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Table of contents

Student resume examples
Related resume examples
Choose a format for your student resume
How to write a student resume in 5 simple steps
Add a cover letter
Key takeaways for your student resume
FAQs from job seekers

When you’re looking for a job as a student, the resume-writing process can seem confusing. After all, what do you add when you have little to no experience?

But don’t stress. All you need is a little guidance on how to write a resume and a handful of professionally written student resume examples to use for reference.

When you’re done with this guide, you’ll see that writing a student resume is cake.

Read on to learn more about:

Examples of student resumes for applicants with and without experience.
What makes a student resume example great.
Tips for writing a student resume with no work experience.
What to include in every section of your student resume.
How to choose the right resume template and format for the role.

If you’re ready to make your resume today, head directly to our Resume Maker. There, you can choose a design of your liking and get advice and easy-to-edit, auto-generated text for every section.

Student resume examples

Student resume example with no work experience

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What makes this a great student resume sample?

It highlights her skills
Because this job seeker doesn’t have any work experience, she uses a functional resume format to put her impressive skills at the top of the document.
Utilizes a second skills section
To drive home that she has both the hard and soft skills to perform well in the role, this student resume utilizes a second skills section that organizes her skills into categories and offers examples of how she uses each.
Showcases volunteer work
Since this applicant is applying for an entry-level role without direct work experience, she makes use of her impressive volunteer experience in the Work History section of her resume.

Student resume example with work experience

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What makes this a great student resume sample?

Utilizes a combination resume format
Since this candidate has some work experience, he chose a format that balances his work history with his skills.
Great use of action verbs
Using active language in your resume can increase your chances of catching the eye of a recruiter who might be reading dozens of resumes in a single day. Here, the applicant uses action phrases like, “focused on,” “prepared” and “resolved” to describe his day-to-day responsibilities rather than just writing of job duties like “responsible for [x]” or “completing tasks.”
Focus on data and metrics
This applicant uses data and metrics in his work history entries to make his work experience specific to what he can do as an employee.

Choose a format for your student resume

As a student with little or no work experience, the resume format you choose is critical to highlight the right information. Here’s how to decide how to format your resume:

Experienced applicants: Consider a chronological resume format to highlight work experience and a strong career progression.
Applicants with little to no experience: Consider using a functional resume format to focus on your skills.
Students with some work experience: Consider a combination resume format if you have between three to five years of experience because it’s to showcase a balance of skills and work experience.

Select an appropriate student resume template

Create your resume

Every resume will have the same basic sections — a resume objective or professional summary, and sections for skills, work history and education. What doesn’t have to be basic is your resume’s design. Customize the look and feel of your resume to suit your personality with a resume template.

Since students can apply for all kinds of jobs, using a simple resume template is likely the way to go since they’re appropriate across industries. For other options, scroll through our template library to view our creative resume templates, modern resume templates and professional resume templates for one that is more your style.

Pro Tip

Match your template to the job. If you’re applying for a job at a conservative organization, such as a law firm or an accounting firm, you’ll want a subdued resume design. For more casual work environments, a colorful resume template is appropriate.

How to write a student resume in 5 simple steps

For students, especially those who don’t have work experience, there are some basic rules for writing a great resume. Follow these five simple steps for writing a student resume that can get you the job. As you read, keep in mind that the key to any great student resume is that it is written with the job description in mind and personalized to the role.

Step 1

Study the job description

A well-written job description should tell you everything you need to know about the job — specifically, it should lay out what skills and experience the employer is looking for in top candidates.

By studying the job ad and identifying which skills you possess, you’ll be able to customize your resume to the specific role and improve your chances of getting a job interview.

Step 2

Write a professional summary or resume objective

If you’re writing a student resume, odds are you only have a little bit of work experience — if any at all. If this describes you, consider writing a resume objective.

An objective states your transferable skills and your career goals. If you do have some relevant experience to the role, use a professional summary. Unlike the objective, a summary outlines your skills and experience by highlighting some of your most notable accomplishments.

Here are some strong examples for your student resume:

Student professional summary example:

Highly motivated and results-driven college student with a strong work ethic and a proven track record of success seeks an internship in advertising. Successfully completed two summer internships at major New York agencies supporting multiple creative teams. Experienced in performing admin and customer service tasks, and excel at team collaboration. No task too large or too small. A keen eye for detail and a passion for the industry.

Student resume objective example:

Enthusiastic culinary student with a strong academic background and a keen desire to begin a career in the food and beverage industry. Talented pastry chef who is eager to share my knowledge of gluten- and allergen-free baking. Solid work ethic, excellent communication skills, positive attitude, and a willingness to learn. Some customer service experience, excellent math skills and strong interpersonal skills.

Step 3

Highlight your most relevant skills

Whether you have some experience or none at all, it’s critical that you include a good mix of hard and soft skills.

What’s the difference between hard and soft skills? Hard skills are specific technical abilities that can be measured and evaluated — in other words, skills that can be taught in a classroom. Soft skills are personality traits that can be harder to measure and quantify but are vital to professional success. Employers look for applicants with soft skills because they’re hard to teach.

To help you see the difference between the two, here’s a side-by-side list of hard and soft skills.

Hard and soft skills for a student resume

Hard Skills

Language proficiency
Data analysis
Excel
Basic math skills
WordPress
Programming

Soft Skills

Written and verbal communication
Time management
Problem-solving
Collaboration
Creativity
Conflict resolution

Here is an example of a strong student skills section:

Technical Skills: Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Programming: Basic knowledge of programming languages, including HTML and Java.
Leadership: Organized and led various student organizations, demonstrating the ability to motivate and inspire others toward a common vision.
Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills thanks to a rigorous program of writing papers and giving class presentations.
Teamwork: Strong collaboration skills developed through working with classmates on projects which led to academic success.s
Time Management: Standout organizational skills developed through balancing a successful academic career with extracurricular activities and a part-time job.

Pro tip

You can have a strong skills section, even if you still need to gain work experience. Draw from your volunteer work experiences, participating in team sports or student activities to catalog your skills. If you need help choosing skills, ask a trusted friend or teacher for their thoughts on your top strengths.

Step 4

Write a strong student work experience section

As a student, you may be applying to all kinds of jobs. While the required background and experience will be different for each role, it’s crucial to write a work experience section that demonstrates what you will bring to the table to get noticed.

Here is an example of a great student work experience entry:

Advertising Intern, PixelSpark Advertising – New York, NY
May 2022 – August 2022

Supported the creative team in the development and execution of social media campaigns that increased brand awareness by 20%.
Conducted market research and analyzed data to identify potential customers, resulting in a 9% increase in sales leads.
Assisted graphic designers and copywriters in creating client packets and other materials, including email newsletters.
Observed creative meetings and company presentations.

Pro tip

Recruiters sometimes read dozens of resumes a day. Make yours stand out by using action words to describe your day-to-day tasks, plus add data and metrics to show the impact of your work.

Step 5

Showcase your education and training on your student resume

Your education will be front and center on your resume as a student. Make it shine by writing an education section that is well organized and showcases all your stellar credentials.

To highlight areas of your education, consider adding a list of relevant coursework underneath each academic institution. Add a section for any certifications you have, as well. If you have recently graduated or will graduate soon, list your degrees and make sure to include your graduation date.

How to list your education:

Education

Bachelor of Science: Media, Culture and Communications

New York University, New York, NY

Expected in 05/2025

Relevant coursework:

Foundations of Contemporary Culture
History of Media and Communication
Cultures and Contexts

Certifications

Berkeley Digital Marketing Boot Camp, 2022

Pro tip

For students who have yet to amass a long work history, getting a reference from a teacher or professor is an excellent choice. When employers ask for a reference, they want to connect with someone who can speak to your character and work ethic. Choose a professor or teacher whom you have worked with closely and who will be able to share your best qualities and most impressive achievements.

Optional sections for your student resume

Awards and certifications

Adding awards and certifications to your student resume is a smart way to show off your achievements in academics, sports or other activities. Awards show potential employers that you are dedicated to excellence and a leader.

How to list awards on your student resume:

Dean’s List or Honor Roll
Phi Beta Kappa
Academic scholarships
Academic Excellence Award
Research awards
Athletic awards
Volunteer awards

Projects

For students, projects are a terrific way to demonstrate that you can use the knowledge you’ve learned in the classroom in real-world situations. It’s also a great way to showcase leadership skills and your ability to collaborate.

Here are some examples of projects for your student resume:

Course projects. This includes projects completed during a specific class or program.
Research projects. This includes research papers, research grants received or any research projects completed.
Internships. This includes summer internships or longer internships that helped you gain practical experience in a field of study.
Volunteer projects. This could include one-off projects or longer term commitments to organizations or causes.
Personal projects. This includes projects that you work on independently, such as writing a book, developing an app or running a small business.

Languages

Letting an employer know that you speak more than one language can give you an edge over other candidates. Speaking multiple languages is highly prized in today’s globalized job market and expands your communication abilities, which is a win for most employers.

In many cases, if an employer has to choose between two candidates who are equally qualified in every other way, the multilingual candidate will be more attractive to the employer.

How to list languages on your student resume:

English: Fluent
Italian: Upper Intermediate
Spanish: Conversational

Interests and hobbies

For students, it’s fine to add hobbies to your resume as long as they’re relevant to the job. They offer a potential employer a peek into your personality and can showcase some of your transferable skills, like creativity, coding or leadership skills.

Take care to only add hobbies and interests to your resume that are neutral. For example, avoid adding anything political or religious in nature to your resume as it could introduce bias into the hiring process.

How to list interests and hobbies on your student resume:

After school math tutor
Still-life painting
Yoga enthusiast
Volunteer volleyball coach

Add a cover letter

Create your cover letter

Adding a student cover letter to your resume can help you stand out in the job search. How? By allowing your personality to shine through and giving you the chance to convince the recruiter that you’re the right candidate, despite lack of experience.

To write a captivating letter that has them calling you for an interview, you first need to learn how to write a cover letter in the first place. Understand what you need to say in each of the six basic cover letter sections — the header, salutation, introduction paragraph, body paragraphs, conclusion and the signoff — to keep them interested. Then, study our cover letter examples to get inspiration for what to say in yours and see how to format your cover letter.

If after all of this you feel that writing a letter is just too much work, use our professional Cover Letter Builder instead. It offers auto-generated text suggestions for every section so you can skip the writing process and have a job-specific cover letter in a matter of minutes. Use the writing as-is or easily customize it to suit your needs.

Key takeaways for your student resume

Select the appropriate resume format

As a student, your education and skills sections will be very important on your resume. Consider using a functional or combination resume format to make your academics and skills shine.
Choose an appropriate resume template

Match your template to the job. If you’re applying for a job at a conservative organization, such as a law firm or an accounting firm, you’ll want a subdued resume design. For more casual work environments, a colourful resume template is appropriate.
Study the job ad

Never use generic resume content when writing your student resume. The job description should tell you all of the critical skills, experience and education you should emphasize on your resume.
Follow our simple steps for writing a student resume

Follow our tips – it’s as easy as one, two, three. Remember that your professional summary, skills, work experience and education section should all contain information that is targeted to the job ad.
Include extra resume sections

If you are lacking significant work experience, you can fill out your resume by adding extra sections. Whether you are listing awards, interesting hobbies or languages that you speak, these special sections can set you apart from the competition.
Stand out with a cover letter

As a student, including a well-written cover letter can increase your chances of landing a job interview.

FAQs from job seekers

What is an ATS resume?

What are technical skills and how do I list them on my resume?

How do I list core competencies on a resume?

What font size should I use on my resume?

Can I use Google Docs to write my resume?

What do I include in my resume profile?

How do I write a resume outline?

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Heather is the Content Strategy Manager for Resume Now and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with more than ten years of experience writing about job search and career topics. She is based in San Francisco.