College Resume: Examples, Templates
& Tips

College resume example

Are you staring at the blank page so long it’s starting to look like an existential void?

We’ve all been there, but guess what? You don’t have to start with a blank slate! You can focus on writing a resume after you’ve looked at examples to get your brain working.

Here’s a great model to use as an example:

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What makes this a great college resume sample:

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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.

How to make a college resume in 7 steps

Next, we’ll show you how to write a resume in only seven steps.

This step-by-step guide will improve your chances of getting the job, and it’s fully customized for college students and recent graduates.

1. 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:

• Exercise caution: While the allure of a highly-stylized template might be strong, you don’t know what the employer likes. Without that knowledge, it’s always best to opt for a more subdued design that ensures your resume is professional.
• Balance white space: Since you’re a college student who probably has a short work history, you should go for a template that isn’t overly dense. At the same time, you want to avoid making your document seem barren. Find a template that has a nice, balanced use of white space.
• Clarity is key: As you’re probably seeking your first full-time job, you should consider using a template that has a clean and easily digestible layout. All while maintaining excellent resume formatting.

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.

2. Format your college resume correctly

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.

Next, let’s talk about the heart and soul of your resume — skills.

3. Add a diverse array of skills

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 physical or intellectual elements of the performance, such as fluency in a second language 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. Hence, ensure your resume showcases a blend of both skill types.

Hard skills for a college resume

• A/B testing
• Bookkeeping
• Point-of-sale (POS) systems
• Analytics
• WordPress
• Email marketing
• Software development
• Lesson planning
• Editing
• Patient records

Soft skills for a college resume

• Teamwork
• Collaboration
• Work ethic
• Time management
• Customer service
• Flexibility
• Creativity
• Innovation
• Good attitude
• Ability to learn quickly

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.

4. Write a compelling career objective

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.

Pro Tip

Sell your candidacy by focusing on transferable skills. Employers prefer candidates with skills that can be applied to the job — that’s one less thing to teach.

5. Promote any college experience beyond the classroom

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.

6. Strengthen your education section

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, pulled from a real college resume, to help spark some ideas:

College resume education section example

Before we wrap up, we should discuss a part of the job search that often gets overlooked — cover letters.

7. Include a cover letter with your resume

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.