Student Resume Examples & Templates for 2025

Writing a student resume is not easy, but so is looking for a job as a student, after all. The challenge is always the same: so much competition, and seems like all of them have way more professional experience than you.

It will take a perfect student resume to impress recruiters and get your foot in the door. Seem impossible? I’m going to teach you how to make a job-winning student resume in a flash.

This guide will show you:

• A student resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a student resume that will land you more interviews.
• Students' resume format to use in your application.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a resume for students to make hiring you a no-brainer.

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First, check out this short video created by our career expert Caio on how to create a student resume:

Below, you'll see a full student resume example to get you inspired. If you're looking for more specific information, we have resume guides no matter which level of education you’ve accomplished:

• Teen Resume
• High School Student Resume
• High School Graduate Resume
• High School Resume Templates
• College Freshman Resume
• Current College Student Resume
• College Graduate Resume
• Student Resume Templates
• Nursing Student Resume
• Law Student Resume
• Internship Resume for College Students
• Engineering Student Resume
• Psychology Student Resume
• Samples of Resumes

Student Resume Example

Now that's an effective and simple resume template! Let's see how it got made—

1. Get Started on Writing Your Student Resume

Before you start writing your resume, you might want to learn that it will most likely get no more than 7 seconds of the recruiter’s attention, according to our HR statistics report. How can you turn that 6-second glance into a 60-minute interview? To begin with, choose the proper student resume format.

Recruiters look for very specific information on a resume. A good resume format serves them this information on a silver platter. The most important thing about formatting your student resume is dividing it into sections.

Your student resume should include the following sections:

• Resume header (containing your contact information)
• Resume objective
• Education section
• Work experience (if you’ve got none, let’s skip this section for now)
• Key skills
• Additional sections

Once you’ve got this simple student resume outline, remember some basic formatting rules.

Here are the seven best resume tips you should follow:

• Choose an attractive resume font that’s easy to read.
• Keep your font size between 10 and 12 points.
• Set the margins for one inch on all four sides.
• Align your content to the left for easy skimming.
• Make section headings larger than the rest of the text; type them in bold or ALL CAPS.
• Get photos off your resume. You’re looking for a job, not a date.
• Aim for a one-page resume. A two-page resume is for more experienced candidates.
• Save your student resume in PDF. This way, your layout will remain intact. But double-check the job description. Some employers don’t accept PDFs. If such is the case, submit your student resume in Word.

Right, so now you’ve seen a sample student resume layout, and you’ve learned the most important resume design tricks. Let’s break down each section of your chronological resume.

If you want to make sure you’ll get your student resume template the right way and grab every recruiter’s attention, here’s a must-read guide for you: Standard Resume Formats

2. Make an Education Section That Gets You the Job

What goes under the summary of qualifications or resume heading statement on a student resume? That’s right, the Education section. Here’s how to ace it:

• Highlight only your highest degree. The only exception? If you’re doing or have done a Master’s degree, include also your Bachelor’s. 
• Put your current or most recent educational institution at the top. Then, follow it with the previous ones. Skip high school if already in college.

• Include in each entry:

• Your degree
• The name of your institution
• Graduation date (or a prospective graduation date if you’re still in this school)
• Your major and minors (if applicable)

• Add the following to your education entries:

• Relevant coursework
• Favorite fields of study
• Thesis/dissertation titles
• Key academic achievements, e.g., Dean's List
• Study abroad
• Extracurricular activities and student involvement

Let’s have a look at some examples of student resume education sections:

Education Section on a Student Resume: Example

Wow, right? Even if this candidate doesn’t have a lot of experience, their education section makes hiring her a no-brainer.

What if you’re still studying? In your high school student resume, include an expected completion date like this:

Education Section on a Student Resume: Example [Ongoing Education]

Voila!

Now let’s move to the next section: your professional experience.

Pro Tip: Listing your GPA is optional. In general, add it only if it’s higher than 3.5. The most important part? Be consistent. If you list more than one educational institution you’ve attended—either include all GPAs, or none.

3. Impress Recruiters with Your Work Experience Section 

Did you know that 66% of hiring managers report that they view new college grads “as unprepared for the workplace”? That’s why trying to highlight your relevant experience is so important.

In your student resume experience section, list all your past professional experiences. Think you don’t have any? Think again. Even the smallest activities count, including:

• Internship experience
• Part-time jobs
• Personal projects
• Volunteer experience
• Participation in work experience programs
• Study abroad
• Freelancing experience
• Extracurricular student activities

Highlighting volunteer work and extracurricular activities can provide a more comprehensive picture of your capabilities and character. These experiences often demonstrate valuable soft skills such as leadership, teamwork, and time management, which are highly regarded by employers.

So, do just as you did with education: 

• Re-read the job description carefully to tailor your resume perfectly.
• List your work experiences in reverse chronological order. Start with the last one, then add the one before it, then the one before, and so on.
• Talk about your accomplishments on a resume.
• Add some resume action words.
• Quantify your achievements.
• Highlight the most impressive achievement in a separate bullet point.

Let’s see some examples.

Student Resume Example: Work Experience Section

This candidate looks like an achiever. And that’s what recruiters want.

And what if you’ve got no internship experience to showcase yet? 

High School Student Resume Example: Work Experience Section

This candidate might not have an all-star professional experience. But the entry above clearly shows dedication, attention to detail, and a good team player.

Alright. So now you’ve got your education and work experience sections taken care of. Job done? Not yet. Here’s where the student resume skills section comes in!

If you ever need a recap of resume best practices, see: How to Create a Resume for Any Job

Creating a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide and use content from Certified Professional Resume Writers to have a resume ready in minutes.

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4. Include Relevant Skills on Your Student Resume

Having a list of relevant skills on your student resume will impress the hiring manager. A mix of soft and hard skills is the way to go. But how to do it right?

Here’s how to list skills on a student resume properly:

• Read the job description again. 
• Highlight all the relevant skills you’ve noticed.
• Write a master list of all the hard and soft skills you have. 
• Pay special attention to your soft skills. A study found out what skills employers value most in their student candidates include problem-solving, the ability to work in a team, communication skills, and leadership the most.
• List up to 10 professional skills on your resume that the company you’re applying to prioritizes. Try to search for the clues in the job ad and on their website!
• Be as specific as possible when talking about your skills, especially hard skills. 

Let’s have a look at some skills you might want to include on your resume:

• Communication Skills
• Detail-Oriented Skill
• Organizational Skills
• Customer Service Skills
• Stress Management
• Active Listening
• Teamwork Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• MS Office Skills
• Creative Thinking
• Problem-Solving
• Time Management
• Leadership Skills
• Analytical Skills
• Technical Skills
• Computer Skills
• Organizational Skills

A good list of skills is crucial for every student resume. But what about some things that won’t fit in all these sections? Let’s find out in the next chapter.

5. The Secret Behind Additional Sections on a Student Resume

Most students end their resumes with their skills section. And that’s one of the reasons they struggle to get a job. Want to outshine other candidates? Throw an additional section in your student resume. Show hiring managers that others have awarded and appreciated your skills and experience.

What to put in the additional section on your student resume?

• Licenses & certifications
• Language skills
• Conferences you attended
• Publications on a resume
• Memberships and associations
• Hobbies and interests
• Awards
• Volunteer work
• Honors and awards (such as magna cum laude or summa cum laude or making the dean's list)

Let’s see some examples:

Student Resume Examples—Additional Sections

Now your student resume is almost ready. Only one thing left to do: summarize it.

Learn how to take care of your online presence to impress employers and start getting more job offers: How to Check Your Online Presence

6. How to Write a Resume Objective for a Student Resume

A resume objective is a short, snappy paragraph in which you say why you’re the perfect candidate. You have to make your student resume objective about your employer’s gain, not your personal benefit.

And the good news? There’s a proven formula for that:

See how it works on an example of a student resume objective. Let’s say our candidate majors in Business Administration:

Sample Student Resume Objective [Experienced Candidate]

Writing a student resume with no experience? The formula is the same. In this student resume objective example, the candidate is looking for a part-time job as a server:

Student Resume Objective Example [Candidate with No Experience]

Notice how both the grad resume objective and the high school student resume objective emphasize how the two candidates will use their talents to benefit their future employers.

Also—both sample student resume objectives above include the name of the prospective company. That’s a strategy you have to use, too. Sure, it means you cannot randomly spam your resume around. And that’s the point. Employers are more likely to give you a shot if you address them personally.

Before sending your resume, let me teach you one last thing: writing a cover letter.

Pro Tip: Don’t make your student resume objective longer than 60 words. Sometimes a simple resume headline will do. Feel like it’s not enough? Follow up with a cover letter. Especially if you haven’t got much relevant experience, a good student cover letter is your best chance for getting a foot in the door!

7. Write a Cover Letter to Match Your Student Resume

As a student, you probably don’t have enough achievements to fill up your resume to the brim. And cover letters do what even the best resumes can’t: they tell a story. And humans love stories a lot more than data sheets.

Do employers read cover letters? 45 out of 100 recruiters won’t even be bothered to open your student resume if there’s no cover letter attached. So writing a cover letter basically doubles your chances of landing that interview.

Whether you’re writing an internship cover letter or a college student cover letter, the rules are pretty much the same:

• Format your cover letter to make it consistent with your resume.
• Start your cover letter strongly to grab the reader’s attention.
• Keep the correct length of your cover letter. Anything longer than a page might be too long. 
• End your cover letter properly to leave your reader with a great impression of you as a candidate.

And there you have it. You now know everything about creating a perfect application. So let’s recap what we’ve learned here today, shall we?

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Getting your first job is hard work. Preparing your graduate resume shouldn’t be.
As a student, you’ve got the skills and education it takes to do a good job. It’s just harder to convince a hiring manager that you’ve learned to apply them.

Here's a recap of how to write a student resume:

• Follow the expert student resume sample for inspiration.
• Focus on your education: mention your academic achievements and relevant coursework.
• Add extracurricular activities: clubs, sports, and community service can show your abilities and skills.
• Include relevant jobs in the work experience section: even part-time jobs or volunteering.
• Create a skills section: highlight most relevant abilties.
• Don’t forget to include links to your SFW and employer-friendly social media profiles.
• Add an objective or summary and put it at the very top of your resume.
• Keep your document tidy: avoid "eye-catching" decorative elements and graphics.
• Finish off with a cover letter.

All check? Get ready for interview calls!

Need more details? Still not sure how to make a resume for students? Write us a comment with your problem and we will help you solve it. Thanks for reading!

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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• Naceweb.org
• Naceweb.org