resume template for university graduate

Graduate Resume Example for 2024 [Plus 10 Skills for Savvy Job-hunters]

Time to get a job to support your plans and kick off your mission to leave a mark on the world?

We’re here to help. 

Whether you’re looking for your first part-time job to support your studies or internship or if you’re a fresh graduate looking for your first full-time job, you’ve come to the right place. 

Here’s how we’re going to help you write your first student or graduate resume.

In a few minutes, you’ll hear four resume skills and insights that’ll last your entire working life:

• The 6 sections to include in your resume
• What a resume summary is – and how to write yours
• The 10 student skills every employer needs
• How to stand out from the crowd

Let’s follow the Jane Doe’s Novorésumé-created example throughout this guide.

Student and Graduates Resume Writing

Graduate resume sample.

Like the look of this? Stand out from other graduates and students, by creating your resume in minutes with templates that make hiring managers and recruiters take notice.

Here's more related resume examples that you might be interested in:

• College Resume
• High School Resume
• No Experience Resume
• Internship Resume
• Research Assistant Resume
• Teacher Resume

Sections to Include in a Student or Graduate Resume

Here’s a quick overview of the sections that you should include in every resume you write, regardless of how you customize it for each job advertisement or speculative cover letter .  

• Contact and Professional Social Media details . List your professional email address – (not that ‘hilarious’ one you signed up for when you were 13!) – your phone number, and your professional social network profile).
• Professional Resume Summary: A summary for a resume needs to dash off your professional achievements and your skills that are relevant to the job ad.
• A Relevant Professional Title: A professional title for a resume will need to match the position/title that is advertised in the job ad, such as ‘media graduate, junior developer, or paralegal’.
• Education and certificates: Include your thesis, if it’s relevant, and add key courses related to the job. Include your grade point average, scholarships or university medals – if you have them.
• Relevant Experience: Don’t stress about this, we all started somewhere. Include any paid, unpaid or volunteer roles you held during your studies. No experience? No worries! Skip over to this dedicated guide with resume tips for students with no experience yet .
• Skills and expertise: Wizard at Word? Proficient in Photoshop? Google Ad Words guru? Make sure to include your key hard and soft skills (more on this soon).

What about those ‘nice-to-have’ but not mandatory sections? 

Here’s a few you can put in or leave out, based on the role and your own judgement. 

• Conferences, courses and certificates
• Student organizations, clubs, or networks
• Publications and awards
• Volunteer Experience
• Personal Projects

Think you already have enough information to create your student or graduate resume ? 

Check out our intuitive resume builder , job-hunting tips and resume examples to help you choose the best resume template to reach recruiters and hiring managers. 

How to Write a Resume Summary for a Student or Graduate Resume

Let’s get moving on the content of your resume, starting with your resume summary .

Hold up! Wondering what a resume summary is? 

It’s quite straightforward. 

Basically, a resume summary it’s a short paragraph at the start of your resume which sums up your experience and suitability for the role. 

It’s a bit like that elevator pitch you might hear people talk about in movies, start-ups or sales-driven business areas. 

Instead of pitching a company or idea, you pitch you – and the benefits and value you bring, but there is no need to mention everything - for example, your work for an  essay service  may raise some eyebrows.

Time for us to look at Jane’s resume to see this in action.

Her summary is clear and direct. 

Being in business means knowing about a lot of interconnected areas and Jane shows that she is versatile by highlighting her ‘proven and tested’ skills in procurement, marketing and sales – just some of the key areas that every solid business professional needs.

• “An independent and self-motivated business student with proven and tested business, procurement, sales, and marketing skills.”
• “An award-winning and confident communication graduate, able to establish rapport quickly and conduct training sessions with clarity and enthusiasm.”

Top Skills to Include in a Student or Graduate Resume

Let’s take a look at some of Jane’s skills now. 

She includes a nice mix of technical (hard) and soft skills on her resume. 

She talks about her proficiency with Google advertising technology, Typeform, and SendGrid, while highlighting four in-demand soft skills. 

Now you might be worried that you don’t have any of the skills Jane lists in her resume. 

Don’t worry, we bet you have plenty that you can include once you give it some thought. 

Your hard skills will differ drastically based on what you’ve studied too.

And here’s a little secret that will lift your confidence and readiness to complete your resume. 

There are some Soft Skills that almost every single employer will need. 

Here they are:

• Communication
• Adaptability
• Punctuality
• Organization
• Flexibility
• Problem Solving Abilities

How many of them would you add to your college resume template ? 

How to Stand Out From the Crowd as a Student or Fresh Graduate

You clever clogs out there are probably asking: “What if you share these skills with many other applicants?”

How on earth do you stand out?

Simple: you highlight your individual achievements and how they relate to the job.

Jane does this by linking her past work and volunteer experience to results. She successfully overcame personal targets – suggesting she’s driven – for three months in a row. 

This kind of example is a really strong way to show a high-performance attitude, without bragging or claiming ‘I’m a high performer’. It’s showing, not telling. 

A lack of experience is one of the big worries that students and graduates have when first applying for jobs and working on new resumes.  

Look how Jane solves this problem by highlighting her leadership in event planning and social media while at University.

Feeling inspired? Ready to create a resume that helps you get that interview? 

Suggested Reading:

• How to Write a Professional Resume - Extensive Guide
• Cover Letter Writing - Extensive Guide + Examples
• 43+ Resume Tips and Tricks to Land Your Next Job

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Free resume template for students and new grads

Download this professional resume template and get started building your resume.

Creating your first professional resume can feel intimidating. So, we’re here to help make it easier! We’ve created this free resume template to get you started. Just follow the steps to download, and then plug in your information to create a resume that recruiters will notice. And check our guide to creating a student or new grad resume with tips on what to include, and some important do’s and don’ts.

Want personalized guidance on your resume? Don't forget to consult your school's career services center !

The resume template includes:

Contact information: Type your first and last name, city and state, phone number and email address. Additional links, like an online portfolio, that are relevant to the roles you’re applying for also go in this section.

Summary: While optional, this “highlight reel” can help grab the employer’s attention and show why you’re a great candidate.

Education: Include your school name, major, degree, and your graduation month and year (or expected date). You can also list academic honors or awards, and courses you’ve taken or major projects completed that are relevant to the job.

Experience: List your experience in reverse chronological order—meaning the most recent experience goes first. If you don’t have a lot of previous work or internship experience, emphasize your involvement with clubs and organizations, volunteering opportunities, and other ways you’ve taken on leadership positions.

Skills: Include technical skills and soft skills—employers are looking for both in potential job candidates.

To create your resume:

• View the free resume template document .
• Click File in the upper left-hand corner.
• You can Make a Copy in Google docs or Download as a Word document.

4. If you made a copy, create a name for it and click OK .

5. Fill in your information. 6. Save your resume as a PDF and upload it to your Handshake profile !

Find the right jobs for you. Get hired.

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Resume Resources

Table of contents, resume overview, sections to include + quick formatting tips, write higher quality bullet points, instant resume feedback + other resources, resume templates, resume examples, resume action verbs.

A resume presents your story by highlighting your skills (the things you do well). Employers initially scan a resume for 30 to 60 seconds, so it needs to be descriptive and concise at the same time. It also needs to be tailored to the organization to which you are applying. We asked a few recruiters to tell us what they notice on a resume in 30 seconds. Check out what they look for in the video below.

Return to the top

To keep your resume easy to read, divide it into these common sections. Check out the samples in the resources section for examples of what to include.

• Name and Contact Information
• Summary (Optional- more common with experienced professionals, but an option for any student)
• Experience- This is often broken up into two or three sections based on the themes in your experiences. Common headings include: Work/Professional Experience, Clubs/Student Organizations, Leadership Experience, and Service/Community Involvement.
• Skills (Optional)

Most employers take 30-60 seconds per resume during their first glance. Don’t get stuck in the “no” pile because of formatting issues.

• Keep your document to one page (for most undergraduates)
• Put your experiences in reverse chronological order in each section
• Keep your formatting consistent and easy to skim quickly (i.e. put job titles, organization names, dates, and locations in the same location each time)
• Use bullets, not paragraphs
• Quantify when possible and use the Bullet Plus Formula to show skills, not just tasks (keep scrolling for more on the Bullet Plus formula!)
• Tailor your resume to the experience for which you are applying

Show the reader your skills (instead of just listing the tasks you did) by using the bullet plus model:

Action Verb + What + How/Why/Impact 

For example:

• Basic bullet: Developed interpersonal skills 
• Bullet plus: Developed interpersonal skills by facilitating cross-cultural conversations with Malawian teens and community members   (how)                  
• Basic bullet: Created real interest monitoring tool
• Bullet plus: Created real interest monitoring tool to study the effect of rate changes on foreign exchange levels  (why)                   
• Basic bullet: Directed actors in productions
• Bullet plus: Directed 5-10 student actors and managed technical team in both short and full-length productions attracting audiences of 100+ (impact)

• VMOCK - 24/7 access to instant resume feedback for all U-M undergraduate students
• Targeted Resume - Automatic feedback on if your resume is tailored for a specific position for anyone with a umich.edu email

To get started, choose a template from below > make a copy of the template > edit it with your information

Choose a thumbnail to access the full view

Undergrad Examples

Masters Examples

If you are a doctoral student, please visit our PhD Non-Academic Job Search page for resume resources.

Action Verbs for Resumes and Professional Profiles

Sample Resumes

Sample chronological resume (pdf).

The chronological resume format is most commonly used by college students. In a chronological resume, you format your experiences chronologically, most recent first. Employers are familiar with the chronological format and often prefer it. Our sample chronological resume is one good example of a professionally written and formatted resume.

Sample Tailored Resume (PDF)

A demonstration of how to organize your work experiences chronologically under specific categories. For example, in the “Experience” section of your resume, you might have two sub-sections, such as “Finance Experience,” and “Legal Experience.”

Sample Resume for Underclassmen (PDF)

This sample shows how you might include information on your resume such as high school, current coursework, and leadership experience. It is also an example of a combination resume, with different categories highlighting relevant experience.

Sample Finance Resume (PDF)

Our sample finance resume is written from the point of view of a junior who is an incoming summer analyst with a variety of experiences.

Sample Federal Resume (PDF)

If you’re considering applying for jobs or internships in the federal government, you should know that federal resumes are often quite different from other types of resumes. This is one example of how you can create a successful federal resume. To learn more about the federal government application process, check out our guide to government careers .

Sample Cover Letter (PDF)

Download an example of a professionally written and formatted cover letter.

Action Verbs  

Find the right action verb in this exhaustive list so that you can strengthen the writing in your resume and cover letter.

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="resume template for university graduate"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Resumes and cvs.

Depending on the type of job, you will need to create a curriculum vitae (CV) or a resume. Both documents put your qualification in writing, but they are used for different audiences and use a different format.

When to use a Resume

In the United States, most employers use resumes for non-academic positions, which are one or two page summaries of your experience, education, and skills.  Employers rarely spend more than a few minutes reviewing a resume, and successful resumes are concise with enough white space on the page to make it easy to scan. 

For more information on developing your resume, please visit Cornell Career Services’ Career Development Toolkit . Students often find it helpful to review resumes from graduate students who got their first job outside of academe.

When to use a Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A CV is a longer synopsis of your educational and academic background as well as teaching and research experience, publications, awards, presentations, honors, and additional details. CVs are used when applying for academic, scientific, or research positions. International employers often use CVs as well.

A CV is a comprehensive statement emphasizing:

• professional qualifications
• accomplishments
• special qualifications

A CV can vary from two pages to several pages. Professionals seeking academic positions and non-academic positions in science, higher education, research, and health care typically use a CV. It is also used to seek a fellowship or grant and is expected for some positions overseas. Consult with faculty members in your field to determine what is expected and appropriate for your field.

Guidelines for Preparing a CV

• The order of topics in a CV format is flexible.
• Arrange sections to highlight strengths for the position you are seeking.
• Elaborate on accomplishments and skills within categories.
• List items within each category chronologically, the most recent appearing first.
• Include additional headings when appropriate to reflect certifications/licensures, workshops/training, languages, book reviews, etc.
• Present information in an easily accessible and attractive style.
• Faculty advisors are the most knowledgeable resource for determining what constitutes effective content in your discipline.
• For formatting assistance and to see more examples of  CVs, visit the Cornell Career Services Library in 103 Barnes Hall. The following books also may help:  How to Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae  and  The Curriculum Vitae Handbook .
• Non-academic samples from the University of California, San Francisco
• Academic samples from the University of California, San Francisco
• Samples from Columbia University
• Samples from University of Pennsylvania
• Chronicle of Higher Education’s CV Doctor

Electronic Version of CV

When sending electronic versions, attach a file or cut and paste the CV into the text of the email message. State your objectives and career interests in the first few lines since they may be the only items seen on a screen. Other tips:

• Use language and acronyms recognized in your field.
• Avoid using bold, italics, underlining, lines, or graphics. Use all caps for emphasis.
• Put your name at the top followed by address and each phone number on a separate line.

Many employers use websites for applicants to apply for positions. Although each form may be different, some elements may be similar. Save parts of your CV in a format that can be cut and pasted for each individual web-based form, such as saving a bulleted list of work experience.

Transforming Your CV into a Resume

You may need both a CV and a resume for your job search. Sending the appropriate document (CV or resume) tells employers that you can distinguish the differences between the academic and non-academic environments and that you can adapt your skills to either environment. Most employers in industry prefer a resume. When rearranging your CV to make it a resume:

• Do not exceed two pages.
• Re-evaluate your experience. Think creatively about how your academic experience can be translated into the necessary skills for a non-academic environment. Consider skills of project management, leadership, teamwork, effective communication, and meeting deadlines. 
• Choose action verbs to describe your experience.
• Put your strengths first. List your professional experience or your degree first, depending on which is most important for a specific position.  
• Include a well-written job objective; state the type of position and work setting you are seeking, skills or abilities you possess, and long-term goals. Be sure that your resume supports your job objective.
• Emphasize skills and accomplishments.
• List relevant presentations, publications, and papers, but not all. 
• Have someone proofread it.

At home, abroad, working, interning?  Wherever you are this summer, contact OCS or make an appointment for a virtual advising session. We are available all summer! 

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Yale College: Resume Templates

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Utilize these OCS Resume Templates to create your draft resume. To help you fill in your template, utilize OCS’s resume formatting and common errors resource .

• Yale College (YC):  Resume 1
• YC:  Resume 2   (with Summary section)
• YC:  Technical Resume   
• YC:  Common Good Career   Resume 
• YC:  Creative Career   Resume 
• YC Recent Alum:  General Resume 
• YC Experienced Alum:  General Resume  

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Sample Résumés

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This section offers information on three common résumé styles: skills, chronological, and functional. Each section also contains a sample résumé of the particular style the section discusses.

The Interactive Résumé resource contains a sample résumé on which you can click each section to learn more about the different sections of the résumé and how to write each section of the résumé.

Sample Résumés:

Skills Résumé

Chronological Résumé

Functional Résumé

Interactive Résumé