How To Write A Professional College Student Resume (Examples & Writing Tips 2023)

A college student's resume must emphasize more upon skill set, extracurricular activities, and event participation.

With so many possibilities available for a decent career, entering the professional world as a college student or recent graduate might seem challenging and overwhelming. But there is no need to fret.

With this college resume writing guide, you can professionally craft your resume and increase your chances of getting hired, even with little or no experience.

Let's understand how to make a distinctive college resume, select the ideal structure for a college student's resume and optimize each part of your resume.

A college student will most likely have very little or no professional experience. Despite that, you can still make your college resume strong and captivating.

A college student's resume should typically be organized to contain the components below:

• Resume header
• Resume summary or objective statement section
• Education section
• Employment history or professional experience section
• Skills section

Apart from the common sections of your college resume, you can also add sections like

• Awards & Certification
• Personal Projects
• Languages
• Interests & Hobbies

Tips for Writing a College Student Resume?

You will have very little information to provide on your adolescent resume since you will have less work experience. You can still make your resume interesting, though, by following the tips given below.

• Keep it precise and clean. Use a professional format.
• Mention what is important and eliminate unnecessary information.
• Customize your resume for every job application.
• Your resume should be brief and must contain one or two pages.

• To make up for the lack of professional experience, highlight your academic achievements. Creating a thorough schooling section is essential to producing a winning college resume.
• You probably have some experience you can utilize to substitute official work experience, whether it is from extracurriculars, internships, or volunteer work.
• You must include a substantial resume skills section on your college student resume that lists a variety of talents.
• While expressing your experiences, achievements, and accomplishments, pay close attention to the use of action verbs and active language.
• You can Include a link to your blog reference in your resume. Be careful you only share websites that are suitable and professional.
• You should pick a resume structure that displays your most relevant experience and skills while producing a college resume.

College Student Resume Examples

Our professional resume writer has crafted a college student resume template after studying thousands of resumes from different industries.

College Resume Example

College Student Human Resources Executive Assistant Resume

College Student Assistant Medical Laboratory Technician Resume

What's the Best Format for a College Student Resume?

For the majority of resumes, a reverse chronological format is strongly advised. It will not work for a college student's resume as they lack work experience.

The functional resume format or skill-based resume formats are the most preferred for college students since they enable hiring managers to identify your strengths right away.

College students should use a functional resume because their skills are usually greater than their professional history.

How to Write a College Student Resume Objective or Summary

Given the intense competition, your college resume should persuade the recruiting manager from the start. Resume Summary is the first thing they will notice in your college resume.

To do this, you have two options - the resume objective or the resume summary.

The difference between them is, a resume summary is a 2-4 phrase description of your achievements and professional experiences. Whereas, a resume objective is a 2-4 phrase summary of your career goals.

Hence, when you have some work experience, you must use a resume summary. Otherwise, go with a resume objective.

Resume objective or Resume Summary must appear below the contact information on your resume. They provide a synopsis of your whole resume.

Resume summary for a student with no experience

College Student Resume Summary with Internship Experience

How to List Your Academic Background?

Your education section is vital whether you're a college sophomore or junior. If you submit a college resume with a poorly worded education section, the hiring manager will ignore you.

It's important to accurately mention your education. Nothing too complicated though.

Just submit your in-progress degree information in the following format in this part.

• Degree Type & Major
• University Name
• Expected Graduation or year of graduation
• GPA, Honours, Courses, and anything else you might want to add

Don’t forget to include your high school credentials if you haven’t completed your college degree.

You must also list the languages that you know, awards, publications, honors, and extracurricular activities.

How to Describe Experience on a College Student Resume

It often gets difficult for college students and freshers to get a job as they lack work experience. Because of this, if you have relevant experience, such as an internship, compose a work history section that will set you apart from the competition.

Recruiters value candidates who can perform the job. The simplest way of putting your employment history on a resume is

• Designation
• Company Name
• Dates
• Responsibilities & Achievements

Not every applicant will have had a position comparable to this before. Just use transferable abilities from any prior positions.

For instance, you can discuss any transferable abilities and experiences if you previously worked in customer service at a nearby pizza business. You would be able to demonstrate that you employed great communication and sales abilities, much like a sales associate.

If you have absolutely no experience, then skip the work experience section and showcase your skills and qualifications to the best.

How to Describe Skills on a Resume for College Students

Hiring managers are searching for a blend of soft and hard skills. Include your greatest skills and abilities to convince them you are the best applicant.

But which abilities are ideal for a college resume?

List a diverse mix of hard and soft skills you have acquired during your academics.

Most Common Skills for College Student Resumes

• Technical Skills
• Verbal & Nonverbal Communication Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Decision-Making Abilities
• Computer Skills like Microsoft Office
• Programming Skills or Coding
• Project Management Abilities
• Active Listening Skills
• Skills to work with a team
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Time Management Skills
• Logical & Analytical Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills

Hard Skills

• Marketing Skills - SEO/SEM, CRO and A/B testing, Email marketing and automation, Funnel management, UX Design, Data visualization, Google Analytics and Google Search Console, AdWords, Facebook Paid Ads
• Computer Skills - MS Office, Google Drive, Spreadsheets, Email, Presentations/Slideshows, Database Management, Quickbooks, Social media, Web
• Presentation Skills - Visual communication, Slideshows, Research, Data analysis, Reporting
• Management Skills - Budgeting, Project management, Hiring, Finance Office management skills, Logistics, New business development
• Technical Skills - CAD, Lean manufacturing, Multivariate analysis. Linear regression, Prototyping, Workflow development, STEM skills, Web: HTML, CSS, Javascript.
• Design Skills - Photoshop, Illustrator, UX/UI design, UX research, Data visualization, Color theory, Corel Draw, Sketching, Print design

Soft Skills

• Time Management - Stress management, Organization, Prioritizing, Planning, and Goal setting.
• Communication - Verbal communication, Written communication, Presentation, Constructive feedback
• Adaptability - Self-management, Optimism, Calmness, Analysis, Self-motivation
• Teamwork - Conflict management and resolution, Collaboration, Coordination, Idea exchange
• Attention to Detail - Scheduling, Introspection, Questioning, Critical observation

Extra Sections For College Resume

We've almost covered all the major sections of a college resume. Here are a few additional sections that can strengthen your resume.

Many companies place greater value on certifications than degrees, particularly in specialized sectors. If it is a course you have completed or certified for anything, be sure to include that.

A college student's resume will stick out like a light if they are fluent in another language.

List the languages by proficiency:

• Native
• Fluent
• Proficient
• Intermediate
• Basic

Voluntary work is usually a plus on a resume, particularly if you lack any professional experience. Include volunteer work that is relevant to the job position.

As a fresher, your interest and hobbies section can help you showcase your soft skills like leadership and cooperation. Extracurricular activities you participated in during your studies also play an important role in showing the hiring managers that you possess the skills required for the job.

Your resume gets strong by including projects as a subheading or a distinct section under your job experience. Hiring managers prefer those candidates who have prior similar experience

Summarization:

• A properly written resume summary increases the chances of getting noticed and selected by the Applicant Tracking System.
• Asa fresher, emphasize your education section, no matter what industry you are applying for.
• It should be understood that having no professional work experience is not bad.
• Configure your skills section based on your job position as well as your industry. Adjust it to the job description and your sector expertise.
• Making a college resume becomes simpler if you use a professionally prepared resume template, and it also helps you avoid sneaky technical errors.
• By effectively structuring your resume, you may make it simple to read.

Sample College Student Cover Letter

Without a strong cover letter, no application is complete. A customized cover letter demonstrates your interest in working for this particular organization.

That is essential while making a job application. You can persuade the hiring manager to read your resume by doing this.

Sample Cover Letter