

• Development Tools: Git/GitHub, Visual Studio Code, Eclipse

• Productivity & Collaboration: Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, Slack

• Security Tools: Antivirus, Firewalls, VPNs, Security Awareness Training

To identify the most essential skills to include on your resume with no work experience, refer to the job description. Highlight the skills required for the job and ensure you include the ones you possess in your resume. 

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 an opportunity to showcase a bit of your personality and express why you're interested in the job. Ensure 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

• Demographic info

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

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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.

Include ATS optimization elements

Most employers use some form of applicant tracking system (ATS) to scan and sort resumes. To ensure you get past these bots, you'll want to apply some ATS best practices. 

• Include 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.

• Avoid putting anything in the header or footer of your resume, as an ATS generally can’t read these sections. 

• Use a standard resume format that an ATS can easily read. 

Customize your resume for each job you apply to

One of the most important things to remember when creating a good resume is to customize it for every job to which you apply. Different job postings will have varying keywords, job duties, and other details. 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.

Use AI to generate ideas

Though it's not recommended to use AI to fully write your resume or cover letter, it can be a powerful tool to help identify keywords to include and even gaps in your resume. Use ChatGPT or a similar tool and input a prompt like “resume with no work experience example” or “skills for a resume with no work experience,” and use the information returned to inspire ideas for your own.

Avoid common resume mistakes

The smallest thing could be what lands your resume in the reject pile. For example:

• Inconsistent formatting (dates, fonts, bullet points, subheadings)

• Using creative formatting that’s difficult to read

• Including irrelevant information

Resume with no experience FAQ

Is it okay to have no work experience on a resume?

Yes! It is absolutely okay to have a resume with no experience. There are numerous other ways to highlight your skills and stand out to employers. You can include other types of relevant experience, incorporate skills you learned through your studies, and list awards and accomplishments, to name a few options. 

How long should a resume be with no experience?

If you have little to no relevant experience to include on your resume, then you should stick to a one-page resume. However, if you have relevant experience, such as extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and internships to include, then it is acceptable to have a two-page resume, although that’s the maximum. 

Do I need a resume for my first job?

Yes, most employers require a resume when you apply for a job, even if it’s an entry-level job. 

Can I skip the work experience section?

Though you might not include a “Work Experience” section, it is best to include some type of experience rather than forgo it altogether. Even if you only list student projects or hobbies and interests under your “Relevant Experience” section, it still provides the employer with some insight into your skills and abilities. 

How do I write a resume without revealing my age?

If you have little to no work experience, it’s difficult to hide the fact that you’re likely in your twenties. It’s very rare for those in their thirties or older to have zero experience, though it does happen. One step you can take is to remove your graduation date so it’s not blaringly obvious that you recently graduated. As people progress in their careers, they often only include the past 10 to 15 years of experience to help hide their age. 

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 can feel challenging. 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.