What can I put on a résumé when I have little formal work experience?

You can still show evidence of useful skills. Start with the role you want, then choose experiences that demonstrate relevant abilities, even if they weren’t paid work. Depending on what you have actually done, that might include school or personal projects, volunteering, clubs, courses or training, regular responsibilities, and tools or languages you can describe accurately.

Use honest headings such as “Projects,” “Volunteer Experience,” or “Activities.” You don’t need to label an activity as employment if it wasn’t a job. Compare each possible item with the job’s requirements and choose a few strong examples rather than listing everything.

For each experience, ask: What was the situation? What did I personally do? What was completed or changed? For example, if a job asks for organization, a project where you tracked tasks or planned an event may be relevant. Be precise about your part; don’t imply you led a group if you didn’t. If you don’t know a result in numbers, describe the output without inventing a number.

A project entry can be simple:

Projects [Project name] | [Month Year]

• Worked with [team or group, if applicable] to [specific task].
• Used [tool, method, or skill] to create [real output].
• Presented or shared the work with [actual audience, if relevant].

For instance, if it matches what you really did: “Created a class presentation on [topic], organized research from [number, only if known] sources, and presented the findings to classmates.” Change or remove any detail that isn’t true.

Try this order and adjust it to match the job and your experience:

1. Name and contact details: [Name], [phone], [professional email], [city or region, optional].
2. Optional profile: one or two sentences about the role you want and strengths supported by examples.
3. Relevant experience: volunteering or other responsibilities, with accurate dates and action-focused bullets.
4. Projects: the most relevant school or independent work.
5. Education and training: institution or provider, program or course, and completion date if applicable.
6. Skills: specific abilities you can explain or demonstrate.

Move Projects higher if they’re your strongest evidence. Keep headings clear and dates consistent. A focused one-page draft is a practical starting point, not a reason to make the text hard to read.

Don’t estimate numbers you can’t verify. Describe a task and an outcome you remember instead. For example, only if accurate: “Volunteered at [event], helped set up [specific area or materials], and directed visitors to [location or activity].” If you’re unsure what your role included, check your own notes or ask someone who was involved before adding details.

Copy this outline and replace every bracket with a true detail. Remove sections that don’t apply, and don’t leave placeholders in the version you submit.

[Your name] [Phone] | [Professional email] | [City or region, optional]

PROFILE (optional) Seeking a [type of role]. I can contribute [relevant strength] demonstrated through [project, volunteering, or responsibility].

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE [Volunteer role or responsibility] | [Organization or context] | [Dates]

• [Specific action you personally took] to [purpose or verified result].

PROJECTS [Project name] | [Dates or term]

• [What you created, organized, researched, or completed].
• [Your specific contribution and any result you can verify].

EDUCATION AND TRAINING [School, program, or course] | [Dates or completion status]

SKILLS [Specific skill] | [Specific tool or language, if accurate]

Before sending it, compare the draft with the job posting, move the strongest matching evidence up, and check every date, number, tool, and result. Ask yourself whether you can explain each bullet plainly and support its details; revise or remove anything you can’t.