Writing a resume when you are just starting out can feel like a puzzle—especially if you do not have years of work experience to showcase. But breathe easy: employers hiring for entry-level roles know you may not have a litany of work experiences and they are looking for potential, a willingness to learn, and relevant skills…often in the form of transferable skills. The key is knowing what to include—and what to skip—to make your resume stand out for the right reasons.
Optional Clear, Focused Summary Statement
If you are not providing a cover letter and have very minimal work experience: Open with 1–2 sentences that tell employers who you are and what you are looking for. Highlight your strengths and your goals; of course, tailoring this for each job post is ideal, especially if you incorporate keywords from the job posting. Using the FrogHire.ai extension will allow you to edit and update your resume alongside each job post, making it easier for you to fluidly incorporate the key words which Applicant Tracking Systems may look for.
For example: “Recent computer science graduate with internship experience in web development, seeking an entry-level software engineering role to build scalable solutions and grow with a mission-driven team.”
Relevant Coursework or Academic Projects
If you have no work experience, use projects, research, or coursework that relate to the job. This shows that you have developed practical skills even if you have not had a formal job yet.
Internships and Part-Time Jobs
Even if you are applying for professional positions, past work in retail, food service, or campus jobs show responsibility, work ethic, and communication skills. Highlight transferable skills like teamwork, customer service, and problem-solving.
Skills Section
Take the time to look at the job posting to Include technical skills (e.g., Excel, Python, Adobe Creative Suite) that align with the job. Be honest, but strategic and note your level of proficiency if you can.
Leadership and Extracurricular Involvement
Clubs, sports teams, volunteer work, or leadership roles can all demonstrate initiative and drive—qualities employers love to see in early-career applicants; be wary though about including anything prior to post-secondary education (especially if you had none of these in college/university).
What to Skip
Irrelevant High School Info (After Your First Year of College)
Unless it is highly relevant or recent, leave out old high school achievements once you have moved into higher education or job experience.
Unnecessary Personal Details
Skip your full address (city, state and zip suffice), date of birth, or a photo (unless you are in a country where it is expected—it is not the norm in the United States). These are not relevant to your qualifications and can introduce bias.
Buzzwords Without Evidence
Saying you are “hardworking” or a “team player” means little unless you show it through examples. Let your experience speak for itself by quantifying as much as you can.
Long Lists of “Filler” Activities
Keep it focused. A short, targeted resume is more impactful than a cluttered one. You need to keep what adds value and an entry level resume should not be much longer (if at all) than one page with reasonable, readable font size.
TLDR: There is no reason to pretend you have years of experience if you do not but you want to find ways to present what you have done in a compelling, confident way. Focus on relevance, clarity, and potential. Employers looking to fill entry level positions are seeking applicants who have potential, so highlight your transferable skills! As you job search, remember: the FrogHire.ai extension is an ideal way to search across five major job sites (using filtering options — e.g., location) while helping you stay organized with your personal dashboard. Additionally, if you seek work visa sponsorship, the FrogHire.ai extension will allow you to search for employers who are non-domestic worker friendly and have a history of sponsoring work visas