College Student Resume Sample

Working part-time or remotely has been bread and butter for millions of students worldwide. This is where a sample resume for college student comes in handy. Thankfully, due to the Internet, the recruiter’s work process has sped up. A modern student does not have to wait for HR’s response for weeks. To ensure you get the cherished “yes” answer, learn to write the college student resume sample with us. Check the guidelines below.

Check out this article provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on balancing college and kids

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How to Format a College Student Resume 

The three ways to format your resume sample are chronological, functional, or a combination of both. 

  • Chronology. A chronological resume sample for college student would contain the traditional layout of one’s life history. Start with the Education section and continue with the Experience and Skills. 
  • Function. It’s a more advisable option for a college student resume format. Students rarely have outstanding job experience. Hence, start your job application with Skills and Education sections. You might omit Experience in this case. 
  • Combination. It reminds the reader of the interview flow. Start with any section you like but try to keep a logical structure.

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An Example of a Resume for a College Student

The following sample resume for current college student applies the combination format approach.

FIRST AND LAST NAME

Contact Information: Mention your phone number and email here, so the recruiter can contact you. 

Address: You can only mention your current city residence.

LinkedIn: Optional. The recruiter understands that you are a study-oriented student.


Resume Summary or Resume Objective: It is preferable to choose a Resume Objective if you have little to no experience. Write down a sentence about who you are, your skills, and your job aspirations. 


EDUCATION

Degree and Major

Name of the College, City, and State

Date of Expected Graduation


High School Name (optional in many cases), City and State

Year of Graduation


EXPERIENCE

Name of the Company/Organization, City, and State 

Start Date - End Date or Current Date

Job Position

Here, use a bullet point list to mention your duties. 

Accomplishments

This subsection is optional. There is a high probability that your recruiter understands that you are a student and have a short career path. In fact, a common resume sample for college student will not have this section included.

SKILLS

Use bullet points to write down your hard and soft skills. Your hard skill might be Photoshop knowledge if you apply for a digital artist position. Meanwhile, your soft skill will be any job non-related skill like solving team conflicts. 


AWARDS AND HONORS

This section does not go as one of the major parts of traditional resumes. However, awards and honors require a special place in a college student resume. Many recruiters are eager to hire academically driven students, even if they do not have outstanding job experience but demonstrate potential. 

Use this section smartly to persuade the reader that you suit the requirements of the job position. 

College Student Resume Objective & Resume Summary

A summary is a part of the resume that shows your job history and accomplishments on your career path. The goal of this section is to present you in the best light. Like in a traditional interview, you can mention your most astonishing achievements and plans. 

A college student resume objective differs from the resume summary. In the objective, an applicant mentions their expectations of the job. As a student with little experience, you can use this section efficiently. For instance, you might add that you need short-term training before starting the actual job.

Related:

How to write Resume Objective + Examples

9 Functioned Well Resume Summary Examples

College Student Resume Summary [Examples]

In the quest for well-paid work, young job seekers might exaggerate some details as in the following resume sample.

WRONG ❌:

“An award-winning writer with 7-year experience in the publishing industry. Looking for a high salary due to years of experience.”

Fortunately, most of the college student resume samples contain efficient examples. 

RIGHT ✅:

“An aspiring writer with one-year experience in the job market. Currently studying humanities. Hence, working as an editor’s assistant is a great motivation to learn the publishing industry.”

College Student Resume Objective [Examples]

A resume example often contains an objective rather than a summary. Start your college student resume objective with a “to” construction. Set a clear goal. 

WRONG ❌ :

“Stories of people around inspire me. I want to help the struggling population. Hence, I have chosen your organization to write about the importance of volunteering and kindness.”

RIGHT  ✅:

“To develop my creative mind in online advertising. To get more professional training on using the 3D programs and communicating with clients.”

College Student Resume Examples [Experience]

As a rule of thumb, recruiters rarely expect a college student sample to include tons of experience. Yet, don’t worry that you are a novice in the business world.

  • Keep it simple. Everyone starts somewhere. If your only professional duties included selling hamburgers at McDonald’s, don’t feel ashamed. 
  • Type of experience. Mention jobs that emphasize your soft skills. Did you work as a car cleaner? This means you are attentive to details and excellent at client communication. 
  • The shorter - the better. This section does not aim to show you as a fine sample college student. If the data is only one-bullet-long, everything is fine. 

Sample College Student Resume for Internship [Experience]

Most college newbies have no experience at all. You are probably one of them. It’s fine since no one expects you to take on a million responsibilities when you are eighteen. However, a great example of a college student resume will not include “no experience.” 

A sample resume for college student seeking internship will include a motivation sentence in the Objective part. Shortly put, a reason. 

Think of what made you choose the company. A new study on automation processes? Original fashion collections? Write it down. 

Resume Example for College Student With No Experience [Sample]

As said earlier, do not simply write “no experience” and hopelessly leave the section. Your resume sample for college student with no experience may contain volunteering and side projects. 

WRONG ❌:

“I have never worked as an accountant. But the acceptance rates to your company are high, so I decided to apply for this job position.”

RIGHT ✅:

“Volunteering at the local shelter for two years made me pursue an education in social studies. I believe that your company will provide me with a great opportunity to practice my professional skills.”

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Education in Your Future Perspective 

As a current college student, you might want to focus the whole resume creation process on this particular section. Yes, you study hard and follow your professor’s requirements - no need to be shy about it. Your college student resume might even contain stories about your latest assignments, especially if they resemble complex biological studies in disguise. The same applies if your project can potentially save more human lives. 

Think of your college student education as a saving ticket. Yes, you are a student, and it makes you special in a good way. 

College Student Resume Examples [Education]

Most college student resume samples will include a few matter-of-fact education details. Make this section brighter with details that are relevant to the job position.

WRONG ❌:

“University of South Carolina, Humanities. Wrote 20 essays about Shakespeare during the last year.”

RIGHT  ✅:

“University of South Carolina, Humanities. Currently working on a public Shakespeare project for my major. Therefore, your company can boost my career and add growth to the project.”

How many mistakes are acceptable on a resume? Are you at risk?

Skills on a Resume for a College Student

Now, this is a section to show off. If you are an amazing art student but never got an opportunity to try digital software, mention it. College student resume samples will teach you that the Skills section is a part where you compensate for the lacking experience. 

  • Be meticulous. Check the spelling of the software’s name again and again. You don’t want to end up with “Mangus” instead of “Manga.” 
  • Match made in heaven. Check which skills the employer requires in the career field. See if the skills you have correspond to the requirements in the job ad. 
  • Size doesn’t matter. A rare example of a college student resume would contain a long list of superb skills. Most college student resume skills are few on the list. 

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Visit this page if you want to know more about resume tips for crafting your perfect resume.

College Student Resume Examples [Skills]

We all exaggerate. No wonder some college student resume samples lack a grasp of reality or knowledge of occupations.

WRONG ❌ :

  • Proficient knowledge of Java, Python, C++, etc. 
  • Developing products from scratch in the short term.

Meanwhile, professional college student resume examples stick to reality.

RIGHT  ✅:

  • Proficient knowledge of Java.
  • Advanced knowledge of Python (still improving).
  • Developing products for individuals from scratch according to the deadline.

How to Make Your College Student Resume Impressive

The tiniest award can win you the interview. Rummage through your memory and focus on things that make you shine in your college student resume sections. 

  • Awards and Honors. Getting an award for the recent project is a great way to show that you have not been wasting your time. 
  • Volunteering. It not only shows you as a good and kind person to recruit but also as an individual who tries to make the world a better place.
  • Projects. Do you interview refugees and write articles on wars? Did you start a new art exhibition? Add it to the resume sections. 

College Student Resume Examples [Other Sections]

Thoroughly scan a professional college student resume. Don’t dive into pettiness.

WRONG ❌:

Awards and Honors. An overachiever who always got As in all subjects.”

To make your resume for college student jobs work, think big.

RIGHT  ✅

“Awards and Honors. A winner of the Contest “Most Promising Project in Art Teaching,” South Carolina, 2016.”

Final Thoughts

We hope that our experts taught you how to write a college student resume without any pain. Showing a recruiter that you are perfect for the work requires impeccable writing skills, attention to detail, and a sense of structure. If you still feel unconfident, our writers will gladly compose a superb resume to make your dream job come true.

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