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Sample of entry level resume: annotated, ATS-friendly

A made-up entry level resume explained section by section, with weak and strong versions of each line and the format rules that keep it readable.

Updated November 2026. About 9 minutes to read.

Key takeaways

  • An entry level resume with little experience needs five parts: contact details, a short summary, education, skills, and projects or activities.
  • Use one column, a standard font and one page, because tables and text boxes can scramble when software reads the file.
  • Write projects, coursework and volunteering like jobs, using a verb, the task and a result.
  • A good summary names the exact role and one piece of proof, and changes for every application.
  • Before sending, match the posting's words where they are true, check the file, and open the export yourself.

A strong entry level resume is one page, one column, and led by your education and projects instead of a long work history. The sample below is made up to show the structure. Every part is explained, so you can follow it with your own details, whether you are writing it in the Resume Guide builder or a plain document.

What should an entry level resume include?

Five parts: contact details, a short summary, education, skills, and projects or activities.

With little work history, education and projects carry the weight that jobs normally would, so they move up the page.

  1. Contact details. Name, city, phone, email and a LinkedIn link if you have one.
  2. Summary. Two lines naming the role and one piece of proof.
  3. Education. Degree, school, expected graduation date and two or three relevant courses.
  4. Skills. Hard skills the posting repeats.
  5. Projects or activities. Projects, volunteering or club roles, written like jobs.

Leave off your photo, street address, birth date, references and filler like "hardworking team player". Once you are in college, high school can usually go too.

What is the correct format for an entry level resume?

One column, a standard font at a readable size, normal margins, and one page.

Many employers use an applicant tracking system, or ATS: software that stores resumes and lets recruiters search them. It tends to read a page from top to bottom, so two columns can come out in the wrong order and dates can land next to the wrong job. Sidebars, tables and text boxes cause similar trouble. A plain page with headings like Education, Experience and Skills is the safest choice.

File type, name and length

Send a PDF unless the posting asks for Word. Name the file with your name, such as Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf, not resume_final_v3.pdf. If it runs long, cut bullets before you shrink the font.

Build it free

The free resume builder lets you type straight onto the page with no account, then download a PDF, a Word file or plain text. Twenty designs are free on the templates page.

The annotated sample, line by line

Here is what each block does and what to put in it.

Header and contact line

Your name, then city and state, phone, email and LinkedIn. Keep this as normal text in the page itself, not in a picture or a page header.

Education, when it is your strongest asset

Put it near the top when you have few jobs to show. List your degree, school, city and expected graduation date, and add two or three relevant courses instead of your whole transcript. Many students include a GPA only when it is strong, such as 3.5 or higher, or when an employer asks for it.

Projects, written like work experience

This is the section many entry level resumes leave out. Give each project a title and two or three bullets that start with a verb and end with a result. Name your tools, because those are often the words recruiters search for.

Before: Worked on a Python project.

After: Built a Python script that collected 5,000 listings and cut manual search time by 80%.

Keep each bullet to about one line, and cut anything you could not explain in an interview.

Skills that match the posting

List hard skills, split by type if that helps: languages, tools, methods. Use the exact words from the posting where they are true. Show soft skills like teamwork in your bullets instead. For more on what each part is for, see the purpose of a resume.

Weak vs strong: the same resume rewritten

Same made-up candidate, same background, very different result.

LineWeak versionStrong version
SummaryMotivated self-starter seeking a challenging roleBusiness administration graduate with Excel, basic SQL and two reporting projects
ExperienceResponsible for various tasks at campus storeRan the daily register for 200+ customers; cut closing time by 30 minutes with a new checklist
SkillsGood communication, MS OfficeExcel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP), SQL (SELECT, JOINs)
FormatTwo columns, tables, iconsOne column, standard headings

The strong lines name tools and numbers, so a reader does not have to guess what the candidate can do.

How do you write a summary without sounding generic?

Name the exact role and one piece of proof, then rewrite it for each application.

The proof can be coursework, a project or a certificate. If you know the employer, you can name them too.

Before: Motivated self-starter looking for an opportunity to grow in a dynamic company.

After: Computer science graduate applying for a junior QA analyst role. Built an automated test suite in Python that cut a class project's manual checks from 3 hours to 20 minutes.

What does a good entry level IT summary look like?

It names the role, a certificate and specific technologies.

Before: Seeking an entry level IT role where I can grow.

After: IT support graduate with an A+ certification applying for a help desk role. Built a home lab with Windows Server and wrote 20+ PowerShell scripts for setting up users.

"Windows Server" gives a recruiter something to search for and something to ask about. "Passionate about technology" does neither. List only skills you can defend in an interview, such as Python, SQL or Active Directory, and cut ones like "fast learner".

What counts as experience on an entry level resume?

Anything where you did real work: class projects, volunteering, freelance gigs, club roles and things you built yourself.

The formula: verb, task, result

Before: Worked on a group project about inventory.

After: Built an inventory spreadsheet in Google Sheets that cut a food pantry's weekly stocktake from 4 hours to 90 minutes.

No number to hand? Use how often or how many: "every week", "for 12 club members", "across 3 campuses". Only use numbers you can back up.

Describe group projects honestly

Name your part, not the team's. "Led the front-end build in React while three teammates handled the back end" is believable and shows you understand scope. Interviewers ask follow-up questions, so never claim the whole project.

What mistakes make an entry level resume look amateur?

Most come down to claims without proof, or a layout that gets in the way.

  • Clichés in the top line. Name the role and a concrete skill instead.
  • Skills without proof. "Proficient in Excel" says little. "Built a five-sheet budget tracker for a student club" says more.
  • Vague bullets. "Responsible for tasks" tells the reader nothing.
  • Inconsistent dates. Pick one date format and keep to it.
  • Decorative layouts. Columns, graphics and tables can scramble when software reads them.

How should you tailor and check it before sending?

Run the same four steps for every application.

  1. Match the wording. If the posting says "customer support", do not write "client service", as long as it is true.
  2. Run a check. The free resume checker scores how software reads your file and how quickly a person finds the basics. It needs no account, and your resume is not uploaded.
  3. Export and open it. Confirm nothing has moved.
  4. Save one file per application, so you can reread what you sent before an interview.

Questions people ask

Short answers to the ones that come up most.

  • Can I download an entry level resume for free? Yes. The Resume Guide builder is free with no account, and you can download a PDF, a Word file or plain text. Twenty designs are free. The other designs cost $0.99 each and show sample text until you buy them.
  • Should an entry level resume be one page? Yes, for nearly everyone at this stage. If your content overflows, cut bullets before you shrink the font. With little work history, contact details, a summary, education, skills and projects fit comfortably on one page.
  • Do I need a summary if I have no experience? A short one helps. Two lines naming the role and one piece of proof, such as a project or certificate, give the reader a reason to keep going. Leave it out rather than fill it with general phrases.
  • How do I list a job I worked for only a few weeks? List it like any other job: title, employer, city and dates, with one or two bullets using the verb, task, result pattern. Short jobs are common at the start of a career, and describing what you did is better than leaving a gap.
  • Which template should I use for an entry level resume? Choose a design with one column and standard headings, then read your downloaded file to make sure it looks right. You can browse the twenty free designs and the full collection on the templates page.

More articles

From the same library. For shorter reads, see the resume guides.

Employers and their screening software differ. Treat this article as the default that works for most applications, and follow a specific posting's instructions whenever the two disagree.