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Many entry-level job seekers have experienced that stomach-churning feeling when looking for their first job.
They're looking at an “entry-level” job that would be the perfect fit—only to notice that they're asking for five years of experience. What?!
Experience? Where was I supposed to get experience for an entry-level job?
The key is thinking creatively. It's in identifying your qualifications and highlighting all of the experience you have.
It's identifying your existing soft skills, acknowledging the inherent value that you offer, and filling your resume with your experience so far—even if it doesn’t "fit" into the traditional constructs of a corporate job.
If you’re struggling with writing an impressive entry-level resume, know that you’re not alone. Many of us were never taught how to properly write a resume. At best, we might have learned ancient practices that don't work within a technology-focused application process. (Hello, applicant tracking systems!)
Before we dive into the content, let's talk about three "rules" of resumes formatting:
- One-page only, unless you really need to go to two pages.
- Bullet points are your friends. Use them.
- Always get a friend to proofread your resume.
With those basics in mind, here are ten simple tips that will have you creating a resume that's sure to stun.
10 Tips for Writing the Perfect Entry-Level Resume
And stay tuned for a resume template to get you inspired to write your first entry-level resume!
1. Before Getting Started, Define Your Goals
Contrary to popular belief, the first step to writing an entry-level resume is not actually gathering your experience together.
It’s defining your goals and figuring out what kind of jobs you want to apply to. Regardless of how talented you are, if someone can’t see how you would fit into the job you’re applying for, your resume will not be very effective.
Thus, it’s extremely important to define your goals and determine what kind of positions you will be applying to prior to actually working on your resume. This will help you determine what language to use and what areas to focus on.
For example, you might notice that a job description requests certain software, training, or related experience that you should highlight on your resume.
Determining your goals prior to getting started will help set you down the right path and create the right focus for your document.
Pro Tip: Once you've distilled your goals, use the top space in your resume (beneath your contact information) to include your resume objective or resume summary. This is a key place to tell more about who you are and what you're looking to achieve.
2. Brainstorm Your Transferable Experience
After you’ve defined your goals regarding what kind of jobs you’re interested in applying to, consider what kind of transferrable experience you have and how you can highlight that on your resume.
For example, if you’ve worked in a restaurant or grocery store, this might translate to customer service experience, cross-functional communication, conflict resolution, adaptability, inventory management, or shift scheduling.
When reviewing a job description, take note of required skills, and brainstorm how you've already utilized and strengthened those skills.
Consider the experience you have and how it has prepared you for the role you’ll be applying for. If you worked with a professor to grade papers and input grades into the computer system, this might translate to data management, documentation, and/or administration work.
Don't count anything out—at least not at first. Your hobby of daily journaling might be extremely interesting when applying for a writing role.
You likely have more transferrable experience than you initially think!
3. Gather Your Professional Experience
In order to write an impressive entry-level resume, it’s essential to gather your professional experience and present it in the proper format. You’ll want to include the following information:
- Company Name
- Job Title
- Months and Years of Employment
- Job Description
Professional experience encompasses jobs that you’ve held for businesses and/or private employers (e.g., if you’ve worked in childcare or done any freelance work), internships you’ve participated in, or even class projects. (More to come on this as you read on.)
If you don't have any professional experience within a company, you may give your education section the top spot. Make sure to infuse any relevant experience you obtained in school—especially courses or activities that led you to your desired career path.
4. Consider Non-Traditional Experience
Nontraditional work experience is the most underutilized tool to elevate an entry-level resume. If you've never held a "real job," you're just like everyone else at some point.
Find ways to translate high school extracurricular activities, certifications you've earned, awards you've earned, and relevant coursework that applies directly to the job at hand.
Nontraditional work experience includes things like travel, caring for children or a family member, renovating a home, or assisting friends or family members with doing their taxes.
There are so many nontraditional work experiences that can add value to an entry-level resume. Here are some examples of how you might position nontraditional work experience on a resume:
International Travel
World Traveler | Freelance Travel Coordinator
Coordinated an international sabbatical, made visa, travel, and housing arrangements, and curated a custom itinerary of travel plans, excursions, events, and accommodations throughout Europe.
• Researched local currencies, exchange rates, and economic requirements.
Coordinated an international sabbatical, made visa, travel, and housing arrangements, and curated a custom itinerary of travel plans, excursions, events, and accommodations throughout Europe.
• Researched local currencies, exchange rates, and economic requirements.
Home Remodel
Design Project Manager
Led the remodel and upgrade of a 1,200 square foot home including the overhaul and expansion of the kitchen, master closet, home office, and backyard with pool.
• Communicated with government agencies, city planning agencies, and HOA to obtain required permits and licenses.
Led the remodel and upgrade of a 1,200 square foot home including the overhaul and expansion of the kitchen, master closet, home office, and backyard with pool.
• Communicated with government agencies, city planning agencies, and HOA to obtain required permits and licenses.
Caring for a Sick Family Member
Care Provider
Communicated with family members, medical professionals, and the internal care team, demonstrating excellent time management and organizational skills in handling sensitive medical and personal information.
• Provided medication reminders, companionship, and transportation to and from doctor visits, as well as assisted with errands, meal planning, and preparation.
Communicated with family members, medical professionals, and the internal care team, demonstrating excellent time management and organizational skills in handling sensitive medical and personal information.
• Provided medication reminders, companionship, and transportation to and from doctor visits, as well as assisted with errands, meal planning, and preparation.
5. Don't Forget About Volunteer Work
Volunteer work is a great way to gain experience in a field, build industry connections, and open doors to paid work, which is why this is such a beneficial element to include on your entry-level resume.
Furthermore, a government study done by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, found that volunteering is associated with 27% higher odds of employment.
6. Use Class Projects to Illustrate Skills in Action
Class projects are a great way to highlight industry knowledge and transferrable skills. Class projects are a great way to show both soft skills and hard skills, including:
- Project management
- Communication skills
- Flexibility
- Time management
- Research
An entry-level marketing job might ask for experience writing market research reports. If you have experience writing mock market research reports for a class you’ve taken, this is a great way to highlight your experience on your entry-level resume.
Here’s an example of how you can add this to your resume:
Student Market Researcher
Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to analyze Google’s products and competitive market position in various countries, research market demographics, and create a targeted launch plan based on audience, market position, and regional trends.
Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to analyze Google’s products and competitive market position in various countries, research market demographics, and create a targeted launch plan based on audience, market position, and regional trends.
7. Include Results and Accomplishments
Any time you can quantify your results or integrate achievements, it’s important to do so. Anyone can say that they are good at their job, but very few people can show it. Highlighting your results can help illuminate how you would thrive in the role you’re applying for.
If you’re having trouble identifying achievements you’ve made, consider using the STAR method to flesh out the story you’re trying to tell on your resume.
- Situation: What is the story you're trying to tell?
- Task: What was your role in the situation?
- Action: How did you apply your own skills to the situation?
- Result: What outcome did your actions achieve? Do not end your story without a result.
8. Include Relevant Coursework
One of the simplest ways to integrate keywords into your entry-level resume and make your resume stand out is to integrate relevant courses. These could be courses you’ve taken as part of your degree or courses that you’ve taken as part of online platforms such as LinkedIn Learning.
For example, if you’re trying to get an entry-level HR job, consider taking some basic HR fundamentals courses. LinkedIn Learning offers a variety of courses that you can take and add to your resume. Furthering your knowledge in an area where you want to build your career highlights ambition and motivation.
Including these courses in your resume can also help get your resume through applicant tracking systems that scan for specific keywords.
9. Be Cognizant of Resume Length
Every person and career path is different, and there is no “one size fits all” for resumes, but generally, entry-level resumes should be kept to one page.
Creating a succinct document that clearly conveys your skills and achievements on one page will make it easier for a hiring manager to see what you have to offer. It will also reduce the risk of someone missing information because they didn’t make it to the second page.
With such a large number of applicants applying to each job, recruiters and hiring managers often don’t want to read long documents, so one page is the perfect length for an entry-level candidate.
10. Align Your Resume With Your Desired Job
If you only do one thing to optimize your entry-level resume, align it with your desired job(s).
Go through your desired job descriptions and pick out relevant keywords and key skills that are repeated throughout the text. Additionally, if the job description asks for specific software that you are knowledgeable in or training that you have, be sure to note this on your resume.
Confused about how to figure out what words and phrases you should integrate? This article outlines how to do it!
11. One More Pro Tip: Spelling + Grammar
There are Senior Executives who miss out on opportunities because of one silly mistake.
Yep, we're talking about typos. The quickest way to show a potential employer that you're not ready is by submitting a resume filled with grammatical and spelling errors. Take the time to read over your resume again, and again, and again. And then again. And then have your best friend read it twice, too.
Entry-Level Resume Template
Writing an entry-level resume can feel overwhelming, but when you break it down into small, achievable tasks, it becomes much more manageable. Before leaving you, I wanted to share an entry-level resume sample. Use it to get started.
