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How to write a resume with no experience (students and first jobs)

Projects, internships, volunteering, education: how to build a convincing resume before you have professional experience.

By The CVticket team 7 min read

Having no professional experience does not mean having nothing to show. A first resume simply highlights other evidence: your education, your projects, your commitments and your eagerness to learn.

What recruiters look for in a first resume

For an internship, an apprenticeship or a first job, recruiters do not expect years of experience. They look for:

  • basic skills related to the job;
  • signs of reliability and commitment;
  • motivation consistent with your path.

Your resume should give them this evidence quickly.

The sections to highlight

Education, first

Put your education at the top of your resume. Add what makes it concrete: major, courses related to the job, thesis or capstone project, honors if you have them.

Projects

Class projects, personal projects, hackathons, building a website, organizing an event: present them like experience, with a goal, your role and a result.

  • “Built a campus carpooling app with 3 classmates (React, Firebase), 200 users in its first year.”

Internships, summer jobs and part-time work

A job in a restaurant or a store proves punctuality, teamwork and handling pressure. Do not hide it: describe what you learned.

Volunteering and student organizations

Treasurer of a club, sports coach, tutoring: all of these show responsibility and are often highly valued.

The summary

Two or three lines at the top of your resume are enough to say who you are and what you are looking for:

Skills

List the tools and methods you genuinely master (software, languages, driver’s license), and the soft skills your projects demonstrate. To choose them well, read our article on what skills to put on a resume.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Inflating your resume: an invented skill shows in the interview.
  • A two-page resume: at this stage, one page is enough (see how long a resume should be).
  • A silly email address: use firstname.lastname@….
  • The same resume for every application: tailor your headline and skills to each offer.

Get started now

With CVticket, pick a template and start writing right away, no sign-up needed: the usual sections are ready, the layout takes care of itself, and the ATS analysis shows you what is missing compared with the job offer.

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