When you’re new to all this - the job hunt, the real world, figuring out how to even begin - it’s so easy to feel like everyone else is miles ahead. Like they’ve all got impressive job titles, solid experience, and you’re just… here, staring at a blank document, wondering what you’re supposed to say for yourself.

But just because you don’t have formal work experience doesn’t mean you have nothing to offer. 

You’ve got your education, your side projects, your volunteer gigs, your people skills, your problem-solving moments - these are all real things that matter. You just need to learn how to spot them, shape them, and show them.

It might take a little more creativity and intention to build a resume from scratch, but it’s not out of reach. And we are here to walk you through it step by step.

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Start With the Right Resume Format

The idea that resumes have to follow a specific format trips most of the newbies up. In fact, when you try to force the traditional “job title + bullet points” structure without much formal work experience, it can make your resume look emptier than it actually is.

That makes the functional resume format the BEST you can try. 

Instead of spotlighting your job history (which you’re still building), it shifts the focus to your skills - what you can do, not just where you’ve done it. It’s like rearranging the spotlight to shine on what actually shows your potential.

Here’s what a functional layout usually looks like:

• Header – your name, contact info, and LinkedIn
• Objective – a short blurb about what you’re aiming for and what you bring
• Skills – the good stuff: communication, problem-solving, tools you’ve learned, languages you speak, etc.
• Education – what you studied and where
• Extracurriculars – the clubs, sports, or student orgs where you showed up and stepped up
• Volunteer Work – real-world ways you’ve helped out and built experience

Now, technically, a reverse-chronological format (the traditional one) can still work. Especially if you’ve done internships, had part-time jobs, or have relevant school projects to show. But even then, you’ll want to tailor it to highlight transferable skills rather than just listing a job title.

For example, if you’ve been a server at a restaurant, you’re applying for a customer service role in an office. Instead of just listing your job title, you’d want to highlight the skills that are directly relevant to the new role. Here’s how you could adjust it:

Instead of:

• Server at The Bistro | June 2020 – Present
• Took orders and served food

Try:

• Customer Service Experience (Server)
• Managed customer relationships in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment
• Handled customer complaints and resolved issues to ensure satisfaction
• Worked as part of a team to deliver excellent service and meet performance goals

You see the difference? By focusing on the transferable skills you used as a server (communication, problem-solving, teamwork), you’re showing the hiring manager you can bring those skills to a new environment, even if your job title wasn’t directly related.

For creating a resume in this style, try out our FREE Resume Builder. It will save you all the wrestling with Word templates and guessing what goes where. Simply connect your LinkedIn, fill in the gaps, and pick the layout that works best for you. We’ll take care of the structure so you can focus on the job search.

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Include Clear and Complete Contact Information

You have no idea how many solid resumes never lead to interviews - NOT  because the person wasn’t qualified, but because there was a typo in their email. Or the phone number was missing a digit. Or their name was buried somewhere obscure..

So let’s start with the basics: make sure your full name, phone number, professional email address, and location (city, state, and ZIP) are all clearly visible, error-free, and placed right at the top of your resume.

Your name should be the most prominent thing at the top - clean, bold, and easy to find. 

Right underneath, your contact details should follow in a neat line or block: phone, email, and location. And yes, if you have a LinkedIn profile (which you should), pop that in too. Remember to edit your LinkedIn URL for a clean, professional appearance. Just make sure the info is updated and matches what’s on your resume.

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Write a Resume Objective That Focuses on the Employer

A resume objective is your quick intro. It tells the employer who you are and where you’re headed. But ideally, it shouldn’t read like it’s just about you. 

The person on the other end isn’t looking for your long-term dream. They’re trying to figure out how you’d fit into their team, how you’d help fill a gap, or bring something they need right now.

So while yes, you want to grow and learn and advance - that’s a given - focus instead on what they get out of hiring you. What strengths are you walking in with? How do those match up with what they’re asking for?

Keep it to 2–4 sentences. Just enough to show you’ve got a clear direction and that it lines up with where they’re going.

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Make Your Education Section Count

When you’re building a resume with no job experience to lean on, your education section becomes most important. So treat it like more than a list of schools and dates, and it will say A LOT about what you bring to the table.

Here’s what you can pull in to give it real weight:

• GPA (if it’s 3.5 or above): This isn’t mandatory, but if it’s solid, it’s worth including.
• Relevant coursework: Think about what the job needs, then pull in the ones that match. If you're applying to a marketing role and you’ve taken classes in branding, consumer behavior, or analytics, name those. It's even okay to tweak the wording to mirror what’s in the job ad - it helps with both clarity and ATS..
• Academic honors or scholarships: These say a lot about your dedication and effort. So if you earned any kind of recognition along the way, don’t hesitate to share. 
• Projects or research work: It could be a solo paper you really got into, or even a group presentation where you pulled everyone together. .
• Leadership or team roles: Were you part of a student org? Ran a campus fundraiser? Helped coordinate events? All of them matter just as much as hard skills.

The goal here is to shape this section into something that shows effort. Something that makes the person reading it think, “Alright, this person’s got potential.”

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Add Certifications and Online Courses

Let’s say you don’t have a degree - or maybe you do, but it’s not super relevant to the job you’re after. That’s okay. This is where certifications and online courses can help.

 A free digital marketing course from Google, a beginner Python class on Coursera, or even a 2-hour crash course on LinkedIn Learning - these are all legit ways to start learning. The goal isn’t to become an expert overnight, but to show that you're willing to put in the effort and get familiar with the tools or concepts used in the field.

Here’s how to include them:

• Course or certification name – pick a title that clearly communicates the skill you gained. If the name sounds vague or generic, tweak it just a little to add clarity.
• The platform or issuing organization – Coursera, Google, Meta, LinkedIn Learning - this helps add credibility.
• Completion date (or just say “in progress” if you’re still working through it)

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Showcase Internships, Volunteer Work, and Projects

Without formal work experience yet, this is your next best section. So don’t think that the unpaid work you did is irrelevant, treat it the same way you’d treat the experience from THIS job you’re applying to. 

• Start with what it was, when it happened, and your role in it. Keep it clear and clean.
• Then go into what you actually did. Not just the title but also the tasks, the impact, and the part you played.
• Focus on what it shows about you - did it involve planning, teamwork, using a tool or platform, or learning something new?
• If it’s a project you chose on your own, add a quick line about why you picked it in context of the job.

Here’s an example:

“Organized a 3-day college fest attended by 500+ students. Managed event logistics, coordinated a team of 12, and kept the budget on track. Took it on to build leadership experience and strengthen planning skills - both key in fast-paced marketing roles”.

Highlight Transferable Skills

A lot of what you’ve done in school, group work, extracurriculars,  even part-time gigs or things you’ve handled at home, builds skills that actually matter in the workplace. 

These are soft skills and transferable to almost any job. Such as, 

• Communication skills from class presentations, group discussions, tutoring someone, or even writing for a club newsletter.
• Time management, from balancing classes, deadlines, and outside responsibilities, shows you know how to stay organized and on track.
• Problem-solving – Maybe you worked on a project where you had to troubleshoot an issue or figure out how to meet a tight deadline.
• Teamwork – Group assignments, volunteering, student leadership, or playing a team sport all show that you can collaborate and work toward a goal.
• Customer service – If you’ve worked with people in any capacity -  retail, food service, even event support — that experience teaches patience, clarity, and people skills.

And of course, you definitely don’t want to miss any relevant hard skills you’ve mastered along the way - like Excel, Photoshop, social media tools, or programming languages. Try framing them not just as skills, but how they translate into something impactful.

Like this, 

“Led a team of 4 in developing a marketing campaign for a class project. Used Canva for designs and Google Sheets to manage timelines -  project was voted best in class.”

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Build a Tailored Skills Section

This is the part where you show them you’re not randomly bulk applying, but you’ve read the job description, and that you actually understand what they’re looking for.

A good idea would be to group your skills in a way that matters most to them (again, hints are in the job description). For example, try:

• Technical skills – software, tools, or programs you know how to use
• Soft skills – things like communication, adaptability, problem-solving
• Languages – if you speak more than one, even conversationally, include that too

Now here you might be tempted to list all you’ve ever learned to appear more skilled, but that wouldn’t do you much favors. In fact, it would water down your actual strengths, making you seem less focused on what matters to them. Hence, try not to go over 10 skills here that genuinely fit the role you’re applying for. 

Also, the most important thing here is to use the exact wording from the job ad wherever it makes sense. If they’ve asked for “customer service” and you write “client support,” high chances are, ATS will not recognise it. (FYI - ATS  is a software many companies use to screen resumes before a human even sees them). So mirror their language. It’s a small thing, but it can make all the difference.

Include Extracurriculars and Leadership Roles

Share anything you’ve been part of outside class - clubs, volunteer groups, student bodies, sports teams - that is relevant to the role. These experiences show initiative, follow-through, and that you know how to work with people.

Don’t just drop the name of that club, though - be specific. Mention the team or group name, your role, how long you were involved, and if there’s a small win you can tie in, that’s even better.

For example:

• Social Media Lead, Campus Eco Club | Sep 2022 – May 2023
  Ran weekly posts on Instagram to promote campus clean-up events. Doubled engagement in 3 months and helped drive a 25% jump in event signups.

Or:

• Captain, University Debate Team | Jan 2021 – Dec 2022
  Led a 5-person team to nationals, organized practice sessions, and mentored new members.

Pro tip: Action words like organized, led, managed, created, designed, supported - they go a long way.  They reflect how you were not just a part of something, you actually did something tangible. And that’s what sticks.

List Awards and Honors (If Relevant)

Academic or community-based awards give your application just the edge you need when you don’t have years of experience to fall back on. 

You don’t need to list every single thing you’ve ever received. One or two recognitions are enough. And if you’re short on space, feel free to tuck them under your Education section.

A few examples to guide you:

• Dean’s List, 2022 & 2023 -  shows strong grades and consistency.
• Finalist, National Student Marketing Competition -  tells them you’ve gone head-to-head with others and held your ground.
• Community Impact Award, Local Youth Foundation -  speaks volumes about your initiative and values.
  
  

Don’t Forget the Cover Letter

When you’re new to the game, a cover letter can do what your resume can’t.

You might not have years of job experience yet, but you do have a reason you’re applying. A story behind why this role caught your eye. A few things about yourself you wish the hiring manager could just hear directly from you. That’s what a good cover letter does. It puts a voice behind the bullet points.

Maybe you’re making a career switch. Maybe your resume’s still a little light. Or maybe you just want to show them you’ve done your homework and actually care about this particular role -  not just any role. That kind of effort speaks volumes when your experience can’t (yet).

So yes, it’s worth personalizing. Mention the company by name. Say something that shows you’ve paid attention. Keep it simple, but make it yours.

And if the idea of writing a new one every time feels like a chore, that’s totally fair. Our AI Cover Letter Generator is here to help you with this. You can tweak it, save it in our Job Tracker, and move on to the next one without burning out.

Proofread and Keep It Professional

You can do everything with care, follow every tip to the dot, and still, somehow, a tiny typo sneaks in. We get it, it happens. But to a recruiter who’s skimmed through 50 resumes already, that tiny thing might be the one that tips yours into the “no” pile.

That’s why this step matters more than it seems. You wouldn’t want one sloppy mistake to distract them from everything you’ve done right.

So run it through something like Grammarly to catch the obvious typos and read it out loud to spot the awkward bits. Or better yet, step away for a few hours and come back with fresh eyes. These small checks can save you from that “oh no” moment after you’ve hit send.

And once you’re done, save it in PDF or .docx. 

Also, keep the file name simple and professional (your name + resume works just fine), and skip the fancy fonts or design experiments. You want it to open smoothly for whoever’s reading it - human or ATS.