First-job resume with no experience: a complete example and editable template

A first-job resume does not need a made-up employment history. It needs a clear account of what you have learned, practised and contributed. School projects, community activities and informal work can provide that account when you describe them accurately.

Use the complete example below and the free editable first-resume TXT template to start your draft. The download is a plain-text file, not a formatted Word document or PDF. Open it in a text editor, replace the prompts and prepare the file type requested by the employer.

Start with a role, not a blank page

Pick one entry-level vacancy that interests you and check its requirements. A first resume for office support will highlight different evidence from one for a kitchen or retail team. Keep a copy of the job description while you write.

Make two short lists: tasks you have actually done, and tasks the employer wants someone to do. Look for honest connections. Keeping a club attendance register might be relevant to accurate recordkeeping. It does not establish experience running a payroll system. Learning needs are normal at the beginning of a career.

Brazilian recruitment platform Gupy's advice for first-time job seekers also considers activities beyond formal employment. The resume and examples in this article are FoxApply's own fictional teaching materials, not accounts of successful applications.

A complete first-resume example

Every person, organisation and activity below is fictional. The example.com email address is illustrative. This sample has no invented phone number; one monitored email address demonstrates how a contact section can work.

Jamie Morgan
Leeds, UK · jamie.morgan@example.com
Target role: entry-level office assistant

Profile
Recent school leaver with practical experience organising shared records for a school project and helping with orders in a family business. Comfortable sorting spreadsheet entries, checking missing information and writing clear confirmation messages. Seeking an office support role with opportunities to learn established procedures.

Education
Secondary education — Example Community School
Completed June 2026

Projects and practical activities
School library catalogue project — February–April 2026
Entered book titles and authors into a shared spreadsheet. Checked duplicate entries and agreed consistent labels with classmates. Presented the finished file and its update instructions to the project tutor.

Occasional support for a family craft business — July–August 2026
Recorded incoming orders and checked delivery details with customers. Passed scheduling questions to the business owner and updated the order list after confirmation. Informal assistance; no responsibility for taking payments or managing the business.

Additional learning
Introduction to spreadsheets — Example Learning Centre
Completed August 2026, 18 hours. Practical exercises in sorting, filters and basic sum formulas.

Skills
Spreadsheet sorting and filtering; basic sum formulas; shared-folder organisation; written order confirmations.

Availability
Available for on-site weekday work in Leeds from October 2026.

The sample includes a relevant project, a course and informal activity. Your version does not need all three. It should not claim qualifications, grades or availability that are not yours. Add a phone number if appropriate and check that you can receive messages through the contact details you provide.

Three ways to describe experience honestly

School activities

Replace broad participation statements with your part of the work. “Helped with a school event” leaves the reader guessing. An illustrative revision is: “Prepared the equipment checklist and recorded which items had been returned after the event.” You do not need to call yourself an event manager.

If the activity was completed by a group, separate the shared output from your contribution. You can explain how the group worked without taking credit for other people's tasks. A teacher's assessment can help you recall the work; do not invent a recommendation or share someone else's contact details without permission.

College or training projects

Use a heading such as “Course projects” and make the educational setting clear. For example: “Built a sample booking form for a web-development assignment; checked required fields and documented errors found during class testing.” A simulated client brief is not paid client work. Label it as a simulation if that was the setting.

Link to a project only if it opens correctly, contains material you may share and helps explain your contribution. A polished public portfolio is useful for some roles, but it is not a prerequisite for writing your first resume.

Informal or independent work

Babysitting, tutoring, selling handmade items and occasional family-business support can involve real responsibilities. State the arrangement, approximate period and duties accurately. Do not invent an employer, formal title or customer numbers to make the activity appear larger.

If you have none of these experiences, start with education and skills you have practised. A shorter resume is better than an invented project. You can complete a small learning project and add it later, once you have actually done the work.

Describe skills at the level you can demonstrate

“Advanced spreadsheet user” is a much bigger claim than “can sort entries and use basic formulas.” Choose the second description when it matches your current ability. Courses belong in the resume when their content is relevant; see how to list courses clearly.

A brief introduction is optional. If it helps connect your activities to the role, use the resume summary examples. Avoid spending most of the page describing enthusiasm. Space is usually better used explaining a task, a tool or a piece of work you completed.

Turn the template into your own document

Download the editable TXT template, save a copy and replace every bracketed prompt. Delete the instruction section and any headings you do not need. Check dates, spelling, contact details and the name of the role before sharing it.

Next, read the job description again. The guide to tailoring a resume to a specific job shows how to prioritise relevant facts without changing your history. If the employer requests PDF or DOCX, prepare that version and inspect it; the file-format guide explains what to check.

FoxApply can help compare a resume with a job description and suggest revisions. Explore FoxApply and its plans before choosing a subscription. This article's TXT download is available independently of a paid plan, and neither the template nor a software assessment can guarantee an interview.