Resume For Your First Job is a key focus of this guide. Writing your first resume is intimidating when you feel like you have nothing to put on it. But every recruiter who hires for entry-level roles knows exactly what you are working with, and they are looking for something different than they look for in a ten-year veteran. Here is what that is and how to show it.
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What entry-level recruiters are actually looking for
When I am hiring for an entry-level role, I am not expecting a track record of measurable business impact. I am looking for signals that tell me you are teachable, you are reliable, you have some exposure to the type of work the role involves, and that you will take the job seriously. Those signals can come from many different places.
Academic achievement matters more at this stage than at any other point in a career. Relevant coursework, strong GPA if it is above 3.5, honors, or academic projects that relate to the role are all worth including. The same goes for internships, volunteer work, campus activities, or any part-time work that demonstrates responsibility or skill.
The single biggest mistake early-career candidates make is underselling themselves by leaving off experience that feels informal or irrelevant. A retail job shows customer service, time management, and reliability. A campus leadership role shows organizational skills and initiative. Look at your experience through the lens of what it demonstrates, not just what it was.
How to structure an entry-level resume
For most entry-level candidates, the recommended order is: name and contact information, a brief summary or objective, education, relevant experience (which can include internships, part-time jobs, and volunteer work), skills, and any additional relevant sections.
Put your education near the top because it is your most important credential at this stage. Include your degree, your major, your graduation date, and your GPA if it is 3.5 or above. You can also include relevant coursework in a sub-section if those courses directly relate to the role you are applying for.
For your experience section, include anything that is even tangentially relevant. A summer internship, a work-study position, a campus project, a freelance or gig economy job, or a significant volunteer commitment all belong here. Use bullet points to describe what you did in each role and, wherever possible, quantify the impact.
How to write bullets when you have limited experience
The challenge with entry-level bullets is that you often cannot claim the big, company-wide results that more experienced candidates can. But you can almost always find something specific and concrete to say about what you did.
Start with a strong action verb: managed, designed, analyzed, organized, developed, supported, created. Then describe what you did specifically, and follow with the outcome if you have one. ‘Organized a campus fundraising event that raised $4,500 for the university food bank’ is a compelling bullet that demonstrates planning, execution, and results.
Even in roles where the work was routine, you can quantify volume or scale. ‘Served approximately 80 customers per shift’ or ‘Managed scheduling for a team of twelve volunteers’ are specific and credible. Quantification is not only for corporate results. It is for anything that gives context to the scale of what you did.
What to do when you really have nothing relevant
If you genuinely have no work experience, internships, or campus involvement, focus your resume on academic projects, relevant coursework, and skills. A senior capstone project, a research paper in your field, or a class project that produced something tangible can all be presented as experience.
Consider whether there is any informal experience you have not credited properly: tutoring, fixing computers for family members, managing social media for a small local organization, helping with a family business. These are legitimate and often overlooked.
If you are in this situation, it is also the right time to prioritize getting some experience before your target job search window. An internship, even a short one, dramatically increases your options. Volunteering with an organization in your target industry gets you real exposure and references at a manageable time commitment.
Skills section for entry-level resumes
At the entry level, the skills section often carries more weight than it does later in a career, because it compensates for limited work experience. Include technical skills, software proficiencies, languages, and relevant certifications.
Be honest about your skill level. ‘Proficient in Python’ and ‘familiar with Python’ are different claims. Listing a skill you cannot demonstrate in an interview is a risk. Listing a skill you can demonstrate confidently is always worth including.
Soft skills like communication and leadership are less effective in a skills section because every candidate claims them. Show those skills through your experience bullets rather than listing them abstractly. ‘Presented research findings to a 50-person audience’ demonstrates communication more effectively than ‘strong communicator.’
Tailoring your first resume to each application
Even with limited experience, tailoring your resume to each job makes a difference. Read the job description carefully and note the specific skills, tools, and experiences they are looking for. Then organize your experience section to lead with what is most relevant.
Your summary or objective statement should reference the specific role. ‘Recent marketing graduate with experience in content creation and social media management, seeking a marketing coordinator role at a company where I can develop my skills in digital strategy’ is more compelling than a generic statement.
Customization at the entry level also signals something important to the hiring manager: that you can identify what matters and communicate it clearly. That is a skill they are trying to hire for, and showing it in your application is the earliest possible demonstration.
Get your free resume review from a real recruiter
All of this advice is based on years of reviewing resumes and working with hiring managers across industries. Submit your resume for a free, honest review from a real recruiter.
You will get specific feedback on what is working, what to fix, and what a recruiter would actually think when they see your application.
Read next
- How to Write a Resume for Your First Job Out of College
- Government Job Resume: How to Meet Strict Requirements
- What Recruiters Actually Do With Your Resume in the First 10 Seconds
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I include my GPA on my resume?
Yes, if it is 3.5 or above. If it is below 3.5, you can leave it off. If you have a higher GPA in your major than your overall, you can list your major GPA instead.
Can I include high school experience on a college graduate resume?
Generally no, unless you had a truly exceptional achievement that is directly relevant. College experience, even informal, should take priority over high school by the time you graduate.
What if I have no internship experience?
Focus on academic projects, campus leadership, volunteer work, and any part-time employment. Frame everything through the lens of what skills it demonstrates. If time allows, a short internship before your job search opens dramatically more doors.
How long should my first resume be?
One page, firmly. You likely do not have the experience to fill two pages, and trying to do so by expanding your margins or reducing the quality of your content does not help.