How to write a resume with no work experience

To write a resume with no experience, lead with a short summary, put education near the top, and list volunteering, school roles and informal paid work (babysitting, lawn mowing, helping in a family business) exactly as you would list jobs. Then add the skills employers ask for in the ad and anything that shows you're reliable.

Everyone starts somewhere. Employers hiring for first jobs (retail, food service, warehouse, care) know you won't have a long history. They're looking for signs that you'll turn up on time, learn quickly and treat people well. Your resume's job is to show that with what you have done.

Things that count as experience

• Informal paid work: babysitting, dog walking, mowing lawns, helping in a family business, tutoring.
• Volunteering: food banks, charity shops, sports clubs, church or community events.
• School and college: group projects, clubs, sports teams, prefect or student council roles, part-time courses.
• Personal responsibilities: caring for a relative, managing a household budget, organizing an event.

Write these exactly like jobs: a title ("Volunteer, Riverside Food Bank"), dates and two or three bullets with what you did.

Example bullets for informal work, volunteering and school

The trick is to describe what you did in the same plain, specific language you'd use for a paid job. Start with a verb, say what you were trusted with, and add a number if you honestly know one. Pick the bullets that are true for you and change the details.

Babysitting and childcare

• Cared for two children (ages 4 and 7) three evenings a week, including meals, homework and bedtime
• Trusted by four local families for regular and last-minute bookings
• Followed parents' instructions on allergies, screen time and routines

Dog walking and pet sitting

• Walked and fed dogs for five neighbors on a weekly schedule
• Managed bookings and payments by text, always on time
• Gave medication and kept owners updated with photos while they were away

Lawn care and odd jobs

• Mowed and edged lawns for six regular customers each summer
• Planned routes and scheduled jobs around school and weather
• Handled cash payments and kept a simple record of earnings

Family business

• Served customers at the counter of the family restaurant on weekends
• Took phone orders, handled cash and card payments, and balanced the till at close
• Restocked shelves and helped with deliveries during busy periods

Tutoring

• Tutored two middle school students in math once a week for a school year
• Planned short lessons and practice sheets based on their homework

Volunteering

• Sorted and packed food donations for around 50 families a week at Riverside Food Bank
• Served customers and priced donated items at a charity shop on Saturdays
• Helped set up, run and clean up a community fun run with 200 entrants

School, clubs and sports

• Captained the varsity soccer team; organized practices and kept teammates informed
• Treasurer of the school drama club: tracked ticket sales and a small budget
• Led a four-person group project, setting deadlines and presenting results to the class

Caring and household responsibilities

• Helped care for a grandparent after school, including meals, medication reminders and appointments
• Managed weekly grocery shopping and a household budget for a family of four

All the numbers above are examples. Use your own real figures, or leave a figure out if you're not sure.

Lead with a strong summary

Two or three sentences that say what you're good at and what you want:

Reliable and friendly high school graduate looking for a first role in retail. Experienced in handling cash and helping customers through two years of weekend volunteering at a charity shop. Available evenings and weekends.

Summary examples for different goals

Warehouse or general labor:

Hardworking and punctual 18-year-old looking for a first warehouse role. Used to physical work and early starts from three summers of lawn care and helping on a family moving business. Comfortable following safety rules, and available for any shift.

Food service:

Friendly, quick-learning student seeking part-time work as a server or crew member. Gained experience taking orders and handling cash at my family's restaurant, and holds a food handler card. Available weekends and two weekday evenings.

Office or admin:

Organized recent graduate with strong Microsoft Word and Excel skills, looking for an entry-level office assistant role. Kept records and managed a budget as treasurer of the school drama club, and answered phones as a volunteer at a community center.

Each one names the job, gives one or two pieces of proof, and ends with something useful (availability or a relevant certificate). Keep yours just as short.

Put education near the top

With no job history, education is your strongest section. Include your school, expected or completed qualification, and anything relevant: good attendance, subjects that relate to the job, awards, or a course like food hygiene or first aid.

A simple entry looks like this:

High School Diploma, Lakeview High School, Austin, TX — expected June 2027

Relevant: Business Studies, Computer Applications. Perfect attendance award, 2025–26.

If you're still at school, see the high school resume guide for more on what to include.

Pick skills employers ask for

Look at three or four ads for the job you want and copy the skills that are true for you. Common ones for first jobs:

• Customer service
• Cash handling
• Teamwork
• Time management
• Following safety procedures
• Microsoft Word and Excel, or Google Docs and Sheets
• A second language

Skills section examples by job type

Mix practical skills with one or two personal qualities, and only list what you could talk about in an interview.

Retail: Customer service, Cash handling, Card payments, Restocking and merchandising, Product knowledge, Teamwork, Spanish (conversational)

Food service: Taking orders, Food safety (food handler card), Cash and card payments, Working under pressure, Cleaning and food prep, Friendly service, Teamwork

Warehouse: Picking and packing, Lifting and manual handling, Following safety procedures, Accurate counting, Reliability and punctuality, Basic handheld scanner use

Office or admin: Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, Google Docs and Sheets, Typing, Phone manner, Filing and record keeping, Scheduling, Attention to detail

For real examples of how these look in context, see the server and warehouse worker resume examples.

Quick wins before you apply

• Get a cheap, fast certificate that employers in your field value: a food handler card, first aid, a forklift ticket or a CSCS card in the UK.
• Ask a teacher, coach or volunteer coordinator if they'll be a reference.
• Add a short "Availability" section. Being free weekends or evenings is a real advantage.

Sample structure

1. Contact details
2. Summary
3. Education
4. Experience (volunteering, informal work, school roles)
5. Skills
6. Certifications and availability

Sample resume with no work experience

Here's a complete first job resume for a fictional applicant, using the structure above. Copy it and swap in your own details.

MARIA LOPEZ
Austin, TX | (512) 555-0182 | maria.lopez@email.com

SUMMARY
Reliable and friendly high school senior looking for a part-time
sales associate role. Experienced in helping customers and handling
cash through two years of weekend volunteering at a charity shop.
Available evenings and weekends.

EDUCATION
High School Diploma, Lakeview High School, Austin, TX
Expected June 2027
- Relevant classes: Business Studies, Computer Applications
- Perfect attendance award, 2025–26

EXPERIENCE
Volunteer Shop Assistant, Hope Charity Shop, Austin, TX
Sep 2024 – Present
- Serve customers and run the register on Saturday shifts
- Sort, price and display donated clothing and household items
- Trained three new volunteers on pricing and the register

Babysitter, Self-employed, Austin, TX
Jun 2023 – Present
- Care for children aged 3–9 for four regular families
- Prepare meals, help with homework and follow bedtime routines

Treasurer, Lakeview High School Drama Club
Aug 2025 – Present
- Track ticket sales and a club budget in Google Sheets
- Count and record cash takings after each performance

SKILLS
Customer service, Cash handling, Card payments, Visual
merchandising, Google Sheets, Teamwork, Spanish (fluent)

CERTIFICATIONS
CPR and First Aid, American Red Cross, 2025

AVAILABILITY
Weekday evenings after 4 pm, all day Saturday and Sunday

Notice there's no "References available on request" and no list of hobbies. Every line is either evidence or something an employer needs to know.

Common first resume mistakes

• Leaving informal work off because it "doesn't count". It does, if you describe it clearly.
• Using a jokey email address. Make a simple one with your name.
• Writing an objective that's all about you ("seeking a job to gain experience"). Say what you offer instead.
• Listing skills you can't back up. Interviewers for first jobs often ask about each skill.
• Sending the same resume everywhere. Move the most relevant experience and skills to the top for each type of job.
• Stretching to two pages. A first resume should fit on one. See how to fit your resume on one page.

Add a short cover letter

When an application lets you add a cover letter, use it. With little work history, a few friendly paragraphs explaining why you want this job, when you're available and what you'd bring can make the difference. Our guide on how to write a cover letter walks through it step by step. Premium users can also have one drafted from their resume and the job ad, in the same design as their resume.

First job resume checklist

• Contact details: name, phone, email, city
• Two- or three-sentence summary aimed at the job type
• Education near the top, with relevant classes or awards
• Volunteering, informal work and school roles written like jobs, with dates
• Bullets that start with a verb and say what you did
• Skills copied from real job ads, only if they're true for you
• Certificates and availability included
• One page, with a professional email address
• File saved as a PDF named with your name

Start a resume from scratch or open the warehouse worker example. It's a good template for a first job. The AI helper can suggest bullet points for any role you type in.

Frequently asked questions

What do I put on a resume if I have no experience?

Put a short summary, your education, any volunteering, informal paid work such as babysitting or lawn mowing, school roles like clubs or sports, your skills, and any certificates. Write each experience like a job, with a title, dates and two or three bullets. Employers hiring for first jobs mainly want to see that you're reliable and willing to learn.

Can I put babysitting or volunteering on my resume?

Yes. Babysitting, pet sitting, tutoring and volunteering all show responsibility, and many first-job employers value them. Give each a clear title such as "Babysitter, Self-employed" or "Volunteer, Riverside Food Bank", add dates, and describe what you were trusted to do.

Should a resume with no experience be one page?

Yes. A first resume should fit comfortably on one page, and there's no need to fill it with padding. If you're short of content, add relevant classes, a certificate or an availability section rather than hobbies or long lists of soft skills.

Do I need a summary or an objective on an entry-level resume?

A short summary works better than an old-style objective. In two or three sentences, say what kind of job you want, give one or two pieces of proof that you'd be good at it, and mention your availability if it's a strength.

What skills should I put on my first resume?

Look at three or four ads for the job you want and use the skills that appear repeatedly and are true for you, such as customer service, cash handling, teamwork or Microsoft Excel. Add practical extras like a second language, a food handler card or first aid. Only list skills you could talk about in an interview.