Resume for a Part-Time Job: Guide with Tips & Examples

By Marla Figueroa, Career Advice WriterLast Updated: June 03, 2024

Alternate view of resume designed for part-time roles

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If creating a resume for a part-time job is giving you full-time stress, we’re here to help. A good part-time job resume must show your qualifications, even if this is your first job or if you’re looking to reenter the workforce. This professional document must present you as a desirable candidate even for a role requiring fewer hours.

Whether you’re seeking your first job, additional income or looking to remain employed while managing life at home, this guide will help you craft a professional resume for apart-time job with examples for different industries and tips for a smoother process.

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Examples of a resume for part-time jobs

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How to write a resume for a part-time job

Start your resume by choosing a format that fits your years of experience in the industry. This will first highlight your strongest qualifications, whether experience, skills or education.

Pick one of these three formats for a part-time job resume:

Chronological resume format for experienced candidates
Functional resume format for candidates with little or no experience
Combination resume format for job seekers with 3 to 9 years of experience

Once you’re set on the format, use the job description to create a part-time resume tailored to your desired role.

Resume Header

This is a simple section. Your name and contact information will be at the top of your resume. Remember to use your latest contact information and a professional email address. You can also include a resume headline, which is like a tagline for your career, as an introduction to the hiring manager.

For example:

John Smith
Creative Mocktails Bartender
555-555-5555 email@email.com Austin, TX

Resume Objective

A resume objective is your official introduction to the hiring manager. It presents you as a candidate with your strongest job-relevant qualification, even if it is your first job.

For example:

Highly motivated and enthusiastic individual seeking a part-time position at a coffee shop to gain valuable hands-on experience in the hospitality industry. Committed to providing excellent customer service and contributing to the success of the coffee shop team with a strong work ethic and friendly demeanor.

If you do have experience, you can use a career summary instead and include you’re seeking a part-time role.

For example:

Results-driven sales professional with a track record of exceeding sales targets, increasing sales by 20%, and providing exceptional customer service. Seeking a part-time sales associate position to leverage my experience in driving revenue growth and fostering positive customer relationships.

Skills

The specialized skills section of a resume for a part-time-job brings attention to your strongest and job-relevant skills. It will consist mainly of hard skills, but you should also include critical soft skills for your industry.

For example:

Branding
Color Theory
UX Design
Typography
Time management
Collaboration

You can create categories to draw attention to a specific subset of skills. If you’re applying for a job in information technology, you can add a Programming Languages category.

Take a look at this example for a project management candidate:

Risk Management Tools
Risk Register+
RiskyProject

Document Management
Confluence
Microsoft SharePoint

Reporting & Analytics
PowerBI
Tableau

Languages
Fluent in Mandarin for Business
Conversational Spanish

Work History

The work history section goes beyond telling where you’ve worked. It shows what you can accomplish and how your career has grown. For an impactful section, include the employer’s name, the dates worked and your position. If you’ve held multiple positions within the same company, list them separately.

Under each role, add a bulleted list of your quantifiable accomplishments. Each bullet point can have more than one sentence. For example:

Receptionist
ABC Company
2023 - current

Greet visitors and direct them to the appropriate department, providing excellent customer service and a friendly atmosphere. Answer and transfer incoming phone calls, take messages and ensure prompt and accurate communication.
Manage the company's main email account, responding to inquiries and forwarding messages to the appropriate recipients. Handle incoming and outgoing mail, ensuring timely distribution and proper documentation.
Schedule and coordinate meetings, conferences, and appointments for staff members. Assist with special projects, including event planning and coordination, as assigned by management.

Education

If this part-time role is your first job, the focus will be on your education section. Make it as robust as possible. Include the name of the school, the degree and the graduation year, accomplishments, awards, coursework relevant to the job, and any extracurricular activities.

For candidates with experience, you can limit the section to their name, degree and graduation year — if it’s under a decade.

Additional sections

If you’re writing a resume with no experience, these sections can help show your skills and non-traditional work experience. If you have experience, including these optional sections can help you stand out from other candidates.

Internships: You can include internships under the work experience, including essential accomplishments, or as a separate section.
Volunteer work: Volunteering shows your commitment and reliability but can also highlight valuable skills. Like internships, you can include it under your work section.
Extracurricular activities: If you’re still in high school or pursuing a college degree, you can include your extracurricular activities, especially if they show skills relevant to the position.
Certifications: Include any certifications relevant to the role or the industry. You can always include general ones, like a CPR certification.

Start writing your resume now with our Resume Builder. Create a professional document in a few steps, guided by our job-specific content suggestions.

Include a cover letter with your resume for a part-time job

Life happens. You could seek a part-time role for health reasons, family life or simply to complement your current salary.

While there is no need to include all this information, a cover letter is the perfect vehicle to take control of the narrative. For example, you could say, “I am seeking this part-time opportunity to maintain my lifestyle while contributing to the industry with my expertise and skills.”

Whether or not you decide to share why you’re seeking a part-time role, a cover letter is an excellent complement to your resume. You can expand your skills and qualifications and express your interest in the employer.

Our Cover Letter Builder can help you write a professional cover letter in minutes. It has professionally designed templates and content tailored by Certified Professional Resume Writers.

Tips for your resume for a part-time job

Start the process by creating a resume outline. It’ll help you build a part-time job resume faster.
Look at resume examples for your industry to find inspiration on what you like and what to include in your resume for a part-time job.
Tailor your resume to the job description by matching as much information as possible.
Choose a resume template that shows your personality and helps create a personal brand.
Use a professional resume font to create an easy-to-read document.
Include a resume heading to bring your strongest skill to the forefront.
Proofread and grammar-check your entire resume.
Check if your resume is ATS-ready with our ATS Resume Checker.

Key takeaways

A resume for a part-time job is a marketing tool to introduce your qualifications to a potential employer.
Choose a resume format according to your years of experience and keep the resume to one page.
Use the resume objective to state you’re looking for a part-time role and introduce your qualifications.
Create a robust education section if you haven’t had any previous experience.
Include additional sections to showcase what you bring to the table and help you stand out from other candidates.
Include a cover letter with your resume for a part-time job to expand on your resume and present additional qualifications applicable to the role.

FAQ

What is a professional summary for a part-time job resume?

A professional summary is your introduction to the employer. It presents your expertise and a significant achievement. When looking for a part-time role, simply include what you seek in the last sentence.

You can use this formula to create one:

[Descriptive word] [Your job title] [Experience level] [Work experience] [Skills] [Achievement]. Seeking a part-time role.

For example:

Results-driven marketing professional skilled in creating compelling content and implementing successful marketing campaigns. Strong knowledge of digital marketing strategies and proficiency in social media management. Seeking a part-time marketing role to utilize my expertise with a dynamic organization.

How do I write a resume with no experience?

To write a resume with no experience:

Tailor your entire application to the job description. Research the employer to include information or skills that benefit them but must be clearly stated in their description.
Use a functional resume format that highlights your skills.
Focus on your education and create a robust section with extracurriculars, honors, awards and relevant coursework.
Build a skills section using skills gained through education and other experiences.
Include sections to show additional valuable skills, like certifications, internships, volunteer opportunities and languages.

How to make a resume for a part-time job in Canada?

Canadian resumes are similar to U.S. resumes. You should pay close attention to your resume objective, clearly state you’re seeking a part-time position, and include a cover letter explaining why you are interested in the employer and what you bring to the table.

Our guide on how to write a Canadian resume can help you tailor your U.S. resume.

How long should a resume for a part-time job be?

Keep your resume for a part-time job to one page. A resume is a marketing tool that presents your qualifications to the employer. If your resume is too long, an employer could dismiss it. Always tailor your application to the job description. Even if you have extensive experience in the field, condense your accomplishments to those the employer is looking for. Save a 2-Page resume for a more specialized role.