
How to Write a Resume According to Science in 2023
How do you write a resume? With so many conflicting opinions out there, we’ve set out to find the ultimate answer to this question.
Yes—it is possible to write a great resume with no experience. And this guide will use resume examples for first jobs to show you how. Buy the ticket and take the ride.
Applying for the first job ever can feel overwhelming. All these rules you’ve got to follow, and all these ads that ask for miracles from entry-level applicants. When each requires experience, how can you demonstrate it if you haven’t had a proper job before?
Hey, don’t worry—your resume with no experience is bound to succeed with this guide. But... How to make a resume with no experience? Does it even make sense? Of course, it does.
In this article, you’ll find:
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Avery Waters
High-School Graduate
(123) 456-7890
avery.waters@resumelabmail.com
linkedin.com/in/avery.waters
instagram.com/avery.loves.beauty
Objective
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.
Education
High School Diploma
Salem High School, Salem, MA
September 2018–June 2022
GPA: 3.76
Academic Accomplishments:
Personal Projects
Makeup Artist
June 2019–Present
Volunteer Experience
Volunteer
Salvation Army, Salem, MA
August 2020–Present
Skills
Languages
Interests
Enjoyed this first-job resume sample? Continue reading to learn how to write a resume with no experience similar to the one above.
And because you’ll be making your resume for your first job, you can click these links to read about certain steps of the process, with examples.
Let’s go through each point now:
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.
Then, keep in mind these rules:
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.
The hiring manager’s gaze will first land at the top of your resume. That’s the place 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 experience.
Here’s what you should put in a resume header:
What does the term professional social media mean, exactly? 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.
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.
A good resume starts with a powerful profile. In a resume with no experience, the introduction must immediately convince the reader that you have serious worth. How? By highlighting your qualifications for the job.
Two types of resume profiles work best:
So, which one of these two is the best choice for you?
Go with a resume objective. This type of profile focuses on what you can achieve while working in your position. 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 prefer to write a resume summary, it’s also possible, even for a candidate with no experience. A classic resume summary highlights professional achievements. And they don’t have to be work-related. You can name achievements from internships, extracurricular activities, academic activities, volunteer work, or anything else that connects well to your desired job.
You’ll see examples of resume objectives and summaries in a minute. But first:
Here’s a job-winning formula for a good resume profile:
Now, enough theory. Let’s see the examples below:
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.
This 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. 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 candidate above 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.
Now, let’s move on to an example of a resume summary:
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 summary includes all the important elements: relevant knowledge and skills, a specific goal, and relevant achievement. Even though this person has no work experience, their knowledge and academic background make them a valuable candidate.
Expert hint: 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!
A resume with no experience should boast about education. Even though not all well-paid jobs require a college degree, getting one still matters, and it’s one of the easiest steps to improve career outlooks. Ergo, your education section must mention much more than just the name of the school you attended.
Here’s how to make a strong education section in your first-job resume:
Once clear, check the sample no-experience resume below:
High School Diploma
Salem High School, Salem, MA
September 2018–June 2022
GPA: 3.76
Academic Accomplishments:
Pretty impressive for a high-school student, right? Brooklyn High School, New York City, NY Graduated in 2021 Joined the track and field team
That candidate didn’t list any info that could help win a recruiter over.
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.
OK, you saw relevant academic achievements and coursework, so now let’s talk about experience relevant to the job. What does that mean?
It means that even if you have no work experience, you can list experiences that helped you develop key skills and qualifications for the job you want.
Here are the types of experiences you can talk about in your no-experience resume:
Check the sample below to put the theory into practice:
Personal Projects
Makeup Artist
June 2019–Present
Volunteer Experience
Volunteer
Salvation Army, Salem, MA
August 2020–Present
This candidate knows how to show they’re not green behind the ears. They started each statement with power words for a resume to make a good impression, and the candidate provided specific information about their skill set. Freelance Work
The candidate above might be quite skillful. The problem is—they don’t know how to show it. Listing experiences that way isn’t convincing and doesn’t show if you’re successful in any of the tasks.
When describing your experience, use resume keywords that match the job advertisement. They are individual words and phrases that both hiring managers and automated scans look out for. They 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 interpersonal and people skills.
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.
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“It’s true that I don’t have work experience. But that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything!”
You’re right. But you must convince the hiring manager that this is true. And the best way to do it in a resume with no experience is by stuffing it with relevant skills. After all, you’ve learned a thing or two throughout your life, and if you’re a university student or graduate, you also picked up some expert knowledge.
But how to put it all together on a resume?
Start by making a spreadsheet with two columns: soft skills and hard skills.
So, in your spreadsheet, fill the soft and hard skills columns with relevant skills you’ve mastered. It’s OK if the soft skill list is longer than the other. Why? Because soft skills are also transferable, meaning that they apply to a variety of professions.
When your list is ready, take a look at the job advertisement. The job requirements specify what kind of skills and knowledge are expected from you. Compare them with your lists of skills, and pick only the ones that match.
The skills picked for a resume should appear in different sections. You should sprinkle them in your resume profile, education, and when describing relevant experiences. For example, if the job ad calls for someone who excels in time management, mention how you completed all assignments within deadlines and handled a hectic schedule at college. But also remember to make a separate skill list for your resume.
How to make a skill list for a no-experience resume:
Check the list below to see the most popular skills for a resume with no experience:
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.
Here’s a job ad for a retail assistant position:
Seeking a part-time retail assistant to perform store functions, including greeting customers, taking orders over the phone, and entering them into a Word document in a timely manner. Must be good at communication and teamwork and have a friendly attitude.
And below, you can see a matching skill list for a resume:
This candidate was applying for a retail job, and their skills match this type of work perfectly. Leadership, IT skills, marketing, Excel
In the example above, the candidate wrote whatever came to their mind. Even if they really possess those skills, it’s not likely that they match what was outlined in the job advertisement.
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 effective. Additional sections are great for highlighting achievements, qualifications, and skills that you haven’t mentioned before.
Choose from the following resume sections:
Have a look at the examples below:
Languages
Interests
Don’t be afraid to describe your activities in more detail, just like the candidate above. It’ll help recruiters to see how they match your desired position.
That’s not how professionals write a no-experience resume. You must provide specific information. For example, when you mention your language skills on a resume, add information about your proficiency level. And when listing certifications, mention the organization that awarded them and when.
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.
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:
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. We’ll be happy to reply!
How do you write a resume? With so many conflicting opinions out there, we’ve set out to find the ultimate answer to this question.
You can stop searching—this is the ultimate collection of best resume tips that can help you succeed in 2023. These resume writing tips will help to impress hiring managers.
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