How to Make a Resume for Your First Job (2026): Steps + Example

On this pageStep 1: Choose a simple, ATS-friendly layout

1. Step 1: Choose a simple, ATS-friendly layout
2. Step 2: Add your contact details
3. Step 3: Write a short resume objective
4. Step 4: Put education near the top
5. Step 5: List experience, even if it is not a “real job”
6. Step 6: Add skills that match the job
7. Step 7: Proofread and save as PDF
8. Resume for your first job: full example
9. Build a resume for your first job faster
10. FAQ: resume for your first job
11. FAQ

SummaryCopy

To make a resume for your first job, use a simple one-page layout with five sections: contact details, a short objective, education, experience (including part-time work, volunteering, school projects and clubs) and skills. Put your strongest section first, describe every activity with an action verb and a result, and tailor the skills to the job posting. The step-by-step guide and a full example are below. If the posting also asks for a letter, the same thin record needs a different approach — see how to write a cover letter when you have no work experience.

#Step 1: Choose a simple, ATS-friendly layout

Use one column, standard headings and a readable font at 10–12 pt. Many employers, including retailers and restaurants, screen applications with software first, so avoid tables, text boxes and graphics. Our ATS-friendly resume templates include an entry-level version you can copy.

For more finished resumes by job title, see our resume examples. If this is your first job, the teen resume examples and the summer job resume examples are the closest match. First job at a register? Borrow lines from our cashier duties for resume guide.

#Step 2: Add your contact details

• Full name
• City and state (no street address needed)
• Phone number
• A professional email, such as firstname.lastname@gmail.com
• LinkedIn profile or portfolio link, if you have one

#Step 3: Write a short resume objective

With no work history, an objective works better than a summary. In two lines, say who you are, one or two strengths, and the job you want. See more in our guide to a resume objective for students. If app-based delivery is your only paid work so far, see how to put DoorDash on your resume before you write the objective.

Hardworking high school senior with strong math skills and two years of volunteer experience at a community food bank. Seeking a part-time cashier position where I can provide friendly, accurate customer service.

#Step 4: Put education near the top

For a first job, education is often your strongest section. Include your school, expected graduation date and, if it helps, your GPA (3.0 or higher), honors and relevant coursework. If you are still choosing a layout, compare the options in our resume format for freshers. That 3.0 cutoff is a guideline rather than a rule, so check when a GPA belongs on a resume before you add the number.

#Step 5: List experience, even if it is not a “real job”

Employers hiring for a first job want proof that you are reliable, learn quickly and work well with people. As a result, all of these count as experience:

• Part-time or seasonal jobs, babysitting, pet sitting, lawn care
• Volunteering and community service
• School projects, clubs, sports teams and student government
• Internships, job shadowing and summer programs
• Freelance or personal projects, such as a website or social media account you manage

If you are choosing between placements, this comparison of externships and internships explains which one employers count as experience. Once you have one, here is how to list an internship on your resume. If babysitting is your main experience so far, here is how to put babysitting on a resume with a real job title and hours. If you spent a day or two observing someone in a field you want to enter, here is how to put shadowing on a resume with honest hours. For a full example you can copy, see these internship resume examples.

Write each item as 2–3 bullet points that start with an action verb and, when possible, include a number:

Volunteer, Riverside Food Bank | Sep 2024 – Present
• Sorted and packed 300+ donations per weekend shift
• Greeted and checked in about 50 families each Saturday
• Trained 4 new volunteers on safety and packing procedures

#Step 6: Add skills that match the job

Read the job posting and include the skills it mentions that you actually have. Mix practical and people skills:

For more ideas, see the best skills to put on a resume.

#Step 7: Proofread and save as PDF

• Check spelling, dates and contact details twice.
• Ask a teacher, parent or counselor to read it. Your school career center can also review it, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop has free resume guides.
• Save as a PDF named firstname-lastname-resume.pdf, unless the employer asks for Word.
• Run it through the free ATS resume checker to catch formatting issues.

#Resume for your first job: full example

JORDAN REYES
Austin, TX | (512) 555-0147 | jordan.reyes@email.com

OBJECTIVE
Motivated high school senior with customer service experience from volunteering and strong teamwork skills from varsity soccer. Seeking a part-time sales associate role.

EDUCATION
Westlake High School, Austin, TX | Expected June 2027 | GPA 3.4

EXPERIENCE
Volunteer, Riverside Food Bank | Sep 2024 – Present
• Checked in about 50 families per shift and answered questions
• Organized and restocked shelves for weekly distribution

Babysitter, Self-employed | Jun 2023 – Present
• Cared for three children, ages 4–9, for two families on weekends

ACTIVITIES
Varsity soccer (2 years), Spanish Club treasurer

SKILLS
Customer service, cash handling, Google Workspace, bilingual English/Spanish

#Build a resume for your first job faster

If you would rather not format it yourself, the Rezoom AI resume builder suggests bullet points from your activities and applies an ATS-friendly template. For inspiration, browse student resume examples. If your phone is your only computer, Rezoom's iPhone and Android resume guide walks through every step on a small screen. If the posting also asks for a letter, Rezoom's high school student cover letter guide has six samples.

#FAQ: resume for your first job

#Frequently asked questions