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Early Career · 8 min read

First Job Resume: The 2026 Guide (With a Real Example)

Your first job CV doesn't need invented experience. It needs the right structure and the right framing of what you've actually done. Here's the full playbook.

Structure

  1. Header
  2. Summary (3 lines)
  3. Education (top if fresh out and the role cares about it)
  4. Experience (internships, part-time, volunteer)
  5. Projects (technical / creative roles)
  6. Skills
  7. Awards, certifications, languages (optional)

What goes in the summary

  1. Who you are professionally.
  2. What you've built, shipped, or done.
  3. What you're looking for.

> *Recent computer science graduate (top 10%) with hands-on full-stack experience from a 6-month internship and 3 shipped side projects. Targeting a frontend or full-stack new-grad role.*

What counts as Experience

  • Internships, part-time jobs, volunteer work.
  • Leadership in student orgs.
  • Tutoring, freelancing, contract work.
  • Research, TA-ing, lab roles.

A part-time barista job belongs on your CV if you can describe it in outcomes:

> *Trained 5 new baristas during a peak hiring period — every one of them passed the espresso quality audit on the first try.*

Projects matter more than people think

If you're going for a technical role, Projects can carry the whole CV. The bar is:

  • Built, not just started.
  • Deployed somewhere clickable.
  • Has a one-sentence outcome.

What to skip

  • ❌ "Hobbies and interests" unless differentiating.
  • ❌ "References available on request."
  • ❌ Skills walls with 40 logos.
  • ❌ Objective lines that say "to gain experience."

TL;DR

  • Structure carries the first-job CV more than content.
  • Internships, volunteering, side projects all count.
  • A strong Projects section can outweigh thin Experience.
  • Cut the objective, hobbies and references line.

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