How to Make a Resume for Students

Make a Resume for Students | How-to & Tips

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Current students or recent graduates can showcase their education, limited work experience, and skills in a student resume. Student resumes are different from traditional resumes because students usually have more education than they have work experience. In this article, discover how to showcase your education and skills properly in your student resume.

What is a student resume?

A student resume summarizes a job applicant’s education, work experience, and other applicable skills and qualities. Most students use a student resume to apply for work while finishing their degree or just after graduation. Student resumes focus equally on a student’s education and work experience or solely on their education and related skills if they do not yet have any work experience.

What to include in a student resume

Here are the recommended categories of information to include in your student resume.

Standard information

All resumes should include basic information such as contact information, experience, and education. Include an objective to explain the job or career path you are interested in. A list of your relevant skills can demonstrate that you are a good fit for the position.

Examples of standard information:

  • Contact information
  • Objective
  • Education
  • Work experience
  • Skills

Additional information

Student resumes should include extracurricular accomplishments to provide the hiring manager with a well-rounded picture of the student’s abilities and skills.

Examples of additional information:

  • Relevant coursework
  • Honors and awards
  • Volunteering experience
  • Certifications
  • Hobbies
  • Languages

How to make a resume for students

Follow these steps to create a student resume.

1. First, add your contact information

At the top of your resume, add your full name, phone number, and email address. Make sure the phone number you list has voicemail set up with a professional message. Finally, use an appropriate email address, ideally one that includes your first and last name. Left align, enlarge, and bold your contact information so that hiring managers can quickly find it.

Example: 

Pat Brown
555.555.5555
pat.brown.1@email.edu

2. Second, identify your objective

An objective statement is a great way for students with little work experience to highlight their education skills. Your objective should describe your current work or education experience, applicable skills and name the position you seek. Focus on explaining how your skills and experience will support the company for which you are applying. Objective statements should be in paragraph form and are usually two or three sentences long.

Example:

Detail-focused undergraduate student studying English literature seeking an entry-level position with Harper Publishers. Will use strong organizational and customer service skills to assist Harper Publishers with administrative support.

3. Next, describe your education

List your education in descending order, meaning you should list your most recent education first with the previous education below. Include the degree earned, the college or university name and location, date of graduation, and any graduation honors, such as cum laude. Consider including your GPA if it is over 3.5. Some students with little or no work experience benefit from including additional academic information, such as the name of their thesis or academic achievements that do not fit in another category.

Example:

Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
Bachelor of Arts: English literature, May 2020
GPA: 3.9: magna cum laude
Thesis: How the Bronte sisters challenged the patriarchy through their writing

4. Then, list your work experience

List your work experience, such as your educational history, in descending order. Include the name and location of the company, your position title, dates of employment, and a short, action-focused bullet point list of your main job duties and applicable skills. Quantify your list if possible to show the value you brought to your past employer.

Example:

Abby’s Booktraders
Akron, Ohio
Sales Associate
June 2018 – August 2019

  • Assisted customers with book suggestions
  • Managed the cash register
  • Organized bookshelves
  • Created book displays

5. Next, add your skills

List your applicable skills here. The skills you include should align directly with the job you are applying for. Scan the job posting and mark the skill-related words in the qualifications section if you are not sure which skills to list in your skills section. Be specific so that the hiring manager can quickly skim and see how your skills align with the job.

Example:

  • Word processing
  • Grammar and usage
  • Organization
  • Customer service
  • Communication (written and verbal)

6. Then, consider honors and awards

This section is optional. If you have a significant number of honors and awards from your educational experience, list them here. If you don’t, skip this section. List the name of the award, the institution that provided it, the date you received it, and any other relevant information that may give the award more context.

Example:

  • Mary White excellence in research award, Duke University, 2020
  • Paul S. Anderson academic scholarship, Duke University, 2016 – 2020

7. Next, describe volunteer experience

Like skills, volunteer experience is an optional category to add if you have relevant experience. Include the name of the organization you volunteered for, your title (if you had one), and the length of your volunteer experience. Include bullet points if you have space using action words to describe what you did while volunteering.

Example: 

Sun Valley Nursing Home
Durham, North Carolina
Volunteer Greeter
October 2018 – Present

  • Conversed with residents
  • Organized a monthly outing for residents

8. Then, list certifications

Some students may earn certifications while in school. Only list the certifications if they are relevant to the job for which you are applying. You should include the name of the certification and when it was earned.

Example:

  • CPR and first aid certification, March 2019
  • Lifeguard certification, June 2018

9. Finally, include hobbies

A section devoted to hobbies or interests can help fill out a student resume if needed. The hobbies you include should describe additional skills or personal development related to the job you are applying for. List the hobby and give a brief description to explain it.

Example:

  • Triathlons, I compete in a triathlon quarterly
  • Book club, I lead a book club devoted to personal development monthly
  • Cooking, I take a cooking class once a week

Tips for student cover letters

Use these tips to craft your cover letter:

  • Do your research. Read the job description closely so you can refer to specific qualifications. Know about the company and mention how you can specifically help achieve the company’s mission.
  • Match skills to qualifications. Identify the skills you have that relate directly to the qualifications for the position. Use language from the job posting to show that you are an excellent candidate.
  • Personalize the letter. Make sure you personalize each cover letter you send out for the specific job you are applying for.
  • Format appropriately. Keep paragraphs short so that hiring managers can quickly skim the content for keywords and accomplishments.
  • Quantify your achievements. Use numbers to quantify previous work or projects to show the value you would bring to the company.
  • Highlight leadership. Mention leadership opportunities you have had and use action-based language to describe the specifics of your leadership.
  • Mention awards. Discuss awards you have earned that might set you apart from other applicants.

An excellent cover letter should accompany a strong resume for a student’s best chance of receiving their ideal job. Student cover letters allow applicants to expand on their skills and accomplishments while showing how they will support the company.

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