Student resume guide — build one with no work experience
Writing a resume with no work experience feels impossible until you realise that most student resumes do not need work experience. They need evidence of the skills and habits that employers look for: reliability, curiosity, and follow-through.
Start with education
For students, education goes first. List your degree, your institution, your expected graduation date, and any relevant coursework. Do not list every course you have taken — pick the ones that match the role you are applying for.
If you have honours or a strong GPA, include it. If you do not, leave it out. A blank GPA line invites the reader to assume the worst.
Add projects and coursework
The projects section is where students can shine. List two to four projects that demonstrate relevant skills. For each project, describe what you built, what technologies or methods you used, and what the project produced.
A weak project description: "Group project for marketing class." A strong project description: "Team lead for a marketing plan developed for a local café. Delivered a full brand audit and channel strategy. The café adopted two recommendations from the plan." The strong version tells the reader what you actually did and what happened as a result.
Include any work experience
Even unrelated work experience is worth including. A cashier job demonstrates reliability. A summer camp counsellor role demonstrates responsibility. Waitressing demonstrates customer service. Do not dismiss any of it.
Structure it the same way as professional experience. Company name, role, dates, two or three bullets describing what you did and what it produced.
Add volunteer work
Volunteer work is often underused on student resumes. If you have volunteered, treat it with the same structure as paid work. If you have led a volunteer project, that counts as leadership experience.
List relevant skills
List eight to fifteen skills that are genuinely relevant to the role. For a technical role, list programming languages and tools. For a marketing role, list analytics tools and writing skills. For a general role, list communication and organisational skills.
What to leave out
Do not list high school accomplishments once you are in university. Do not include hobbies unless they are specific and relevant. Do not include a photo unless you are in a market where that is expected. Do not pad the resume with courses you took.