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Entry-level resume format for US jobs

An entry-level US resume is one page: contact details, a two-line summary or objective, education with GPA if it's 3.5 or higher (some career centers say 3.0), then internships, projects, campus jobs and leadership, each with a result. No photo, no date of birth.

Build my resumeCheck my ATS scoreUpdated 4 October 2026

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Entry-level resume at a glance

Length
One page.
Order
Contact, summary or objective, education, experience (internships, part-time, campus jobs), projects, leadership and activities, skills.
GPA
Include it if it's 3.5 or higher (some career centers say 3.0), or if the employer asks; write it as 3.7/4.0.
Experience
Internships, research assistantships, retail and food-service jobs, volunteering and freelance work all count.
Coursework
A short "Relevant coursework" line helps when you have little experience.
Leave out
Photo, date of birth, high school once you're in college (unless it's your highest level), references.
Where to apply
Handshake, LinkedIn, Indeed, company career sites and campus career fairs.

Resume sample for the US

A made-up person, in the layout described on this page. Build yours with any CVEmber template and download it as a PDF.

Entry level resume example for a college student (marketing)

Jordan Lee

Marketing student · Social media and analytics

Columbus, OH · (614) xxx-xxxx · jordan.lee@example.com

Education

  • B.S. Business Administration, Marketing, The Ohio State University · Expected May 2027 · GPA 3.6/4.0
  • Relevant coursework: Consumer Behavior, Marketing Analytics, Digital Marketing

Experience

  • Marketing Intern, Riverbend Outfitters, Columbus, OH · May–Aug 2026
  • • Planned 40 Instagram posts; grew followers 22% and link clicks 35% over the summer.
  • Barista, campus café · Sep 2024–present · Trained 6 new hires; handled 200+ orders per shift.

Leadership

  • Social Media Chair, American Marketing Association student chapter · 2025–present

Skills

  • Canva, Google Analytics, Meta Business Suite, Excel, Spanish (conversational)

Summary or objective? Entry-level resume summary examples

Career centers differ here. The University of San Francisco's career service advises leaving the objective out unless an employer asks for one, and keeping it brief and specific to one role if you do. If you use one, name the role: “Marketing student seeking a summer analytics internship, with hands-on social media campaign experience.” Once you have an internship or two, switch to a summary of what you've done.

Two entry-level resume summary examples: “Recent accounting graduate with a 3.7 GPA and a tax-season internship preparing 60 returns; seeking a staff accountant role.” “Computer science student who built a class scheduling app used by 300 classmates; seeking a software engineering internship.”

What employers scan for

In NACE's Job Outlook 2025 survey, nearly 90% of employers said they look for evidence of problem-solving on a student's resume and nearly 80% look for teamwork. Written communication, initiative, work ethic and technical skills mattered to at least 70%. Write bullets that show these in action (a problem you fixed, a team result) rather than listing them as words.

Entry level resume template

Use a one-column entry level resume template: your name, then education at the top, then experience, projects and skills, with standard headings an applicant tracking system can read. The marketing example above follows that template; swap in your own school, jobs and numbers. Start from a template and fill each section.

Making small jobs count

Every job shows something: reliability, customers, money, training others. Write one or two bullets with a number (“handled 200+ orders per shift”, “trained 6 new hires”). Focus on results, not a list of duties, and keep each bullet to two lines or fewer.

Why internships go near the top

NACE's 2026 Internship & Co-op Report puts the average conversion rate of interns to full-time hires at 63.1%. An internship is often the closest thing to the job itself, so give it the most detailed bullets on the page.

Layout that career centers recommend

USF's guidance: one font and one size, 10 to 12 point for the body and up to 14 point for your name; no tables or columns, which applicant tracking systems read badly; no personal pronouns; and list only the colleges you have or will receive a degree from.

Why no photo or date of birth

The EEOC says information collected before hiring should be limited to what shows whether you're qualified, and that race, sex, national origin, age and religion are irrelevant to that. Federal age discrimination protection covers people 40 or older; at any age, your resume doesn't need to show it.

Projects

Class projects, hackathons, research and personal projects prove skills. Give each a one-line result and link to a portfolio or GitHub where it makes sense.

Entry-level mistakes

  • Two pages of coursework and clubs.
  • A GPA below 3.0 listed with no context. Leave it off unless asked.
  • An unprofessional email address.
  • The same resume for every posting; mirror each job's skills.

For the full US format, see the US resume format, and check any version with the ATS checker for US jobs.

Sources

Checked on 4 October 2026. Employers and portals change what they ask for, so always follow the job advert first.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

How long should an entry-level resume be?

One page.

Should I put my GPA on my resume?

If it's 3.5 or higher, or the employer asks. USF's career service calls 3.0 to 3.4 optional; below that, leave it off unless asked.

What if I have no work experience?

Lead with education, then projects, volunteering, campus roles and part-time jobs, each with a result.

Should I include high school?

Not once you're in college, unless it's your highest completed level or the school is relevant to the job.

How do I write an entry level resume objective?

One or two lines under your contact details: the job you want and the one skill, project or internship that fits it. Use the job title from the posting.

What does a resume for entry level job applications in the United States leave out?

A photo, date of birth and marital status. Employers in the United States don't expect them, and leaving them off keeps the page to what you can do.

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