Entry-Level Resume Examples for New Graduates (2026)
Copy-and-paste entry-level resume examples for recent graduates with no work experience. Learn how to highlight coursework, projects, internships, and skills to land your first job.
Writing a resume with no work experience
If you've just graduated and feel like you have nothing to put on a resume, you're not alone — and you're wrong. Employers hiring for entry-level roles don't expect a decade of experience. They want evidence of initiative, relevant skills, and the ability to learn quickly. Your job is to surface that evidence from the parts of your life you might be undervaluing: coursework, academic projects, internships, volunteer work, extracurriculars, and self-directed learning.
The structure of an entry-level resume differs from an experienced one. Instead of leading with work history, you lead with education and projects. A [resume objective](/blog/resume-objective-examples) at the top replaces the summary, since you don't have achievements to summarise yet. Use the [resume builder](/create) to assemble these sections with a live preview.
Entry-level resume structure
An effective entry-level resume follows this section order:
- Contact info (name, email, phone, LinkedIn, portfolio/GitHub)
- Objective statement (2-3 lines targeting the specific role)
- Education (degree, university, GPA if 3.5+, relevant coursework)
- Projects (academic, personal, or hackathon — with outcomes)
- Experience (internships, part-time jobs, volunteer work)
- Skills (hard skills matching the job description)
Computer science graduate example
Tech roles value projects and GitHub contributions above all else for new graduates. Show what you've built.
- Objective: Recent computer science graduate with a 3.8 GPA and a portfolio of three full-stack web applications, seeking a junior software developer role to build scalable products.
- Education: BSc Computer Science, University of Manchester, 2023-2026. GPA: 3.8/4.0. Relevant coursework: Data Structures, Algorithms, Web Development, Database Systems, Machine Learning.
- Projects: Full-Stack Task Manager (React, Node.js, PostgreSQL) — Built a real-time collaborative task app supporting 50 concurrent users with WebSocket sync. E-commerce API (Go, Docker) — Designed a RESTful API handling 10K requests/day with JWT auth and Stripe integration.
- Experience: Software Engineering Intern, FinTech Startup (Jun 2025-Sep 2025) — Shipped a payment reconciliation feature used by 12,000 monthly users. Reduced API response time by 30% through query optimisation.
- Skills: JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Node.js, Python, SQL, Git, Docker, AWS.
Marketing graduate example
Marketing roles want evidence of campaigns, content, and analytics — even from internships or personal projects.
- Objective: Recent marketing graduate with internship experience in social media and content strategy, seeking a marketing coordinator role to drive audience growth and engagement.
- Education: BA Marketing, University of Leeds, 2023-2026. GPA: 3.6/4.0. Relevant coursework: Digital Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Market Research, Brand Strategy.
- Projects: Personal Blog (WordPress, SEO) — Grew organic traffic from 0 to 8,000 monthly visitors in 8 months through keyword research and content optimisation. University Marketing Society — Led a campaign that increased event attendance by 60%.
- Experience: Social Media Intern, Local Agency (Jan 2026-May 2026) — Managed Instagram and TikTok accounts, growing combined following from 5K to 22K. Created 3 viral posts with 500K+ views.
- Skills: Google Analytics, SEO, Canva, Hootsuite, Mailchimp, content marketing, social media advertising.
Business administration graduate example
Business roles value analytical thinking, leadership, and quantified results from projects and internships.
- Objective: Detail-oriented business administration graduate with strong analytical skills, seeking a business analyst role to drive data-informed decision-making.
- Education: BSc Business Administration, University of Birmingham, 2023-2026. GPA: 3.7/4.0. Relevant coursework: Financial Accounting, Data Analysis, Operations Management, Strategic Management.
- Projects: Capstone Consulting Project — Led a team of four analysing supply chain inefficiencies for a local manufacturer, delivering recommendations that saved $15,000 annually.
- Experience: Operations Intern, Manufacturing Firm (Jun 2025-Aug 2025) — Streamlined inventory tracking process, reducing stock discrepancies by 40%. Assisted with supplier negotiations.
- Skills: Excel (advanced), Tableau, Power BI, SQL, financial modelling, project management.
Resume with truly no experience
If you have no internship or relevant work history, lean hardest on academic projects, coursework, and transferable skills from any job — retail, hospitality, or volunteer work all demonstrate reliability and soft skills.
- Lead with education and relevant coursework
- Add a 'Projects' section showcasing academic or personal work
- Include any job — bar work, retail, tutoring — framed around transferable skills
- List volunteer experience and extracurricular leadership roles
- Use a strong objective statement to frame your career direction
Optimising for ATS as a new graduate
ATS systems don't care that you're new — they scan for keywords just like any other resume. Read the job description carefully and mirror its language in your skills section and objective. If the posting says 'JavaScript', don't write 'JS'. Our [ATS-friendly resume guide](/blog/ats-friendly-resume) covers the full keyword strategy.
Use a clean, single-column template with standard headings. Avoid creative designs with multiple columns — they confuse ATS parsers. The Professional template in our builder is free and ATS-tested.
Common entry-level resume mistakes
The biggest mistake new graduates make is underselling themselves. You may not have work experience, but you have skills, projects, and education — all of which employers value. Frame everything around impact, even if the scale is small.
- Don't list high school education — it's implied by your degree
- Don't use a generic objective — target the specific role
- Don't list soft skills like 'hardworking' — prove them through examples
- Don't exceed one page — entry-level resumes should never be longer
- Don't forget to include a portfolio or GitHub link for tech roles
Frequently Asked Questions
Lead with education, then a Projects section showcasing academic or personal work. Include any job, volunteer role, or extracurricular activity framed around transferable skills. Use a targeted objective statement to show career direction.
Include your GPA only if it's 3.5 or higher. Below that, leave it off — it won't help and may hurt. Once you have 2+ years of work experience, remove your GPA entirely.
One page. Entry-level resumes should never exceed a single page. If you're struggling to fill it, add more detail to projects and coursework rather than padding with irrelevant information.