Struggling to get interviews?
Build a competitive resume for your first job by showcasing skills from school, volunteer work, and part-time gigs. See our free samples designed for first-time job seekers and learn what employers want to see.
- Discover how to turn education, activities, and volunteer work into resume-ready experience
- Identify transferable skills from your background that employers value
- Download free resume examples that show how first-time job seekers present their qualifications
Most employers will require a resume for your first job. The good news is that writing a resume with no experience is easier than you think.
Start with the sample below to see an impressive first-job resume for a teenager:
No matter your background, we’ll show you how to highlight your skills and relevant experience effectively, with great examples you can use as a model for your own resume.
How to write a resume for your first job
Follow these steps to write a standout resume from top to bottom, even if you don’t have formal work experience yet.
1. Format your resume properly
Using the right resume format helps make a good first impression on employers. A clean, well-organized resume can set you apart from other candidates, even when you’re applying for your first job.
Here are some key points to remember when formatting your resume:
Use standard margins of ½″ to 1″ on all sides
Choose a professional, easy-to-read font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman
Keep body text between 10 and 12 points
Make your name stand out with a larger font size
Use consistent formatting throughout (for example, if you bold job titles, bold all of them)
Use clear section headings (e.g., Education, Skills, Relevant Experience)
Keep sentences and bullet points concise
Use a simple resume template without a photo or flashy design elements
2. Use a well-organized resume template
Writing your first resume is much easier when you start with a clean, well-organized resume template. The right template helps you present your skills and accomplishments in a way that’s easy for hiring managers to scan.
To make the best possible first impression, choose a template that’s both eye-catching and professional:
3. Fill in your header
Your resume header makes it easy for employers to find your name and contact details so they can reach you if they want to interview you.
Here’s what you should put in your header:
Include
- First and last name (in a larger font)
- Phone number
- Email address
- City and state
- LinkedIn, X handle (if it’s relevant to your target field), or portfolio site
And here are some things to leave out:
Avoid
- Personal social media profiles that are unrelated to the job or industry you’re applying for
- Unprofessional email addresses
- Personal information like age, marital status, or Social Security number
4. Begin with a clear resume summary
Starting your resume with a tailored resume objective helps you introduce yourself to hiring managers by briefly explaining your goals and why you’re a good fit for the role.
In 2–4 sentences, your resume objective should name the role you’re applying for and highlight your:
- skills
- experience
- education or training
- achievements
- career goals
Remember, “experience” doesn’t have to mean a paid job. It can come from school, volunteering, extracurriculars, or personal projects — as long as it relates to the job.
Here’s an example of a high school student’s resume objective for a first job:
Resume summary for first job
Detail-oriented high school senior with experience in event planning through student council activities. Proficient in Microsoft Office and social media platforms. Seeking to leverage my creativity and interpersonal skills in an entry-level administrative role.
5. Emphasize your education and coursework
When you’re writing a resume for your first job, your education section will often be one of the most substantial parts of your resume.
If you don’t have relevant experience, consider moving your education section near the top of your resume, right under your summary.
You can include school accomplishments like:
- Academic accomplishments
- Special projects
- Certifications
- Publications
- Awards and honors
- GPA (if it’s 3.5 or higher)
- Relevant coursework
Adding relevant coursework on your resume is especially helpful because it shows you’ve studied topics related to your target field.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
University of Arizona
Expected Graduation: May 20XX
GPA: 3.7/4.0
Relevant Coursework: Data Structures and Algorithms, Web Development Fundamentals, Database Management Systems, Object-Oriented Programming, Software Engineering Principles, Cybersecurity Fundamentals, Mobile App Development
6. Include relevant experience
If you don’t have formal work experience yet, internships, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities are great additions to your first resume.
Add these in a relevant experience section, or create separate sections like “Volunteer Experience” or “Internships,” depending on what you have. Just make sure to choose experiences that connect to the job you want.
Hobbies and interests
Include hobbies and interests only if they demonstrate job-relevant skills or show you’re a good fit for the company culture.
Skip generic interests like “watching movies” or “listening to music.” Instead, choose specific pursuits that set you apart — like running a blog, learning a language, or competing in a sport.
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
- Home coffee brewing and latte art
- Baking and recipe experimentation, contributed 20+ recipes to school cookbook
- Food photography featured in 3 local restaurant Instagram accounts
- Volunteering at a community food bank (100+ hours served)
Extracurricular Activities
Extracurricular activities show you can balance commitments and work with others.
List clubs, sports, or organizations where you held a role or developed skills relevant to the job.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Treasurer
STUDENT COUNCIL, Lincoln High School, Austin, TX
August 20XX – Present
- Manage annual budget of $5,000 for school events and student activities
- Track all income and expenses using Excel spreadsheets and provide monthly financial reports
- Collect payments for school dances and fundraisers, ensuring accurate cash handling and record keeping
- Collaborate with council officers to plan events within budget constraints and maximize student participation
Part-time or gig work
Informal work belongs on your first resume, even if it seems unrelated.
Jobs like babysitting, lawn care, pet sitting, and food delivery still show reliability, time management, and customer service skills that employers value.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Dog Walker
PRIVATE FAMILIES, Seattle, WA
March 20XX – Present
- Walk 5-8 dogs daily for neighborhood clients, ensuring exercise and socialization needs are met
- Follow specific care instructions for each pet, including feeding schedules and medication reminders
- Maintain accurate logs of walks, behavior observations, and any health concerns
- Respond promptly to client requests and accommodate last-minute scheduling changes
- Build trusted relationships with pet owners through reliable service and clear communication
Volunteer Work
You can also add volunteer work to your resume. Volunteering shows you’ve gained practical experience and gives you more to talk about during an interview.
Even if the work isn’t directly related to the position you’re applying for, many skills you develop are transferable to other careers, such as communication, organization, and time management.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Youth Mentor
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS, Portland, OR
September 20XX – Present
- Meet weekly with assigned mentee to provide academic support and positive guidance
- Plan educational activities, including museum visits, library study sessions, and college campus tours
- Communicate regularly with program coordinator and mentee’s guardian about progress and scheduling
- Complete monthly activity reports documenting mentorship goals and outcomes
7. Highlight your transferable skills
When writing a resume for your first job, think about the skills you gained through classes, projects, clubs, and sports. These include both hard skills (technical abilities) and soft skills (interpersonal abilities).
In your skills section, list 6–8 of your strongest hard skills that match the job you’re applying for. For example:
SKILLS
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
- Data analysis tools (e.g., SPSS, R)
- Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
- Content Management Systems (e.g., WordPress, Drupal)
- Basic HTML and CSS
Soft skills are best shown through examples in your resume objective and your experience bullet points.
Use our AI skills generator
Unsure which skills from your background apply to your target job? Enter your student roles, part-time gigs, volunteer work, or internships into our AI skills generator to find transferable skills you can include on your first-job resume.
Make a high-impact skills section for your resume in seconds with our free software. Simply enter your job title and you’ll be matched with the most impactful skills for your industry.
Use these job-specific skills to make a resume that lands you interviews.
Writing your first resume?
Resume examples for your first job
One of the easiest ways to learn how to make a good resume for your first job is to look at some resume samples from other first-time job seekers.
Below are five student resume examples to show you how to fill out your resume even if you don’t have work experience:
Teenager resume
A solid teen resume showcases soft skills like time management, customer service, and attention to detail.
High school student resume
A high school student’s resume often emphasizes academic achievements, extracurricular activities, or volunteer work, like this example does:
College student resume
This college student resume example shows how to emphasize key skills you built in school when applying for your first job:
Recent graduate resume
Recent college graduates often have academic experience that translates directly into professional skills.
Use this sample to see how achievements on campus can demonstrate the abilities employers seek.
Volunteer resume
This example shows how to frame volunteer experience on your resume as relevant professional qualifications for your first job.
Create your finished resume in 5 minutes
Need help getting started? Use our AI resume builder to write your resume, format it automatically, and pick from dozens of modern resume templates.
Our resume builder can make your resume in as little as 5 minutes. Pick the template you want, and our software will format everything for you.
About the Author
3
Years of Experience
41
Articles Written
Cort is a writer on the Resume Genius team. With a focus on helping job seekers showcase their strengths with clarity and confidence, he specializes in creating practical resources, from tailored resume samples to step-by-step guides on navigating applications and interviews.
With a background in marketing and communications, Cort has spent years honing his ability to provide straightforward, actionable content designed to help readers quickly find what they need.
Cort graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.A. in Economics and International Relations.
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