Everyone starts with an empty "Experience" section. Employers hiring for a first job know that; they're looking for evidence that you can learn, finish things and work with people. You have more of it than you think.
What counts
- Projects: coursework, personal projects, things you built or organised. Say what it was, what you did and how it turned out.
- Part-time and casual work: retail, hospitality, tutoring, babysitting. Reliability and dealing with the public are real skills.
- Volunteering and clubs: roles you held, events you ran, money you raised.
- Study: your qualification, relevant subjects, a strong grade or award.
Order it for the reader
Put your strongest section first. For many first resumes that's Education or Projects, then Experience.
Write results, even small ones
- "Ran the school's coding club: grew it from 6 to 25 members in a year."
- "Served 100+ customers a shift at a busy café; trusted to open and close."
- "Built a budgeting app in React for a class project; 30 classmates used it."
Keep it to one page
One full page beats two thin ones.
A summary that points forward
Two lines on what you're studying or good at, and the kind of role you want: "Business student with retail experience, looking for a graduate role in operations."
Start your resume: the guided form asks for each part in turn, with examples. Or see the first-job example.