How to make a resume with no experience: what to include instead, with an example.
Everyone starts somewhere. A first resume is not about a job history; it is about showing you are reliable, can learn quickly and have already done things that look like the work.
If you have no work experience, build your resume from school, volunteering, clubs, sports, babysitting, yard work, caring for family members and personal projects. Start with a short objective naming the job, then education, then an experience section titled 'Experience' or 'Volunteer and project experience'. Describe each item with what you did and a result, and add your availability.
Illustrative examples to adapt
Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.
First-job resume
When to use: Teenagers and adults applying for a first job.
Jordan Ellis (illustrative) [City, State] · [email] · [phone] OBJECTIVE Seeking a part-time [job title] role at [Employer], bringing reliability, [a skill the job needs] and availability on [days and times]. EDUCATION [High school or college], [City] | Expected [Year] EXPERIENCE Volunteer, [Organization] | [Month Year] to present - Helped [number] visitors a shift and kept [area] stocked and organized Babysitting and pet sitting, self-employed | [Year] to present - Cared for [number] children for [number] families, including meals and homework help ACTIVITIES [Team or club], [role] | [Year] to present SKILLS [Languages you speak, software you use, certifications such as CPR if you hold them] AVAILABILITY [Days and hours you can work]
Bullet formulas for non-job experience
When to use: Turning everyday responsibilities into resume lines.
- Managed [responsibility] for [who or how many], [how often] - Organized [event, fundraiser or project], raising [amount] or reaching [number] people - Trained or helped [number] [people] with [task] - Kept [money, equipment or records] accurate for [length of time]
Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Every sample on this page is free to use without buying anything.
What counts as experience
| Instead of a job | What it shows | How to title it |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteering | Reliability and teamwork | Volunteer experience |
| School projects | Planning and follow-through | Projects |
| Sports and clubs | Commitment and working with others | Activities |
| Babysitting, tutoring, yard work | Responsibility and customer care | Experience (self-employed) |
| Caring for family members | Organization and responsibility | Family caregiving |
| Personal projects | Initiative and specific skills | Projects |
The same line, rewritten
Illustrative example with placeholders.
| Version | Example |
|---|---|
| Weak | I don't have work experience yet but I am a fast learner and very motivated. |
| Strong | Volunteer, [Food bank name]: sorted and packed donations for [number] families each Saturday and trained [number] new volunteers. |
Why it matters: The weak line points the reader at what is missing. The strong one shows real work, regular commitment and responsibility for other people.
Mistakes to avoid
- Apologising for having no experience on the resume.
- Leaving out informal work such as babysitting or helping in a family business.
- Listing skills without any place you used them.
- Forgetting to include your availability for part-time and hourly jobs.
- Using an email address that isn't professional.
Build yours
Questions people ask
What do I put on a resume if I have never had a job?
Do I need a resume for my first job?
Should I include references?
How long should a first resume be?
How this page is built
Written by Maid Dizdarevic, a career coach and 8x LinkedIn Top Voice. Advice is labelled as advice. Every sample uses a fictional person marked '(illustrative)' or a 'Your name' placeholder, and every employer, school, date and result is a bracketed placeholder for your own true details.
- What a specific employer screens for: always read the posting.
- Your results: we never invent numbers, and you should never copy a result you did not achieve.
- Outcomes: no resume, letter or program can promise an interview or a job.
- TryHired editorial guidance by Maid Dizdarevic, career coach, Nov 2, 2026.