Getting Started: Creating an Effective Resume with Little Job Experience

Whether you just graduated high school or college, finding employment can be tough when you have little job experience. You are up against candidates who have been in the workforce longer and may be worried about how you measure up. But don’t underestimate your abilities. There is a good chance you still have valuable information to include on your resume that can capture a hiring manager’s interest. It’s a matter of figuring out how your different experiences can apply to what you want to do next.

Building Out Your Entry-Level Resume

Submitting a resume is common practice for every job, whether it’s an entry-level role or senior executive position. Employers want to get a clear picture of your education, background, skills, and accomplishments. Recent graduates tend to get stuck on the fact that they have little job experience and overlook other things they have done that can be impactful as well.

Include internships. You may not have gotten paid, but internships are still valid work experience. You were learning from professionals in the field and getting hands-on training. Show how you were able to develop your skills and apply what you learned. Discuss projects or initiatives you were part of and the impact that your contributions made.

Add major projects. If you did not complete any internships, don’t fret. Think back to the courses that you took in school and any major projects that were required. This could be a capstone course or something that incorporated a variety of different concepts and strategies that are related to what you want to do next. Did you write a research paper? Put together a business plan for a real or fictional company? Design a new product? Code a program to perform a specific function? Pull out key elements that demonstrate your abilities.

Highlight extracurriculars. Being involved in organizations outside of school can show time management, leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, resilience, and more. Whether you were on a sports team, part of the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, worked for the school newspaper, or were in a student association or club related to your major, that can add value. Were you elected team captain, president, or head of a committee?

Think about what the organization accomplished during your time there. Maybe your team made it to the state championships, your club raised $10K for charity, or you completed a service project. What was your part and what did you learn that can help you in your next job?

Emphasize volunteer work. Volunteer work is unpaid as well, but it can be an incredible experience. You can find opportunities that are in the same field in which you want to work or that equip you with transferable skills. As a volunteer, you can gain real-world experience helping an organization and expanding your knowledge and abilities. Elaborate on the ways you were able to make a difference, the various activities you were involved in, and any skills you developed along the way.

Volunteer work also makes you appear as a more well-rounded candidate because it shows what you are passionate about and that you are committed to giving back and helping others. A lot of companies value community involvement.

Create a portfolio. If you have examples of your work, consider building an online portfolio. You can include a link on your resume that lets a potential employer see what you have done and are capable of doing. Add projects or assignments that you did for class or things you worked on during your own time.

Keep it relevant. Don’t just add content to your resume for the sake of trying to make it longer and more impressive. Consider quality over quantity and feature achievements or accomplishments that are applicable to what you want to do next. You don’t have to include every detail of what you did as a volunteer, but rather what transferable skills you gained or projects you worked on that are relevant to the roles for which you are applying.

Create a clear picture of what makes you a strong candidate and a good fit for the role, even if you have little job experience. There is a lot more to who you are and what you have to offer than just paid positions you’ve held.

Write a Strong Resume Regardless of Little Job Experience

With the right approach, you can still have a powerful resume that helps you land interviews even if you don’t have a lot of professional work experience to point to. The team at Grammar Chic can help you expand upon your skills and accomplishments to position you more effectively for your job search. Contact us at (803) 831-7444 or [email protected] to get started.