format of a resume for college students

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18 College Student Resumes That Landed Jobs in 2024

Stephen Greet

  • 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  18 college student resume examples to help inspire your resume in 2024 .

format of a resume for college students

College Student Resume Example

or download as PDF

College student resume example

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.

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Undergraduate Student Resume

Undergraduate student resume example with project experience

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

University Student Resume

University student resume example with internship experience

  • 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

College student no experience resume example

  • 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

Current college student resume example

  • 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

College student for internship resume example with 8 years of experience

  • 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

College student assistant medical laboratory technician resume example with 8 years of experience

  • 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

College student hr executive assistant resume example

  • 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

College student case assistant resume example

  • 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

College student resident assistant resume example with 3 years of experience

  • 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

College student warehouse worker resume example

  • 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

College student teacher assistant resume example with 2 years of experience

  • 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

College student biology lab technician resume example

  • 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

College student english tutor resume example

  • 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 Freshman Resume

College Freshman resume example with soccer playing experience

  • 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

College student academic highlights resume example

  • 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

First year college student resume example with project experience

  • 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

Freshman college student resume example with project experience

  • 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

Job seeker in purple shirt reviews past accomplishments and statistics to include in job materials

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

Job seeker reviews qualifications and accomplishments to build job application for next role

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

Portfolio of past work experience proving impact on the job with statistics, graphs, and examples

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

Two hands rearranging sections on job application materials

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:

College student resume - education section example

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

Yellow and purple computer screens depict career document builders on BeamJobs

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

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

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

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

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

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How To Write A College Student Resume (With Examples)

  • General Resume Examples
  • Resume With No Experience
  • Student Resume
  • College Resume
  • Entry Level Resume
  • Military Resume
  • Internship Resume
  • First Resume
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  • Blank Resume Template
  • College Freshman Resume
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As a college student, a resume may seem daunting because you may not have much experience, but there are a lot of other opportunities to make your resume stand out to employers. The opportunities that you can showcase include any volunteering you did, studying abroad, any specialized classes, or internships you’ve done.

To help you write your college student resume, we’ll go over how to write a college student resume, provide a resume example, and go over some tips to keep in mind.

Key Takeaways:

Emphasize your education and honors/awards received in college.

Take advantage of the many opportunities college gives to you and use those to spice up your resume.

Make your resume job/ internship application-specific.

Include extracurriculars, volunteer experiences, certifications, publications, interesting projects, or impressive leadership experiences if you have any.

How To Write A College Student Resume (With Examples)

What is a college student resume?

How to write a college student resume, current college student resume example, college student resume template, tips for writing a college student resume, college student resume faq, final thoughts.

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A college student’s resume is a document that summarizes your academic qualifications and your time spent in college. You probably had to write a brief resume for your college applications. Writing a resume as a college student is similar to that, except with a more professional edge.

Since you don’t have years of professional experience, hiring managers will understand when you don’t have that, which is why they will be looking at your academic history. They will be wondering how you have applied yourself in college both inside and outside of the classroom.

As mentioned above, college is full of opportunities to have enriching experiences. Take advantage of them — they will greatly help you not only by filling out those blank spots on your resume but also by giving you something to stand out from the rest of the competition .

Hiring managers and recruiters will be looking for signs of maturity, self-motivation, and work ethic . Keep these elements in mind as you decide how best to sell yourself based on your college experiences.

To write a college student’s resume, you should start with a resume header that includes your contact information and then go into your resume objective statement. Your top claim to fame is your educational experience and the extracurricular activities you were involved with.

Here’s a more detailed list of what each section of your resume should include:

Resume header . Your resume header should include your contact information. Open with your first and last name, which should be a slightly larger size or otherwise emphasized above all else. Include your location ([City, State] is fine), phone number, and professional email address. If you have a LinkedIn or an online portfolio , feel free to include a link to those here as well.

Important tip: Never put your contact information into an actual header on your word processing software. Some applicant tracking systems (robots that parse resumes to weed out unqualified candidates) can’t read the information in a header.

If the ATS can’t find your contact information, your resume will be thrown out before it even reaches a human reader .

Resume objective statement . We normally steer job-seekers away from resume objectives toward resume summary statements .

However, it’s perfectly appropriate for a college student to use a resume objective instead. Be sure to keep it short (1-3 sentences), include keywords from the job description, and state your relevant skills and career goals.

That being said, if you have substantial or impressive work/internship experience under your belt that truly makes you perfect for the position, opt for a resume summary statement that emphasizes your qualifications and expresses your value to the employer.

Education . Depending on how valuable you find your education section as compared to your experience section, you can swap the order around. We put education third based on the assumption that it’s your most valuable asset at the moment.

Your education section should always include the following information:

Name/Location of the school you attended

Dates attended, date graduated, or anticipated date of graduation

Name of your major/degree

The rest of the information is optional, but more is usually better (especially if the rest of your resume is light):

GPA (if it’s over 3.5)

Minor (if relevant)

Academic honors (Latin titles, Dean’s List , Honors Programs, etc.)

Merit scholarships

Publications and/or research

If you really want to beef up your education section, you can also include more details about relevant coursework . This can be a great way to incorporate keywords from the job description and showcase that you have solid foundational knowledge.

Experience . Once you’ve progressed in your career, this will be a history dedicated to your work history, but for now, keep the heading more open-ended by calling it something like “Relevant Experience.” The reason why this heading works is because it allows you to put down a whole host of experiences in just one section. Items you can put here include:

Work experience (summer jobs, part-time work, etc.)

Internships

Volunteer work

Freelancing experience

Relevant coursework (if you didn’t include it in your education section already)

Study abroad

Club membership/leadership positions

In general, you should keep things in reverse chronological order (the most recent stuff first). Always be sure to quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. Make it easy for a reader to see what value you added to each experience you were a part of.

Extracurriculars. If you’re a part of one or many extracurricular activities, it might be worth including a separate section detailing your involvement with each. Be sure to highlight the key skills you picked up from each experience to show how it relates to the job you’re applying for.

Skills . You’ve certainly acquired some skills during your time in college. Try to give a healthy mix of hard skills and soft skills . Hard skills are those you must be taught, and be tested or measured in some way. Soft skills refer to the intangible, interpersonal qualities that make you great to work with.

Where you can, add a bit of detail to flesh out each skill more fully. For example, if you put down “HTML” as a skill, give a brief description like “wrote webpages during a 3-month internship with XYZ Inc.”

Also, try to make sure that each soft skill you list comes with a correlating piece of data in your experience section. For instance, if you write that you have excellent communication skills , there better be some proof of those skills in action elsewhere on your resume.

Hobbies and interests . If you’re still not at a full page , you can consider adding relevant hobbies and interests. Even something seemingly irrelevant, like a love of working on miniature models, can paint a picture of a candidate who regularly hones her attention to detail in her free time.

Remember, every resume should be job-specific . You should b e tailoring it to each job you apply to. This will help you get noticed by hiring managers.

With that in mind, check out this current college student resume example:

Prateek Student

102 University Blvd. | University, CA 33409 | (555) 555- 5555 | [email protected] CAREER OBJECTIVE Dedicated outdoor education student with extensive teaching experience seeking hands-on internship opportunities.

PRE-PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE The Pool Pros, University, California Lifeguard Senior Manager and Educator (June 2015-May 2018

  • Managed over 100 lifeguards at three public pool locations.
  • Completed 20 training classes for lifeguard certification and recertification each season.
  • Organized and implemented water conservation and education classes for 50 students per season.

Outdoor Leadership Liaison and Leader, (August 2017- May 2018)

  • Organized outdoor excursions for 200+ university students.
  • Led training workshops for outdoor skills monthly to 20 students per workshop.
  • Kept communications between outdoor nonprofit leaders and university officials to ensure the safety of university students while on excursions.

National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Lander, Wyoming Wilderness Medicine and Rescue Semester Team Leader, (August 2018- May 2019)

  • Led 15 students on two semester-long wilderness immersion school expeditions.
  • Trained students in wilderness safety, leave no trace principles and each student completed Wilderness EMT certifications.

EDUCATION CERTIFICATIONS California State University , University, California Bachelor in Outdoor Education and a minor in emergency medical response GPA: 3.90 Graduated May 2018 Received NOLS scholarships for a semester abroad in India. Dean’s List all semesters.

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) , California Licensure Wilderness EMT certificate expiration date May 2020 EMT certification expiration date May 2020 BLS Healthcare responder expiration date August 2021

Here is a college student resume template to help you get started on yours. Be sure to tailor your resume to fit your needs and the position you are applying for:

Your name [Address, City, State ZIP code]| [Phone Number] | [Email Address] | [LinkedIn Profile (optional)] CAREER OBJECTIVE Dedicated and motivated college student seeking [Internship/Part-time] EDUCATION [Degree Pursuing, e.g., Bachelor of Science in Computer Science] [University Name, City, State] [Expected Graduation Month, Year] [GPA: X.X/4.0] Relevant Courses [Course Name] [Course Name] PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE [Job Title] [Company/Organization Name, City, State] [Dates of Employment] [Brief description of responsibilities and achievements] [Job Title] [Company/Organization Name, City, State] [Dates of Employment] [Brief description of responsibilities and achievements] EXTRACURRICULAR [Club/Organization Name, Position held, Dates] [Brief description of your role and contributions]

When writing a college student resume, you should include action verbs to help show what you did and be sure to keep your resume relevant to the job you are applying to. Here are some more tips to keep in mind when writing yours:

Use action verbs. Action verbs help you show a potential employer what you did. Some example action verbs to use are:

Proofread. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is sending your resume in without proofreading it first. Take an extra couple of minutes and read through your resume for any spelling or grammar mistakes. You can even have a friend or a professor look over it to catch anything you might have missed.

Choose the right format. You want your resume to be easy to read so make sure you choose a format that won’t get tossed aside because it has a million different fonts and colors. The top resume formats to use are chronological, functional, and combination.

Keep it relevant. You only want to add the relevant information. They won’t want to hear about your pottery club if you are applying for a tech company. Rereading the job description is a great way to know what relevant information you should include. This will

Get help. If you are completely stuck, ask for help. They have centers at most colleges that help with this kind of thing. They won’t judge you for having the wrong format or too much information. The entire point of college is to learn and get prepared for the workforce, and getting help is doing that.

Getting help will also give you feedback on how to improve your resume. Career centers are the best places to get help with resumes and cover letters .

Keep it to one page. Since you don’t have much experience, your resume should be one page long. If your resume is too long, potential employers will pass yours over. Keeping your resume to one page will also help you keep it relevant and concise.

Select the right font. The font that you use should be professional and easy to read. The most professional fonts are sans-serif or serif fonts and examples of those include Calibri, Helvetica, and Georgia .

What should be on a college resume?

A college resume should include education history, relevant jobs, extracurricular activities, leadership experience, and any skills relevant to the job.

Since college students may not have much work experience, it’s important to emphasize your education history and any relevant jobs that may have armed you with skills for the job you’re applying for.

You can also demonstrate your abilities by including volunteer work, internships, or extracurricular activities.

How do you write a resume for a college application?

The five things you need to write a resume for a college application are:

Your relevant contact information

Detailed education history and test scores

Experiences

Awards/honors

Any additional skills you’d like to share

These are the different sections required for a resume for a college application. Most sections are self-explanatory, but your experiences section might be a little tricky for some.

In this section, you have the opportunity to differentiate yourself because you’ll want to articulate more than your responsibilities. Focus on your accomplishments and provide numbers for context and scale.

Do you need a resume for college?

No, you don’t need a resume for college, unless a school specifically requests one. The items typically requested on a college resume are typically things that are asked on your college application.

However, resumes can be used to streamline this information and can be advantageous for those with extensive leadership achievements in and outside of the classroom.

A resume can also be used to tell a story, rather than just a list on an application, and can allow applicants to expand on experiences not mentioned in other places.

How can a college student make a resume for a first job?

A college student should include contact information, a resume summary, education, experience, skills, and any additional achievements on their resume for a first job. The candidate should have the relevant experience to draw on for an entry-level job by including all of this information.

Many managers hiring for entry-level jobs understand that college students may not have extensive work experience and will be looking for certain keywords throughout the resume that highlight education, experience, and skills.

Education can include your degree or any special training, experience may include work, volunteer, or internship experience, and skills may include anything that highlights a good fit for the open position.

How long should a college student’s resume be?

A college student’s resume should be one page. Resumes should be this length so that employers and hiring managers can review them quickly. Typically those looking to hire a candidate only have a few minutes to review a resume, so you should make sure it’s relevant and succinct, with all of your impressive information listed early.

Once you gain more experience, your resume may become longer but is typically only recommended for those applicants with over ten years of experience in the workforce.

How do you write a resume for college with no experience?

When writing a resume for college with no experience, be sure to emphasize your education instead. Your education and experiences in school will be key in helping you craft an effective resume for college. Be sure to include relevant internships, any soft or hard skills you possess, and projects you may be proud of.

You may also want to include hobbies, interests, certifications, languages spoken, or any additional achievements you may have received, whether they were in or outside of an academic environment.

What makes a college resume stand out?

Any relevant experience you have will make your college resume stand out. Your relevant experience may include any internships, volunteer positions, or extracurricular activities. To get an idea of what relevant experience you should include, reread the job description. This will include any keywords that you can add to help make your resume stand out more.

Adding any relevant awards or achievements can help your resume stand out. Awards and achievements help show any potential employer that you have the skills and abilities to do the work.

Writing a resume as a current college student is exciting because of the flexibility you have in crafting it. Every college student will have a unique resume and that’s a great thing because it helps you stand out from each other.

When writing a resume as a current college student, keep in mind that the best way to make your resume stand out is by taking advantage of the many opportunities being in college gives you.

Try new things: take on a new project or volunteer opportunity. It not only will help your resume but will also give you great pre-professional experience that will help you decide which career path you should take .

Harvard Extension School – Resume and Cover Letters

University of Pennsylvania – Undergraduate’s student resume samples

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Heidi Cope is a former writer for the Zippia Career Advice blog. Her writing focused primarily on Zippia's suite of rankings and general career advice. After leaving Zippia, Heidi joined The Mighty as a writer and editor, among other positions. She received her BS from UNC Charlotte in German Studies.

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.

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How to Write a Resume with No Experience [21+ Examples]

Background Image

It’s time for your first job hunt !

You need to write a resume , which can be nerve-wracking if you don’t have any real-life work experience.  

You don’t know where to start, what to include, or which resume format to choose.

On top of that, most advice you find online isn’t relevant because it focuses on emphasizing professional background.

Chances are, you’re straight out of college with no experience to speak of. 

Or maybe you're a high-school student applying for a part-time job.

Whichever the case may be, you’re probably having trouble filling in the blank space on your resume that’s supposed to be the work experience section.

Worry not, though. In this guide, we’re going to help you create an AMAZING resume, no work experience is needed.

  • How to format your resume with no work experience
  • 4 sections to replace work experience (that help you stand out)
  • 2 no-work experience resume samples (guaranteed to land you the job)

How to Format Your Resume [with No Work Experience + Examples] 

A resume format is the layout of your resume .

The ideal resume format usually depends on how much work experience you have. 

But what happens when you have none?

For a no-experience resume, we recommend that you use the reverse-chronological format . 

no experience resume format

It’s the most popular format amongst applicants and a recruiter favorite.  

The sections in your reverse-chronological resume will be: 

  • Header : Contact Information and Resume Statement
  • Internships, extracurricular activities, projects, volunteer work  (These sections will replace your work experience)

In this article, we’ll walk you through each of these sections, and explain how to write them in a way that you stand out from the crowd.

Let’s dive in.

Start With Your Resume Header

resume header example

Your resume header includes your contact information and your resume statement.  

Below, we’ll show you how to write both of these elements and how to include them in your header section.

Put Down Your Contact Information

Just like the name suggests, the first thing you add to your header is your personal and contact information.

It’s the easiest part to get right, just keep it short and to the point.

In your contact information section, mention the following:

  • First and Last Name
  • Phone Number
  • E-mail Address
  • A link to a professional profile (e.g. LinkedIn ) or personal webpage (if you have one)

Make sure to use a professional-sounding E-mail.

I.e. something along the lines of “[email protected].” 

You’re sure to leave a wrong impression if you use an email you created back in preschool ( “[email protected]” ).

Make sure to double-check, triple-check your contact information. After all, the recruiter can’t contact you if you have a typo in your phone number.

(Optional) Write Your Resume Objective

A resume objective is a short heading statement in your resume, where you describe your professional goals and aspirations.

Fun fact - hiring managers look at your resume for 5-6 seconds max .

Yep, that’s right. In most cases, the hiring manager is literally drowning in resumes. So, they have a couple of seconds to skim each one.

Well, this section is your chance to catch their attention (and let them know you’ve got what it takes).

A resume objective is usually 3-4 sentences max and includes information on:

  • What your field of study is;
  • What your skills and experiences are (ones that are relevant to the job );
  • Why you’re applying for this position and/or this company.

As with contact information, you don’t need to label your resume objective with a title. Just write it underneath your contact information section.

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

“ Recent Communications graduate looking to apply for the role of Secretary at XYZ inc. Extremely organized with good writing and multitasking skills. Practical experience in management gained through several university projects, which involved coordinating tasks between different team members and ensuring that everyone was in sync with the latest information. ”

Emphasize Your Education

education section on resume no experience

In your average resume, the first section would be work experience.

Since you don’t have any, though, you’ll want to omit that and replace it with the education section.

This way, you bring a lot more attention to your education, which is one of your main selling points. 

What should you include in the Education section? 

List the following features in this order:

  • Name of the degree
  • Name of the institution
  • Years attended
  • Location of the institution (optional)
  • GPA (optional)
  • Honors (optional)
  • Relevant coursework (optional)
  • Exchange programs (optional) 

As a general rule, if you studied in a prestigious university, you can add the name of the institution before the degree . This way, you will catch the recruiter’s attention faster.

Now, let’s go through some real-life examples:

BA in Computer Science

Tufts University

Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts

10/2015 - 06/2018

Magna Cum Laude

  • Exchange Program in Greenville, NY

University of the Arts London

BA in Interior Design 

10/2017 - Ongoing

Westwood High

Boston, Massachusetts

Class of 2018 

career masterclass

Education Section Q&A

Still have some questions about the education section? Worry not, we’re about to give you all the answers!

Do I include my GPA?

  • The answer here is a “maybe.” We’d recommend including a GPA if it’s higher than 3.5. Anything lower than that, and you might be underselling yourself. Keep in mind, though, that most employers don’t care about your grades.

Should I include my coursework?

  • Yep, but just as long as it’s relevant. If you have no work experience, including courses can help establish your expertise in a field. Feel free to skip out on any basic courses, though. No one cares about your Maths 101 course.

Do I mention my degree if I dropped out?

  • If you studied for more than 2-3 years, yes. A half-finished degree is still better than no degree. If you dropped out after a semester, though, that doesn’t really mean much.

Do I mention my high school degree?

  • Only if it’s your only degree. If you have any higher education, your high school degree will only take up space.

4 Sections to Replace Work Experience [With Examples]

Now that you’ve listed your education, it’s time to fill that work experience gap in your resume.

You aren’t still worried about your lack of experience, right?

Because here are four sections you can use instead:

1) Internships

Have you done an internship that is relevant to the position you are applying for?

Now’s the time to mention it. 

Here is how you add an internship to your resume:

First , place the Internship section right after the education section. 

Title it: Internships

Second , write your internship title and role . Be specific.

If your internship was in the marketing department, instead of just “Intern”, say “Marketing Intern”. 

Third , put down the company name , location , and duration of the internship - in that order.

Marketing Intern

Full Picture

New York, NY

09/2019 - 12/2019

Easy and straightforward, right?

One more step:

Last , add a list of responsibilities you had as an intern in bullet point form. 

If you have any tangible achievements , even better! Write those in as well.

Finally, tailor both the responsibilities and achievements to the role you’re applying for.

Here’s how that looks in practice:

You used to be an Advertising Intern .

You’re applying for the position of Social Media Assistant . 

Here’s how you would put down your internship entry:

Internships

Full Picture Company

  • Analyzed various social media platforms for trending content
  • Managed company social media accounts
  • Posted interested content on company Facebook page, increasing engagement by 25%

The listed responsibilities and achievements are directly connected to the Social Media Assistant job requirements.

You’re applying for a Content Writer position. Take a look at the same entry now:

  • Assisted the Marketing Manager in writing press releases and new blog posts , which increased web traffic by 25%.

Notice how the internship title remains the same. 

But in this case you’re applying for a Content Writer position, so you are highlighting your writing experience instead.

For more examples, check out our full guides to an internship resume and how to write a cover letter for an internship .

2) Extracurricular activities

Still have a ton of empty space in your resume?

Extracurricular activities are always a great addition!

Whether they’re related to the job you’re applying for or not, they still show one thing:

You’re hard-working and motivated.

Imagine you’re the HR manager, and you can pick between these 2 candidates:

  • Josh Johnson. Studied at Massachusetts State. 4.0 GPA, but that’s all he did in college - no extracurricular activities, internships, or anything else.
  • Suzie Activeson. Also studied at Massachusetts state. 3.2 GPA. Vice-president of the business club. Served as a student government senator for 2 semesters. Organized several events as part of the marketing club.

Sure, Josh is probably qualified, but we don't know anything about him, other than that he studied a lot.

Suzie, on the other hand, can manage a team (business club VP), organize events (marketing club), and is passionate about making a change (student government).

So, which one would you pick?

Now, let’s explain how to list extracurricular activities on your resume:

  • Title of the section: Extracurricular Activities
  • Name of the organization and/or team 
  • Your role in the organization
  • Time period
  • Noteworthy awards or achievements

Extracurricular Activities

Public Speaking Club

Vice-President

09/2018 - 09/2019

  • Organized 10+ public speaking lectures
  • Brought in speakers from all over the state
  • Conducted public speaking workshops

3) Volunteering Experience

Volunteering shows dedication and passion to apply yourself. 

And there’s nothing recruiters love more than a committed employee.  

Whether you spend your free time in a soup kitchen, or you helped collect trash in the countryside, you can mention it in your resume!

But how do you list volunteering experience?

Well, it follows the same logic as your internship and extracurriculars:

  • Title of the section: Volunteering Experience
  • Name of the organization
  • Relevant tasks and achievements (bullet points)

Volunteering Experience

Grand Archive Library Volunteer

Washington, D.C

08/2017 - 02/2019

  • Performed secretarial activities, such as sorting mail, filing documents, answering phone calls, and taking messages. 
  • Led a poetry reading event twice a month. 

4) Projects

In this section, you can add any relevant projects you were part of during your time in school or at an internship.

Your capstone project, graduation thesis, or research project go here. 

No need for work experience!

You can also mention any other type of project you’ve worked on in school, including:

  • Business project for a real-life client
  • Mock website you created in Web Design 101
  • Fake magazine you created as a capstone project
  • Market research you did as part of your graduation thesis
  • Software you developed in Software Engineering class

...And so on!

Here’s how you put them down:

  • Title of the section: Projects
  • Project name
  • Project type
  • Related organization 
  • Relevant responsibilities and achievements (optional)

And now, for some practical examples. Here’s what a journalism student project could look like:

Online Privacy and Social Media: a Journalistic Study of Facebook and Cambridge Analytica

Journalism Capstone Project

Harvard University

09/2018 - 11/2018

And here’s a law school example:

In-House Pro Bono Project

Columbia Law School

11/2018 - 03/2019

  • Completed a full petition for U nonimmigrant status, interviewed legal persons and drafted affidavits.

If you have anything physical to back up your project with, feel free to include a link.

For example, if you’re a developer, you could include a link to your GitHub profile.

Stand out with your Skills 

skills section no work experience resume

There are two types of skills you can include on your no-experience resume: 

Soft skills and hard skills. 

What’s the difference? 

Soft skills are attributes or habits that describe how you work. They are not specific to a job, but indirectly help you adapt to the work environment. 

Here are some of the most popular ones: teamwork, responsibility, leadership, creativity, etc.  

Hard skills , on the other hand, refer to specific tools, technical knowledge and training and other work-specific skills. They apply directly to the job. 

Technical writing, C++, financial accounting, etc. are all examples of hard skills.

So, which of these skills should you include? 

That depends on a lot of factors, but as someone with no work experience, you should opt more for hard skills .

See, you could write all the cool buzzwords like “Critical Thinking” and “Leadership,” but the recruiter won’t believe you.

Fun fact - that’s what 90% of students do.

Instead, you should focus on skills that make you stand out , and in most cases, those are hard skills.

So, how do you decide which hard skills to mention? Easy! Just check the job ad you’re applying for.

Let’s say you’re applying for an entry-level creative internship, and you find these requirements in the job description: 

  • Video editing experience (Premiere, After Effects)
  • UI design experience
  • Photo editing experience (Photoshop)
  • Photography experience
  • Experience with Adobe Illustrator

You’d transfer this into your skills section:

  • Premiere & After Effects - Expert
  • Photoshop - Expert
  • UI Design - Intermediate
  • Adobe Illustrator - Intermediate
  • Photography - Intermediate

Not sure which skills to mention? Check out our article on 150+ must-have skills for all sorts of professions !

Other Sections You Could Include in a No-Experience Resume

A resume without experience does have one advantage: extra space . 

You can use this space to create other sections that highlight how awesome you are!

Here are some sections you could include:

  • Hobbies and Interests . Add flair to your resume by showing your genuine passion and interest in the industry.
  • Languages. Do you know a second language? Or even a third? Awesome! Most companies these days are pretty international and appreciate an extra language skill or two. Be mindful not to over-exaggerate your proficiency, though. Only knowing how to ask “¿Donde está la biblioteca?” doesn’t warrant a Spanish entry on your resume.
  • Awards & Certifications . Do you have any fancy pieces of paper that show you’re smart? Maybe it’s an award for a terrific essay in a competition, or a certificate from an online course . Whichever the case may be, awards and certifications show that you’re a winner, so definitely include them in their own respective section.

Need Inspiration? 2 No Work Experience Resume Samples

Do you still have questions or don’t know where to begin?

That’s when a resume sample comes in handy. 

It provides you with a predetermined format.

It also helps you picture how your no-experience resume is supposed to look like. 

As Picasso put it: Good artists copy; great artists steal! 

Here are 2 no work experience resume samples you can borrow ideas from:

Business Student Resume Sample

no experience resume sample

High-school Student Resume Sample

high school no experience resume sample

Create a Matching Cover Letter

All done with your resume?

It’s not over yet. You need to write a cover letter to go with it.

A cover letter is a single-page letter that accompanies your resume and is part of your job application.

Look at it this way: your resume describes your experiences, and your cover letter explains (in simple words) how they’re relevant to the job.

Now, here’s a quick infographic on what to include in a cover letter:

cover letter writing for no experience resume

Finally, as with everything else in your resume, make sure to keep your cover letter relevant, short, and concise.

The hiring manager doesn’t have time to read an autobiography, they’ll only review your cover letter for a few minutes. 

There’s a lot more to creating a good cover letter than what we just explained.

For a complete, all-you-need-to-know walk-through, check out our Complete Guide on How to Write a Cover Letter !

Key Takeaways

...and that’s a wrap!

At this point, you should know everything there is to know about writing a killer no-experience resume.

Just to keep things fresh, though, let’s quickly go through everything we’ve learned so far:

  • When creating your no-experience resume, use the reverse-chronological format.
  • You can create a killer no-experience resume by emphasizing your education instead. Include relevant internships, soft & hard skills, and projects.
  • Other sections you can include on your resume are hobbies & interests, languages, certifications, or achievements.
  • Keep all the content on your resume clear, precise, and relevant. Use bullet points for all your descriptions.
  • After you’re done with your resume, you want to write an awesome cover letter that goes with it. The cover letter is a one-page letter that tells the story behind your resume content and reemphasizes why you’re a great fit for the job.

Related Resume Examples

  • Internship Resume
  • High School Resume
  • Research Assistant Resume
  • College Resume
  • Students and Graduates Resume
  • Teacher Resume

Recommended Readings:

  • 43+ Resume Tips and Tricks to Land Your Next Job in 2024
  • 20+ One-Page Resume Templates [Free Download]
  • 35+ Common Interview Questions and Answers [Complete List]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to Write a Work Experience Section for your Student Resume

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

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

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

  • Volunteer work 
  • School activities
  • Side projects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to Write a Skills Section for Your Student Resume

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Dates attended] 

[Subject studied (optional)]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related Student Resume Examples & Samples

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

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

resume format example

College Student Resume

resume format example

High School Student Resume

format of a resume for college students

Internship Resume

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  3. 50 College Student Resume Templates (& Format) ᐅ TemplateLab

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  6. FREE 10+ Sample Resume For College Student in MS Word

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COMMENTS

  1. College Student Resume Example (With Tips And Template)

    Download Not the template you want? Check out more free resume templates for college students in our template library. More College Student Resume Samples & Templates View All Resume Samples View Example College Student Cover Letter View Example Research Assistant CV View Example Internship Resume View Example Graduate Assistant Resume Text format

  2. College Student Resume: Examples, Template, & Tips

    Christian Eilers, CPRW Career Expert Updated: February 07, 2024 Article Rating: Our customers have been hired by: Table of Contents Show You're about to write a college student resume. Whether you're looking for a college internship in your field or a part-time job to help pay tuition, you're ready to balance work and school. However—

  3. How to Write a College Student Resume

    Education As you have spent the last few years working hard at earning your college degree, you should highlight your academic achievements by placing the education section near the top of your student resume. Each entry should contain the name of the degree or qualification, the institution and the year completed.

  4. 18 College Student Resumes

    College Student Resume Example USE THIS TEMPLATE or download as PDF Why this resume works When you're looking for your first full-time role while in college, you need to clarify exactly when you'll graduate. You can do that in both your resume objective and your education section. This lets employers know when you can work full-time.

  5. Free printable, customizable college resume templates

    College resume templates Whether you're looking for an internship or a part-time job, make your application stand out with college student resume templates you can customize and print to flaunt your achievements. Skip to end of list All Filters Skip to start of list 267 templates 1 2 3 … 6 Skip to end of list Docs Whiteboard Logos Videos

  6. 9 Resume Tips for College Students (With Examples)

    For college students or recent graduates, use the chronological resume format for presenting your credentials to employers. This format allows you to present your most important information first. 2. Write for an applicant tracking system (ATS)

  7. Undergraduate College Student Resume Template & Guide

    Updated: December 22, 2023 Article Rating: Our customers have been hired by: Table of Contents You've got enough to worry about at college. There's the constant pressure to achieve and all the stresses of campus life to contend with. Looking for a job is yet another thing to worry about. But don't let it get you down.

  8. 20+ Student Resume Examples & Templates for All Students

    Students' resume format to use in your application. Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a resume for students to make hiring you a no-brainer. How to describe your education and experience on a student resume to get any job you want. Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder.

  9. College Student Resume Examples & Writing Tips (2024)

    Generally, a college student resume should be structured to include the following sections: Resume header The resume summary (sometimes called profile or personal statement) The education section The employment history (or experience section) The resume skills section

  10. College Resume

    The most common resume format for a college student is "functional" or "skill-based", which allows the hiring manager to immediately see the benefits in hiring you. We recommend college students starting with this format. Students will usually have stronger skills than their work history, which makes the functional resume a good choice.

  11. College Student Resume Examples & Templates to Use in 2024

    12/11/2023 College Student Resume Examples & Templates to Use in 2024 Writing a resume for a college student doesn't have to be hard, even if you don't have any experience. Follow our guide and learn how to write a job-winning college student resume. Tom Gerencer, CPRW Career Writer at ResumeLab Most college student resumes have a major problem.

  12. How To Write A College Student Resume (With Examples)

    Name of your major/degree. The rest of the information is optional, but more is usually better (especially if the rest of your resume is light): GPA (if it's over 3.5) Minor (if relevant) Academic honors (Latin titles, Dean's List, Honors Programs, etc.) Merit scholarships. Publications and/or research.

  13. 50 College Student Resume Templates (& Format) ᐅ TemplateLab

    Download example resume college student. You can use a college resume template as a guide when making your own. This greatly helps in deciding the content to include and how you should format it. Just make sure that the template you select will fit your own education, experiences, and the position you're applying for.

  14. College Student Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

    How To Write a College Student Resume When applying to colleges, you may find some schools require a resume. You can write a great resume for your college applications by showing your relevant high school and other experiences and emphasizing how you've explored topics and pursued your interests.

  15. Student Resume Examples (And How To Create One)

    You may include some of these achievements on your resume to show employers your level of commitment and dedication. Here are some possible examples: Helped fundraise $500 for the local animal shelter as part of a class project. Received the $300 "Distinguished Student" award in 2017 for greatness in academics.

  16. How to Write a College Freshman Resume (Examples & Template)

    Reviewed By Conrad Benz A strong college freshman resume improves your chances of getting internships, volunteer opportunities, and part-time work. Below you'll find a college freshman resume example, template, and writing tips to help you put together a competitive application. August 17, 2022 Build My Resume Now As featured in *

  17. 11+ Best Student Resume Templates (W/ Examples & Resources)

    Modern Resume Template #8. IT Resume Template #9. Simple Resume Template #10. Functional Resume Template #11. Skill-Based Resume Template #12. College Resume Template 3 Student Resume Examples #1. High-School Student Resume #2. College Freshman Resume #3. Internship Resume 5 Other Professional Resources for Students Conclusion.

  18. Student Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

    3 student resume examples to get you inspired (high school, student, and graduate levels) Ready? Let's dive in: What to Include In a Student Resume First things first, let's talk about which sections to use on a student resume. The essential sections for a student resume are: Contact Information. Resume Objective Education

  19. 15+ Free Student Resume Examples for 2024

    1. Student Resume Template (Text Format) Need help getting started with your student resume? Here's a template that follows the correct resume format for you to copy and paste: Student Resume Example FIRST AND LAST NAME Email: [email protected] Phone: (123) 456-7891 Address: Street, City, State LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile

  20. College Student Resume Examples & Tips

    Discover effective college student resume examples and expert tips to craft a standout resume for job success and internships. ... However, each resume format will highlight a different set of abilities and will suit a different type of candidate. Resume formats are a great way to ensure every candidate, irrespective of years of experience, can ...

  21. College Student Resume Templates to Impress Any Employer

    1. Start by listing your most recent academic experience. 2. Give information about your academic degree program and the school. 3. Highlight any awards or achievements from your college experience. Here are two examples of an education section for a college student's resume: Example 1.

  22. How To Write A College Student Resume (Example And Tips)

    Follow these steps to write a college resume: 1. Write your contact information. In the first section, provide all your personal details like full name, phone number, email address and residential address. These personal details help an employer contact you for an interview.

  23. How to Write a Resume with No Experience [21+ Examples]

    4 sections to replace work experience (that help you stand out) 2 no-work experience resume samples (guaranteed to land you the job) How to Format Your Resume [with No Work Experience + Examples] A resume format is the layout of your resume. The ideal resume format usually depends on how much work experience you have.

  24. Student Resume

    Awesome Effortlessly stand out from the crowd with the Awesome resume template's unique two-column design and easy-to-read format. How to Write a Resume Objective or Summary for your Student Resume In order to impress schools and hiring managers from the get-go, your resume needs to have a strong opening section.