Protect your data
We use cookies to provide our services, improve the user experience, for analysis and marketing purposes. By giving your consent, you also agree that your data may be transferred to the USA by the use of cookies. You can revoke your consent at any time.You can find further information in our privacy policy and cookie policy.
Finding a first job can be challenging. Your first order of business is to create a resume that you can use to get that first fabulous job. What should you include? What format should you use? We’ll cover these questions and more, plus we’ll give you an example resume for you to get inspired by. When you are starting out, you may have little in the way of previous work to put on your resume. So, this means you have to focus on your skills, traits, and nonwork experience to impress all those potential employers. This is easier said than done, but read on, and we’ll tell you how to create a great resume to land that first job.
The example resume does a great job of leveraging skills and knowledge that were gained from sports and writing. It also uses these things to point out specific areas of experience. Having a compelling summary statement is crucial to your resume because it gets the attention of the reader and makes them want to read more.
The next section on the resume lists key tasks and abilities. These are excellent to include because they tell potential employers things you have done and know how to do well. Even though you may not have much work experience, you can think back through your life and find skills and things you have done that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Your education should be a separate section on your resume. List all the schools you attended and training courses you have taken. It’s okay to include additional information like your GPA, any honors earned, and extracurricular activities. If you’re a college graduate, then it isn’t necessary to list your high school (or earlier) education.
Finally, you should list out any formal jobs you have had. Each description should be short. You can use a bulleted list to highlight major duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments for each job. Make sure to include the best and most impressive things you did. It’s not necessary to list out mundane daily tasks or every single thing you did at each job. The goal is to impress the reader, not to bore them.
Anyone writing a resume for the first time is going to struggle. How do you get started? We recommend before writing anything, that you go out and look at a lot of example resumes, like the one we have. Look for entry-level or first job resume examples. This will make it easier for you to relate and find content that you can use. A resume is not creative writing, so it is okay to take things directly from other resumes you find. Obviously, don’t include anything on your resume that misrepresents you, but you can use wording you like from other peoples’ resumes.
Next, gather all your information about your experiences. You may just want to start writing out all the things you have done; definitely any jobs you have had, but also any other organizations you have participated in. Your school, church, or volunteer and civic groups. If you played on any organized sports teams, make note of that. Do you have any significant hobbies that gave you specific skills or that you competed in? These are also things you can be utilized on your resume.
Now that you have all of your information, it’s time to put it into a resume format. What format should you use? In our example, we used a basic single-column format, which is great for a standard resume. Remember to keep your resume very neat, clean, and easy to read. Don’t use fancy fonts or colors. Keep it simple. You also want to make it very short. One page is best.
Use the example we provided as a template. Or, if you found another resume format you like, then use it. You need to be happy with your resume content and how it looks because it represents you!
Before you get your first job, you may not have any professional skills to list. However, you’ll have skills you learned in school, playing sports, volunteer work, or even from working around the house. Leverage whatever you can to build your resume to convince the reader that you’re worth hiring.
Here are some good skills to include on your first job resume:
Communication
Critical-thinking
Customer service
Detail-oriented
Leadership
Quick learner
Teamwork
Troubleshooting
Summary example
Fresh to the workforce and eager to take first steps in rewarding sports journalism career. Offering extensive sports knowledge and hands-experience in covering live sporting events, interviewing athletes, researching sports facts and statistics, issuing press releases, and writing quality news and opinion articles. Passion for producing compelling content to engage readers and inform target audiences of sporting news, athletic achievements, and industry developments.
Employment history example
Sport Writer (Intern) at Back Sports Page
2018 - 2020
Researched and wrote news and opinion articles for this well-trafficked sports news site providing topical, timely coverage of developments in the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and college sports.
Produced and distributed press releases to media contacts.
Incorporated into writings important statistics, historical facts, contextual commentary, and quotes from reputable sources.
Granted media access to professional athlete pro-camps. Conducted on-site interviews with high-profile athletes.
Met with fellow writers to plan out editorial calendars, share ideas, and delegate stories.
Commended by management and team members for high-quality work and for consistently meeting tight deadlines in fast-paced news production environment.
Sales Associate at Modell’s Sporting Goods, Eatontown, NJ
2018 - 2019
Assisted customers in locating and purchasing merchandise. Responded to customer inquiries about players, teams, and merchandise; recommended products based on customer interests.
Contributed to product merchandising and inventory management.
Ranger at Darlington Golf Course, Mahwah, NJ
2016
Ensured seamless course operations by enforcing course rules and pacing guidelines.
Interfaced with club members with courtesy, respect, and professionalism.
Education example
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication / Concentration in PR & Journalism at Monmouth University
Skills example
News & Perspective Pieces
Story Planning & Research
Interview Prep and Facilitation
Press Releases
Media Relations
SWOT Analysis
Blogs & Social Media
Team Collaboration