How To Write A Computer Science Student Resume | Job-Winning Resume Writing Tips

You require a resume for your computer science internship that will get you hired at Apple or IBM. But how can you succeed when competing against US grads numbering in the thousands and millions from other nations? Oh-oh. Unhandled exception.

Last update:
01/01/2024

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Computer Science Resume Example

Bella Ramada
bella.ramada1@gmail.com
646-207-1760

Professional Summary 
Insightful computer science student who excels at Python and Java. Seeking an internship in software engineering. May marks the end of my junior year. Maintained a 4.0-grade point average in Java and Python fundamentals. Won the Coderbyte programming competition in March 2020 and the TopCoder Java coding competition in February 2020.

Education
Hunter College
BS in Computer Science
Graduation Date: June 2020
GPA: 3.8/4.0

Relevant Coursework

  • Java, Python, and C programming
  • Databases, software development, data structures, and data mining

School Projects

  • A novel geolocation software that won the Peter P. Evans Award for Computer Science was created by a team of six computer science students that I built and guided.
  • Created a Java mobile app for finding chipped, lost pets that received more than 3,200 downloads on Google Play. Over 1500 pets and their owners have been reunited with it so far.
  • Developed a Java-based online calculator that placed second in the 2020 school coding competition.

Extracurricular Activities

  • Monthly posts on Python and Java for the student blog.
  • Student programming group participant.

Relevant Work Experience
Programming Intern
Curious Key Software, New York, NY
June–July 2019

  • Debugged 100 lines of code per day in Java.
  • beat the 48 percent industry intern average for debugging speed.
  • Praised by the supervisor for my attention to detail.
  • Debug third-party companies and third-party sites.

Skills

  • Languages: Ruby, C, Java, Python
  • Technical Skills: Databases, Data Mining, Data Structures, Machine Learning, Software Engineering


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But rest assured—we've got your back. Writing a resume that is valid for internships in computer science is not all that difficult. That's because the majority of your classmates are ignorant of how to properly list their education on a computer science resume. They discuss what they discovered. Instead, you'll talk about your accomplishments.

You most likely possess a wide range of abilities and credentials as a computer scientist.

This has the drawback of potentially making crafting a computer science resume even more challenging.

We understand. Your resume can get more disorganized the more information you have to include. However, it doesn't have to be so complicated or cluttered.

So let's get right to the point and before we begin let’s take a look at a computer science student resume example. But well, if you want to cut through the chase and have your resume ready within minutes, use our ready-to-use resume templates.

Looking for some other resume example? Don’t word, we got it all. Hover over to our bundle of varied resume examples.


computer science student

How to Make a Computer Science Resume from Scratch

As we go, we must adhere to a particular structure. The way I’ll guide you to write one is how the majority of hiring managers are accustomed to it, and they typically anticipate the resume to do the same. One of the most crucial components of a well-written computer science resume is the format.

💡 Here’s the list of things your computer science student resume should include:-

  • Contact information
  • Resume objective or summary
  • Work experience in reverse-chronological order
  • Education
  • Skills
  • Additional Sections (Certifications, Awards, Conference Participation, Volunteer Experience, or Hobbies and Interests)

What Should Computer Science Resume Look Like?

You likely already know the information that should be on a computer science resume to land you a job, but the harder challenge is figuring out how to display it without making it too long or crowded.

The ideal computer science internship resume will demonstrate your attention to even the most minute aspects.

📌Remember these golden rules:

  • Pick one of the three resume formats. You'll need to create a modified reverse-chronological resume for the majority of internships in computer science.

In this arrangement, your work experience is listed in reverse chronological order. This implies that your most recent employment is listed first in your work experience section.

Most significantly, this is the most common format among recruiters and HR managers throughout the world, so you may feel confident in adopting it.

The other two resume templates are as follows:

  1. The functional. This is often referred to as a skills-based resume. This style emphasizes your talents rather than your job experience and is appropriate for new grads with little or no work experience.
  2. The combination format. This is frequently referred to as the hybrid format and places equal emphasis on both abilities and job experience.
  • You shouldn't begin with "Hello, recruiter!" A neat resume design is the quickest route to being hired, just like code libraries speed up your job.
  • For the finest first impression, select a professional resume font. Calibri, Arial, Ubuntu, Roboto, Overpass, and Helvetica are a few of the most reputable fonts.
  • Set all of the margins on your computer science resume to one inch, including those at the top and bottom of the page.
  • For internships in computer science, stick with a one-page resume. You won't have any trouble filling it thanks to the tips we'll provide below.
  • Include the appropriate sections of your resume, such as your heading, profile, education, work history, projects, and extracurricular activities.
  • Both PDF and MS Word resume templates are acceptable as long as the formatting is preserved when viewed on various devices.
  • It is always advisable to use a resume template. Looking for one? Check our ready-to-use resume templates.

The Header & Contact Information

The administrator will want to get as far away from the pile of unanswered resumes as possible because they are short on time. As a result, the first sentence he reads on a CV determines how much interest he will pay in the future. Make it thorough enough so that you can highlight it with a catchy header.

Even though the contact information part appears to be simple and uncomplicated, you should not dismiss it.

This section must be completed correctly, with no errors or typos (for obvious reasons).

First and foremost, you should ensure that recruiters can contact you if they wish to invite you in for an interview. Second, you don't want to appear sloppy.

Aside from that, constructing this section is quite simple. All you need to include are the following:

  • Full name
  • Title
  • Phone number
  • Email
  • Social profiles such as Dribble or GitHub or LinkedIn (if any)

Take a look at the resume examples below:-

Good Header

Hanani Amir

Computer Science Student

(555)-555-5555

hanani17@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/HananiAmir


Bad Header

Hanani Amir

5821 S Mayfield Ave

Chicago, IL 60652

(555)-555-5555

hanani.facebook@gmail.com

14/05/1985


✒️ Although it is a matter of preference, if you are looking for work in the United States, you are not obligated to include images in your CV. Asking for a picture is strictly forbidden due to discriminatory reasons. Therefore, it is preferable not to use your photo unless specifically requested.


computer science student

What If You Don’t Have Work Experience?

Unfortunately, no one is born with work experience, even though it is a major boost on a computer science resume. As a result, those of you who have just graduated are probably unable to contribute anything to this part.

What do you then?

The good news is that recruiters do not demand work experience from students or fresh grads. Instead, they're interested in learning more about your abilities, like teamwork, critical thinking, programming, and math.

As an alternative, you may compile all of these skills into a portfolio. Your portfolio in computer science could include:

  • Academic projects
  • Personal engineering projects (e.g. games you’ve designed for fun)
  • Online contests
  • Any freelance work

Describe Your Education

Your education resume section has a bigger job to do when you're writing a little to no experience computer science resume, just like right now.

  • After your computer science resume objective, immediately follow with the name of your school.
  • Include your major and minors along with your degree, the name of your institution, and the date you will graduate or were already graduated.
  • Add education sections to make sure your CV is strong and long enough. You may mention school assignments or pertinent coursework, such as programming languages.
  • Including extracurricular activities like a robotics club or a student, a programming association is also beneficial.
  • You must include your GPA on your CV because you aren't yet employed. Include a weighted GPA if it's not fantastic.

Check out this example:-

BSc in Computer Science

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

08/2011 - 05/2015

  • National Merit Scholar Finalist.
  • Relevant Coursework: Computational Theory. Operating Systems. Compilers. Microprocessors.

To enhance the value of your computer science resume, feel free to include any academic or extracurricular accomplishments in the bullet points in this section (especially if you have just recently graduated and have no work experience whatsoever).

📌Tip: You should also include any licenses and qualifications you have, as well as any recent or relevant accolades or achievements.


computer science student

Demonstrate Your Experience as a Computer Science Student

Have you already completed any computer science internships?

These should be included in a job experience description on your great computer science resume. However, there is a crucial approach to stand out from the crowd of internship hopefuls.

Work experience is required on any resume unless you have no professional computer science experience at all. This is particularly true in highly specialized industries such as computer technology, where you never truly stop learning or improving during your career.

📌 To correctly format your job experience, follow these steps:

  • Start with your most recent internship or employment.
  • Customize your resume by including a bullet list of accomplishment examples.
  • Write the job title, the name of the firm where you interned, the location, and the number of months you worked there.
  • The first term in each of your bullets should be a computer science resume action word, such as developed or debugged.
  • Show relevant abilities from positions serving tables or in retail if you don't have experience in computer science.

Now, just correctly formatting this area is insufficient.

We advise that you highlight your accomplishments above your work duties (where it is possible) since your computer science work experience should set you apart from other applicants.

Consider this: The recruiter is well aware of the duties associated with the position of a computer scientist.

Create and implement software...

Enhancing communication between humans and computers...

Therefore, the true question is how YOU performed so well on the job.

Make your obligations as measurable as you can when outlining them, which is another important consideration.

After all, claiming to have done something is one thing; proving it is quite another.

Look at the two resume examples below:

CORRECT

From the initial proposal to the release of new financial management software, which increased corporate revenues by 25% in a year, I oversaw a team of 5 software developers.


INCORRECT

increased revenue for the organization alongside my team.


The first example demonstrates the candidate's leadership skills while also outlining the steps done, a timeline, and the outcomes.

On the other hand, in the second scenario, the recruiter will never know if the candidate performed that and more.

Show Your Best Computer Science Internship Skills

Concerned that your computer science resume won't include the appropriate skills? Far from being concerned enough. Most resumes fall flat because the proper abilities aren't listed.

So let’s see how to correctly demonstrate your computer science skills:

  • In the internet job posting, look for the job skills. Take note of the ones the business appears to prioritize. They will be shown at the top of the advertisement.
  • Find both hard and soft skills in that job posting. Soft talents include teamwork and communication. Hard talents include knowledge of coding languages or machine learning.
  • The next step is to compile a list of your top 10 computer science resume skills for your computer science resume. Don't stop there though. Include such abilities together with your accomplishments in the bullet points.
🛑 Don't, however, make the error of including every ability you can think of. That will only fill your computer science resume with pointless details and make it appear untidy.

Still, confused about what kind of skills to include? Check the list below of best computer science resume skills and find the ones that fit you right.

Hard Skills for Computer Science Resume

  • Statistics
  • Linear algebra
  • Problem-solving
  • Technical writing
  • Experimentation
  • Programming languages
  • Calculus
  • Applicant tracking systems
  • Coding
  • Data analysis
  • Discrete mathematics
  • Technical abilities
  • Mathematics
  • Software development
  • Computer hardware engineering
  • Analytical skills
  • Software tools
  • Collect password information
  • Information systems management
  • Computer and technology knowledge

Soft Skills for Computer Science Resume

  • Communication
  • Attention to detail
  • Creativity
  • Collect session information
  • Organization
  • Training and teaching
  • Time management
  • Teamwork & cooperation
  • Analysis

Write a Winning Professional Summary for Your Computer Science Resume

Start with a catchy resume summary that is about three lines long to grab readers' interest right away. Include the date of your graduation, your main field of study, and one more crucial detail. Include a few academic successes or independent initiatives to pique their attention.

If you’re wondering whether a computer science objective and professional summary is the same or not, well it is. To demonstrate how we can aid, we now emphasize our abilities and accomplishments.

Use the following career aim if you are creating a CV for a computer science internship:

  • Indicate how well you'd fit in by emphasizing your present knowledge and skills.
  • Take into account your quantitative achievements from prior positions as well as your transferrable skills.
  • There's no need to stuff this section full of details. It should just contain three to four sentences and be customized to the job description of the position you're seeking.

computer science student

Additional Sections for Your Computer Science Resume

A computer science resume does not require any "extra" components. However, they may persuade potential employers to want to meet you:

  • Sections for memberships in organizations like IEEE or certifications can be added.
  • Include a section for any finished personal projects (such as programming assignments) and a link to your web portfolio. Definitely have an online portfolio as well.
  • Include your volunteer activity in a separate area or under "extra activities."

So what sections should you add to your computer science resume? Take a look below:-

Awards & certifications:

These days, computer science and programming are very competitive fields. Showing recruiters your accolades and credentials is one approach to distinguish yourself from the competition.

Projects:

Showing recruiters the most fascinating projects you've worked on is another excellent technique to demonstrate to them that you're not simply another applicant with a boilerplate computer science resume. This need not be work-related; it could be a project you completed for school or on your own time.

Hobbies & Interests:

Although this part isn't the most crucial, it can still give recruiters a tonne of helpful information. They will understand that you are truly passionate about programming and even spend your free time improving your talents if you mention, for instance, creating your own video games.

Languages:

If you speak many languages, this is an important section of your resume to include. The capacity to communicate in a variety of languages can be beneficial.

Tips to Make Your Computer Science Internship Resume Like A Pro

  • Once you're done, save your computer science resume in PDF format to ensure that the formatting is preserved. But be sure to read the job posting in its entirety. If your potential employer won't accept PDF files, submit your resume in DOC format instead.
  • Address the employer by name and specify the position you are seeking in your resume's objective or summary for employment. Or to put it another way, you cannot apply for jobs with the same computer science resume. That is the goal in and of itself. Make sure every resume you submit stands out!
  • Follow up after submitting your computer science resume and great cover letter. You may show that you can follow up with a gentle nudge via the phone, email, or in person!

Key Takeaways: Writing a Resume for Jobs in Computer Science Internship

To develop the best possible computer science CV, adhere to the critical steps we covered:

  • Your resume for a computer science student should start with a career aim or summary. Create a counter-offer that highlights your strengths as a candidate.
  • In the part about your employment history, place more emphasis on your accomplishments than your duties. When feasible, quantify and use action verbs.
  • Compare the requirements of the job posting to your list of competencies.
  • Include any further information that demonstrates your value as a rival.
  • Make sure every resume you submit stands out from the crowd. Use the name of the company you are applying to, and make sure your computer science resume is written in line with the qualifications listed in the job description.

Attach a Cover Letter to Your Computer Science Resume

In actuality, a cover letter is crucial.

Why?

Because almost half of recruiters will skim over your CV if it doesn't contain a good cover letter.

Yup. You did read that correctly.

You might also benefit from writing a strong cover letter.

For positions as a computer scientists, think about creating an internship or student resume. Isn't that terrifying?

The saving grace is the cover letter.

It can be used to demonstrate your creativity and discuss your motivation for wanting to become a computer science intern.

Your cover letter might allow recruiters to determine whether you are keen and serious about your job.

All applicants, not just recent graduates, must submit a cover letter.

Furthermore, a well-written cover letter that matches your computer science resume will put you ahead of the competition. You can use our cover letter builder to do so here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What educational qualification is required to become a computer scientist?

A master's degree in computer science or a closely related discipline, such as computer engineering, artificial intelligence, or robotics, is required for the majority of computer and information research scientists, including experts in that field. After completing a bachelor's degree in a computer-related subject, like computer science or information systems, a master's degree often necessitates two to three years of study.

Is it important to include references in your computer science resume?

Although references that may vouch for your prior employment are occasionally requested by employers, they are infrequently asked for in a resume. Instead, focus on adding pertinent career information to your resume and keeping a separate list of references available for request as necessary.

How much does a computer scientist make on average?

According to Indeed, the average salary for a computer scientist is $106,248 per year in the United States.


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