Entry-Level Resume

About This Resume

A resume alone isn't likely to land a job if you're applying for work far outside your training, but if you're one of many new graduates chasing the same opening, a clear one-page resume can be what prompts a hiring manager to call you and ask a few questions. That's because applicants are more than just their job history. Filling the page is the hard part.

A steady part-time job could lead to a better first offer. A finished project in your field may also help. Those are the signs managers hiring at this level look for first, because they suggest you'll show up on time, learn the job quickly and stay past the first month. Larger employers generally run applications through software that checks for the posting's key words before a person reads anything, so use those words wherever they're true.

What to Include

• Education near the top, with your degree or diploma, school, graduation year and GPA if it's strong
• Two or three class projects, each with what you made and what came of it
• Part-time and summer jobs, written as achievements with numbers wherever you have them
• Volunteer work and campus roles such as treasurer, team captain or resident assistant
• Skills the posting asks for by name: software, languages, licenses and certifications
• A short summary with the job you're aiming for and the best thing you bring to it

Entry-Level Resume Sample

Tips for Your Entry-Level Resume

• If your work history is thin, put education first and give it detail: relevant classes, a capstone project, honors and the year you finished.
• Projects can stand in for jobs. If you do not have paid work in your field yet, you should also include class projects, a club role or volunteer work, following the same format of title, place, dates and bullets.
• Swap "Worked at a warehouse" for "Packed about 150 orders a shift and trained four seasonal hires on handheld scanners." A manager can ask you about it.
• A campus job shows not only that you can handle a schedule around classes but also that someone trusted you with keys, cash or other students' safety.
• Although babysitting or mowing lawns can feel too small to list, don't sell yourself short. A line such as "Mowed lawns for 11 neighbors, three summers running" shows you can find customers and keep them.
• Keep it to one page. The trick is to cut high school details before college ones and old summer jobs before recent ones.
• Adjust the summary and the skills line for each posting, and send the application within a day or two of seeing the listing if you can. Early applications tend to get a closer read.