How To Write A Resume With No Experience In 2025 + Examples

How To Write A Resume With No Experience

After your prep work, it is now time to put together an excellent resume, even when you don’t have the traditional work experience to include.

Consider the following steps to help you craft a resume that impresses potential employers:

1) Contact Information

Your contact information is the first section of your resume and it’s essential to get it right.

This section should include:

• • • • • Full Name: Ensure it’s your professional name, as you want to make a good first impression.

• • • • • Phone Number: A number you can be easily reached at.

• • • • • Email Address: Use a professional email address that includes your name.

• • • • • LinkedIn Profile or Portfolio (if applicable): This can provide employers with a more comprehensive view of your skills and experiences.

Accurate and professional contact information ensures that potential employers can easily reach out to you for interviews and follow-ups.

2) Resume Summary or Objective

A resume summary or objective is a brief statement at the beginning of your resume that highlights your goals and what you bring to the table.

• • • • • Resume Summary: A resume summary discusses your past work experiences and the most relevant skills or achievements for the job. Therefore, if you are writing a resume with no experience, you will likely not use the resume summary.

• • • • • Resume Objective: A resume objective reveals why you are applying and what transferable skills and experiences you have to offer. This is what you will want to use when writing a resume with no experience.

Here are some tips for writing a compelling summary or objective:

• • • • • Be Concise: Keep it to 2-3 sentences.

• • • • • Focus on Skills and Goals: Emphasize your key skills and what you aim to achieve in your career.

• • • • • Tailor to the Job: Customize your statement to align with the job you’re applying for.

3) Education

When you write a resume for your first job, you will want to highlight your educational background.

Your experience is valuable because it shows your ability to complete tasks and follow through on assignments.

Your education can include:

• • • • • High school.
        • College or university.
        • Night school or continuing education programs.

When it comes to education, list your most recent educational degree or experience.

For example, if you are in college, list the name of your school and that you are currently enrolled.

The education section of a resume will contain:

• • • • • Name of the institution.
        • Location (city, state/country).
        • Type of degree.
        • Area of focus.
        • Years attended or graduated (optional).
        • Honors (optional).
        • Relevant coursework or projects (optional).
        • GPA (if notable).

4) Skills

There are two types of skills that are included on resumes:

• • • • • Hard skills: Hard skills relate to specific abilities and are quantifiable. They generally result from specific types of job experiences. Hard skills stand out on resumes, so include your most relevant ones. Examples include technical skills, programming languages, project management software, general computer skills, or certified procedures.

• • • • • Soft skills: Soft skills are personality traits that influence how you work with others. They are harder to quantify which means they are harder to prove on a resume. However, they are also transferable, which is essential for your resume when you don’t have any experience.

Since you don’t have any experience, all the skills you include will be transferable.

This means you can use your skills at a job, even if you learned it somewhere.

5) Volunteering and Internships

Volunteer work and internships can be just as valuable as paid work experience.

Here’s how to describe these experiences effectively:

• • • • • Organization Name and Location

• • • • • Role/Title

• • • • • Dates of Involvement

• • • • • Responsibilities and Achievements: Use bullet points to list what you did and what you accomplished.

6) Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are a great way to showcase your leadership, teamwork, and other soft skills.

Include:

• • • • • Activity Name and Organization

• • • • • Role/Title

• • • • • Dates of Involvement

• • • • • Responsibilities and Achievements

7) Hobbies and Interests

Including hobbies and interests can give employers a glimpse of your personality and other skills.

This section is optional and should be relevant to the job if included.

• • • • • When to Include: If your hobbies and interests are relevant to the job or demonstrate valuable skills.

• • • • • Examples: If applying for a creative role, mentioning your interest in photography or graphic design could be beneficial.

8) Additional Sections

Depending on the job description and your unique qualifications, you may want to include additional sections to further showcase your abilities.

Some optional sections are:

• • • • • Certifications: Any relevant certifications or licenses.

• • • • • Languages: Proficiency in additional languages.

• • • • • Awards and Honors: Any recognitions or awards you have received.

• • • • • Professional Affiliations: Membership in professional organizations or clubs.

Additional Tips

Keep in mind the following other tips to help ensure you write a great resume even though you don’t have any work experience.

Use Action Words and Quantifiable Achievements

Using action words and quantifying your achievements can make your resume more impactful.

Action words convey a sense of dynamism and responsibility, while quantifiable achievements provide concrete evidence of your capabilities.

Note: Quantifying your experience as much as possible is particularly important because employers, and therefore ATS filters, place a high value on finding measurable data about your qualifications.

Formatting and Design

A well-formatted resume is easy to read and leaves a professional impression.

Here are some tips:

• • • • • Choose a Clean Layout: Use a simple, professional design with clear headings and bullet points.

• • • • • Consistent Font: Use a standard font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman in 10-12 point size.

• • • • • White Space: Ensure there is plenty of white space to avoid clutter and make the document easy to read.

• • • • • Section Headings: Use bold or larger font for section headings to make them stand out.

• • • • • Resume Length: Keep your resume to one page if you have no experience or less than five years of work history.

Avoid Spelling and Grammar Errors

Spelling and grammar errors can create a negative impression and suggest a lack of attention to detail.

Here’s how to avoid them:

• • • • • Proofread Carefully: Read your resume multiple times to catch errors.

• • • • • Ask for Help: Have a friend, family member, or mentor review your resume for mistakes you might have missed.

Avoid Irrelevant Information

Including irrelevant information can make your resume unfocused and difficult to read.

Keep your resume focused by:

• • • • • Relevance: Only include information that is pertinent to the job you’re applying for.

• • • • • Professionalism: Avoid personal details like age, marital status, or unrelated hobbies.

• • • • • Specificity: Tailor the information to highlight experiences and skills relevant to the role.

Use a Professional Email Address

Your email address is one of the first things employers see, and it should reflect professionalism.

Here are tips for creating a professional contact email:

• • • • • Use Your Name: Ideally, your email should be a combination of your first and last name (e.g., john.doe@gmail.com).

• • • • • Avoid Nicknames and Numbers: Steer clear of using nicknames, numbers, or non-professional handles.

• • • • • Create a New Email: If your current email isn’t professional, consider creating a new one specifically for job applications.