resume building activities for college students

• 40 Activities To Put On Your Activities Resume For College

By: Author Kelly Clark

Posted on Last updated: September 11, 2023

Categories College

As you get ready to start thinking of college , you may be wondering what else you can put on your resume to impress the admissions offices on your college applications.

A big answer to that question would be school clubs. If you’ve never joined a school club or after school activity before, don’t worry, there is still time. This year can be the year that all changes for you. 

I know it can seem daunting, especially if you go to a big school with a ton of different club options. That’s why I’ll be breaking it all down for you in this post. We’ll talk about what a college resume is and why college admissions like seeing clubs, activities, and experience on your resume.

Why Should You Have a College Resume?

Creating a college resume (also known as a curriculum vitae or CV) is a great way to showcase your achievements, skills, and experiences to potential colleges or employers.

It’s very similar to a traditional resume. It gives college admissions officers an overview of your experience and skills but also highlights your passions and interests.

As a caveat, do not feel like you have to go over the top for this! Stick to your interests, what you know, love, and are most passionate about. Use a personal story to connect with a college representative – this is typically more powerful than professional experience.

Here are some key sections and tips to consider when putting together your college resume:

• Phone number (make sure it has a professional voicemail message)
• Email address (use a professional one, not a nickname or informal address)
• LinkedIn profile (if applicable and professional)
• A brief statement about your career or educational goals.
• List your high school name, location, and graduation date (or expected graduation date).
• Include your GPA if it’s strong (above 3.0).
• Class rank if it is high (in the top 10).
• Any perfect or strong test scores.
• Mention any honors, awards, or relevant coursework.
• Scholarships, academic awards, honors, or any special recognition.
• Clubs, sports teams, student government, volunteer work, or any other activities outside of regular coursework.
• Highlight leadership roles and responsibilities.
• Paid jobs, part-time jobs, internships, or volunteer work.
• Include the organization, your role, and dates of employment.
• Highlight specific accomplishments or responsibilities.
• Technical skills (e.g., programming languages, software proficiency).
• Language proficiency.
• Soft skills (e.g., communication, leadership skills and roles, teamwork).
• Any significant academic or personal projects, research work, or independent studies.
• Relevant certifications or courses completed (e.g., First Aid, CPR, programming courses).
• Any recognition you’ve received that is relevant to your application.
• If you have written articles, presented research, or participated in any public speaking events.
• This can provide insight into your personality and interests outside of academics and extracurriculars.
• Optionally, you can include references or mention that they are available upon request. Be sure to ask permission from your references first.

Use the bullet points above as a resume template/resume example on how to start your own resume.

If you in your freshman year, a good tip is for high school students to write down everything they participate in. Keep a journal too, as you can draw on these experiences as a rising college student to enrich your school applications and even scholarship applications.

Why Are Activities Good For Your Resume

Admission Sight discusses multiple reasons why college admissions like seeing extracurricular activities on your resume. Here are a few of those reasons.

• Shows your personality: Clubs give you a chance to express yourself and colleges like to see how you are going to fit on their campus. By showing off your personality on your resume you are showing them that you’ll make the most of your college experience.
• Shows initiative: Many activities and school clubs require initiative when it comes to things that you’ll do while in the club. From planning events, accepting leadership positions, or speaking up in meetings, these clubs give you those opportunities. Colleges like to hear about those.
• Shows consistency: The majority of these clubs meet on certain days, or a certain amount of times, Joining these gives you practice with consistency. That is a trait that colleges look for because they want to know that you will be consistent with your classes.
• Proves you know how to manage your time wisely: Juggling classes, extracurricular activities, social life, and more is what college is all about. Showing that you can do that in high school will go a long way for admissions officers.

Why does an activities resume for college strengthen your application?

Creating an activities resume for college can be highly beneficial for several reasons:

• Comprehensive Overview : An activities resume provides a concise and organized snapshot of your achievements, skills, and experiences outside of academics. It complements your academic transcript and gives admissions officers a more well-rounded view of who you are.
• Highlighting Strengths and Accomplishments : It allows you to showcase your accomplishments, leadership roles, and involvement in extracurricular activities. This can be particularly important if you have excelled in areas beyond academics.
• Demonstrating Commitment : It shows your dedication and commitment to various pursuits. Long-term involvement in clubs, organizations, or community service projects can demonstrate a strong work ethic and passion for certain interests.
• Differentiation : It helps you stand out from other applicants. A well-crafted activities resume can help distinguish you in a competitive pool of applicants, especially if you have unique or notable accomplishments.
• Illustrating Skills and Talents : Your activities may have helped you develop valuable skills like leadership, teamwork, time management, communication, and problem-solving. These are qualities that colleges value in their students.
• Providing Context for Achievements : Sometimes, accomplishments need context to be fully appreciated. An activities resume allows you to explain the significance of certain achievements or experiences.
• Showcasing Diversity : It allows you to demonstrate a diverse range of interests and talents. This can be important for colleges that value a well-rounded student body.
• Helping with Scholarships and Financial Aid : Some scholarships or financial aid opportunities may require you to submit a resume along with your application. Having one ready can streamline the application process for these opportunities.
• Preparing for Interviews : If you’re asked for an interview as part of the application process, your activities resume can serve as a useful reference point for discussing your accomplishments and experiences.
• Setting Goals and Planning Ahead : The process of creating an activities resume encourages you to reflect on your high school experiences and think about your goals and aspirations. It can be a useful exercise for personal development and future planning.
• Networking and Job Applications : Beyond college applications, having a well-organized activities resume can be useful for internships, job applications, and even scholarship applications in the future.

Overall, an activities resume is a powerful tool that helps you present a holistic picture of yourself as a candidate, showcasing your strengths, interests, and contributions beyond just academic achievements.

What Types Of Activities Are Available To You

There are a multitude of different options when it comes to clubs and activities that you can join. These are the broader categories and down below you’ll find the whole list.

If you don’t see something that you are interested in offered at your school, don’t give up. Talk to an administrator or teacher and see if there is a way to bring your idea to the school you attend.

Here are some types of activities you might list:

• Sports: Different schools have different types of sport offerings. If you enjoy a certain one, see if your school offers it then check out when tryouts are.
• Vocational Clubs: These clubs are focused on different types of careers. They’ll get you started in learning about that field. Then you can determine if that is a career path you want to go down.
• Academic Clubs: If you enjoy a certain subject in school, there may be a club dedicated to it. Talk with your teacher to see if there is, or if it’s possible to start one.
• Service Activities: These clubs are great for you if you enjoy helping others and would like to do it more often.
• Hobbies: This is where clubs can really vary from school to school. Hobby clubs are fun because you know everyone there loves the same thing as you do. For these clubs you’ll definitely want to check to see what’s available, but also don’t be afraid to start your own club. Talk with a teacher or school administrator to get started.

40+ Activities To Put On Your Resume For College

We’ve arrived at the list of activities to put on your resume for college. This is by no means a complete list. However, I did try to put as much variety as I could on here.

If you have other clubs at your school feel free to comment them down below! Any extracurricular activity and relevant experience could be worth adding to your resume.

• Cheerleading

Vocational Clubs

• DECA (a marketing club)
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
• Future Farmers of America (FFA)
• Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)
• Photography Club
• Newspaper Club
• Architecture Club

Academic Clubs

• National Honor Society
• Mathletes 
• Debate Club
• History Club
• Spelling Bee
• Science Club
• Foreign Language Clubs

Service Activities

• Tutoring Club
• Habitat for Humanity
• Recycling Club
• Community service
• Volunteer experience
• Yearbook Club
• Robotics Club
• Knitting Club
• Fashion Club
• Gaming Club
• Running Club
• Dancing Club
• Cooking Club
• American Sign Language Club
• Gay-Straight Alliance Club
• Model UN Club
• Student Government Association (SGA)
• List any special skills
• Language skills

If you can tie these activities or a specific accomplishment to your field of study, it will strengthen your resume even further.

What You Can Learn From After School Activities That Will Prepare You For College

To really drive this point home, I wanted to share some of the benefits of clubs and how they will prepare you for your college experience.  

What You’re Passionate About

Joining clubs in high school will help you discover what your passions are. You could find a new hobby, a cause that speaks to your soul, and maybe even what you want to major in when you go to college. That’s some big things that you can miss out on by not joining in.

The Importance Of Keeping Up Your Grades

In high school, just like college, your grades obviously come first. If you start failing classes you won’t be able to participate in after-school activities. Therefore, these clubs teach you the importance of keeping up your grades. 

School Isn’t The Whole Experience

Don’t get me wrong, school is extremely important, but the lessons you learn outside of school hold about the same weight as well. There are so many things I learned from getting involved in after-school activities that made my school experience that much better. 

In my opinion, I feel like you are missing out on half of your high school experience by not joining in on clubs and activities. Which is why I’m a huge believer in joining them and putting them on your resume for college. It will make your experience more well-rounded.

Letters of Recommendation

When you participate in extra clubs that interest you, you can build relationships with other adults. These relationships can help open doors for you but they are also additional people to ask for letters of recommendation when you need them.

My Personal Experience With Clubs In High School

When I was in high school I was the girl that couldn’t get enough of the extracurricular activities. I joined academic clubs, vocational clubs, and a few in between.

A lot of the memories I have from high school are from the clubs that I joined. These organizations brought me out of my shell and got me ready for my college experience. They can do that for you too.

Final Thoughts on Creating an Activities Resume For College

Showcasing your activities and how those skills and experience translate to your professional goals and connecting to the college admissions office through personal experience will surely strengthen your college application.

Will you be joining any clubs this year? If so, which ones?

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About the Author

Kelly graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Journalism. Even though it took her a little while to find her career path, she was always meant to be in Communications. She remembers writing poems and songs when she was a little girl and pitching to my parents the reasons why I should have a cell phone when I was a teenager. She currently has a blog (budding-joy.com) where she talks about her weight-loss journey, mental health and personal development. Her hope is to encourage and inspire readers and let them know they are not alone. Reading blog posts like that are what helped her in tough times and she wants to pay it forward. She loves dance fitness, listening to music, and creating layouts in her bullet journal. She's a big fan of planning, especially when cute notebooks and pens are involved. Her dream job has changed so much over the years; right now she'd love to co-own a dance studio.

Website: budding-joy.com

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How to Write an Activities Résumé for College Applications

Reviewed and edited by Tyson Schritter : 28 March, 2024.

When you apply to colleges , it’s important to highlight whatever qualities will set you apart. Most college applications will require your transcripts, an essay, and an activities résumé , each of which are your opportunity to emphasize your accomplishments and proudly exhibit what you bring to the table.

Your activities résumé especially gives college admissions officers a quick yet comprehensive glimpse into who you are as a person, not just as a student. This is your time to shine, so be thoughtful and thorough as you compile the information you want colleges to see.

Resumes are not just for job seekers in the career world . As a student, a well-executed college résumé has the ability to set your application apart and give you a competitive edge. Colleges of Distinction has mustered up some important points for you to include as well as some extra tips to consider as you’re writing. 

What to Put on a College Résumé

Aside from your contact information, which should be clearly visible at the top of the document, you will want to provide the following information on your extracurricular activities resume: 

• The name of your high school and anticipated graduation date
• Cumulative, weighted GPA
• Academic awards, publications, honors, or recognitions
• Class rank (if it is available and will add value to your application)
• Summer programs, internships, or college courses not otherwise listed in your transcript
• Extracurricular activities – see below for examples
• Community service or Volunteer activities
• Job experience and Leadership positions
• Special skills (proficiency in American Sign Language, Adobe Photoshop, etc.)

Extracurricular Activities for Your College Resume

Here are 7 example of extracurriculars you can add to your resume but don’t limit yourself to just these:

• Academic clubs
• Professional Society
• Sports Team or Intramural Sports Club
• Arts Organizations
• Habitat for Humanity

Tips for Compiling Your Résumé

Be specific..

You do not want simply to submit a general list of activities on a resume. Colleges pay close attention to specific details, especially those that emphasize your commitment to what you’re involved in.

Explain your specific role in that which you have participated, giving details about the amount of time you committed, leadership positions you have held, and any special contributions you made during your tenure (organizing the inaugural annual fundraiser for an animal shelter, being a founding member of your high school’s improv comedy club, etc.).

Be concise.

Some colleges will provide a space on their application in which to input information regarding each of the categories listed above. In this case, you will likely be allotted set amount of characters for each answer.

No matter how short or long your descriptions on the application are, however, you nevertheless want to ensure that the points on your activities résumé are as succinct as possible. Résumés are most effective when kept short at just one page in length. Remember: admissions officers may have to read thousands of applications.

To be memorable, you need to make clear, quick points so that you don’t lose their attention. You might be tempted to think that, the more of your history they have, the better. But this is exactly where the phrase “less is more” rings true!

Some Recommendations…

• Be selective about the information you include in your activities résumé. If you were only a part of the French Club for one semester as a sophomore, there is no need to mention it. Colleges only want to know about the activities to which you were committed.
• If a college explicitly asks not to provide activities résumé, be respectful of the request and only submit the necessary information.
• Format your résumé in a way that is clear and easy to read. There’s no need to over-stylize—use a simple font that allows you to make your name, headings, and dates pop out.
• Provide a copy of your activities résumé to your teachers, coaches, school counselors , or whomever else you may ask for a letter of recommendation . This way, they can easily recall your accomplishments and reference them in their letter.

Activities Résumé Template

We’ve provided a résumé example below to help you know how to get started! Take note of how concise it is as well as how clearly the information is presented.

 Yo ur resume for college application is not the place for modesty. Be proud, not shy, of your accomplishments!

Your activities résumé will provide a snapshot of who you are and all the dedication and passion your potential colleges should know about you. Looking for more? Check out our other tips for college prep on the advice section of our website. We at Colleges of Distinction are excited to see you thrive and will be here to assist you along the way!

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Ana-Marcela joined the Colleges of Distinction team as an intern in 2018. Over the years, she has transitioned from intern to outreach associate, and now leads the team’s marketing and digital strategy efforts. Ana-Marcela coordinates social media and written content that helps students find the answers they need at every step of their college journey. She also led the research and development of the newest recognition, Military Support, which highlights institutions that dedicate resources to the service of service members and veterans of the military.  Ana -Marcela is a native Austinite and she earned her Bachelor’s in English Literature from St. Edward’s University. She spends her free time hiking the greenbelt, salsa dancing, cruising the aisles of half price books, and cuddling her cats.

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20 College Student Resumes That Landed Jobs in 2024

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Writing Your College Student Resume

Companies sometimes require that entry-level candidates have experience, but how do you get experience when even entry-level jobs make it difficult to apply?

Getting that first job or internship can be the most challenging part of your career. Fortunately, as a college student, you’re in a great position to get that first break you need. Once you get your degree, you’ll have the experience employers are seeking, but until then, how can you build an effective resume or write a cover letter as a college student?

After reviewing countless  resume samples , we’ve determined what types employers want to see from college students. Furthermore, we used that knowledge to create  20 college student resume examples to help inspire your resume in 2024 .

College Student Resume Example

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• This lets employers know when you can work full-time. Whatever you do, be honest. Stretching the truth won’t get you any points with employers. It’s better to be upfront and willing to learn a skill rather than try to succeed by the skin of your teeth.
• The golden rule on your college student resume is to lead with your strengths. If you’ve got a relevant internship, add it. If you’ve done any related class projects, list them. No matter what you include, make sure to highlight transferable skills.

Undergraduate Student Resume

• To impress the recruiter, demonstrate the dedication you have had in your previous posts despite minimal experience.

University Student Resume

• In that case, your university student resume can capitalize on your analytical skills, which helped identify cost-saving opportunities and cut overall expenses by six percent.

College Student No Experience Resume

• Luckily, there are a host of  resume templates  you can use to format your experience well, so long as you adjust based on your qualifications.
• For example, you can add or remove sections based on the amount of work history you have (or don’t have).
• For example, being on the club basketball team may feel irrelevant to business analysis. But by focusing on how you’ve organized practices and led a local volunteer effort, your  college student no experience resume  can point to qualities that might appeal to a thoughtful employer.

Current College Student Resume

• A reverse-chronological format is still the most accepted, but if you want to highlight your skills, try using a functional format instead.
• Adding relevant metrics shows that you know what matters to your employer and you’ve positively impacted your previous workplace.

College Student for Internship Resume

• That’s okay—you can weave in other things, like projects and part-time jobs. Of course, if you do have internship or job experience, put that at the top.
• It’s as easy as checking the  job description . Then just list your relevant abilities according to what matches the keywords listed by the employer.

College Student Assistant Medical Laboratory Technician Resume Example

• Do you have a unique interest related to science? Are you involved in a sport? Do you volunteer? All of these hobbies are great additions to your resume.
• If you’ve just graduated, you can bulk up your education section.
• Feel free to add any college awards you won and your GPA (if it’s higher than 3.5).

College Student HR Executive Assistant Resume

• As a rule of thumb, we recommend including one if you’re light on experience or are going through a substantial career change. Otherwise, leave it out in favor of work experience. 
• Good skills to include on an HR executive assistant resume are “talent acquisition,” “conflict resolution,” “legal compliance,” and “compensation/benefits.”
• An even more effective way to breathe life into your skills is to weave them into your work history or project bullet points.

College Student Case Assistant Resume

• Show off your personality using contrasting colors, classic fonts, and well-organized layouts. Our ready-to-build  resume templates  or handy  Google Docs interactive resumes  can help you keep your resume both tasteful and personable.
• If you don’t have certification, then now’s the best time to get it. Better late than never!

College Student Resident Assistant Resume

• Though an objective isn’t required, it can help employers see your skills and experience straight away.
• Just make sure to tailor it for every job you apply for by including the name of the employer, the position you’re seeking, and some matching keyword skills (that are true about you) gleaned from the  job description . 
• You also shouldn’t feel limited by your work experience. If you’ve done any relevant projects or have volunteered, include them! Employers love to see transferrable skills like collaboration, a good work ethic, and organization.

College Student Warehouse Worker Resume

• If you’re struggling to get going, consider using a  resume outline  to help you structure your experience—just don’t forget to fill out all the sections thoroughly!
• While it’s not impossible to land an excellent job without internships or experience, having some kind of work history, even in the form of projects, will allow you to be more picky and skim from the top of warehouse positions.

College Student Teacher Assistant Resume

• Adjusting formatting details, like the layout and header colors, can make your resume pop and reveal a bit about yourself. (Red and pink are bold, daring colors, while blue and green are calming.)
• Adding a  hobbies and interests section to your resume  can also help catch the eye of employers, provided you list hobbies that are relevant to the desired job, such as creative pursuits, volunteering, or research.
• Even if you’ve never had experience as a teacher assistant, you can instill confidence by demonstrating the impact of your communication skills. Did you effectively resolve an issue using negotiation? Write something that added helpful clarity? Show how you used communication to affect others positively!

College Student Biology Lab Technician Resume

• Don’t get too carried away here; after all, it’s still a resume and not a flier for a Wednesday Night Disco. But, one to two colors can be appropriate for all but the most conservative working environments. 
• Numbers can be frustrating to calculate and add to your resume, but trust us when we tell you that they make a world of difference. Hiring managers are consistently more willing to interview people with metrics on their resumes, as they convey job competence and confidence.

College Student English Tutor Resume

• Breaking up each work experience into bullet points can make your resume both easier to read (with fewer blocks of dense text) and easier to write.
• Instead of writing one big chunk of cohesive text, you can focus on pulling out as many highlights about your work history at each job as possible. 
• A project can be anything. Seriously, your final group project from that writing seminar counts, or you could highlight a blog you’ve been working on in your free time.
• Hint: Projects also make great stories to discuss on your college student cover letter .

College Application Resume

• Suppose you’re applying for a Bachelor of Arts in education. Express your passion for teaching and eagerness to advance your knowledge of education theories and practices. Even better, emphasize your long-term ambition to shape future generations through innovative education methods.

College Admission Resume

• Take a leaf from how Brian narrates his stints as a restaurant server, project presenter, and volunteer. Well-described, such experiences paint a picture of a well-rounded character who can take on varied challenges of an engineering program, enhancing their appeal in the eyes of the college admissions committee.

College Freshman Resume

• Use past projects to advantage here even if they’re only a year long. Clearly state how you used skills such as Canva and Microsoft Teams to make specific impacts during this time. Another great addition to your college freshman resume is any work experience under your belt.

College Student Academic Highlights Resume

• Say you have some work experience, but it’s not relevant to the job. That’s okay—instead of trying in vain to match the  job description , focus on transferable skills like customer service, organization, event planning, public speaking, and computer literacy.
• If you lack much work history, adding projects, coursework, or volunteer experience is the next best way to showcase your potential. You can also list your involvement in clubs, organizations, or peer mentorship.
• Write them like you’d write work experience by using active verbs and incorporating metrics (numbers).

First Year College Student Resume

• Your time contributing to a project is tangible evidence of your skills and experiences. Depending on what you include, it could showcase your communication and organizational skills or more technical abilities, like your proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Freshman College Student Resume

• Do you love gardening or nature photography? Awesome, it shows you’re inherently passionate about biology. Do you spend your time baking as well? It’s a sign that you know how to follow instructions and observe changes over time—skills that will come in handy as a lab assistant.

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Before we dive into the difference between a  resume objective  vs. a  resume summary , let’s get some definitions out of the way:

• Resume objective : A statement of your qualifications, interests, and skills that make you a good fit for the role to which you’re applying.
• Resume summary : A summary of your past experience detailing your high-level accomplishments and projects.

When you’re applying for a job or internship as a college student, you likely won’t have extensive work experience. So, we’d recommend including a resume objective instead of a resume summary.

The goal of your resume objective is to set the stage for your resume. It should highlight your skills applicable to the job at hand, and it should be specific for each job to which you’re applying.

Most resume objectives are boring and generic. By taking the time to craft a customized and effective resume objective, you give yourself an edge over other applicants and increase your chances of getting an interview.

Before we dive into the rules for creating a strong resume objective, let’s look at some examples.

Sample college student resume objectives

• “Recent college graduate with a degree in marketing looking for a full-time role where I can utilize my experience in social media and paid advertising to help an up-and-coming brand like Club Z! Inc. spread awareness and acquire more users.”
• “Diligent college student at the University of Pittsburgh who is equally committed to academic excellence (3.8 GPA) and service (student leader at the local food shelter) looking for an opportunity at Unidos as a part-time employee to utilize these talents to improve customer satisfaction.”
• “Recent graduate with a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) seeking an opportunity within an established management organization to utilize my organizational and quantitative abilities. Epic seems to have a culture of empowering employees to have ownership over their problems, and that culture fits my work style perfectly.”

You can see that all of these resume objectives specifically mention the company that the student is applying to. Tailoring is the golden rule of resume objectives.

Here are some other rules to make your objective the best it can be:

• Again, take the time to  customize your resume objective for each company to which you’re applying .
• Don’t be afraid to inject your personality. Making an impression will help you stand out among the hundreds of other applicants.
• Keep it to two to three sentences.
• Mention any relevant skills or certifications you have for the role to which you’re applying.

College Student Resume Formats

One of the hardest parts of  building your resume  as a college student is the blank page. The “getting started” part is overwhelming—you’re unsure what your resume should look like, let alone what should be in it!

When it comes to formatting your resume, the best advice is to keep it  simple . You need to convincingly make the case that you deserve an interview for the role to which you’re applying.

In short, your resume should likely contain the following sections:

• Header: This is your name and job title. Have your job title match the job title to which you’re applying.
• Resume objective: We talked about this above, a quick summary of your skills and what you’re seeking.
• Education: As a college student, this should include your anticipated graduation date, the field of study, and relevant classes.
• Skills: List six to ten technical skills relevant to your career.
• Work experience: If you have any relevant internships or part-time jobs, mention them here.
• Projects: Did you do any side projects that demonstrate your competency? Include them!

Not all of these sections need to be included in your resume.  Your resume should focus on your strengths.

If you don’t have much relevant work experience, you can omit that section in favor of discussing your projects or classwork.

However, no matter what format you choose, there are a few writing guidelines you should adhere to throughout your resume.

Formatting guidelines for your resume

• Keep your resume to one page! Your resume should only extend to a second page when you have 10+ years of experience.
• Avoid any spelling or grammar errors by double-checking your text and having a friend review your resume. Don’t let typos be the reason why you don’t get an interview.
• Break up your work experience into small, consumable bullet points. Nothing is harder to read than a big wall of text.
• Use reverse-chronological order to keep your most recent experience/projects at the top.
• Don’t include fancy images or graphics. It’s highly likely a computer will read your resume before a human ever does, and images are hard for computers to scan.
• Don’t list more than ten skills on your resume. (We’ll expand on this below.)

Skills to pay the bills

When building your skills section, it can be tempting to list any and every skill you know. You’ll have to resist this temptation.

Before a human reviews your resume, an automated system called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) will score your resume based on whether or not it includes the “right” keywords. These filters are largely screening for specific skills.

Doesn’t this mean that you should include as many skills as possible to beat the ATS? Unfortunately, you need to make your resume appealing to both the ATS and a human, and nothing is a bigger red flag to a hiring manager than a candidate with a laundry list of skills!

You’re much better off focusing on  six to ten skills you’re an expert in  than including more that you kind of know. Generally, if you wouldn’t be comfortable being interviewed on a given skill, don’t include it on your resume. 

Work Experience and Projects

In any resume, no matter the career stage, your work experience and projects should take up at least 70 percent of the overall space. These will decide whether you get an interview or not.

Once you have a few years of experience, then the size of your projects section will decrease as the size of your work experience section expands.

If you have an internship relevant to the job you’re applying for, this should be listed in your “work experience” section. As a college student, your work experience can also contain any part-time jobs you had while in school, even if they don’t seem relevant to the position to which you’re applying.

It’s not easy to balance work and school, so having a part-time job demonstrates responsibility and drive.

When talking about your work experience, there are a few key tips you should follow:

• Mention the skills you demonstrated on the job.
• Quantify the impact of your work whenever possible.
• Talk specifically about your role; avoid being too general.
• Use action verbs like “owned” or “led” to highlight your leadership abilities.

Numbers truly speak louder than words, especially on your resume. By providing numerical context around your work, you show your ability to contribute meaningfully to your workplace.

Compare these two descriptions of an internship. Which do you think would be more compelling to a hiring manager?

WRONG – general work experience descriptions

Marketing Science Associates April 2020 – Current, New York NY Digital Marketing Intern

• Created testing plan for Facebook ad copy
• Built key reports for the executive team around KPIs
• Oversaw the creation of the blog for SEO purposes
• Worked closely with clients to understand their product positioning to incorporate into ad copy

RIGHT – specific, quantified descriptions

• Created A/B testing plan for Facebook ad copy, improving ROI by 15%
• Built key reports for the executive team around KPIs such as marketing spend, new leads, revenue generated, and ROI
• Oversaw the creation of the blog for SEO purposes which grew from 1,000 to 5,000 monthly organic visitors
• Worked closely with clients to understand their product positioning to incorporate into ad copy, leading to client satisfaction of 99%

Projects can be anything

If you don’t have much (or any) relevant work experience for your resume, don’t fret. You can still  create a highly effective resume  by showcasing your projects.

As a college student, you’ve likely done a lot of class projects that are relevant to the job or internship you’re looking to get. This is the perfect place to talk about those projects. You can even mention projects you completed outside of class. Talk about your goals, the methods/skills you used, and the project’s outcome.

The key is to include anything that will convince the hiring manager you have the drive, skills, and ability to translate your academic knowledge to the real world and contribute to the roles for which you’re applying.

Here are some potential projects you can work on for different majors:

Project ideas for college students

• Are you a business student? Detail a case study that you analyzed and presented in a class.
• If you’re a marketing student, you can write a short blog post about how you’d improve the paid marketing strategy for a company you admire.
• As a graphic designer, this is a great opportunity to talk about some of the projects in your portfolio.
• If you’re looking for a data analyst role, talk about how you analyzed stock data to determine areas of opportunity.
• As a human resources major, you’ve likely created processes for companies as part of a class, so talk about that.
• Software engineering students complete meaningful coding assignments all the time. Discuss one of those or talk about your side project.
• If you’re looking to break into product management, discuss a hackathon you were part of or create a case study for a feature your favorite product is missing.

Basically, the projects you include on your resume can be just about anything. They simply have to demonstrate you know what is required of the kind of role you’re applying to, and that you can meet those requirements.

Your Education Section

As a college student, it should go without saying that you need to include an education section on your resume.

Here’s what you need to include in your education section no matter what:

• The school you’re currently attending (or recently graduated from). You do not need to include your high school.
• Your graduation date (or expected graduation date). You can give just the month and year.
• The kind of degree you’re working toward (bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, master’s, etc.).
• Your field of study.

Once you include all that, there’s more flexibility. If you have a strong GPA (greater than 3.5), you should include it, too.

If you don’t have much experience yet, then you can add relevant courses or awards to your education section, provided they’re relevant to the job for which you’re applying.

For example, if you’re applying for a role as a data scientist, then it makes sense to include any math, economics, or programming classes you completed.

Here’s an example of an effective education section for a college student looking for a marketing role:

If you received any awards or honors during your time in college, list them here. These can include getting on the Dean’s List, any department-specific awards relevant to your major, or formal recognition for your work or volunteer efforts.

Resume Builder for College Students

There you have it—we’ve discussed the building blocks to help you land a job or internship as a college student!

In summary, here are the keys to making an effective resume as a college student:

• Inject your personality into your resume objective and customize it for each company to which you apply.
• Your resume format should include a header, resume objective, skills section, education, and work/ project experience.
• Include any relevant internships or part-time jobs you’ve had during college and quantify the impact of your work.
• If you don’t have much working experience, include relevant projects you’ve completed either in the classroom or on your own time.
• Your education section is your chance to highlight classes you’ve completed that will convince the hiring manager you have the right tools for the job.

Finding a job or internship as a college student can be incredibly stressful.  Building your resume  is a huge first step, so pat yourself on the back. After you’re done with the writing, you can  check your resume  against our AI-powered tips to see how your resume matches up.

Just remember, it does get easier after you get some experience first. We can’t wait to see where you’ll go!

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What is an Activities Resume for College? Tips and Examples

In This Guide:

What to include on your activities resume, tips and tricks, when not to send an activities resume, example of an activities resume.

Quick Answer: An activities resume for college showcases a student’s hobbies, organizations, and activities, proving to prospective colleges that they are a well-rounded candidate. When crafting one, start with education, including GPA, academic awards, rank and extracurricular activities. Detail volunteer hours, community service, and any part-time jobs held. Use clean fonts, share the resume with recommenders, only mention significant roles, and avoid sending one if specifically asked not to. Finally, there is no set list of activities to include, so take part in opportunities within your community that interests you.

An activities resume for college is an opportunity for students to share what hobbies, organizations, and activities they are involved in. This is important because it’s a chance to prove to your prospective college that you are a well-rounded candidate. Included in this article, you’ll discover:

• Tips and tricks for building the perfect activities resume
• Dos and Don’ts when crafting your activities resume

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Because recent high school graduates may not have much in the way of employer experience yet, many students rely on an extracurricular activities resume for college . Not sure what’s relevant? Here’s what to include when crafting your resume.

• Start with your education section . Include your school’s name and your graduation date.
• Don’t forget your GPA. Make sure it’s cumulative and weighted.
• Here’s your chance to brag! Include any academic awards, honors, or recognitions.
• If beneficial, add your class rank!
• Include any summer programs, internships, or classes you’ve taken that don’t appear on your transcript.
• What extracurriculars were you involved in? Mention any athletic organizations, clubs, or organizations you were involved in. If you held a leadership position, be sure to include that!
• Detail volunteer hours and community service
• Did you have a part-time job in high school? Include that as well.
• Any special skills that you haven’t mentioned yet, such as another language or proficiency in software such as Photoshop.
• Only mention organizations you played a significant role in.
• Talk about specific lessons learned, or achievements earned to emphasize commitment to your organization.
• Use clean, easy-to-read fonts and formatting.
• Share your activities resume with those you’re seeking a recommendation letter from! It will help them remember your achievements.
• If the university specifically asks you not to
• If the application provides space to discuss extracurricular involvement, use that instead of sending a separate document.

Below is an activities resume for college template. Remember, this is an opportunity to showcase that you are a well-rounded, accomplished candidate.

Savannah Smith 555-555-5555 [email protected]

Green Lake High School Class of 2021

• Class rank: 9 out of 623 students
• Awarded GLHS Math Scholar of the Year Award in 2020

Extra Courses and Internships

• Interned at Mount Joy Veterinary Clinic for the 2019 school year
• Taken part in the Green Lake High Math Camp for three summers
• Interned at the Women In Business Organization in 2020

Volunteering Experience at St. Timothy’s Humane Society (2017-Present)

• Cleaned dog and cat environments daily
• Socialized nervous animals to help them prepare for adoption
• Worked alongside staff to learn about animal behavior and health
• Administered temperament tests and medications
• Incorporated photography and videography for social media
• Fluent in Spanish
• Proficient in Photoshop
• Social Media Management

You may ask what activities on your resume are required for college admission?

The good news is that there is no setlist. Look around for opportunities within your community you can take part in. Getting involved in local organizations that interest you will help you build the perfect extracurricular activities resume for college. Looking for more resources on building the perfect activities resume? Check out our resume builder here .

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How to Write a Resume for College

High school and college students need a resume when applying for academic and career opportunities.

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Students should include standardized test scores, Advanced Placement and honors courses, awards, activities and talents that show depth in educational endeavors.

A resume is no longer reserved for after graduation. Students may want to craft one as early as the ninth grade for everything from college admissions to scholarships and internship opportunities.

Impress College Admissions Counselors

Arlene Weintraub Sept. 13, 2017

The resume should continue to evolve over the course of one's academic career, shaped by experiences and reflecting the student's interests and activities, experts say. Both high school and college students should keep a well-polished resume up to date.

"It's a really valuable thing for a student to have," says Kelly Fraser, owner and principal consultant at Green Apple College Guidance & Education, which has offices in Boston and the Washington, D.C., area.

Some colleges require a resume with the application, while others welcome the document in the supplemental materials section. Some internship, scholarship and study-abroad applications also require resumes.

Fraser says a high school resume should be complementary to a college application but students should avoid repetition and cramming all of the same information onto the document.

"Each document that you submit to a college does not have to have everything about you in it, but all of the pieces of the puzzle should come together to make a nice picture," Fraser says.

Resumes for High School Students

While a resume in ninth grade isn't an absolute must, students should at least be thinking about it, says Nancy Polin, president and senior college counselor at Educational Excellence in Florida. "It doesn't have to be a formal resume, but I recommend that they start some sort of formal record-keeping system in the summer before ninth grade," Polin says.

Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz, founder and director of adMISSION POSSIBLE in California, sees resumes as pieces of information that allow students to communicate who they are.

"More and more, college admissions officers are now looking for how and where people spend their time, including the quality, depth and length of involvement," Shaevitz says, noting that the value of a good resume is the ability to compile this information succinctly.

She recommends that students include standardized test scores, if available, Advanced Placement and honors courses, awards, activities and talents that show depth in educational endeavors. Grade point averages and other accomplishments also should be highlighted, such as leadership roles and work experience.

"Colleges want to know who you are," Shaevitz says, adding that the same is true for students who may have family responsibilities such as caring for younger siblings or working.

"There are many students who have to work, who have to go home to family responsibilities. Colleges understand that, and (students) should put those on their resume," Fraser says.

And in the time of COVID-19, when many extracurriculars melted away during the pandemic, colleges want to know how students waxed creative. What opportunities did they pursue on their own? What interests emerged during the pandemic? As one example, Shaevitz points to virtual dance classes created by two of her students with the aim of bringing the arts to underpriveleged kids.

Experts advise high school students to mine their entire academic career for experiences and accomplishments.

Yuridia Nava, who works in college and career counseling for the Riverside County Office of Education in California, wrote in an email that she asks her students to reflect all the way back to kindergarten for their experiences, urging them to consider lengthy volunteer commitments and passions they've held for years.

Advisers also insist on sincerity, cautioning students to not embellish their resumes.

"If you're applying to a college and you're submitting anything in your application that's not true, then it's a big problem," Fraser says, adding that students also should avoid listing experiences that they will have trouble talking about in a college admissions interview .

Nava also cautions students against including social media profiles "unless it's clean of any negative images or memes" and to avoid using email addresses with unprofessional language.

Resumes for College Students

Experts encourage college students to continue to build their resume and keep it current with recent and relevant experiences. As they gain skills through classes and student organizations, those should be added to their resume, as should job experiences.

Jeremy Fisher, director of the John P. Fahey Career Center at Creighton University in Nebraska, says resumes for college students may be more career-specific than in high school.

"A college-level resume will be more focused on relevant experiences, skills, leadership, service and other activities that may be more important to a potential employer," Fisher wrote in an email.

For high school and college resumes alike, students should follow many of the same rules. Experts emphasize writing clearly and concisely, personalizing the resume for applications, proofreading diligently for spelling and grammar, and soliciting feedback. Resumes should also contain clearly identifiable information so readers know who is presenting themselves and how to contact them.

Experts also encourage students to keep it simple and straightforward, avoiding flashy text or graphics. Generally, they suggest a one-page resume as the standard for college students, though a high school activities resume may have some leeway to stretch a bit longer.

"Employers scan and review resumes very quickly – typically in 15 to 30 seconds or less initially, so it is important to have a resume that looks professional (style, format, font, etc.) and is very easy to read," Fisher says. "The use of proper spacing, bullet points for descriptions, bolding, underlining, or italicizing important information such as the resume categories, school, degree, major, employer name, job titles, etc. is very helpful."

Some consultants and counselors provide model resumes for students to follow, though templates are typically discouraged at the college level, according to Fisher.

Fisher says templates can be helpful as a guide, but resumes created from templates are not unique and don't stand out.

"Why would you want your resume to look exactly like hundreds of others?" he says.

Creighton lists guidance on its website showing resume examples for those early in their academic careers as well as those in graduate and professional programs. For first- and second-year students, Creighton's career center offers a simple one-page example that focuses on education, including major and GPA, experience, and activities and service.

Whether for high school or college, experts stress the need to have a resume handy.

"The earlier a student has a professional resume developed," Fisher says, "the more ready they will be to pursue opportunities as they arise."

Steps to Building a Resume

Need to develop a resume for college admissions or other oppotunities? Use the basic details below as a starting point.

• Identify activities and accomplishments to include.
• Detail relevant academic accomplishments and work, internship or volunteer experience.
• Include high school or college information and contact details.
• Verify key dates and details for accuracy.
• Spell check and proofread.

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A step-by-step guide to resume writing for college students (with examples)

Creating a great resume is the first step on the  path to securing your dream career . It goes without saying that first impressions count—so you need to write a resume that really reflects who you are and what you bring to the table.

Even while you’re still in college, you’re developing skills and knowledge that will help you transition to the professional world . Oracle campus recruiting program manager Eric Cervantes recommends that your resume should give an overview of these experiences and explain how they will benefit you in your upcoming career. “Always put yourself in the shoes of your target employer and write with them in mind,” he says.

To sum up, your resume should:

• Highlight your potential to an employer
• Sell your skills and experience
• Focus on your unique achievements
• Convey a positive, can-do attitude!
• Provide insight into you as a person
• Be easy to read and logically laid out

How to structure your resume

Personal details: Include your full name and contact details, both mobile number and email address. There’s no need to include your street address, social security identifiers, or date of birth. Make sure you have an appropriate voicemail message and email address for when an employer contacts you.

Educational history: Only include recent information. High school references should only contain school and grading details, academic achievements, and key extracurricular activities. Leave the majority of your resume for college. Specify your expected graduation year, month, and cumulative GPA. Include your majors and minors and any academic awards.

Work experience: List this in reverse chronological order and include any past work experience like internships, part-time work, and volunteering. Not all of your past roles will directly relate to your chosen industry, but they do say a lot about your work ethic and professional skills. Clearly state the company name, dates employed, department and your title. List your responsibilities rather than just listing tasks. So rather than saying “answered retail banking calls from customers,” you could say “received upwards of 150+ retail banking calls per shift pertaining to a range of issues from account queries, transfers, complaints, and sales inquiries.” You should also list any achievements like “achieved sales quota each quarter” or “awarded representative of the month three times in first year.”

Technical skills: As a college student, you might lack relevant work experience—this is where your college coursework can really help you out. Include any modules or projects that relate to the role and be sure to mention what technical skills, programming languages, and software tools you used.

Extracurricular information: This section is incredibly important. Employers are concerned with more than just your grades, they care about your team-work skills, ability to connect with customers, and whether you can thrive in an international environment. Use this section to provide insight into who you really are by listing your passions and hobbies. Include details of any exchange programs, student clubs, leadership positions, sports, and travel—this helps us get a feel for who you are beyond your GPA.

References: There’s no need to include references—they take up valuable space and it’s a given that they’re available upon request.

Cover letter: Cover letters are not typically required, but they do give you an opportunity to further highlight why you’re suited to a role.  Your cover letter should feel genuine and express the unique selling points that differentiate you from other candidates. Talk about your passions and goals here.

• Use section titles and formatting to clearly divide your resume
• Select an easy-to-read font and apply a consistent style throughout
• Use bullet points to summarize
• Proofread it. Then proofread it again!
• Save and submit as a PDF to protect your file.

Check out these example resumes to put the advice in action. The first example shows a very basic resume, and the second example shows how to better showcase your experience.

BEFORE Example Resume

AFTER Resume Example

Good luck on your job search! Make sure you check out our recruiters' tips for interview preparation . Explore our range of career opportunities for students and graduates here .

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10 Hobbies For College Students (That Will Build Your Skills and Your Resume)

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W hat if I told you that the way you’re spending your free time in college can be the difference between getting hired for your dream job and receiving a disappointing rejection email?

It’s no secret that summer internships and on-campus jobs are highly competitive, which can make it difficult to build relevant work experience as a college student. Luckily, investing time in the right hobbies can help you overcome this challenge by building useful skills at your own pace.

The activities in this article serve a dual purpose: They’re enjoyable and they’ll improve your resume.

The key is thinking about 1) a few ways you’d like to spend your free time and 2) how each hobby could add to your professional skillset.

Eager to get started? Let’s take a look at the best hobbies for college students.

Why should you put interests on your resume?

Let’s face it, many college-level resumes are clones of one another. Same school, same internship, same… yawn. Putting activities on your resume can help you stand out— if you go about it strategically.

Let’s take a look at a few examples…

Hobbies can demonstrate transferrable skills

If you were to write “member of the debate team” on your resume, it wouldn’t just show recruiters that you’re good at convincing your friends where to eat. It would allow you to spotlight skills like leadership, critical thinking, and effective communication.

Many hobbies offer these kinds of foundational skills that are highly sought after in the professional world. 

Just make sure that the activities you include demonstrate skills that are applicable to the job you’re applying to. Otherwise, recruiters will wonder why you chose to use precious white space on your resume for something they don’t care about.

Interests and activities highlight shared values

Think of company culture as the personality of a workplace. Your hobbies can be a litmus test for how well you’d vibe with that personality.

Your passion for sustainable living might align perfectly with a company’s green initiatives. Or your love for board games could resonate with a firm that values strategic thinking.

Take the time to do some research on each company you’re applying to. You may find that you both share similar goals and perspectives .

When you have something in common, you build rapport

Let’s not forget the power of “Did we just become best friends?” moments. Shared hobbies can be fantastic icebreakers during interviews or networking events. Imagine bonding with a hiring manager over a mutual love for underwater photography or hiking. 

While work and education experiences are obviously important, this kind of instant connection is best achieved through shared interests. It’s unlikely that people will get as excited over both having studied finance in college.

Productive hobbies for college students: building hard skills

Hard skills are specific, measurable abilities that you’ve acquired through training or experience. For example, a general attribute like “organized” is not a hard skill, while “project management”—a role that requires a ton of process-oriented know-how—is. 

When employers see hard skills on a resume, they recognize a candidate’s potential for immediate contribution and long-term growth. There’s no question about your current capabilities and these learned skills can set you apart in the competitive job market.

Coding and programming

From automating mundane tasks to revolutionizing entire sectors like healthcare and entertainment, coding is a vital skill across all professional fields.

Languages like Python and JavaScript are both beginner-friendly and versatile, making them ideal for a range of applications.

With platforms like Codecademy offering structured courses and college coding clubs fostering collaborative environments, there are many options for learning.

Even many professionals in the software development industry were never formally educated in their craft. According to a survey from CodinGame and CoderPad, nearly one-third of developers consider themselves self-taught, with little to no university training.

Foreign language learning

In an increasingly globalized world, speaking one language is so last century.

Embracing multilingualism isn’t just about ordering croissants in Paris without resorting to wild hand gestures; it’s a significant personal and professional asset. 

Mastering multiple languages sharpens memory, enhances multitasking abilities, and improves decisiveness. 

From a career standpoint, sectors like international business, tourism, and diplomacy are always on the lookout for multilingual talents, valuing their ability to bridge cultures and connect on a global scale.

In fact, ACTFL conducted a survey in 2019 and found that 90% of employers in the United States reported their reliance on employees who can speak languages other than English.

Considering only 20% of Americans can speak two or more languages, multilingualism gives you access to a job market with far less competition.

If you’re wondering where to start, languages like Mandarin, with its vast number of speakers, Spanish, with its global influence, or Arabic, with its rich cultural tapestry, are excellent choices.

Platforms like Duolingo make learning a language accessible, while college courses offer a more rigorous, in-depth option.

I took a Japanese 101 course for fun as a sophomore, and I enjoyed it so much that I continued taking Japanese language and culture classes for the remainder of my four years at college. After graduation, my language skills helped me secure a year-long internship in Japan with a Japanese company.

Even if you’re not looking to live in a foreign country long-term, there are still plenty of ways to immerse yourself in a foreign language while at college. Language meetups, study abroad opportunities, and foreign novels are great options for practicing a new language.

DIY and craftsmanship

In recent years, the allure of DIY and craftsmanship has made a comeback, proving that not everything requires a digital touch. 

Engaging in hands-on projects isn’t just about creating something tangible; it’s therapeutic. It’s a break from screen time, a moment of mindfulness , and let’s be honest, there’s nothing quite like the bragging rights that come with saying, “I made that.”

From woodworking to pottery to sewing to building electronics, there’s a niche for every interest. 

If you’re ready to get started, there’s no shortage of online tutorials for beginners, and many colleges have clubs dedicated to various crafts. Local communities often host workshops and events, making it easy to connect, learn, and create.

And if you’re looking to monetize these crafts, platforms like Etsy offer a space to turn passion projects into profit. Running your own craft business is a great way to demonstrate sales and branding expertise to employers, which is applicable across many different fields.

Financial literacy and investing

The words “college students” and “money” typically aren’t used in the same sentence too often—unless there’s a “don’t have” in between them.

But the great thing about developing financial literacy is that it can be done using however much (or little) money you have.

College is a perfect time to improve your understanding of concepts like budgeting , saving , and the intricacies of debt .

Use this time of limited funds to create stellar financial habits for the future. You can do this by diving into online courses, joining college financial clubs, or attending workshops.

For those who break into a cold sweat at the thought of stocks and bonds ( much like me), there’s no need to worry. The investment world has evolved, offering beginner-friendly platforms like robo-advisors and micro-investing apps. Acorns, Charles Schwab, and Betterment are good places to start for complete beginners.

But here’s the cherry on top: Showcasing your financial literacy and investment know-how isn’t just good for your wallet—it’s a resume booster. Employers value candidates who demonstrate sound financial judgment, seeing it as a reflection of responsibility and strategic planning.

As is often said about properly managing your finances, the best day to start was yesterday, but the second best day is today. Create stable habits and invest your money wisely while you’re young, and your efforts will compound into something to be proud of down the line.

Graphic design and multimedia production

In an era where a meme can break the internet and a well-designed logo can make a brand, graphic design and multimedia production have become sought-after skills that are accessible to anyone who owns a device with a screen.

Graphic design is often overlooked, but it’s an integral part of pretty much every piece of digital content we view on a daily basis. All advertisements, websites, and social media accounts are (or at least should be) created with visual design in mind, making it a useful skill across countless fields and mediums.

Multimedia production is all about bringing stories to life. Whether it’s through a heart-tugging animation or a podcast that becomes part of your morning ritual, it’s storytelling for the modern age. And with tools like Adobe Creative Suite for design and Final Cut Pro for video editing—many of which offer student discounts—getting started has never been easier.

For either skill, a digital portfolio is a must, a testament to your skills and creativity. Not only does a portfolio provide a way for employers to view your work, but it also allows them to see your eye for visual design and organization in how you structure the portfolio itself.

And in today’s gig economy, platforms like Upwork and Fiverr offer a playground for budding designers and multimedia artists to not only showcase their talent but also earn from it.

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine emailed a professional snowboarding videographer that he’d been following on social media for a while. He sent a compilation of animations he’d made, photos he’d taken, and videos he’d edited—all without any formal training—and asked the videographer to give him a shot as an editor.

That same friend just moved across the country to work full-time with him after two years of interning.

I tell you this story not to encourage DMing your favorite celebrity to ask for a job, but rather to show you the potential opportunities you can create for yourself with these self-taught skills.

Productive hobbies for college students: building soft skills

Soft skills are the traits that determine how you work, how you engage with others, and how you handle workplace challenges. Employers today are placing increasing importance on these skills, often valuing them as much as, if not more than, technical expertise. 

As you navigate your college years, honing these skills can be just as crucial as acquiring specific abilities . So, let’s dive into some hobbies that can help you sharpen these valuable attributes.

Professional and social clubs

Clubs are one of the easiest ways to get involved on campus, and they’re also one of the easiest ways to develop useful soft skills. 

Professional clubs like student government and business organizations may be better options for your resume, but social clubs can also offer you experiences that will make you a more appealing job candidate.

Step into any club meeting, and you’re in a live networking workshop. It’s not just about swapping contact details; it’s about forging genuine bonds with peers, alumni, and industry leaders. Through these interactions, you’ll master the arts of active listening , empathy, and clear communication. 

If you choose to step into a leadership role, you’ll experience plenty of conflicts and challenges that will help you improve your understanding of team dynamics, strategic decision-making, and conflict resolution . You’ll also likely get the opportunity to exercise your public speaking muscles a few times.

Of course, the skills you learn from your time in a club depend largely on the type of club you join and your amount of involvement. 

At best, you have a great new addition to your resume; at worst, you made some new connections and learned a little about a subject you’re interested in. It’s definitely worth a try.

Team sports

At its core, team sports are all about collaboration. It’s a great place to learn how work as part of a team, as well as how to leverage each player’s strengths.

For those on a varsity or club team, sports can also offer a great structure for improving time management . Balancing games and practices with classes and assignments will push your schedule to its limit, forcing you to learn how to juggle multiple responsibilities at the same time.

Recruiters love hiring college athletes because they already come equipped with the self-motivated drive to wake up for early practices, sacrifice free time, and better themselves in the name of reaching a goal.

For a more relaxed experience, intramural sports are available to students of all skill levels. (I could really drive this point home if I included a clip of me playing intramural volleyball my freshman year.) Although these lose some of the skill-developing rigor, they’re still a great way to meet new people and stay in shape.

Strategy board games

Strategy board games are no longer reserved for rainy days or family gatherings; they’ve found a fervent fanbase among college students. 

Beyond the feeling of superiority that comes with besting your friends, these games also offer a chance to hone your mind. Any given round may require critical thinking, foresight, negotiation, and strategic deception—all of which (besides deception, hopefully) are great tools to bring to a professional setting.

The beauty of these games lies in their pacing. They teach patience, making you wait for that opportune moment to make your move. They also often require adaptability and thinking on the fly, as not every plan works out how it’s supposed to.

For those eager to jump into the world of strategy games, here’s a starter pack: Settlers of Catan for trading and resource management, Chess for pure strategy, and One Night Ultimate Werewolf for a chance to deceive your friends.

Fingers crossed these games don’t cost you too many friendships. 😉

Volunteering and community service

Volunteering your time and energy is far more than just a way to feel good about yourself—it allows you to gain work experience without having to compete with thousands of other applicants.

Your responsibilities will vary based on your position, but some common ones include fundraising, interacting with people, mentoring youth, or managing a team. These are all great skills that are worth putting on your resume.

Collaborating with fellow volunteers is teamwork at its finest. It’s about valuing diverse perspectives and working together to achieve shared goals.

In essence, volunteering is a two-way street. You give to the community, and in return, you gain invaluable skills, connections, and experiences. Here are some tips for getting started:

• Consider the causes that mean something to you. This experience will be more personally significant if you’re excited about it. Animal shelters, soup kitchens, hospitals, retirement homes, and homeless shelters are some common options.
• Find an organization in your area. There are sites like volunteermatch.org that can help you find ways to get involved wherever you are. Otherwise, you can reach out to someone you know who already volunteers for an org that you’re interested in.
• Be clear about what you want when you apply. There’s no need to exaggerate the number of hours you’re willing to volunteer. You should also be clear about the type of role you’re looking to fill and your skill set. If you’re open to anything, this isn’t as important. But if you’re volunteering to develop a certain skill, you shouldn’t sign on for a position that you’ll soon abandon.

Blogging or journaling

Whether you’re able to develop a loyal fanbase or you’re shouting into a digital void, blogging is a great, accessible way to work on your writing.

The beauty of blogging is that you can make it anything you want. You can use it to review foods or movies, share your thoughts on current events, or just talk about whatever is on your mind that day. You can tailor your blog to any writing genre you’d like to improve.

And if you end up being proud of the work you’ve created, your blog can immediately serve as a digital portfolio without any extra hassle.

In contrast, journaling is a more introspective endeavor. It’s an opportunity to reflect on your daily experiences, aspirations, and challenges. As someone trying to figure out the complexities of young adulthood, journaling has been an important tool in helping me process emotions and make strides toward self-improvement.

A friend of mine has written in his journal once a day for the past four years without missing a single day. While I’m not claiming that this level of commitment is necessary, it’s undoubtedly true that the consistent practice of journaling cultivates a deep self-awareness, a trait invaluable in both personal and professional realms.

If you’ve tried to start journaling in the past and struggled to stay consistent, force yourself to write on a regular schedule, even if you don’t feel like it. What starts as an obligation will become a habit, which will make the process feel more natural.

Both blogging and journaling not only enhance communication skills but also foster a deeper understanding of oneself and the world.

Formatting activities for your resume

Crafting a resume is an art, and every section counts. If you’re applying to a job for which you don’t have much applicable work experience, your relevant activities can be the subtle nudge that tilts the scales in your favor with potential employers. 

Just remember: “Relevant” is the keyword here . In the same way that a law firm likely won’t care about your love of photography, an art studio won’t be too interested in your time volunteering as a legal receptionist.

Choosing the right hobbies

Begin by listing all the hobbies, clubs, and extracurriculars you’ve been a part of during college. With this comprehensive list in hand, it’s time to be selective. 

Choose activities that resonate with the job you’re eyeing, emphasizing those transferable skills. And as you list them, keep them in reverse chronological order, as is standard for most resumes.

Framing your activities

Much like the rest of your resume, you want to make your activities sound as impressive as possible, without exaggerating.

When describing each activity, start with a compelling action verb. You should also attach numbers to your involvement wherever possible, such as the amount of money you raised or the number of people you recruited.

For instance, instead of “Was part of the marathon committee,” how about “Spearheaded the annual college marathon, raising $5,000 for charity”? See the difference?

Below the activity description, you can highlight the specific skills you’ve developed, be it leadership, collaboration, or a knack for event management.

Placement and formatting

Once your content is ready, it deserves its rightful place on your resume. Create a section titled “Activities” or “Extracurriculars”—whatever makes the most sense. And remember, presentation matters. Ensure consistency in fonts, bullet points, and date formats. 

A common mistake? Overloading this section. While it’s tempting to list every single activity, be selective and prioritize quality over quantity. At the end of the day, applicable work experiences are more valuable than hobbies 99 times out of 100. The key is to be very discerning in how you choose to fill this space on your resume.

College is more fun and rewarding when you try out new hobbies

Deciding where to allocate your time in college isn’t easy.

Although it may seem like you have forever when you start your freshman year, it truly goes by in a flash—meaning that every day is incredibly valuable.

Academics are important, of course, but the way you choose to spend your time outside of the classroom deserves just as much attention. The clubs you join or the hobbies you pick up might be no more than fun experiences you reminisce about in the future, but they could also have a profound impact on your career and life as a whole.

Great list that is full of humor and personal anecdotes.

Thanks, Sarah!

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How to Write a Resume Objective or Summary for your Student Resume

In order to impress schools and hiring managers from the get-go, your resume needs to have a strong opening section. That’s why we strongly recommend including a resume summary at the top of your resume, underneath your contact information.

In the past, applicants for schools or jobs could choose between writing a resume objective or a resume summary. Now, resume experts generally agree that including a resume objective is no longer in line with best practice. The reason is that a resume objective essentially highlights your goals as a candidate. In contrast, a resume summary conveys how you will be able to support the school or company you’re applying for to meet their goals.

So what exactly is a resume summary, then? A resume summary is the first major section of your resume. It should succinctly present the case for why you’re an ideal candidate for the position or school you’re applying for. 

As it should only be two to four sentences long, you will need to focus only on your most relevant qualities and attributes that make you an attractive candidate or prospective student.

In order to write a strong resume objective or summary, you must make two things crystal clear:

• What the academic or professional position is you are applying for 
• What makes you the best person to fulfill it

Let’s start with the first part. You should clearly state the purpose of your application. For example, you may wish to:

• Study at a particular college or join a particular program/course 
• Be hired for a job at a college fair or internship fair 
• Be hired as an entry-level worker or summer worker

Next, you must summarize some of the standout qualities and attributes that make you worth considering for the given role. The qualities and attributes you highlight should be directly relevant to the role and should be expanded on in the other sections of your resume. You can mention such things as your:

• Educational background
• Academic achievements
• Soft and hard skills
• Work experiences
• Volunteer work
• Any other standout achievements

Try your best to use keywords from the job advertisement or school application to demonstrate that you possess the very qualities and attributes the hiring manager or school is looking for. 

Keywords are words or phrases within a job ad or school application that represent what the hiring manager or school are looking for from their ideal candidate. Keywords can include particular competencies, skills, experiences, attributes, studies, and so on.

How to Write a Work Experience Section for your Student Resume

The work experience section is perhaps the resume section that students dread the most when creating their high school resume or college resume. The reason is that many students don’t know where to begin or may not have held a job before. 

The good news is that writing a compelling work experience section really isn’t as difficult as it seems - even if you’ve never been in the working world before. In either case, the most important thing is to make sure your work experience section sounds as relevant as possible to the given job or educational opportunity you are applying for. 

If you don’t have any work experience at all, don’t stress! You can instead focus on your: 

• Volunteer work 
• School activities
• Side projects

Spend time brainstorming how to present these experiences in a way that makes them as relevant as possible to the job or school you are applying for. 

For example, did you demonstrate any soft or hard skills that will be useful to the role or your studies? Or maybe you achieved something that showcases what an excellent employee or student you will be? Remember, framing is everything when it comes to your resume! You can do this by integrating keywords that apply to your experiences throughout this section. This will help you to work out what professional experiences will capture the hiring manager or school’s attention. 

However, be sure to steer clear of ‘keyword stuffing’! This term is used to describe when people unnaturally add keywords to their resume in order to game the system. Always integrate keywords in a natural-sounding way and only use those that genuinely apply to your skills and experiences. 

It’s also important to think about this section as a way to showcase your very best professional achievements in each past position. That is, instead of just listing what you did, focus on conveying how your actions and skills made a positive difference.

In order to make your achievements shine, you will need to: 

• Start each one with a verb (action word).
• Make them short and snappy: Stick to one sentence each.
• Quantify them using numbers, percentages, and examples where possible.

For each position you include in this section, you will need to state the title you held, the company name, and the dates you worked there.

If you’re unsure of how to format your work experience section, simply use one of our expert-designed resume templates and our resume builder to ensure you get it right. You can also check out the expert tips for writing your work experience section we’ve included within our resume builder .

How to Write a Skills Section for Your Student Resume

Just like your work experience section, your resume’s skills section should be as relevant as possible to the position or educational opportunity you are applying for. 

Analyze the job ad or school application to identify skill-based keywords. You may wish to print out the job ad or school application and physically highlight these words to make it easier for you to work out which keywords to focus on.

Keep in mind that there are two types of skills to look out for:

• Soft skills: Those related to your interpersonal or communication skills.
• Hard skills: Technical, practical skills.

You will need to include a balance of both to show that you’re a well-rounded candidate. Think carefully about which ones are most applicable to your skillset and the job or school at hand, and list 6 to 8 of the most relevant ones in this section. 

Don’t forget you will also need to integrate skills throughout your work experience section too.

If you’re finding it hard to come up with relevant skills to add to your high school or college resume, don’t worry. Our resume builder has hundreds of examples of skills you can simply click and add to your resume.

Again, if you want to see how to effectively format this section, check out one of our many resume templates.

How to Write an Education & Coursework Section for your Student Resume

Your education & coursework section is one of the most important sections in your high school resume or college resume.

Even if an application does not specifically ask you to share your educational background on your resume, it is generally expected that you will. After all, your studies help to paint a picture of your knowledge, skills, interests, and academic abilities. 

As you can see from our library of resume templates, there are a few different ways that you can format your education & coursework section. That said, the general format of this section is as follows: [High School or College Name]

[Dates attended] 

[Subject studied (optional)]

If you want to guarantee you don’t make any formatting errors, just use our resume builder to create your resume! 

How to Write an Awards & Achievements Section for your Student Resume

Want to take your student resume to the next level? Adding an awards & achievements section is an easy way to capture attention. 

Before you say, “But I don’t have any awards or achievements!” take a moment to think back on your studies so far. Chances are that you have much more to highlight than you first realize. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

• Your GPA (If 3.5 or higher)
• Being part of the student body
• Academic awards
• Professional awards
• Valedictorian and Dean’s lists
• Being in the top X% of your class/course
• Professional achievements e.g. selling X amount of products or increasing profits by Y%
• Relevant school/college societies or groups you are part of
• Scholarships
• Any journals you have been published in or research papers you have written
• Relevant non-profit work you have completed (such as volunteering and fundraising)

So how can you correctly format this section of your resume?

You can list each award or achievement, along with the date you received/achieved it and any other specifics that would help the person reading it better understand why the award or achievement is relevant. 

If you are short on space, you can feature your academic awards and achievements in your education & coursework section instead.

Related Student Resume Examples & Samples

Take a look at the following tried-and-tested resume examples and samples for inspiration.

When you’re ready to make your own impressive high school or college resume, our state-of-the-art resume builder will guide you every step of the way.

College Student Resume

High School Student Resume

Internship Resume

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Your Roadmap to Building a College Resume Year to Year

Having a great resume starts with having great college experiences. When you are accepted to college, everything you get involved in starting freshman year helps you grow toward your career. Want to build a resume that expresses the valuable skills you bring to the table? This article will help you think through the important steps for writing a cohesive resume throughout your college years.

FRESHMAN YEAR

Explore opportunities.

Most students come to college with a high school resume. But when they apply for internships, they need more on their resume than “high school band” or “Spanish Club.” President Steve Briggs at Berry College tells incoming freshmen to throw out their high school resume entirely! He believes freshman year is the time for students to explore future opportunities. The Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) at Berry encourages students to start by understanding where they are in their career journey before jumping to where they are headed next.

How should college students figure out where they are headed? Start by asking, “What kinds of activities most give (and drain) my energy? Which kinds of activities and environments engage me most? Which types of populations and social issues do I care most about?” Knowing more about these aspects of yourself will help you find a future path that’s a good fit for your personality and interests.

Use Available Career Resources

Many colleges like Berry offer ways for students to learn more about their personalities and interests. Berry's PathwayU and the free Myers-Briggs Personality Test are two of many tools the CPPD at Berry offers students. Additionally, through Berry’s Career Development Network, each Berry student has access to a career consultant to help them identify the best resources to explore a wide range of life and career goals. If you are looking for resume help in your freshman year, start by finding what resources are available on your college campus for exploration.

Getting to know your strengths better will also help you know what to highlight on a resume. It might also teach you about weaknesses or areas where you need more experience. Once you know where you are and where you want to go, you will know what to get involved in on or off campus. Say yes to joining clubs, applying for campus jobs, taking leadership positions, doing research, etc. These opportunities will help you discover what you do or don’t want to do in the future.

Reflect on Your Experiences

After exams wrap up, create a document listing important experiences from freshman year. This document will eventually become a resume. At this point, however, you don’t need to be concerned with the format. Just write down freshman-year experiences that taught you more about yourself and your future. Ideally, in the summer or early in your sophomore year, share this list with a career consultant, so they can help you decide where to spend your time based on your future goals.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

Build your skill set.

Sophomores are often closer to knowing what field or area of expertise they plan to pursue. If you are a sophomore, use this year to do less exploring and more committing to certain experiences. Seek out opportunities for more responsibility or leadership. Deepen your involvement and continue to develop your skill set.

If you didn’t find your fit freshman year, no worries! Keep trying new things. Most colleges offer professional development, academic advising and career planning to help you narrow in on your future. The summer following sophomore year is often the first internship opportunity for many students, which means it is also the first opportunity to draft a copy of your college resume. If you are pursuing a summer job or internship, use the winter break of sophomore year to revise your list of college experiences. Add to your list, and remember to write down thoughts like:

• What made this experience valuable?
• What did this experience teach you about your field or yourself?
• How do you see this experience helping you in the future?

Start Drafting Your Resume

Writers often say they must write a lot to write a little. Writing out descriptions of your experiences is a way to focus on the most important elements to include on a resume. Once you reflect on what you have accomplished through the middle of sophomore year, take a stab at your first resume draft. Create one that includes all your college experiences, known as the master resume. Then, pick a potential job or internship opportunity, and try to narrow in on the specific needs of a certain employer. What experiences have you had that meet the needs or qualifications for the type of work they’re posting? What are the experience gaps to fill in? Once you’ve drafted these copies, head to your college’s career center.

Sue Tarpley, director of the career center emeritus at Berry College, says most students are surprised to find career consultants will not ask to see their resume during the first 10–15 minutes of initial resume appointments. Instead, consultants ask informal get-to-know-you questions. Once the resume is out, they often identify parts of your story that are missing but were mentioned in informal conversation.  

“Many college students' greatest resume mistake is dismissing the value of their experiences,” says Tarpley. “A student, in the same breath, will tell me about their international mission trip but complain that they’ve had no experience related to their international studies major. I’ll ask something like, ‘Wasn’t that mission trip an experience where you had to relate to a different culture and language? Tell me about that.’ Then they see the connections.

“This example highlights the value of a career consultant. The more you see a career consultant, the better they will get at understanding your goals and your context.”

Get Feedback from Mentors

Once you’ve gotten feedback on your first draft, take or email a copy to your most influential professors or mentors. Describe the types of experiences you are looking to have and use your resume draft as a tool to see how well you are expressing your future goals to others.

You may find you have some gaps to resolve in your resume. For example, if want to be a research scientist, you’ll want preparation for research and teaching in graduate school. It pays to investigate research and teaching assistantships at the undergraduate level, if available at your college.

Bottom line: if you are not reflecting on where you are headed, then you may miss opportunities to seek out certain training that could give you important skills that align with your future goals.

JUNIOR/SENIOR YEARS

Prepare resume versions and connect.

Going into junior and senior years, continue to update your master resume, but also create separate iterations based on upcoming applications. Think of the master resume as the full record — and the special versions of your resume as your calling cards. The most important part of building your resume in these years is translating what you’ve accomplished in college into the same language or jargon an employer is using in their job description.

Think about the needs of an employer and reflect on times you might have had similar or transferable experiences. Consider parts of this experience that set you apart or attributes you are known for. In what ways does your team rely on you? Walk through your work hours in your head. What skills and strengths do you use every day? As you write, make sure the language sounds like “you.” A resume should reinforce what makes you valuable to the employer while helping an employer get a feel for how you work with others and if you will fit with the company’s culture.

For example, imagine describing the job experience of a college resident assistant. Many college students dismiss this role, thinking that it’s only related to housing or a live-in community. However, most resident assistants are trained in conflict resolution practices. They also have experience creating project calendars with a team or planning marketing or events. Don’t these sound like transferable skills?

Revise and Refine

Once you have targeted your resume to a certain job, it’s time to make another appointment with a career consultant. Take your master resume, your new iterations of your resume and the job descriptions. Explain the connections you’ve made with your experiences and job opportunities and get some feedback.

If this is your first-time meeting with a career consultant in your junior or senior year, it may take them longer to give high-quality feedback. But if you have been meeting with a career consultant for a while, they will have plenty of context and understanding of your experiences to give clear feedback.

“Resumes are a part of a student’s storytelling process,” Tarpley explains. “It helps them formulate their story outline — the resume. Then, when it comes to an interview, hopefully, everything an employer is going to ask about you will be on that resume. The questions won’t come as a surprise. The resume helps you tease out the best parts of your experiences and helps you prepare for an interview. Then, because of what you've presented, they can’t wait to meet you.”

In other words, your resume should be a unique combination of driving strengths, areas of expertise, passions, values, vision and purpose. Worry less about how long your resume is and worry more about cutting out random or disconnected information that doesn’t help you tell your story. No matter where you are in college, it’s never too late to get started writing your resume. Get to know your school’s career resources and get going!

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10 Helpful Resume Writing Activities For High School Students

“The challenge of life, I have found, is to build a resume that doesn’t simply tell a story about what you want to be, but it’s a story about who you want to be” . – Oprah Winfrey

As beautifully defined by the above quote, a resume is a story of the stepping stones that you’ve taken so far in order to become who you want to be. Having a compelling resume is a must for every individual to thrive in the competitive landscape, be it a high school student or a working professional. 

Resume writing is a crucial skill that high school students need to develop as this is the time they prepare for their higher education and enter the corporate world. It is not only about enlisting skills and achievements, but it requires thoughtful organizational skills, an ability to present qualifications and a good hold of language skills. 

To quip high school students about the process of resume writing, summarized below are some creative activities aiming to guide them in creating impactful resumes and setting a strong foundation for their careers.

Discover, collaborate & reflect: Engaging resume writing activities for high schoolers

1. resume redesign .

With the availability of a number of templates for resumes, it becomes quite difficult to select the suitable and relevant one on the basis of the unique information to include, especially for high schoolers who are bound to get overwhelmed being their first time for jobs as well as college applications. 

How to do the activity:

• Firstly, educators need to familiarize students with every important element that has to be there in a resume for high school students and the optional ones that are not necessary but can be included as per the need and availability. 
• Now, students need to make a note of their information, and based on that, they have to explore and experiment with different designs for their resumes. 
• Instruct them that they can try different fonts and layouts and design at least 5 resumes for themselves. 
• Fix one day when every student has to come prepared with their designed resumes and every participant will present their designs to the class and the class will rate every design out of 5

Here, feedback and rating play a crucial role in helping students select the most appropriate one for themselves. Also, when they explore and experiment with different designs, they familiarize themselves with different layouts and structures which might be helpful in any other cases of resume designing.

2. Discover yourself

Let’s use an effective strategy of SWOT Analysis which is used for marketing to discover ourselves. Yes, you read that right! SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. In order to build an efficient resume, one must know about themself in terms of what they are good at and what areas need to be worked upon.

How to do the activity:  

• Explain to the class about the strategy and its elements. 
• Now ask them to take a sheet of paper and divide it into 4 sections. Name each section with Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. 
• Set a timer of about 5-10 minutes for each section and ask students to think about themselves and fill in each section. 

Strengths will help them know what they’re good at that can also be referred to as positive points about themselves. The weaknesses section will include the negative points or what they can not do or are not good at which will help them know and narrow down the options to what they can do in the future. 

The opportunities section will include the areas they think they can ace if they work on it which will help them know the areas of improvement. Last, but not least will be threats in which they need to write about any external threats that you can not control but can be reduced by controlling other factors (can be external or internal) causing it.

3. Improvise your Resume

Every job profile is different and that calls for different requirements such as unique skill sets, achievements, and qualifications. 

• Explain to students how customizing the resume for every job or college application they’re applying to is important and not the same single resume works for every application.
• Ask students to search and explore different job openings on job portals or company official websites. 
• Shortlist 3 job openings that they think are suitable for them and go through the details of what is the profile, what are requirements, and what will be the daily responsibilities. 
• Now they’ve to work on their resume and customize it for all the 3 profiles they shortlisted.
• Once done, check their resume and provide feedback. 

One thing that students need to know here is that customizing a resume based on different applications doesn’t mean we’ve to lie and make it exactly what is the requirement, instead, it means presenting your skills and qualifications, experience in such a way that it resonates with the application requirements. This activity can also be done for college applications.

4. Resume Peer Review

Feedback is significant for everything we do. Be it education or resume writing. 

• Start giving numbers 1 to 10 to every student, or can be according to the number of students in a class but make sure only 2 students can have the same number.
• Now, the students with the same number will form a pair. 
• Ask students to exchange their resumes with their pair and they need to check and evaluate each other’s resumes based on what they know about their pair and also set certain criteria for the evaluation. 
• After they are done evaluating, they need to share the insights they find about the resume. Share what they think is missing in the resume, what areas can be improved and what are the good and the positive points about the resume. Teachers can check with every pair and share their insights too. 

This activity will help to get the different perspectives that you might be missing or are not aware of. Additionally, it will help with observation skills as well as help students revisit the resume-building crucial points.

5. Hire for your company

This activity will give students an opportunity to act as HR of different companies and evaluate different resumes. 

• Gather some samples of resumes for different job profiles. Make sure there are enough samples that every student in a class receives 2 samples at least to compare and evaluate. 
• Now give a situation to the students such as “Suppose you’re an HR manager of XYZ company hiring for customer support profile. You’ve got certain resumes and you need to check and evaluate them and see if you want to shortlist them for an interview or not. If yes, then why, and if not, then why not. Observe carefully and provide a proper explanation for the same” 
• Now give 2 resume samples to each student and let them scan them and come to a conclusion. 
• Call each student one by one to present their findings to the class to which classmates and the educator can give feedback and share insights on the observation skills of the student. 

This will let students think from the recruiter’s point of view and they will get clarity about their resume about how to write and present their skills and qualifications.

6. Practice cover letters

Cover letters are what answer “why you should be hired for this role” and in case of college applications, it will be the statement of purpose. Cover letters need to be very straightforward that require good writing skills. For this, high school students can employ creative writing activities to learn and practice the same.

• Students have to create a 1-2 minute elevator pitch for themselves keeping in mind their resume and the job profile they’re applying for. 
• Instruct students that they need to include examples of why they think they’re good at every skill they’ve mentioned. 
• Instruct the students that in this 1-2 minute pitch, you’ve to convince the HR (here students) how you can be an asset to the company.
• Ask the class to share their insights about what points are good and what can be better. 

This activity will help you write an effective cover letter and make a good first impression.

7. Powerful Words Resume Challenge

Word choice is critical when it comes to resumes. It is always said that action words are powerful to describe what you have done to highlight your experience and persuade potential employers and college administrators. 

• Prepare handouts for all the students of the class with all the powerful action words that can be used in a resume and explain how the use of these words can make an impact and make the resume stand out. 
• Discuss every word, the meaning of it, and an example of how it can be used in a resume and under what situations. 
• Now ask students to use the handout and try to incorporate as many words as they can in their resume and then give feedback to each and every student. 

This can also be an improving communication skill activity that will familiarize them with using these words in their daily conversation. 

8. Resume Do’s and Don’ts

This activity is to equip high school students about what to strictly avoid while writing resumes and what to follow to make the resumes more impactful and stand out. 

• Make different slips with resume do’s and don’ts and put them in a bowl or small box in the classroom.
• On the whiteboard or chalkboard, mark a line in the center and make two sections and name one part as “Do’s” and the other as “Don’ts”. 
• Call each student one by one and ask them to pick one chit and determine whether the point he/she discovered will come under do’s or don’ts. 
• Ask them to explain why they think the same and what should be done in that case. 

This activity will familiarize them with the technicalities that need to be taken care of while writing a resume and clear doubts about the whole process and exceptions. You can conduct this activity for both colleges as well as job applications. 

9. Anonymous messages

Who doesn’t like getting anonymous compliments and knowing about themselves? Well, this activity is all about getting insights about ourselves from other’s points of view. 

• Ask every student in the class to write about a minimum of five of their classmates on a slip of ½ size of a4 sheet. They can write for more friends if they want but the minimum is five. 
• They need to write the name of the friend they’re writing about then followed by strengths that they think their friend is good at which can be an asset to land a good job. Then write about the areas where they need to work on that can be added advantage for them while applying for jobs. 
• These chits will be anonymous feedback for the students. 
• Once done, collect all chits, mix them, and put them in a bowl. 
• Pick one chit one by one and read aloud about the student. 

This will encourage them, increase their self-esteem, provide insights that the students are unaware of about themselves, and can use them in their resumes and work on themselves. This self-esteem activity for high school students can work wonders in encouraging students to have belief & faith in themselves and their unique capabilities.

10. Build a Resume from Scratch

Let’s solve a puzzle and build a resume from scratch without having relatable skills, qualifications, and experiences to include. Sounds interesting, right? 

• Have different bowls or small boxes for every component of the resume like skills, qualifications, experience, the position of responsibility, etc. 
• Now, you can ask students or make different slips for every box by yourself. Each slip should have one thing like one slip with graphic designing for the box of skills. Make sure to have enough slips for every box so that every student can get at least 3-4 slips from each box. 
• Now every student has to come and pick 2-3 slips from each box. 
• After everyone is having their own set of slips, they need to design a resume based on the information they’ve got on the slips. They need to think of what qualifications, and skills can go together and how and create a good compelling resume. 

This activity is to equip students to carefully design and present everything in a resume when things are not so good and relatable enough. This activity will also help them in tailoring the resume according to a given job profile or college application.

High school students are at a point of transition to the colleges and workforce. This calls for developing resume writing skills to build compelling resumes. Besides instructing them about the process, engaging them in activities can have a profound impact on their learning.

Activities do not only teach them about the technicalities of resume building but also involve them in critical thinking, self-reflection, and collaboration. In addition to this, high school students can also participate in college readiness activities and transition activities to prepare themselves for their future endeavors.

Having a 10+ years of experience in teaching little budding learners, I am now working as a soft skills and IELTS trainers. Having spent my share of time with high schoolers, I understand their fears about the future. At the same time, my experience has helped me foster plenty of strategies that can make their 4 years of high school blissful. Furthermore, I have worked intensely on helping these young adults bloom into successful adults by training them for their dream colleges. Through my blogs, I intend to help parents, educators and students in making these years joyful and prosperous.

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