6 Tips To Create A Resume For Your First Job

In today’s world of online job applications, your resume really is your first impression when applying for a job.

But even if you’re applying in person, you want to make sure your resume is set up in a way to do its job the best it can.

See, your resume really has only one job - to get you in the door and land an interview.

So we want to make sure it aligns with the job we’re applying to, even if it’s your first job.

Everyone starts somewhere and when hiring for entry level positions, it’s expected that you may not have a ton of work experience to put on your resume.

That’s totally fine.

How To Create A Resume For Your First Job

We can be creative in thinking about our experience and achievements that make us a good candidate for the job.

So let’s talk about what you can put on your resume when applying for your first job to set you up to land the interview.

And if you’re more of a visual person, I’ve created a free resume template here to easily customize and create your resume whether you’re looking for your first job or your next job.

Tip #1 - Use the one-page to your advantage

For a lot of positions, even as you get further into your career, a one-page resume is all that’s needed. In all honesty, recruiters are busy so one page is all that’s looked at.

So for your first job, keep it short and simple, calling out the things you’ve done that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Tip #2 - Have an ‘objective’ at the top

After your name and contact info, create a section titled “Objective” where you’ll write a sentence or two on what you’re looking for, summarizing your skills or interests and/or your career goals related to the position you’re applying for.

Depending on the industry or field you’re applying to, this section can be very popular or not so much on a typical resume. But as a beginner applying to your first job it gives you space to call out things about yourself that may not fit neatly into any other section of your resume.

Tip #3 - Build out your education section

After stating your objective, list out the education you have like your high school diploma or college degree. You can also emphasize any academic achievements or extracurricular activities such as honor roll, school clubs or organizations you participated in, or any sports.

Be sure to include any leadership positions or key accomplishments you may have held in any of these activities that could be relevant to the position you’re applying for.

And if you’re not sure, most people look favorably on leadership positions or other demonstrations of commitment and hard work because those are qualities they are looking for in employees so we want to highlight those even if it came from a non-work activity.

Tip #4 - Add a projects section

If you have relevant school or extracurricular projects to the position you’re applying to, you can include it here.

In this section, the skills you acquired or used are more important than the outcome of the project itself.

So you might emphasize leading a team, working in a group, or meeting a deadline which are skills that are likely relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Tip #5 - Use a general experience section

Instead of creating a specific ‘Work Experience’ section like most people who have held a few positions would do on their resume, you want to create a general ‘Experience’ section.

You can include anything that demonstrates any kind of experience just make sure it’s clear what each entry is.

So you might include any volunteer work you’ve done, any internships you’ve had, or any summer jobs. You might also think about any hobbies or interests that could be relevant but didn’t fit in any other section.

Tip #6 - Include any technologies or skills you have

Depending on the position you’re applying to, you can include any relevant skills or technologies you have.

So if you’re multilingual, know computer coding, app development, website design, social media marketing, Microsoft Office or Google, or graphic design just to name a few, you can include it in a skills section.

Now the general rule is if you’re proficient or better in any one area, then you can list it on your resume. Basically if you were asked to do it, would you be able to demonstrate this skill?

And that should give you a solid resume even without formal work experience so you can nail your first impression and land the job interview.

The Takeaway

Now don’t get overwhelmed or discouraged if you don’t have all of these things. You can pick and choose for your resume and leave out anything you don’t have.

Just focus on the skills and experiences you do have.

I created this guide to help give you ideas to think about the experiences you do have that could help you land your first job.

Because most of us have more experience than we realize, we just have to be a little creative to frame it in a way that aligns with the job we’re applying for.

So grab your free resume template and get started creating your resume for your first job!