College Resume: Examples, Templates & Tips for 2024

College resume template [text version]

Maybe you’re just looking for text to copy and paste into your resume. Enjoy this college resume in text format to use as a starting point.

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Carlos Parker

Utica, NY 13501 | 555-555-5555 | example@example.com

Career Objective

Computer science student seeking an entry-level position in software engineering to apply technical skills and knowledge to contribute to the company’s success while gaining valuable experience and professional growth opportunities. Proficiency in programming languages such as Java, Python and C++, and experience in software development, data structures and algorithms through school coursework and projects. Fast learner, easily adapts to new technologies. Excited to be part of a team that fosters growth and innovation.

Skills

• Proficient in Java, Python and HTML/CSS
• Familiarity with MySQL and JavaScript
• Advanced calculus
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Detail-oriented and organized
• Problem-solving

Professional Skills

Database Management

• Reviewed applications for completeness, accuracy and compliance with regulations and met with applicants to obtain missing information, followed by adding it to the system.
• Located and corrected data entry errors or reported them to two supervisors.
• Input a large volume of data into the company database, utilizing MS Excel.

Planning, Debugging and Troubleshooting

• Tutored six high school students in computer science concepts and programming languages.
• Participated in a local hackathon and helped develop an app to assist people with disabilities navigate public transportation.
• Collaborated with QA and peer groups to design and improve components.

Project Experience and Strong Analytical Skills

• Created a web-based application for managing 120 student records using PHP and MySQL.
• Developed a text-based adventure game in Python using object-oriented programming concepts.
• Built a responsive website for a local business using HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

Work History

Online Math Tutor
Tutor.com
Utica, NY | September 2022 – Current

Summer Data Entry Clerk
Wilcor International
Frankfort, NY | June 2021 – September 2021

Education

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Marketing
Utica University
Utica, NY
Expected in June 2024

GPA: 3.8
Completed coursework in data structures and algorithms, web development and software engineering

Certifications

Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) – 2022

Select a college resume template

You want to make a good first impression, and this rings particularly true for your resume.

Your resume layout is the initial point of contact for the hiring manager, so its impact is hard to overstate.

What does your perfect resume look like? Perhaps it’s a creative design that draws the eye with a unique style or a modern template that exudes freshness. Alternatively, you might favor a simple template that emphasizes the fundamentals.

Regardless of your preference, here are a few principles you should follow when picking your college resume template:

Also, you could explore templates by Microsoft Word or Google Docs if that’s more your thing.

Now, with the template tackled, it’s time to focus on formatting.

Format your college resume correctly

Create your resume

While many templates are preformatted, you may need to play around with your formatting to get the resume balanced correctly.

Here are a few critical formatting tips:

• Margins: Use standard 1-inch margins on all sides of the document. If you’re having trouble fitting everything on one page, adjust the margins to 0.5 inches.
• Font: It’s important to select a resume font that’s both clear and readable. Unusual or silly styles might be unreadable and make you look unprofessional.
• Bullet points: Use bullet points in your skills and work history section to emphasize key achievements and make your document easier to grasp.
• Whitespace: Avoid clutter by including a good amount of whitespace. This makes your resume easier to read and looks more professional.
• Consistency: While the formatting decisions are important, sticking to your choice of font size, margins or line spacing throughout the entire resume is equally as important.

How to make a college resume

Next, we’ll show you how to write a resume in just a few simple steps.

Our detailed guide will improve your chances of getting the job, and it’s fully customized for college students and recent graduates.

One last thing — if you’re young, you can find even more advice and tips in our teen resume guide.

Start your resume off on the right foot with a strong career objective.

A resume objective is a one-paragraph explanation of how you’ll give the company 110%. Once you’ve clocked in a few years of work time, you can do a professional summary, which is an overview of your most relevant skills and accomplishments.

For most college students or new grads, a resume objective is the best bet. Let’s look at an example.

If your career were a movie, then your skills would be the lead performers capturing the audience’s attention and selling the performance.

At the beginning of the journey, it might seem like the stage is somewhat empty, but you have more talent to put in the spotlight than you realize. From internships to summer jobs to relevant coursework and projects, you have the skills employers want.

The strongest resumes don’t just list skills. The skills are essential to your career story, so they should be spread throughout your resume, from the skills sections to your professional summary to work experience.

Consider these two types of skills you’re most likely to see on the big screen:

• Soft skills represent the emotional and interpersonal nuances of the performance. These might include leadership qualities, empathy or exceptional verbal communication — all valuable skills in their own right.
• Hard skills correspond to the technical elements of the performance, such as fluency in a second language, coding or mastery of Adobe Creative Suite. (Note: Computer skills are examples of hard skills.)

Rather than viewing this as a rivalry — hard skills vs soft skills — envision them harmoniously working together to deliver a memorable performance. So, ensure your resume showcases a blend of both skill types.

Also, check out the job description and highlight all of the skills listed there. These will likely be keywords the employer entered into the applicant tracking system (ATS), which is software that screens out candidates who don’t check the right boxes.

As a college student seeking employment, you may not have a wealth of professional experience to bolster your resume. So, what should you do?

Here are a few alternatives to professional experience that can make your resume shine:

• Clubs and organizations: Are you part of any clubs, societies or sports teams? These are perfect additions to your resume!
• Part-time jobs or internships: Remember, you don’t need full-time employment to count as work experience. Your summer job at the library or that marketing internship totally counts.
• Online courses or certifications: Have you completed any online courses or earned any certifications? These demonstrate to employers that you’re proactive and committed to acquiring new skills.
• Academic accomplishments: Enhance your education section with your GPA and other academic accomplishments (like relevant courses or research projects).

Any workplace experience you’ve picked up over the years should find a place on your resume, but don’t overlook the many other ways you’ve honed your skills.

Also, as a college student, your education holds significant weight on your resume. So, let’s dive deeper into how to present that effectively.

When you’ve spent most of your time in front of a whiteboard or buried in a textbook, your education probably holds more weight than your professional experience.

So, let’s put it in the spotlight! Start your education section with the basics — your college’s name, degree, and graduation or anticipated graduation date.

To take this section to the next level, you may want to include:

• Your GPA (if it’s above 3.5).
• Relevant coursework.
• Academic awards.
• Special projects or research.
• Experiences from studying abroad.
• Certifications.

Take a look at the example below to help spark some ideas:

43,000,000+

resumes made with Resume Now!

Make your resume

Include a cover letter

Create your cover letter

As a college student, you don’t want to skip your cover letter!

Why? Picture a hiring manager swamped by stacks upon stacks of resumes for a single job opening. Finding the right candidate is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Adding a cover letter sends the overwhelmed hiring manager a message that you’re willing to put in the extra work.

But the importance of a cover letter doesn’t stop there. Here are a few more reasons why writing a cover letter will make you a stronger candidate:

• It can help you stand out from the crowd, particularly those who may have bypassed the cover letter.
• It’s your golden opportunity to highlight how you and the company are a match made in heaven.
• It allows your unique personality to sparkle, and your excitement for the role to be seen.
• It provides the ideal platform to clear the air about potential hurdles, like having limited relevant work experience.

If you’re thinking, “Sounds great, but how do I write a cover letter?” don’t stress! You’re not alone in this journey. Take a look at some examples of cover letters to get started. And, when you’re ready to roll, our Cover Letter Builder will be there with you, providing helpful prompts and designs that complement your resume.

College resume examples—key takeaways