You might be struggling with student resume examples. Writing a student resume can be a challenge. You’re a recent graduate and the competition is fierce. What can you do to stand out in the job market? How can you make your resume shine and land the job you’re going after?
The process can feel daunting and overwhelming but, we’re going to make it simple for you. Keep reading to learn more or skip the guesswork and use a resume writing service to apply with a high-quality resume.
If you are a polishing your student resume, you may also be job hunting. We recommend looking for jobs on ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter is free and you can apply for jobs with a single click!
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What To Include On A Student Resume
A student's resume should include:
- Your name and address
- Job skills
- Objective or qualifications summary
- Education
- Work experience
- College accomplishments, if any
Your Name And Contact Information
Your name, email address, phone number and address share who you are and where you’re living. This is the header part of your resume and should be atop your resume.
Job Skills
The job skills section can be beneath your header or just below your resume objective, your choice.
Job skills should highlight soft skills and hard skills, to show your proficiencies as well as personal traits and attributes you possess. You may have dozens of skills you’re eager to share but keep this list concise and limit it to a max of ten skills in total.
Objective Or Summary
Your resume objective or summary is a critical part of your resume. This section should be near the top of your resume, either below your header or just below the skills section.
Your objective should be attention-grabbing and tell the recruiter why you’re the perfect candidate for the position. The idea is to talk about your career highlights, strengths, and skills to relate them to the job you are applying to.
This doesn’t have to be a lengthy summary. Keep it short and simple, at no more than three to four sentences long.
Education
The education section of your resume highlights your education experience. You’ll talk about the schools or universities you attended, including years attended, subjects you studied and majored in, and your GPA.
You will start with the highest degree you’ve received and then work backward.
Include:
- The college/university name
- Location
- Years attended
- Degree earned
If you’re still attending school, include the above information and add your anticipated graduation date.
College Accomplishments
College accomplishments can include awards and honors received, seats you held like class treasurer or RA, organizations you belonged to, etc. You can also share certifications and licenses you have received if any.
Tips For Writing A Student Resume
Remember when you’re creating your resume, this is your opportunity to brag about your accomplishments and achievements. You want to share highlights of your achievements, educational background, and work experience.
Be concise and specific and keep your reader (the recruiter) in mind when crafting your resume.
Here are some best practices and tips for writing a student resume:
- Use keywords
- Think about your reader
- Take your resume to the next level
- Proofread your draft before submitting the final version
Use Keywords
Keywords are very important to use in a resume. Keywords are words or phrases that are used to talk about job requirements, skills, experience, and expertise.
Most job applications don’t actually land in the hands of a human recruiter. A lot of job applications run through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) which scans a resume and job application to move them to the next part of the hiring process, if they’re a potential fit for the position.
An ATS is used by companies to make their staffing process more efficient.
It would be very time-consuming and labor-intensive to review the hundreds of job applications that one job posting could possibly receive. So, they use the help of software to speed up the process and make it more efficient.
The job of the ATS is to scan job applications and resumes. They’re looking for specific keywords used and other criteria to determine the top applicants. This is where using keywords comes into play.
Here are some quick tips for finding relevant keywords to use:
- Use the words listed in the job posting
- Research similar job postings to use those keywords
- Review the company website including the About Us page
Related: How Do I Know If My Resume Will Pass The ATS?
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Thinking About Your Reader
The reader of your job application or resume is the recruiter. Imagine what they would want to see when they review the perfect job application and resume.
- What questions might they have?
- What skills and experience are they looking for?
- When you review your resume, are you specific, clear, and concise? Are there any questions left unanswered?
Consider the above and revise your resume, as needed.
Take Your Resume Up A Level
If you want to make your resume stand out, consider doing this:
- Talk about your volunteer experience
- Make a connection between your experience and abilities to the job you’re applying for
- Share your awards and honors
- Add a Skills section to your resume to talk about soft skills, certifications, technical proficiencies, and languages
Proofread Your Resume
Don’t forget to edit your resume and proofread it to check for errors in spelling and grammar. This is a quick and simple check to do before submitting the final version of your resume to the job posting.
If you need help with your resume or want someone to check it over, consider working with a resume writing service. To learn more, check our out guide to the best resume writing services.
Student Resume Example
Student resume examples can be very helpful to review. It’s like a template you can review to give you a clear understanding of what your resume can look like. Here are some examples of what a sample student resume might look like:
Student Resume Example (text version)
Sharon Student
123 Anywhere Street * This City, California 90200
(123) 555-6789 * sharon@email.com
OBJECTIVE
High-performing and self-motivated psychology student eager to contribute to a forward-thinking and innovative organization like ABC Tech where I can apply my customer service skills in a startup environment.
- Customer Service: Interpersonal abilities and the ability to provide high-quality customer service within fast-paced work environments.
- Communication: Relationship-building skills and a strong communicator in speech and in writing.
- Academic writing: Excellent written communication skills including academic writing and business writing skills.
- Key Strengths: Excellent researcher and loyal team member, strong self-awareness skills, leadership skills, and team worker.
EDUCATION
Type of Degree and Major (anticipated 20XX);
4.00 GPA
NAME OF COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY, City, State
Awards and college accomplishments
EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS
NAME OF UNIVERSITY, City, State
Major, August 20XX-Present
Talk about your work in pursuing your degree including coursework, projects you’ve led and worked on, and plans to enter the industry you’re working toward.
- Academic accomplishments like “Earned Leadership award”
- Volunteer work acknowledgment like “Volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club of Memphis to mentor to middle school students”
- Personal accomplishments like “Selected as sorority treasurer for XII Chapter”
EMPLOYER NAME, City, State
Position, Time worked XX/XXXX to XX/XXXX
Talk about the work you did in this position.
- Accomplishments
- Awards
Skills To Include On A Student Resume
You will want to include hard skills and soft skills on a student resume. Hard skills are learned. These are capabilities you’ve acquired over time like data analysis or proficiency with Microsoft Access.
Soft skills are not tangible like hard skills. These are skills that you possess and can be very valuable in the workplace like communication, self-awareness, conflict resolution, and leadership skills, to name a few examples.
Here are more examples of hard skills to include:
- Writing
- Editing
- Ability to speak and/or write in multiple languages
- Technical proficiencies like the ability to use computer programs and software tools
- Event planning
- Sales
- Public speaking
- Data analysis
- Bookkeeping
Here are examples of soft skills you can include:
- Customer service
- Analytical
- Critical thinking
- Problem-solving
- Communication
- Flexible
- Responsible
- Diplomacy
- Listening
- Reliable
- Punctual
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you write a student resume?
When writing a student's resume, keep it simple, make sure to be clear and specific. Make sure you talk about your skills, achievements, accomplishments, and experience. Relate your abilities to the job you’re applying for and add your volunteer experience and honors.
How can a student write a resume with no experience?
If you have no experience to report on your resume, you can include:
- Your education experience
- Volunteer work
- Awards and honors
- Internships and projects
How would you describe yourself as a student on a resume?
To describe yourself as a student on a resume, include your name and contact information on your resume, along with your resume objective. List your job duties and talk about your soft skills and hard skills.
How do I write my first resume as a student?
Some advice for writing your first resume as a student is to keep it simple. Be specific and be clear when writing your resume. Showcase your skills, give examples, and make sure to include relevant information only.
The Bottom Line
Creating a student resume doesn’t have to be difficult. Hopefully these student resume examples, best practices and tips make the process easier for you. If the process still proves too challenging, you can always invest in a resume writing service. Here are some of the best resume writing services to check out.
To start your job hunt, we recommend you visit ZipRecruiter to find your perfect job! Good luck!
