resume format for appearing students

Student Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Whether you just graduated college or you’re taking a gap year before continuing your studies, one thing is for sure.

You’re looking for a job.

All that’s standing between you and your next position is a great resume.

But how can you write a resume that stands out from the crowd if all your experience so far is studying?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Creating a compelling resume to help you stand out from the crowd is easy, even if you’re just starting on your career journey.

And in this guide, we’re going to teach you how. 

Here’s what we’re going to cover:

• What Makes a Great Student Resume Example
• 9 Steps to Writing an Amazing Student Resume
• What to Include In Your Student Resume

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Student Resume Example

That’s a great example of a student resume.

Let’s get into the ins and outs of what it does right:

• Keeps everything on one page. Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes daily, so it’s important to stick to a one-page resume so they don’t discard your application straight away.
• Uses a reverse-chronological resume format. This is the favorite resume format for hiring managers worldwide since it puts your most recent achievements and experiences first.
• Includes professional contact details. This section should always contain your full name, a professional email address, phone number, location, and any relevant links to professional websites or social media profiles that might boost your application.
• Starts with an eye-catching resume objective. To grab the hiring manager’s attention, this student resume example starts with a strong resume objective to convey their top skills and their professional goal.
• Lists education first. Since this candidate is a recent graduate, their student resume places their education section at the very top and provides details on the relevant courses they’ve taken.
• Focuses on skills. The student resume example pictured above includes a tailored skills section that aligns with the job and shows what they can do for the employer.
• Organizes text in bullet points. This resume uses bullet points instead of large paragraphs, so the content of the resume is organized and easy to read.
• Includes optional sections. The candidate leverages optional sections such as languages and personal projects to add more value to their resume and stand out from other applicants with similar skills and qualifications.

9 Steps Toward the Perfect Student Resume

Now you know what an excellent student resume looks like.

It’s time to create your own.

First things first, let’s go over all the sections your resume should include .

The essential sections of a student resume are:

• Contact Information
• Resume Headline
• Work Experience

If you have leftover space on your resume, you can also use some of the following sections to make your application stand out:

Extracurricular Activities

• Personal Projects

Hobbies and Interests

• Volunteering
• Certificates

Awards and Recognitions

Publications.

As a student or recent graduate, don’t expect to include all of these sections in your resume. Instead, use them to your advantage. 

For example, you might not have any work experience, in which case you can replace that section with something else, such as an internship that helped you hone some essential skills for the job you're applying to.

We’ve split the process of creating your student resume into easy-to-follow steps, starting with:

#1. Pick the Right Format

Before you can fill out your resume, you need to decide on the best format for your job application.

There are three resume formats you can choose from:

• Reverse-chronological (also known as the chronological format)
• Functional (also known as the skill-based format)
• Combination (a mix of the reverse-chronological and functional formats)

For 99% of cases, we recommend that you choose the reverse-chronological resume format when making your student resume.

The reverse-chronological format is the most practical, since it lists your most recent experience and achievements first, making it the perfect format when you’re applying for a job.

It’s also hiring managers’ favorite format worldwide, so it’s what they expect to see in your application.

Here’s an example of what the reverse-chronological resume format looks like:

#2. Pay Attention to the Layout

Now that you have the formatting out of the way, it’s time to consider your resume’s layout .

Before the hiring manager reads your resume, they’re going to look at it. And if they see a messy, unorganized document, they aren’t going to be impressed.

Follow these tips to make sure your student resume makes a good first impression:

• Keep it on one page. A good resume should never exceed one page, especially if you’re a student with limited experience. Hiring managers only want the most important details about why you’re the right person for the job.
• Set the line spacing. Make sure your text is easy to read by setting appropriate line spacing. Use 1.0 between text and 1.15 between double lines and after subheadings.
• Adjust the page margins. To make your resume look neat, set your resume’s margins to one inch on all sides of the page. Otherwise, you might end up with a stretched-out or empty-looking document.
• Choose a professional font. Another important aspect of your resume is the font. Pick something professional but not overused. Instead of Times New Roman, go for something understated like Roboto, Lora, or Ubuntu.
• Save it to the right file format. Unless the hiring manager asks for another format, your resume should always be saved as a PDF file . This way, your student resume’s layout is going to look the same across any device or software that the hiring manager uses to open it.

Use a Professional Resume Template Instead

Getting the format and layout of your resume just right can sure get tricky. 

You’ll have to spend hours tweaking the margins, adjusting font sizes, and fixing the line spacing – all the while having to make sure nothing spills over to page two. 

What if you could skip all the hassle?

Just use one of our free resume templates and create your student resume in minutes.

Each of our professional templates is designed in cooperation with HR professionals from around the world to make sure your application is ATS-friendly, easy to read, and beautiful to look at.

Not to mention, you can choose a resume template that shows off a bit of your personality while adhering to industry standards. 

Just look at how one of our templates compares to a standard text editor resume:

#3. Add Your Contact Information

Once you’re ready to fill in the contents of your student resume, it’s time to start with your contact information.

This usually goes in a designated resume header , so it’s easy for the hiring manager to find it at a glance.

Here’s what to include:

• Full Name. (E.g.: John Smith )
• Professional Title. We recommend matching the title to the job you’re targeting (E.g.: Paralegal) or specifying your education. (E.g.: Graphic Design Graduate )
• Email Address. Use a professional email address, not a quirky handle from your World of Warcraft days. (E.g.: write down [email protected] , not [email protected] )
• Phone Number. If you’re applying abroad, always include the dialing code in front of your phone number.
• Location. The city and state/country are enough information.
• Relevant Links. Any other information, such as a link to your LinkedIn profile, GitHub, or a portfolio website, is optional and depends on the job you’re applying for.

Ultimately, your contact information section is the easiest, yet most crucial, section of your student resume.

If you make a single typo in your email or phone number, the hiring manager won’t be able to reach you, and you’ll miss out on an opportunity.

So, before submitting your resume, make sure to double-check, and even triple-check that everything in this section is up-to-date and accurate.

John Smith - Graphic Design Graduate

+1 907 446 1234

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/john.smith

Fairbanks, Alaska

90744461234

[email protected]

#4. Write a Resume Headline (Summary or Objective)

Hiring managers have to look at countless resumes daily.

So, they won’t spend more than six seconds on each before deciding if it’s worth reading in detail.

This is where a snappy resume summary or objective can make a difference.

Your resume summary or objective is a brief paragraph at the start of your resume that tells hiring managers who you are and what you bring to the table, in just 2-4 sentences.

Depending on your experience, you can take one of two routes:

• Resume summary. If you've got a bit of professional experience under your belt, write a resume summary. It's your chance to give a quick snapshot of your experience, skills, and what you've accomplished so far.
• Resume objective. If you're just starting, a resume objective is the right choice for you. It outlines your skills, any relevant experiences, and your professional goals.

To paint a clearer picture, here’s what a student’s resume summary with more experience might look like:

Recent college graduate with a B.A. in English from University X seeking an entry-level job as a content writer. Previous experience includes working as an English tutor for 2 years at University X, where I worked with 100+ students, helping them improve their essays. Additionally, I managed a personal blog about tech, publishing over 40 articles in the last 3 years.

But if you’re still a student, you probably don’t have a lot of work experience to rely on for your resume summary.

Don’t worry! You can still write a fantastic resume objective, like so:

Enthusiastic recent graduate with a degree in Environmental Science, aiming to secure an entry-level position at Green Solutions Ltd. Experienced in conducting field research and using GIS software through university projects and internships. With a strong passion for sustainability and environmental advocacy, I’m looking to apply academic knowledge in a practical, impactful way.

This goes to show that even without any work experience to leverage, you can still write a job-winning resume .

#5. List Your Education First

While the work experience section is what your resume would usually start with, the rule is reversed when you’re a student or a recent graduate .

If you’re applying for a job in the same field as your education, you want to emphasize the knowledge and skills you’ve gained so far.

So, the less work experience you have, the more detailed your education section should be.

Here’s the most important information that you should include when listing your education :

• Degree Name. (E.g.: BSc in Business Administration )
• University Name. (E.g.: Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania )
• Location. (E.g.: Philadelphia, PA, USA )
• Years Attended. (E.g.: 09/2018 - 06/2022 )

You should always list your degrees in reverse chronological order, starting with your newest degree (such as a Ph.D. or MBA) and ending with your oldest.

Next, there are a ton of optional details that can look great on your student resume. These include:

• Honors and Awards. Your resume is a great place to show off a little. List any awards or acknowledgments you received during your education. (E.g.: Summa Cum Laude )
• Relevant Coursework. List a few courses that are directly related to the job you’re applying for. (E.g.: Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, Surgical Nursing )
• Thesis or Dissertation. We recommend that graduate and post-graduate students include this, especially if applying to research-heavy fields like data science .
• Minor. If you minored in another field and it’s relevant to the job, include it. (E.g.: BA in Political Science, Minor in Economics )
• Grade Point Average. Include your GPA on your resume if it’s impressive. Anything below 3.5 isn’t worth listing.

Here’s an example of what this looks like on a resume:

There’s no need to list your high school education unless it’s the only degree you have.

#6. Expand on Your Work Experience

The first thing hiring managers usually want to see is your work experience section .

It’s probably the most important section of your whole resume, and it’s where you need to wow the hiring manager. Here’s how to format it correctly:

• List jobs in reverse chronological order. Start with your latest work experience and work your way back to older roles. Just don’t go too far back – your part-time job over summer break probably doesn’t belong on your resume.
• Add your exact job title. Be accurate when describing your previous job, and avoid buzzwords . If you were a babysitter , say that instead of trying to be witty and going with ‘toddler whisperer.’
• Include the company details. All you need to add are the most important details, such as the company’s name and location. If it’s not a well-known business, you can describe what it does.
• Specify the employment period. Use the mm/yyyy format throughout your student resume instead of specifying the exact dates you started and quit.
• Mention your responsibilities and achievements. Use several bullet points, no more than 5-6 for your most recent work experience and 2-3 for older roles.

Here’s an example of what that looks like in practice:

What If My Work Experience Isn’t Relevant?

If you’re applying for a job in the field you’ve been studying for, you might have picked up a part-time job while you were a student.

So, you’re probably wondering - is that summer gig you did worth mentioning in your resume?

The answer is yes.

Even if your only work experience so far seemingly has nothing to do with the job you’re applying for, it’s probably better for you to include it.

For example, if you worked as a cashier at your local supermarket and now you’re applying for a job as an accountant , there are enough similarities between the two jobs for you to make a great resume.

Just focus on the transferable skills from your time as a cashier. Both jobs require working with numbers, being good at mathematics, and attention to detail.

Usually, showing you have some work experience is better than presenting a resume with zero work experience.

What If I Don’t Have Any Work Experience?

If you’re still a student or you just graduated, you probably don’t have any work experience to leverage.

Don’t worry - most college students don’t.

But that doesn’t have to stop you from writing a great resume!

Hiring managers know that most candidates applying for entry-level jobs aren’t super experienced, and that’s okay.

So, instead of work experience, you can focus on any of the following sections:

• Internships. If your program included any internships or hands-on experiences, mention them. Internships can be super useful on your resume, especially if they help you develop skills for the position you’re applying for, and they can look better on your resume than any part-time job in an unrelated field.
• Volunteering. Having a cause that you care about and are willing to work for shows hiring managers that you’d be a dedicated employee, and that’s why volunteer work looks great on a resume. Whether you spent some time at a local soup kitchen or just helped collect trash in the parks, you can always mention it in your application.
• Projects. Any project you’ve participated in can go here, so long as it’s relevant to the job. Your graduation thesis, coursework, or personal projects can all make a difference. For example, if you’re an aspiring animator and you make funny flash animations that you upload on YouTube for your friends, that’s always a great addition to a first-time job application .

Here’s an example of a student resume that focuses on volunteer experience and personal projects instead of work experience:

Do you want to join a cause you’re passionate about? Learn how to write a volunteer resume here.

#7. Emphasize Your Relevant Skills

The skills section of your resume should tell the hiring manager what your expertise is and why you’re the perfect candidate for the job.

There are two types of essential skills you can mention:

• Soft skills. These are a mix of social skills, characteristics, and other personal traits. For example, leadership, critical thinking, time management, and so on.
• Hard skills. These are your measurable abilities. So, anything from baking cupcakes to complex coding skills.

Your resume should aim for a mix of both soft and hard skills.

If written correctly, the skill section can look something like this:

Now, when listing skills on your resume, here are a few essential tips to keep in mind:

• List hard skills with experience levels. For each skill you list, you can mention your proficiency, from beginner to expert. This tells the hiring manager how much training you might need if they hire you.
• Keep it relevant and tailored to the job. You might have some awesome and rare skills, but they’re not always going to be useful. Your Photoshop skills won’t make a difference in an application for a job as a writer .
• Include some universal skills. Some skills can be useful anywhere. These include both soft skills (like communication ) and hard skills (like using Microsoft Office or Google Office Suite).
• Back up your skills. Instead of just listing skills as buzzwords (like “critical thinker” or “problem-solving-master”), make sure you prove what you’re saying. Give examples of when you’ve put those skills to good use, such as in your work experience section.

And for a student resume, here are a few of the top skills almost every single employer will value:

• Verbal and Written Communication
• Adaptability
• Punctuality
• Organizational skills
• Flexibility
• Conflict resolution
• Problem-solving abilities
• Time-management

#8. Leverage Optional Sections

So far, we’ve covered the essential information for your student resume.

But if you have any leftover space, there are a few other sections you can add.

Imagine this: the hiring manager has to decide between you and another candidate, but your resumes are nearly identical. You have very similar experiences, backgrounds, and credentials.

This is where some less essential resume sections can tip the scales in your favor.

Optional sections can help you backup your skills and experience and set you apart from candidates with the same professional background as yours.

These sections include:

Are you fluent in more than one language?

If you’re bilingual or even trilingual, you should always mention that in your resume!

Even if the position you’re applying for doesn’t require any specific language skills, it can still come in handy at some point.

Companies are becoming increasingly international, and you never know when you might end up working on a project or a client where you can put your knowledge to good use.

To list languages in your resume , simply write them down and include your proficiency level:

• Intermediate

Optionally, you can also use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scales.

And remember - you should never lie about your language skills. You never know when the interviewer might turn out to be fluent in the language you claim to know!

As you might remember from your college application , extracurricular activities look great on a resume.

Different after-school projects and clubs can help you gain practical skills and increase your chances of landing a good job right after college. For example, if you were part of a debate team and you’re applying for a job as a lawyer , that could give your resume a boost.

Some activities, like student council responsibilities, show maturity and leadership skills that would translate well to a work environment. 

Here’s an example of how to list extracurricular activities on your resume :

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:

Public Speaking Club

Founder and President

09/2018 - 09/2019

• Founded a club to help fellow students improve at public speaking and promote discussion-based events.
• Organized 5+ public speaking lectures.
• Brought in professors from the university and organized 2 speaking workshops.

But regardless of whether they’re related to the job or not, extracurricular activities still show the hiring manager that you’re hard-working and committed.

If you want the hiring manager to get a more well-rounded idea of you as a person, you can include hobbies and interests on your resume .

While this section isn’t going to get you hired, it could tip the scales in your favor.

When the hiring manager is looking at two near-identical resumes from two equally qualified candidates, the deciding factor might come down to something as minor as your personality and interests.

For example, imagine that the company you’re applying to values teamwork and promotes health amongst its employees. If your resume says your hobbies include team sports like basketball, that could convince the hiring manager that you’d be a good cultural fit for their team.

Certifications

The best investment is always in your future, and hiring managers love candidates who do just that.

If you have any extra qualifications or certificates , add them to your resume.

For example, if you graduated with a BA in Marketing, and you’re applying for a Digital Marketing role, that’s great. But it’s even better if the hiring manager sees that you completed an advanced SEO course and that you’re ready to roll!

Do you have a piece of paper with your name on it that says why you’re so smart and qualified? If so, add it to your resume.

It could be an award from a competition or some other recognition of your excellence - academic or otherwise.

For example, you might have been selected for a very rare scholarship , or your hard work as an illustrator won your project a nomination.

You don’t need to be modest on your resume - if you earned something cool, show it off. Any awards can back up your expertise and show the hiring manager that you’re worth a chance.

Have you worked on your university’s student paper? Maybe you’re a freelance writer or a distinguished academic .

Whatever the case is, publications are always impressive on a resume.

Include them under a designated “Publications” section and provide a URL so the hiring manager can check out your work.

#9. Include a Cover Letter

Cover letters are essential for a successful job search , and your student resume won’t be complete without one.

Forbes reports that 56% of hiring managers prefer that applicants include a cover letter with their resume.

Crafting a great cover letter tells the hiring manager that you have an eye for detail and that you’re ready to go the extra mile to join the team. You’re not just randomly sending out the same resume to every job listing you find.

So, to learn how to write your own , let's explore what makes an effective cover letter:

Here are some straightforward tips to make your cover letter great:

• Check your contact information. The information in your cover letter’s header should be the same as what’s on your resume, so double-check for any mistakes.
• Use the hiring manager’s name. A little research can help you find it, and it helps establish a more personal connection than just writing “To Whom It May Concern.”
• Start with a strong opening. Mention a couple of your best skills or achievements right at the start to grab the hiring manager’s attention.
• Go into more detail in the body. Talk about your accomplishments or skills in more detail, and mention anything you couldn’t fit on your resume, like explaining why you want to work remotely .
• Conclude by asking them to reach out. A good closing paragraph includes a call to action that asks the hiring manager to do something, like contact you or arrange an interview.
• Sing it like a professional. Choose an appropriate closing line, like “Best regards” or “I look forward to hearing from you.”

Here’s a great example of a student cover letter :

5 Student Resume Examples

Looking for more resume inspiration?

Check out the different student resume examples below to see what a job-winning resume might look like.

#1. Recent Graduate Resume

#2. Experienced Student Resume

#3. Internship Student Resume

#4. College Freshman Resume

#5. High School Student Resume

Key Takeaways

And there you go!

That’s how you create a powerful student resume from scratch.

Now, let’s quickly summarize what we’ve learned so far:

• Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes every day, so you want yours to grab their attention immediately. Write a brief paragraph in your resume header to tell them who you are and why you’re perfect for the job.
• Unlike in most resumes, where work experience goes first, if you’re a student, your education should be at the top of your resume.
• Don’t worry if you don’t have any work experience yet - when you’re applying for an entry-level job, hiring managers don’t expect you to.
• Instead of work experience, you can focus on internships, volunteering, personal projects, or extracurricular activities to show off your skills and fill in your resume.
• Your skills could make or break your job application. Research the most in-demand skills for the job you want and list the ones you have in your resume.
• Always add a matching cover letter to your student resume to show the hiring manager you’re ready to go the extra mile for the job.

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20 College Student Resumes That Landed Jobs in 2024

• College Student Resumes
• College Student Resumes by Role
• College Student Resumes for Academics

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.

Related resume guides

• College Graduate
• Grad School
• Entry level

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!

• We’ll show you how, step-by-step • Real, practical tips and tools • 100% free

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Resume Examples & Samples

The ultimate guide to writing a student resume [examples].

Adi Gaskell

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Table of Contents

The resume must-knows.

• Contact Information
• Resume Summary or Objective

Work Experience and Core Sections

• Internships
• Transferable Experience
• Extracurricular Activities
• Projects and Portfolio

Creating a student resume can be a daunting process. Chances are, you’ve never had a professional job before, which leaves you staring at a blank piece of paper hoping that a resume would magically appear.

While having a degree is great, you should know that your entire graduating class has that. As does the previous graduating class, and the graduating class of the university nearby.

At the end of the day, what’s really going to set you apart from everyone else is your resume, which is why you have to make it perfect.

In this guide, you’re going to learn:

• What sections to include
• How to list basic information on your resume (contact, education)
• How to sell yourself without any work experience
• Using internship experience to set yourself apart
• Using somewhat “irrelevant” work experience to your advantage
• How university activities can lead to professional skills

# the-resume-must-knows

Whether you’re a student or a professional with 20 years of experience, you’ll have to start off your resume the same way.

The must-have sections in any resume are:

• Summary or Objective

VelvetJobs Expert Tip

You might want to start working on your student resume right now - it's much easier to apply everything you learn as you read on. Give our resume builder a try.

CONTACT INFORMATION

# contact-information.

While the contact section of your resume might seem simple, it’s very important to get it right. Imagine spending weeks sending out your resume and not getting a response because you've got a type in your e-mail!

Always make sure that your contact section is 100% accurate.

The contact information section consists oF :

First Name / Last Name

Phone Number

Address (City, State, Zip Code)

Most of those entries are pretty self-explanatory . The one thing you should pay extra attention to is the e -mail address.

When it comes to e-mail, make sure to use a professional one. Use [First Name] + [Last Name] @ EmailProvider.com , or any variation of that.

[email protected] may be funny but the recruiter will see it as extremely unprofessional.

Make sure not to use your university email because those accounts tend to expire after graduation.

Depending on your major , there are some additional things you could mention.

• Behance - if you’re a design student, it’s a good way to showcase your portfolio
• GitHub - If you’ve been studying programming, you probably have a lot of projects or games you’ve worked on. That’s something the recruiter would love to take a look at - and GitHub is a good place to store those.
• Blog, Website - For any job that requires a portfolio - be it design, coding or writing, you can always create a personal website from scratch.

Contact information is important - you don't want to lose your dream job because the recruiter couldn't contact you. Learn how to include contact information in your resume with our guide!

RESUME SUMMARY OR OBJECTIVE

A good way to begin your resume is with either a summary or an objective . This will be the first thing a recruiter sees the factor that determines whether they’re going to read the rest of it.

The summary is your professional overview and it goes first, followed by the objective which explains what you’re trying to achieve with the resume and why you're a good fit for the job.

As a student, you probably don’t have much of a professional career, so what you need to go for is an objective.

How to Write a Resume Objective

As we’ve mentioned before, the idea behind a resume objective is to show the recruiter why you’re applying for the job, and how it’s going to beneficial for the company to hire you. Let's look at a bad and good example.

WRONG Example:

I studied accounting because my parents thought it was cool. I want this job because I like cozy offices, nice pay , and being able to repay my $100,000 student loans

This is NOT what the recruiter is looking for. The more specific you are, the more likely the recruiter will take you seriously.

While there are no strict “rules” on how you create a resume objective, you should keep in mind that the general standard is having it written in 3rd person .

To help make it easier to create a resume objective, we came up with a super-simple formula:

Now, let’s look at each of the ingredients one by one, so it’s easier to apply it to your case.

• University Degree - Which school you’re going to, what your major is, and any honors or distinctions.
• Extracurricular Activities - The “work” you did during school. This can entail the clubs you participated in or the competitions you won.
• Application - This portion explains how you've put your degree and activities to use in real life.

To make that more understandable, let’s turn it into something more practical:

RIGHT Example:

Energetic and passionate Business Administration graduate from Boston University [University Degree] . Record of excellence in finance, having won 2nd place on the MadeUpFinanceCompetetion [Extracurricular Activities] . Looking to leverage the knowledge and skills gained from the university in a career in finance [Application] .

A resume objective shows the recruiter that you're passionate about the company. Want to learn more about creating a killer resume objective ? Check out our guide!

# education

This section is where the last 4 years of your life go.

here's how to format the section:

Type of degree + Field of study

University name + Duration

Honors and Distinctions

This section is very straoghtforward. T here’s no “wrong” way to list your education.

The one thing you should consider is the GPA . You want to use it only if it works in your favor. List it only if it's a 3.5+ / 4.0.

check out this examplE :

B.A . Accounting

Cornell University, 2012 - 2016

3.76 / 4.0 .

• Awarded merit-based MadeUp Scholarship
• Graduated with Honors in the field of Accounting

Have more questions about listing your education ? Maybe you dropped out from school, and are unsure about whether to mention it. Or maybe you're wondering how to mention honors and distinctions? Learn all that and more with our guide!

# work-experience-and-core-sections

Once you’ve got all the basics of the resume down, but you still don't know how to go about work experience .

Maybe you've even heard the popular trope...

Requirements:

• 20+ years of experience in marketing
• Experience in managing marketing budget of $20,000+
• Results-driven , able to make us rich

The job is paid in exposure, good vibes & a potential for a normal job (eventually. If we like you. Maybe.)

Well, here’s some good news - that’s not exactly how it works. The “needing work experience to get a job, needing a job to get work experience” trope is actually a myth.

As a student, what sets you apart is not your years of experience. The recruiter knows that you’ve probably never worked before, not a lot of people applying for an entry-level job have.

What HR is looking for is your willingness to learn and there are plenty of ways to show demonstrate that on your resume, including having all the core information put together in one of these successful resume templates .

To be more specific:

• Internship Experience - These days, many universities make it mandatory to complete an internship before graduation. Internships can help prepare you for a career in your field, and get you the skills you need for your first professional job.
• Transfera ble Experiences - Chances are, you’ve worked some sort of part-time blue-collar job. Think a cashier, waiter, or a customer support rep. While those positions might seem a bit irrelevant in comparison to a professional job, they give you transferable skills that help set you apart from the competition.
• Extracurricular Activities - Your college adviser has probably told you that extracurricular activities are good for your student resume. I t’s true - they tend to give you applicable skills (think editing, photography, writing, administration).
• Projects & Portfolio - You’ve probably had some side-projects in school. Maybe it’s a game you’ve developed in your free time or concept-art you’ve been working on. Mentioning them in your resume proves that despite your lack of work experience, you’re completely capable of working in the field.

We’re going to go through them one-by-one , and explain how they can fit into your resume.

If you can make your work experience work for you, you're a shoe-in for the job! Learn everything there is to know about listing your work experience with our complete guide!

# internships

Internships.

If you’ve done an internship in college, it's going to be a lot easier to find a professional job after school. You list internships on your resume exactly the same way as work experience - in a reverse chronological order and with simple formatting.

internship formatting:

Position + Dates

Company Name

Responsibilities & Accomplishments

Check out this example:

• Underwent training in digital marketing, specifically for SEO , PPC & Content Marketing
• Published 3 posts on the company blog, each receiving 100+ shares
• Managed an AdWords account of $2,000 , under the supervision of the PPC manager
• In charge of the execution of blogger outreach, establishing 5+ contacts with influencers

Quantification is king - whenever you have the chance, talk about your experiences in numbers .

To get a better idea, look at the following example ...

Closed monthly deals of $5,000+

Which one sounds more “convincing?”

The first case, the recruiter would see dollar signs - this guy can sell , and he’ll make us some real money. In the second case, there’s really nothing to be impressed by.

# transferable-experience

Transferable experience.

Let's say you've held a summer job between college semesters.

At a glance, a summer job as a server might seem like it can't help you in any way. Why should a recruiter care about the time you spent waiting tables? Is that something you’d even mention on a resume?

Well, it depends - in some cases, mentioning the experience might be what sets you apart.

Which one do you think would win between these two examples?

Worked 60+ hours a week as a server during summer holidays to pay for school

My family paid for my university, and I’ve never worked a day in my life

Itt’s always better to mention some work experience as opposed to none . It shows initiative and willingness to get things done.

If you don’t have enough internships or extracurricular activities to fill up a page, then you might want to add any kind of work experience you have.

Temporary jobs could give you transferable skills which can be directly applicable to the full-time position you're applying for. For example, let’s say the job you’re applying for requires dealing with customers .

If you’ve done anything that put you in charge of ensuring client satisfaction, then that experience might be relevant for the job. Some examples are:

• Waiter / Waitress
• Sales Assistant
• Customer Support

So if you’re applying for a job in sales , you’d want to mention any of these in your work experience section.

• Worked 20 to 30 hours a week as a server to help university bills
• Interacted with 30+ customers on a daily basis
• Ensured 100% customer satisfaction , catering to their every need
• Voted employee of the month during months of Aug, Oct .

This shows that the job-seeker is familiar with hard work and managing to put in long hours while attending school.

Plus, they’ve interacted with customers before which immediately puts them ahead of anyone who hasn’t .

Want to land your internship resume? Learn how to create an internship resume with our complete guide & get ahead your competition!

# extracurricular-activities

Extracurricular activities.

It’s a fact - extracurricular activities are good for your resume. Think of them as a “ simulation ” of real work. You go to meetings, organize events, and interact with “ co-workers. ”

University clubs can teach you hard skills like photography, video editing, public speaking, or soft skills like being organized, interpersonal, negotiation, and thinking on your feet. The section for extracurricular activities works as “work experience” would on a more seasoned resume.

If you’ve worked consistently at a club, then you want to mention the exact things you’ve done.

Extracurricular activities formatting

Organization Name

This is according to the same principles as your typical work experience section. Make sure to quantify your achievements whenever possible.

Check out the example below:

2016 Sep - 2017 Jan

• In charge of managing communications with different influencers & business people
• Oversaw a team of 4 , mentoring new members and ensuring all events went as scheduled
• Organized events for students interested in entrepreneurship, bringing in guest speakers & holding simulations
• Established relations with 5+ local companies , sponsoring food & drinks for club events).

If you haven’t done much at the club, however, or if it’s something you really can’t count as an experience , then you can do a simple line…

Minor entry

Club + Position + Dates

This kind of experience also works . Say, you’ve played soccer for 4 years in school . That means you’re physically fit and have some endurance. Really demanding jobs such as business consulting, for example, need some real serious endurance .

Member of the University Soccer Club, Sep 2015 - Feb 2017.

# projects-and-portfolio

Projects and portfolio.

Depending on what you studied in school, you might have worked on some side-projects . For example, a web developer might have coded a website at a university club.

If you’re a designer , maybe you’ve done fan-art for your favorite TV shows. Or maybe you’re an entrepreneurial business student , starting a mini-business on your college campus.

If you're worked on any digital projects, you can upload them in an online portfolio and include a link to it in your contacts section. If on the other hand, it’s a real-life project , then you might want to create a separate section for it in your resume.

In that case, you’d want to structure it as is “ work experience ,” but with some minor differences.

Project formatting

Project Name

Project Description

Experience, Achievements, etc.

Now, let’s turn that into a practical example:

Independent Projects

CampusFoods

On MadeUpUni campus, there was a lack of a delivery options from local restaurants. I started CampusFoods to solve the problem, employing students to do delivery runs for a % of profits from the restaurant.

• Bootstrapped the entire project, initially handling the deliveries personally.
• Created a delivery schedule, allowing for low-cost food transportation.
• Hired 3 university students part-time , managing and coordinating them on a daily basis.
• During the entire business life-time , earned over $10,000 + in revenue.

Need some inspiration? Check out these resume templates .

Skills can be a very important section in your resume - but it can also be literally nothing .

There are 2 different types of skills you mention on a resume:

• Hard Skills - These are the technical stuff - anything that you can empirically prove. Think Photoshop , web design, C++ , etc.
• Soft Skills - Everything less tangible. Think, people skills, critical-thinking , and leadership.

Hard skills are essential for any good resume. If the employer is looking for someone skilled at Photoshop , it’s a must that you mention that you’re proficient at it. Otherwise, you're just going to get skipped.

Never, ever lie about your skill level. If you start a job as a web developer and realize that you have no idea how to do basic layout, it’s going to be awkward for everyone.

You can divide hard skills into 3 different levels:

• Beginner - Just starting out, <1 year of experience
• Intermediate - 1 - 3 years of experience.
• Expert - 3+ years of experience, less if you have achievements to back up the claim

Listing them on a resume is also extremely simple - simply mention the skill & your level of expertise.

for example:

Photoshop - Intermediate

Illustrator - Intermediate

Excel - Beginner

UX Design - Beginner

Soft skills, however, aren’t nearly as simple . They also happen to be something that most students mess up with.

Since soft skills aren't tangible , anyone can claim that they have them, regardless of whether it's a sophomore in college, or a manager with 10 years of experience.

So when a student needs something to fill up their resume, they just list different soft skills they supposedly possess, thinking that the recruiter will just believe them at a glance.

Imagine seeing this as on a student resume:

Soft skills example

Critical Thinking

This says nothing substantial about you as a candidate. Listing theoretical things such as “critical thinking,” “leadership,” etc., doesn’t work, since everyone else can do the same. You have to back up these claims with evidence of achievements.

Held managerial positions in 3 student clubs during the time in the university, managing teams consisting of up to 10 people .

Here, on the other hand, you have solid proof of your leadership experience - and that’s something the recruiter might ask you as a follow-up in an interview.

Now let's look at a complete example:

Once you have everything down, it’s time to proofread your resume and start your first professional job-search . In terms of proofreading, it’s always good to have a friend take a look at it. There might be some minor mistakes that have slipped by.

If your university has a career center , then you might want to have them take a look at it, too.

It’s important for your resume not to have any spelling or grammatical mistakes . It shows that you’re actually serious about your career. Plus, attention to detail is one of those things any future boss will value. So, you might want to run your resume through Grammarly , or any other spell-checking tool.

If you can't get in touch with your career center for whatever reason, you might want to give our experts a try!

Do remember, though, that your first job-search might seem a bit discouraging at times. There might be times when it seems hopeless, with no one getting back to you after you sent out hundreds of e-mails.

Remember that until you've mnaged to build a solid career, job-search is a numbers game. All you have to do is keep applying.

If you’re applying for jobs at bigger corporations , this might even be tougher, since they (sometimes) don’t send out rejection letters .

If, however, you’re going for small to medium-sized companies, you can use an email tracking tool such as BananaTag , which gives you information on whenever your emails are opened.

To make it even more high-tech , you can use DocSend to store your resume online and send a link. In that case, DocSend will notify you whenever someone takes a look at your resume & how long they’ll be looking at it.

Now that you're a master at creating a student resume, how about putting your knowledge into practice. Head over to our resume builder and get the job-search going!

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How to Make a Resume for Students

Make a Resume for Students | How-to & Tips

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What is a student resume?

What to include in a student resume, how to make a resume for students, tips for student cover letters.

Current students or recent graduates can showcase their education, limited work experience, and skills in a student resume. Student resumes are different from traditional resumes because students usually have more education than they have work experience. In this article, discover how to showcase your education and skills properly in your student resume.

A student resume summarizes a job applicant’s education, work experience, and other applicable skills and qualities. Most students use a student resume to apply for work while finishing their degree or just after graduation. Student resumes focus equally on a student’s education and work experience or solely on their education and related skills if they do not yet have any work experience.

Here are the recommended categories of information to include in your student resume.

Standard information

All resumes should include basic information such as contact information, experience, and education. Include an objective to explain the job or career path you are interested in. A list of your relevant skills can demonstrate that you are a good fit for the position.

Examples of standard information:

• Contact information
• Work experience

Additional information

Student resumes should include extracurricular accomplishments to provide the hiring manager with a well-rounded picture of the student’s abilities and skills.

Examples of additional information:

• Relevant coursework
• Honors and awards
• Volunteering experience
• Certifications

Follow these steps to create a student resume.

1. First, add your contact information

At the top of your resume, add your full name, phone number, and email address. Make sure the phone number you list has voicemail set up with a professional message. Finally, use an appropriate email address, ideally one that includes your first and last name. Left align, enlarge, and bold your contact information so that hiring managers can quickly find it.

Pat Brown 555.555.5555 [email protected]

2. Second, identify your objective

An objective statement is a great way for students with little work experience to highlight their education skills. Your objective should describe your current work or education experience, applicable skills and name the position you seek. Focus on explaining how your skills and experience will support the company for which you are applying. Objective statements should be in paragraph form and are usually two or three sentences long.

Detail-focused undergraduate student studying English literature seeking an entry-level position with Harper Publishers. Will use strong organizational and customer service skills to assist Harper Publishers with administrative support.

3. Next, describe your education

List your education in descending order, meaning you should list your most recent education first with the previous education below. Include the degree earned, the college or university name and location, date of graduation, and any graduation honors, such as cum laude. Consider including your GPA if it is over 3.5. Some students with little or no work experience benefit from including additional academic information, such as the name of their thesis or academic achievements that do not fit in another category.

Duke University Durham, North Carolina Bachelor of Arts: English literature, May 2020 GPA: 3.9: magna cum laude Thesis: How the Bronte sisters challenged the patriarchy through their writing

4. Then, list your work experience

List your work experience, such as your educational history, in descending order. Include the name and location of the company, your position title, dates of employment, and a short, action-focused bullet point list of your main job duties and applicable skills. Quantify your list if possible to show the value you brought to your past employer.

Abby’s Booktraders Akron, Ohio Sales Associate June 2018 – August 2019

• Assisted customers with book suggestions
• Managed the cash register
• Organized bookshelves
• Created book displays

5. Next, add your skills

List your applicable skills here. The skills you include should align directly with the job you are applying for. Scan the job posting and mark the skill-related words in the qualifications section if you are not sure which skills to list in your skills section. Be specific so that the hiring manager can quickly skim and see how your skills align with the job.

• Word processing
• Grammar and usage
• Organization
• Customer service
• Communication (written and verbal)

6. Then, consider honors and awards

This section is optional. If you have a significant number of honors and awards from your educational experience, list them here. If you don’t, skip this section. List the name of the award, the institution that provided it, the date you received it, and any other relevant information that may give the award more context.

• Mary White excellence in research award, Duke University, 2020
• Paul S. Anderson academic scholarship, Duke University, 2016 – 2020

7. Next, describe volunteer experience

Like skills, volunteer experience is an optional category to add if you have relevant experience. Include the name of the organization you volunteered for, your title (if you had one), and the length of your volunteer experience. Include bullet points if you have space using action words to describe what you did while volunteering.

Sun Valley Nursing Home Durham, North Carolina Volunteer Greeter October 2018 – Present

• Conversed with residents
• Organized a monthly outing for residents

8. Then, list certifications

Some students may earn certifications while in school. Only list the certifications if they are relevant to the job for which you are applying. You should include the name of the certification and when it was earned.

• CPR and first aid certification, March 2019
• Lifeguard certification, June 2018

9. Finally, include hobbies

A section devoted to hobbies or interests can help fill out a student resume if needed. The hobbies you include should describe additional skills or personal development related to the job you are applying for. List the hobby and give a brief description to explain it.

• Triathlons, I compete in a triathlon quarterly
• Book club, I lead a book club devoted to personal development monthly
• Cooking, I take a cooking class once a week

Use these tips to craft your cover letter:

• Do your research.  Read the job description closely so you can refer to specific qualifications. Know about the company and mention how you can specifically help achieve the company’s mission.
• Match skills to qualifications.  Identify the skills you have that relate directly to the qualifications for the position. Use language from the job posting to show that you are an excellent candidate.
• Personalize the letter.  Make sure you personalize each cover letter you send out for the specific job you are applying for.
• Format appropriately.  Keep paragraphs short so that hiring managers can quickly skim the content for keywords and accomplishments.
• Quantify your achievements.  Use numbers to quantify previous work or projects to show the value you would bring to the company.
• Highlight leadership.  Mention leadership opportunities you have had and use action-based language to describe the specifics of your leadership.
• Mention awards.  Discuss awards you have earned that might set you apart from other applicants.

An excellent cover letter should accompany a strong resume for a student’s best chance of receiving their ideal job. Student cover letters allow applicants to expand on their skills and accomplishments while showing how they will support the company.

If you need help writing a resume, use our data-backed resume builder .

• Career Blog

Writing a Strong Student Resume: What to Highlight and How

Creating a strong student resume is critical when applying for internships, part-time jobs, or even post-graduation positions. It is the first step to grab the attention of potential employers and showcase your skills and experience.

This article aims to guide students on how to write a strong resume by highlighting relevant experiences, achievements, and skills. We will cover various aspects such as formatting, content, and tips to make your resume stand out from others.

Throughout this article, we will discuss each section in detail, providing examples and insight into what employers want to see on a student’s resume. Additionally, we will provide suggestions on how to tailor your resume to match specific job descriptions and industries.

By following the tips and advice provided in this article, you will be able to create a resume that not only highlights your experience and skills but also showcases why you are the perfect candidate for the job.

Let’s get started on writing a strong student resume!

Understanding the Purpose of a Student Resume

A student resume is a document that showcases a student’s skills, achievements, and experiences. The purpose of a student resume is to convince potential employers, colleges or universities that the student is the right candidate for the job or position they are seeking.

What is the Purpose of a Student Resume?

The purpose of a student resume is to highlight the student’s academic achievements, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and any other relevant experiences that make them a strong candidate for the position they’re applying for. A student resume is an essential tool for securing a job or gaining admission to a college or university.

Target Audience

The target audience of a student resume can vary depending on the purpose of the document. It could be potential employers, colleges or universities, scholarships, or internships. Therefore, it’s essential to tailor the resume to the specific target audience.

Key Elements to Include

A student resume should be tailored to the position or institution the student is applying for. Here are a few key elements to include in a student resume:

Personal Information: A student’s name and contact information (phone number and email) must be at the top of the resume.

Education: The student’s academic background and any relevant coursework.

Work Experience: Any relevant work experience, including part-time jobs or internships.

Skills and Abilities: Any relevant skills and abilities that would benefit the position or institution, such as language proficiency, software proficiency, or presentation skills.

Extracurricular Activities and Volunteer Work: Any relevant extracurricular activities or volunteer work that demonstrate the student’s leadership, teamwork, and community involvement.

Awards and Recognition: Any awards or recognition the student has received for academic achievements or outstanding accomplishments.

A student resume can be a game-changer when it comes to securing a job or admission to a college or university. When creating a student resume, it’s critical to understand its purpose, tailor it to the target audience, and include essential elements that highlight the student’s strengths and experiences.

Formatting Your Student Resume

When it comes to creating a strong student resume, formatting is just as important as the content you include. The right formatting can make your resume stand out in a sea of applicants, so it’s important to pay attention to these fundamental components:

Formatting Basics

Before you dive into the design of your resume, make sure you have a clear understanding of what a resume is and what it should include. A resume is a document that summarizes your professional and academic experience and highlights your qualifications for a particular role or job.

To create an effective resume, you need to present your information in a clear and organized way. Use headings, bullet points, and bold text to break up long paragraphs and make your resume easier to read.

Choosing the Right Font and Spacing

The right font and spacing can make your resume look professional and polished. Consider using a font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, and make sure your text is at least 10 or 11 points in size.

When it comes to spacing, use a 1-inch margin around the entire page and divide your sections with a double space. This will give your resume a clean and organized feel.

Tips for Enhancing Readability

Your resume should be easy to read at a glance, so it’s important to use layout and design principles to enhance its readability.

Consider using white space to break up sections and make your resume less cluttered. Use icons or graphics sparingly to highlight important information.

Another way to enhance readability is to focus on the content of your resume. Use strong action verbs and quantifiable data to demonstrate your achievements and accomplishments. This will help your resume stand out to potential employers.

The formatting of your student resume can make a significant difference in its effectiveness. Following these tips for formatting basics, choosing the right font and spacing, and enhancing readability can make your resume stand out and increase your chances of getting hired.

Writing a Compelling Objective Statement/Summary

When crafting your student resume, it’s important to include a clear and concise objective statement or summary to capture the attention of potential employers.

The difference between an objective statement and a summary

An objective statement is a brief statement that outlines what you hope to achieve in your career, while a summary offers a snapshot of your professional experience and highlights your key accomplishments. Objective statements are generally preferred for entry-level positions, while summaries are more appropriate for professionals with more experience.

Tips for writing a strong objective statement or summary

• Keep it concise: Your objective statement or summary should be no more than a few sentences.
• Tailor it to the position: Your statement should highlight how your skills and experience align with the job you’re applying for.
• Use strong, action-oriented language: Focus on your accomplishments and the results you’ve achieved in past experiences.
• Be specific: Avoid vague language and focus on specifics, such as the skills you’ve developed, projects you’ve led, or awards you’ve earned.

Examples of effective objective statements and summaries

Objective statement.

“As a recent graduate with a degree in marketing, my objective is to leverage my skills in digital marketing and social media management to help companies increase brand awareness and drive sales.”

“Experienced marketing professional with a background in digital marketing, social media management, and project management. Led successful campaigns that increased brand awareness and drove sales. Skilled in analyzing data to inform marketing strategies and developing engaging content for multiple platforms.”

Remember, your objective statement or summary is the first thing potential employers will read on your resume. Make sure it’s compelling and accurately reflects your skills and experience to stand out from the competition.

Showcasing Relevant Coursework and Experience

When it comes to building a strong student resume, showcasing relevant coursework and experience can make all the difference. Here are some tips for doing just that:

Highlighting academic achievements

Academic achievements give potential employers an idea of your level of knowledge and expertise in a particular field. Highlighting academic achievements can range from listing courses relevant to the job you’re applying for or including your grade point average (GPA) if it’s high. Make sure you tailor these achievements to the job you’re applying for, as not all courses will be relevant.

Discussing work/internship experience

Work or internship experience is another way to showcase your skills and abilities. It’s important to include relevant work or internship experience, focusing on the skills you gained and the tasks you completed. Use active language to communicate your experience, such as “developed marketing strategies” or “managed a team of employees.” Remember to quantify your achievements with numbers when possible, such as “increased sales by 20%.”

How to showcase extracurricular activities

While academic achievements and work/internship experience are essential, extracurricular activities can add an extra layer of depth to your resume. Activities such as clubs, volunteer work, or leadership positions demonstrate your interests and passions, as well as your ability to manage your time effectively. When discussing extracurricular activities, highlight the skills and responsibilities you gained from those experiences. Were you a leader in a club? Explain how you organized events and managed a team of peers. Did you volunteer at a local non-profit? Discuss how you developed communication and teamwork skills.

By showcasing your academic achievements, work/internship experience, and extracurricular activities, you can create a well-rounded student resume that stands out to potential employers and sets you up for success.

Emphasizing Key Skills

When writing a student resume, it’s essential to highlight your top skills that make you stand out from the competition. Start by identifying your key skills, such as proficient in a particular software, strong communication skills or leadership ability.

Once you know your top skills, make sure to incorporate keywords related to the job you’re applying to. Look for keywords in the job description, and use similar language throughout your resume. This will show the employer that you possess the necessary skills for the position.

Transferable skills, such as teamwork or problem-solving, are worth emphasizing in your resume, even if they don’t directly relate to the job. To highlight these skills, provide specific examples of when you utilized them in previous experiences, such as a team project or volunteer work.

Take the time to identify your top skills, use keywords related to the job, and highlight transferable skills through specific examples. By doing so, your student resume will showcase your strengths and increase your chances of landing your dream job.

Quantifying Your Achievements

When it comes to writing a strong student resume, showcasing your achievements in a clear and concise manner is crucial. While listing your accomplishments is a great start, the real impact comes when you quantify them. Here are some tips for quantifying your achievements and making your resume stand out.

The importance of quantifying your achievements

Quantifying your achievements provides concrete evidence of your abilities and accomplishments. It shows a potential employer that you have a track record of success and that you can bring value to their organization. Rather than just stating that you were a member of a club or organization, quantify your involvement by citing how many events you helped organize or how much money you helped raise.

Tips for showcasing achievements using numbers

• Use percentages: When talking about your accomplishments, use percentages to show how much you improved something or contributed to a project’s success. For example, “Increased fundraising efforts by 50% through implementing new strategies”
• Be specific: If you implemented a new process or system, be specific in how much time or money it saved the organization. This will showcase your ability to think critically and provide solutions to problems.
• Use concrete numbers: When possible, use concrete numbers to quantify your achievements. If you helped increase sales, specify exactly how much revenue was generated. If you lead a team, state the number of people you managed.

Examples of quantified achievements

• Raised $10,000 for the school’s annual fundraiser by organizing a successful social media campaign.
• Increased website traffic by 75% through targeted marketing and SEO strategies.
• Achieved a 4.0 GPA for 3 consecutive semesters by maintaining a rigorous study schedule and utilizing study groups.
• Improved customer satisfaction ratings by 25% through implementing a training program for customer service representatives.
• Led a team of 5 interns to complete a project ahead of schedule, resulting in a cost savings of $10,000.

By quantifying your achievements, you demonstrate your ability to achieve results and contribute to the success of an organization. Make sure to update your resume with specific numbers and metrics that showcase your abilities and experience.

Addressing Employment Gaps or Lack of Experience

When it comes to writing a strong student resume, having gaps in employment or a lack of work experience can be daunting. However, there are strategies that you can use to address these issues, tips to highlight relevant skills and experience, and examples that can help you showcase your abilities, even in the absence of work experience.

Strategies for addressing gaps in employment or lack of work experience

If you have gaps in your employment history or lack work experience, there are a few things you can do to address these issues on your resume:

Focus on what you did during this time.  It’s important to highlight what you did during any gaps in employment. For example, if you took time off to travel, you could highlight the new perspectives you gained or any personal growth you experienced from your experiences.

Include relevant courses or projects.  If you took relevant courses or worked on projects during your time off, make sure to include those on your resume. This can show that you were actively seeking ways to enhance your skills and knowledge during that time.

Emphasize volunteer work or extracurricular activities.  If you volunteered during your gap in employment, make sure to include that experience on your resume. Volunteer work can showcase skills such as leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork. Similarly, if you were actively involved in any extracurricular activities, highlight those as well.

Tips for highlighting relevant skills and experience

There are several strategies that you can use to highlight your skills and experience, even if you don’t have traditional work experience:

List your technical skills.  If you have experience with software programs or technical skills, be sure to include them on your resume. This can showcase your ability to learn new tools and technologies quickly.

Focus on transferable skills.  Transferable skills are skills that can be used in multiple settings. For example, if you have strong communication skills or are a skilled problem-solver, list those skills on your resume.

Highlight education and coursework.  If you are still in school or recently graduated, highlight your education and relevant coursework. This can show potential employers that you have the theoretical knowledge to succeed in a particular field.

Reviewing and Editing Your Student Resume

Your student resume is a reflection of yourself, so it’s important to take the time to proofread and edit it thoroughly. Here are some tips on how to ensure that your resume is free from errors and stands out from the competition.

How to Proofread and Edit Your Resume

Take a break: After you’ve finished writing your resume, step away from it for a while. This will give you a fresh perspective when you come back to it later.

Read it out loud: This is a great way to catch errors and awkward phrasing.

Use spell check: This is a basic step that should not be skipped. However, do not rely solely on spell check as it may not catch all errors.

Get a second opinion: Have someone else read your resume and give you feedback. They may catch something that you missed.

Customize it: Tailor your resume to the specific job that you’re applying for. A generic resume won’t stand out as much as one that’s tailored to the job listing.

Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Typos and grammatical errors: As mentioned before, this is a basic step that should not be overlooked.

Listing irrelevant experience: Only include experience that is relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Using an unprofessional email address: Use a professional email address that includes your name, rather than something like “ [email protected] “.

Being too vague: Use specific details to describe your achievements and experiences.

Ignoring keywords: Many employers use software to scan resumes for certain keywords. Make sure that the keywords from the job listing are included in your resume.

Tips for Making Your Resume Stand Out

Highlight your achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities. Instead, highlight the accomplishments you achieved while in that position.

Quantify your achievements: Use numbers to show the impact that you made, such as “increased sales by 30%”.

Use action verbs: Start each bullet point with a strong action verb, such as “created”, “managed”, or “analyzed”.

Keep it concise: Your resume should be no longer than one page, so only include the most important and relevant information.

Use design elements: While you don’t want to overdo it, using design elements such as bold font or color can help your resume stand out visually.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your student resume is error-free, professional, and stands out from the competition.

Creating a Cover Letter to Supplement Your Student Resume

When it comes to applying for a job, your cover letter is just as important as your student resume. It provides an opportunity for you to introduce yourself to potential employers and convey your interest in the position. Here are some tips to help you write a successful cover letter.

Understanding the Purpose of a Cover Letter

The purpose of a cover letter is to explain why you are the ideal candidate for the job. It should highlight your relevant skills and experiences, and show how they align with the requirements of the position. A good cover letter should also showcase your enthusiasm for the job and the company, and convey your interest in the field.

Tips for Writing a Successful Cover Letter

• Research the company and the position you are applying for. This will help you tailor your cover letter to their specific needs and requirements.
• Use a professional tone and format. Address the letter to the hiring manager, keep it concise and easy to read, and make sure to proofread for errors.
• Highlight your relevant qualifications and experiences. Use specific examples to show how you have applied your skills in real-life situations.
• Show your enthusiasm for the job and the company. Explain why you are interested in the position and what you can contribute to the company.
• Call to action. End your letter by stating your availability for an interview and thanking the employer for considering your application.

Related Articles

• Hard Skills vs Soft Skills: Definitions & Top Examples
• How to Write a Resignation Email [Examples and Tips]
• How to Write a Career Change Cover Letter in 2023
• Soft Skills: What Are They? [2023 Edition]
• How to Write a Cover Letter in 2023 | Complete Guide

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More from ResumeHead

• Student Resume Example

Resume Examples

• Common Tasks & Responsibilities
• Top Hard & Soft Skills
• Action Verbs & Keywords
• Resume FAQs
• Similar Resumes

Common Responsibilities Listed on Student Resumes:

• Research and Data Collection: Conduct research on various topics as assigned by professors or supervisors. This could include gathering data for academic papers, projects, or presentations.
• Class Participation: Actively participate in class discussions and group projects. This involves preparing for each class by reading assigned materials and contributing thoughtful insights during discussions.
• Homework and Assignments: Complete all homework and assignments on time. This includes writing essays, solving problems, conducting experiments, and creating presentations.
• Examinations: Prepare for and take mid-term and final exams. This involves studying course materials, attending review sessions, and demonstrating knowledge of the subject matter during the exam.
• Internships or Part-Time Jobs: Participate in internships or part-time jobs related to their field of study. This could involve working in a lab, assisting with research, or gaining practical experience in a professional setting.
• Campus Involvement: Get involved in campus activities such as clubs, sports, or student government. This can help develop leadership skills, build a network, and contribute to the campus community.
• Volunteer Work: Participate in volunteer opportunities to give back to the community and gain valuable experience.
• Study Abroad Programs: Consider participating in study abroad programs to gain international experience and broaden their perspective.
• Networking: Attend networking events and career fairs to connect with professionals in their field of interest.
• Career Planning: Work with career services to develop a resume, practice

Speed up your resume creation process with the AI-Powered Resume Builder . Generate tailored achievements in seconds for every role you apply to.

Student Resume Example:

• Conducted extensive research and data collection for an academic paper, resulting in the discovery of new insights and contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the field.
• Actively participated in class discussions and group projects, consistently providing thoughtful insights and contributing to the overall learning experience of the class.
• Completed all homework and assignments on time, consistently demonstrating a high level of academic excellence and commitment to learning.
• Successfully completed a challenging internship in a professional setting, gaining practical experience and applying theoretical knowledge to real-world projects.
• Actively participated in campus activities such as clubs and sports, developing leadership skills and contributing to the campus community.
• Participated in volunteer work, giving back to the community and gaining valuable experience in teamwork and community engagement.
• Participated in a study abroad program, gaining international experience and broadening perspectives on global issues.
• Attended networking events and career fairs, connecting with professionals in the field of interest and expanding professional network.
• Worked with career services to develop a resume and practice interview skills, preparing for future career opportunities.
• Research and data analysis
• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Active participation and collaboration
• Academic excellence
• Practical application of theoretical knowledge
• Leadership skills
• Community engagement and volunteering
• International and cultural awareness
• Networking skills
• Resume development and interview skills
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving skills
• Communication skills
• Project management
• Self-motivation
• Attention to detail
• Interpersonal skills
• Initiative and proactivity
• Organizational skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Conflict resolution
• Decision-making skills
• Creativity and innovation.

Top Skills & Keywords for Student Resumes:

Hard skills.

• Time Management
• Organization
• Communication
• Problem Solving
• Critical Thinking
• Presentation
• Data Analysis
• Microsoft Office Suite

Soft Skills

• Communication and Interpersonal Skills
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Time Management and Organization
• Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Leadership and Initiative
• Self-Motivation and Drive
• Attention to Detail
• Creativity and Innovation
• Active Listening and Feedback Incorporation
• Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
• Networking and Relationship Building

Resume Action Verbs for Students:

• Collaborated
• Volunteered
• Participated
• Communicated
• Facilitated
• Coordinated
• Implemented
• Contributed
• Problem-solved

Generate Your Resume Summary

Resume FAQs for Students:

How long should i make my student resume, what is the best way to format a student resume, which keywords are important to highlight in a student resume, how should i write my resume if i have no experience as a student, compare your student resume to a job description:.

• Identify opportunities to further tailor your resume to the Student job
• Improve your keyword usage to align your experience and skills with the position
• Uncover and address potential gaps in your resume that may be important to the hiring manager

Complete the steps below to generate your free resume analysis.

Related Resumes for Students:

Basic Resume Writing Tips for Students with Examples + Templates

From step-by-step process to formatting and making your resume unique, here are basic resume writing tips for students based on what I learned from my career counselor at Harvard.

Resume writing can be a boring and overwhelming task that many students try to put off until as long as possible. And I was once like that too! The more experienced you become as a professional, the easier your resume writing process will become, too. However, when you’re a student, either when applying a job or for university, resume writing can seem daunting.

If you’re a college student without experience, your first resume may feel empty and unimpressive. It may make you feel like you don’t have any big achievements. But don’t let that demotivate you, since that’s the case with almost everyone!

Importance of Resume Writing for Students

Before we get on with resume writing tips for students, let’s make sure you know why you need a perfect resume. A good resume can is the first step towards starting your professional career . It can help you impress prospective employers, get a good salary and a lot of contacts that will help you throughout your career.

It may seem like an easy way out to just get the format from your classmate/internet and copy it. However, remember that the quickest way is usually the worst. Resume writing may seem like a very time-consuming task, and it definitely is. But all the time is really worth it because a well-crafted resume has the power to get you that job interview and even an offer. Or multiple!

So, from all my experience of resume writing and helping others craft an excellent resume, I’ve created the ultimate guide to resume writing for students. Based on all the tips I learned from my Harvard career counselors who helped me write the perfect resume that got me countless job interviews, here are some resume writing tips that I wish I knew as a student.

Basic Resume Writing Tips for Students

Let’s start with the simple but important tips:

1. Keep your resume short .

One page resume is more than enough for students. This is a tip my Harvard career counselor gave me, “Unless you have 5+ years of experience, your resume has no need to be longer than a page.” A short resume helps busy interviewers go through it quickly and get to the next part – which is the main interview. This is one of the top resume writing tips for students.

2. Keep your resume concise and make it to the point .

The more concise it is, the more efficient you seem to the interviewer.

3. Never repeat facts .

A repetitive resume makes it seem like you’re just in it to waste the interviewer’s time. It can be frustrating for the interviewer. It only highlights the fact that you don’t have enough experience or qualifications.

4. Keep your resume black-and-white only and avoid colors or artwork.

This is one of the top resume writing tips for students of art or design. A simple black and white resume is easy to print and pass around the office. Plus, a simple b/w resume efficiently puts the focus on your qualifications. Just use black color for all the text. Use bold, underline or italics to emphasize things, where necessary.

5. Your photo is not necessary in your resume unless your industry requires it.

6. your resume should be easily printable ..

It should fit on the paper perfectly. This will make it easier for managers to print it out for office discussions after you’ve emailed them. If you’re printing it, make sure the resume is printed well and the words are not faded, etc.

7. Also, your resume should be easy to read .

So make use of bold and underline or italics to highlight different parts of the resume.

8. Use the same format throughout the resume.

And divide your text into columns as required. Keep the titles in a bigger font-size. Stick to the same date format, for example July 2019, or 07-2019.

9. Avoid grammatical or punctuation errors at all costs.

This is one of the most important resume writing tips for students. Nothing is more off-putting than grammatical or spelling errors. They make you seem lazy and unprofessional. Check and recheck your grammar, spelling and punctuation as many times as possible. Attention to detail makes you seem intelligent, and will subconsciously make your employer offer you a higher salary.

10. Avoid mentioning unnecessary details and skills in your resume.

For example Google searching or MS Word. Such skills are really common and it’s taken for granted that everyone knows these nowadays and they’re not worth mentioning in a resume.

11. Don’t miss out on the important details .

For example experience (if any), education details, such as marks/grades, your city, your interests, contact number and email address.

12. Don’t make your resume too empty .

Even if you don’t have a job experience, try to fill it in with experiences or extra-curricular activities. Here are some other things to mention:

• Honors and awards
• Any clubs that you were a member of or in a leadership position
• Your interests or hobbies
• Your skills, software skills or technical skills

Resume Format for Students

I have created three resume templates for students that you can download and use (they are for desktop-use, and don’t open in mobile for some reason).

01 CareerNuts Resume Template

02 CareerNuts Resume Template

03 CareerNuts Resume Template

Other than these, you can find loads of resume templates (not downloadable) here .

What to Include in Your Resume

• Contact Information
• Work Experience
• Extra-Curricular Activities
• Achievements/ Awards

Step-by-Step Resume Writing for Students

Step 1. planning.

The first step of resume writing is to jot down the particulars in your notebook. The first among any resume writing tips for students is thorough planning.

Think of your achievements , interesting experiences or work that you may have done that can be added to your resume. A lot of students forget their own achievements or think of them as too small to be added. Travel, sports, art, at-home projects or helping your parents with their business – all are good ideas to consider. Everyone has some interesting qualifications or achievements to add.

Step 2. Document Format

Start with a Word Document of A4/ standard letter size. Set one-inch margins on all four sides.

You can pick a font (Calibri Regular is good) and a font-size (11 or 12pt). Use a simple font, preferably sans-serif. Choose a good font size, something that’s easily readable. Choose a line height of at least .75 and no more than 1.25.

Then, create your resume header that will contain your contact information. Start with your name, email address, phone number and address. You can center it or keep on on the left side.

Step 3. Create Resume Sections

Start with resume section titles : Resume summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills, Extra-Curricular Activities, Achievements/ Awards, Interests, Languages.

Add an extra line break after each section, and extra space after each section title.

Step 4. Add Particulars

Your summary can be something like, “A Computer Science engineer (B.Tech) with excellent coding skills looking for challenging opportunities that can utilize my technical knowledge.”

Use bullet points or paragraphs to talk about your summer internships or any other work experiences. Mention dates and duration. This is one of the resume writing tips for students that even professionals often forget. For example:

Work Experience SUMMER INTERNSHIP May 2018- Aug 2018 : Worked at Cole, Johnson & Partners as an Intern Architect. FREELANCE PROJECT Feb 2019- June 2019 : Assisted Urban Design Asst. Prof Rick Preston in independent design project.

Mention your academic experience – degrees, grades or marks.

Fill in the rest of the sections. For example: Software Skills: Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, Flash AS3, HTML5, CSS.

Step 5. Add Details

Explain all the particulars in your resume, so that your prospective employer understands your skills and roles in better detail. For example, while listing your program of study for masters or bachelors degree, you can mention its details in one line , explain what it is and some of the courses you took.

If you’re mentioning your summer internship, explain it in a line and mention your job responsibility . Mention what projects you handled in your summer internship or group projects in school or college. If you participated in any multi-city or international projects, mention the city and country. For example:

FREELANCE PROJECT

Feb 2019- June 2019 : Assisted Urban Design Asst. Prof Rick Preston in independent project – designing a 2000 sq. ft. residence in Shoreditch, London.

• Responsible for creating presentation plans & facade details for client meetings.
• Collaborated with landscape consultant to create proposal.
• Collaborated with lighting consultant for briefing & plans.
• Created 3D renderings of final design.

If you participated in any event or won an award , list the event name and year or explain its importance.

Step 6: Tailor Your Resume

Modify your resume for the job you are applying to. This is one of the lesser-known resume writing tips for students.

For example, say you’re an engineer are applying for engineering, project manager and marketing positions. Make three separate resumes for each field. Modify your technical skills, software skills, etc. or prioritize the order in which they are presented to suit each position. Look up the job descriptions online for the positions you’re applying to, see what is required and try to include those details in your resume if possible.

Here’s one of the top secret resume writing tips for students. Try to list your most impressive qualification first in the resume.

For example, if you did a summer internship at a prestigious firm, at least that first. If you have a degree from an Ivy League institution or other prestigious college, at least that first. If your job experience includes early promotions, leadership roles, or you worked on great projects there, list that first.

Step 7: Handling the Tricky Sections

A lot of people think that you should mention both your strengths and weaknesses in your resume. However, I don’t believe that listing your weaknesses makes sense and it’s sort of becoming an outdated thing to mention, so you don’t have to include that. Here are some of the strengths you can mention: punctual, energetic, team player, leader ship qualities, proactive, creative or problem solver. These are just some of the examples of course you can think of yourself your personality and see what you should include and what best suits you.

Most students who send job applications in my company, start their resumes with a section called “Objective”. This is the trickiest section and most of the times, it makes me reject the applicant straight away. That’s because a lot of applicants’ objective doesn’t match the position they’re applying for.

So make sure you think about it carefully before sending your application. Either way, the objective section is getting outdated these days to. So in my opinion, you don’t even need to include it in your resume.

Step 8: Let Your Resume Make You Shine

Don’t be too humble, don’t hide your strengths. Don’t be too shy to list your expertise our skill sets.

Step 9: Edit, Edit, Edit

Once your resume is in place, sleep on it. Keep editing it over the next week, and take advice from professionals. Once you’re satisfied with it, print a few copies.

Step 10: Send Out Those Copies!

Don’t fold your resume. Keep it neatly in a folder if you’re going for an interview or a career fair. Also check out the ‘What Next’ section below on how to prepare for job applications.

How Long Does it Take to Make a Resume

Crafting a good resume takes more than a day. First of all, it’s a good idea to just jot down your achievements, etc. on the first day. And then patiently craft your resume over a few days. Show it to your career counselor, parents or mentor and keep improving over the next few weeks. Your resume should be well thought of. Obviously, creating a good resume takes a lot of preparation, which often starts years before even making a resume.

Resume Writing Tips for Students: Dos and Don’ts

• Never lie on a resume.
• Be prepared to answer questions about something that you’ve written in your CV.
• It’s better to not write anything as your ‘mission statement’ or ‘objective’ then write something bad or unrelated to do the job you’re applying to.
• Never be lazy with your resume. Keep improving it as much as you can before every job application or interview.
• If the interviewer asks you something about your resume and you don’t know the answer, or if you feel that a detail worked against you in an interview, change it before your next interview. Use every opportunity to improve your resume.

How to Make a Resume Stand Out

You don’t want to come across as a generic student who graduated out of a generic school. There are plenty of those in any country, and employers find no reason to offer them jobs. Your resume should make you look interesting. Also, it should be a conversation starter. If your resume looks factory made, dull or empty, you may as well not have any! Here are some resume writing tips for students on how to craft a unique CV:

1. Make Your Resume Visually Unique

Firstly, if you are appearing for campus placement or college career fair, think of how your resume will stand out among your classmates with similar experiences or details. Here are some tips:

• Choose a unique format or font.
• Add unique highlights to make you stand out. For example, clubs, extracurricular activities, internships or grades etc.

2. Keep Improving It

Resume making is an ongoing process and you should always keep working towards its improvement. So find new opportunities to fill your resume or add interesting details in it that make you stand out as an applicant.

3. Curate an Impressive Section of Extra-Curriculars

What are your interests: academic or extra/curricular? Think about those and work towards them so you have new achievements to list in the resume. Here are some examples:

• Join student clubs
• Try to get a published in a magazine or college newspaper
• Find leadership positions and clubs or student organizations.
• Try to participate in events so that you can win awards.
• Speak and debates or participate in sports.
• If you’re a designer, take up freelance projects.
• If you’re an artist, put up an exhibition, either in school or outside. Or participate in art competitions.
• If you’re academic, assist your professor on an independent project or on a book. Or become a teaching assistant or research assistant.
• Participate in a competition or do an independent freelance project outside the college.
• Teach a class or give tuition classes to younger children.
• Work at a non-profit organization.

4. Show Why You Should Be Hired Without Saying It

Resume writing tips for students are not just about listing your skills and experiences. Instead of your goals or interests, think about why you should be hired. What will you bring to the table at the workplace? What skills will you contribute to an organization? Furthermore, what unique qualifications you have that a company can benefit from? Structure your resume accordingly.

5. Don’t Think of Learning, Think of Contributing

Lastly, job is not offered to those who love to expand their horizons are those who are in it only to learn. Instead, jobs are offered to those who are in it to contribute to the organization. Learning should be left to college, jobs are for making a contribution.

Resume writing tips for students don’t end just here. Then, you need to be ready for the interview.

1. First of all, be proactive in getting help to improve your resume or applying to more and more jobs.

2. Have an email draft ready for job applications, which you can use as soon as you hear of an opening.

3. Create an email signature listing your name, academic qualifications and website or portfolio. Here’s an example: Shilpa Ahuja MDesS’11, Harvard University Graduate School of Design CareerNuts.com [email protected]

4. Make a proper email address that looks formal and use it to send your job applications, such as [email protected] . Keep it professional. Avoid inappropriate words like cool, badass, girl/boy etc. in it.

5. Also, create a cover letter, which you’ll have to send along with your resume for job applications.

6. Interview preparation is just as important as making a resume. So, practice speaking, talking about yourself, explaining your qualifications, projects, extracurricular activities, ambitions and answering technical questions or questions about your field of study. Here’s a guide on how to dress well for your interview .

Hope all these resume writing tips for students were helpful. Have any questions? Let me know below and I’ll try my best to help out!

How Should a Student Prepare for Campus Placement?

Shilpa Ahuja is the editor of Career Nuts. She has a Masters in Design Studies (MDesS) degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, class of 2011. Shilpa is an entrepreneur and founder of Shilpa Ahuja Digital Media, an online publishing company that includes HowtoGetinto-Harvard.com, a Harvard admissions guide and ShilpaAhuja.com, one of India’s most-read digital fashion magazines. She is also the creator of SlubShop, a trend-based online fashion store, and Audrey O., a comic series that represents the lifestyle of millennial women. She also has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Chandigarh College of Architecture (B.Arch), class of 2007. She has worked in interior project management for The Park hotels and in graphic design and education technologies for Harvard Law School. Originally from Chandigarh, Shilpa enjoys art, creative writing, fashion and travel. Her art has been exhibited at Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Aroma Hotel, Chandigarh. Her work has been published in University of Fashion blog, Jet Airways magazine, Chandigarh Times and Indian Design & Interiors magazine. She is also the author of the book “Designing a Chinese Cultural Center in India”.

7 thoughts on “Basic Resume Writing Tips for Students with Examples + Templates”

I have never seen such detailed tips on resume writing for students. Thanks a lot.

That is an extremely well written article.

It is actually a great and helpful article. Thanks for sharing this useful information with us.

Hey very nice blog!

Nice article. helpful.

Fantastic Keep up the great work! You know lots of people are looking for this information.

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