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These resources walk you through building your first resume and cover letter from the ground up. They're written for people with little or no work experience, so you won't need to skip past advice that doesn't apply to you yet. If you're exploring tech or digital careers, you'll find specific guidance on how to present the skills and projects that matter most to those employers. Start with the core resources below and work through them in order, then dip into the supporting resources if you want to go deeper on a specific area.
- Read the Beginner resume guide first. It breaks the process into seven clear steps and is written specifically for people with limited work history. Pay close attention to the skills and additional sections: for tech roles, these carry as much weight as experience.
- Follow up with the No-experience resume template for worked examples of how to present projects, coursework, and extracurriculars when you don't have formal work history. If you're interested in tech, the projects and skills sections are the centrepiece of your resume.
- Download the Resume template to put your resume together in a clean, professional format. Choose the simple or professional template if you're applying for tech roles: heavily designed formats can trip up automated screening tools.
- Download the Cover letter template and rewrite it for each role you apply for. For tech and digital roles, use your cover letter to tell the "why tech" story: what draws you to the field, what you've built or explored, and what you're keen to learn.
Other resources to support these:
- If you're not sure what a resume is or what each section is for, start with the "What is a resume" explainer. It's a quick read that sets the foundation before you dive into writing.
- Once you have a draft, use the Work experience guide to strengthen how you describe what you've done. The advice on action verbs and quantifiable results applies just as well to school projects and volunteering as it does to paid work.
- If your resume is looking light, the Hobbies and interests guide can help. For tech applicants, personal projects, online courses, and self-directed learning are genuinely relevant and worth listing.
Whether you're applying for a first job in tech or just want to keep your options open, these resources show you how to present the skills, projects, and curiosity that tech employers value most.
Writing a beginner resume
Article
A step-by-step guide to writing your first resume, with practical tips for making your projects, skills, and coursework count, especially when applying for tech roles.
What to know
- This article is written specifically for people with limited work experience, making it much more relevant for school leavers than most resume guides. It is worth prioritising over more general resume articles for this audience
- The worked example uses an engineering applicant. If you're interested in tech, the same principles apply: lean on education, projects, and skills, and use the additional sections to show initiative and curiosity
- For tech roles, adding a GitHub profile or portfolio link in the contact details section (step 2) can make a strong impression
- Keywords matter: many tech employers use screening tools to filter resumes before a human sees them. Identify the key tools and skills mentioned in a job ad and check that your resume reflects these directly
- The article links to SEEK's free resume template if you want a formatted starting point once you understand the structure
How to use this resource
- Work through the seven steps in order. Steps 1 to 3 (format, contact info, and professional summary) lay the foundation before filling in the rest
- Pay close attention to step 7 (additional sections): for school leavers with limited work history, this is where projects, certifications, extracurriculars, and online courses go. If you're interested in tech, this section is where a resume can really stand out
- For tech and digital roles, use the skills section (step 6) to list specific tools, languages, and platforms you know. Think beyond the obvious: spreadsheets, design tools, collaboration tools (Slack, Notion, Trello), and anything used at school or at home all belong here
- Add a dedicated projects entry for any tech-related work, even if it was a school assignment or personal project. Name the tools used and describe what you built or contributed to
- Use the worked example in the article to see how someone with limited experience structures a resume. Note how they balance education, skills, and experience without much formal work history
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Resume Template – no experience
Article
Build a strong resume from scratch when you have no work history, with practical guidance on how to use projects, skills, and coursework to stand out to tech employers.
What to know
- This article is written specifically for people with no work experience at all, making it the most directly relevant resume guide for school leavers in the hub
- It overlaps with the beginner resume guide, but goes deeper on alternative sections (projects, extracurriculars, awards). The beginner guide has a clearer step-by-step structure. Both are worth including
- For tech roles, the projects and skills sections are the most important parts of a no-experience resume. Treat these as the centrepiece rather than an afterthought
- The article recommends leaving out grades unless they are impressive. For tech roles, relevant coursework (IT, computer science, maths) is worth naming even if grades are not included
How to use this resource
- Start with your contact information and include any relevant social media or portfolio links. For tech roles, a GitHub profile or LinkedIn link belongs here
- Write a brief objective statement (2 to 3 sentences) explaining what you are looking for and what you bring to the role. For tech roles, mention a specific area of interest (e.g. cybersecurity, UX design, data) and any tools or languages you are learning
- Lean heavily on the projects and coursework section: list any tech-related school assignments, personal projects, or online courses, and name the tools and technologies used. This section can carry as much weight as work experience for entry-level tech roles
- Use the skills section to list specific tools, software, languages, and platforms. Be specific: 'Python (beginner)' or 'Figma (self-taught)' is more useful to a recruiter than 'computer skills'
- Include extracurriculars that show relevant traits: coding clubs, robotics teams, tech events, or any leadership roles are all worth listing
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Resume Template
Tool
Download a free, formatted resume template and learn how to tailor it for the roles you are applying for, including tech and digital jobs.
What to know
- The templates are designed for people with work history. School leavers should adapt the structure: lean on education, skills, and any projects or extracurricular activities rather than trying to fill out a full work history section
- For tech roles, a strong skills section often carries more weight than work experience for entry-level applicants. Hiring managers want to know what tools and technologies you are familiar with
- Many tech employers use automated screening tools to scan resumes before a human reads them. The simple or professional templates are safest for this: heavily designed formats can cause text to be misread or missed
- Keep your resume to one page as a school leaver. Tech hiring managers read quickly and prefer concise, scannable documents
- The templates are Microsoft Word files. Always save your final version as a PDF, as the article recommends, to make sure formatting stays intact across different computers
How to use this resource
- Download one of the three templates (modern, professional, or simple), fill in your own details, and save as a PDF before submitting any application to preserve the formatting
- Tailor your resume for each role you apply for: read the job ad, pick out the key skills and tools mentioned, and make sure your resume reflects these directly
- For tech and digital roles, add a dedicated skills section listing any software, tools, or platforms you know, even if you are just starting out. Think spreadsheets, design tools, coding languages, content management systems, or anything you have used at school or at home
- If you have worked on any tech-related projects (school assignments, personal projects, online courses), include a brief projects section. Tech employers value what you have built or contributed to, not just where you have been employed
- Where a job ad asks for a GitHub profile, LinkedIn, or portfolio link, add it to the contact details section at the top of your resume
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Cover Letter Template
Tool
Download a free cover letter template and learn how to write a compelling pitch for tech and digital roles.
What to know
- The template is a starting point, not a finished letter. Every cover letter should be rewritten for the specific role and company. A copy-pasted letter is usually obvious to recruiters
- The article is written for people with work experience to draw on. School leavers should draw on examples from school projects, extracurriculars, volunteering, or part-time work instead
- For tech roles, a cover letter that mentions specific technologies, tools, or projects you have worked on is far more compelling than a generic expression of enthusiasm. Be concrete, not vague
- Keep it to one page. Tech hiring managers read quickly, and a long cover letter rarely helps
- The template is a Word file. Save your final version as a PDF before sending to preserve the formatting
How to use this resource
- Download the Word template and use it as your starting structure. Fill in your details, then rewrite the content specifically for each role you apply for
- Research the company and the specific role before you write. Mention something concrete about why this organisation interests you. Generic letters are easy for recruiters to spot
- For tech and digital roles, use your cover letter to tell the 'why tech' story: what draws you to this field, what you have built or worked on, and what you are keen to learn. Hiring managers in tech value genuine curiosity and initiative
- If you have limited work experience, your cover letter is the place to highlight relevant projects, online courses, or self-directed learning. Name specific tools or technologies you have been working with
- Close with a clear call to action: express enthusiasm for the role and invite them to review your resume or portfolio
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What is a resume?
Article
A quick explainer on what a resume is, what to include and leave out, and how to format it before you start applying for jobs.
What to know
- This is an introductory overview, not a how-to guide. Use it as a starting point and pair it with the beginner resume guide or the no-experience template when you're ready to start writing
- The article is written for a general audience including experienced workers. Some sections (e.g. 10+ years experience, professional memberships) won't apply to school leavers yet
How to use this resource
- Read this before diving into resume templates. It gives a clear picture of what a resume is for and what each section should do
- Use the 'what to leave out' section to avoid common mistakes (personal details like age or address, irrelevant experience, salary history)
- For tech roles, the skills section should list specific tools and technologies, not just soft skills
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How to outline work experience in a resume
Article
Learn how to present your experience in a resume effectively, including how to frame school projects and personal work the way tech employers want to see.
What to know
- The article is primarily written for people with work history. The 'fresh graduate' example is the most relevant section for school leavers
- The core advice (action verbs, quantifiable results, tailoring to the role) applies equally to non-work experience. Apply these principles to projects, volunteering, and extracurriculars
- For tech roles, describing what you built or contributed to is more compelling than listing duties. Specifics matter: name the tools used, the problem solved, and the outcome
- This article overlaps with other resume guides in the hub. It is most useful if you already have a draft and want to strengthen how your experience is written
How to use this resource
- Start with the 'fresh graduate' example in the article – it is the most relevant for school leavers and shows how to present limited experience effectively
- Apply the same principles to non-work experience: if you're applying for tech roles, the work experience section can include school projects, volunteering, or personal projects, formatted and written the same way as paid work
- Use action verbs and quantifiable results for everything, not just paid jobs. 'Built a website used by 200+ people' or 'Led a team of 4 to complete a school data analysis project' is far stronger than describing duties
- Match your language to the job ad: identify the key skills and tools mentioned and reflect these in how you describe your experience
- For tech roles with thin work history, the article's combination format (skills first, then experience) is worth considering
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Hobbies and interests on your resume
Article
Find out when and how to include hobbies on your resume, and why the right ones can strengthen an application for tech and digital roles.
What to know
- This is a supplementary section: hobbies should never crowd out skills, projects, or education on a resume
- For school leavers, the most valuable hobby to include is self-directed learning in tech: personal projects, online courses, or tools you have been exploring in your own time
- Avoid vague entries like 'reading' or 'interest in computers.' 'Building a Raspberry Pi home server' or 'learning Python through freeCodeCamp' is far more useful to a recruiter
- The article is written for a general audience. For school leavers, this section can help compensate for a thin work history, but skills and projects should always come first
How to use this resource
- Use the article's five hobby categories as a checklist: identify which of your hobbies fit and whether they are worth including
- For tech roles, personal tech projects, open-source contributions, robotics, game development, or 3D printing are genuinely relevant hobbies. They signal curiosity and self-directed learning, which tech employers value highly
- The professional development category (online courses, certifications) is particularly strong for tech applicants. Any relevant platforms you have used (Coursera, freeCodeCamp, Khan Academy) belong here
- Keep it to two or three entries at the bottom of the resume. One specific, relevant line is better than a vague list
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