What To Include In A College Resume

Employ Strong Action Verbs

Use strong action verbs with each bullet point in your resume. For example, if you worked as the manager of an ice cream shop during the summer, avoid writing “was the manager at Scoops Ahoy” as a bullet point. Instead, try “directed a team of five employees” or “trained five employees in company policies.”

Can I Just Put Years On My Resume

Yes, you can just put years on your resume. Leaving the exact months you were employed off of your resumes work experience section is an acceptable way to downplay a gap in your work history and make your experience appear more consistent. If employers think youre lying on your resume, they wont hire you.

When Possible Include Keywords From The Job Posting

Resume keywords are primarily hard skills that recruiters, hiring managers, and applicant tracking systems are looking for when they initially screen resumes. Youll find position-specific keywords in the job posting. Look for opportunities to include these keywords in the context of your coursework and/or relevant internships. You can also look for places to include keywords in your resume headline, summary section, and skills section.

Use Jobscan to optimize your resume keywords.

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Activities Projects Associations And Clubs

Recruiters and hiring managers are often looking for evidence that a candidate is passionate about their industryor passionate about anything at all. Several of the recruiters we interviewed communicated that, at the end of the day, they want to make a person-to-person connection when reading a resume. Including extracurricular activities and passion projects, whether in association with your college or not, are great ways to tell your story and bolster a hiring managers confidence in your soft skill abilities.

About The Authormatt Glodz

Matt Glodz is the Founder and Managing Partner of Resume Pilots and a Certified Professional Resume Writer.

After studying business communication at Cornell University, Matt worked within Fortune 500 companies, where he noted that qualified candidates were frequently denied interview opportunities due to poorly written documents.

At Resume Pilots, Matt combines his business and writing background – which includes prior work for a Chicago Tribune publication – to craft resumes that give his clients the best chance of landing interviews. He works with clients ranging from CEOs to recent graduates and has been writing resumes for over eight years.

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How To Write College Admissions Resume

In todays world, resumes are no longer reserved for after graduation. Students nowadays must craft one as early as the ninth grade for everything from college applications to scholarship applications and internship applications. Knowing how to draft a great resume can be a door opener for you. This article will guide you on how you can draft a great college admissions resume that will help you stand out from thousands of applicants.

Let Cfnc Help You Every Step Of The Way

Your high school resume is just one step of the process when you apply to college. While the to-do list can feel overwhelming, there are a wealth of resources available to high school students who are ready to prepare for post-secondary education.

College Foundation of North Carolina is a free service that assists students with education and career planning and applying and paying for college. As you prepare for college, youre excited, but you must stay organized. CFNC can help you complete each step of college enrollment, including residency, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA, and applications.

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Current College Student Resume Example

Now that we have discussed the nuts and bolts of a college student resume, lets look at an example of how its done.

Remember, every resume should be job-specific. So if you dont have the same background as the person depicted in this resume, keep searching for some examples and make sure to have the resume mirror your own experiences.

The last thing a hiring manager wants is to see the same resume copied and pasted offline, yet again. Make it unique. Use this example to help guide your writing your own resume.

With that in mind, check out this current college student resume example:

Prateek Student

YMCA certification expiration date August 2021

Highlight Your Creativity And Passion Projects

Im obsessive about looking for personal projects that an applicant includes on a resume. I find these examples illustrative of an individuals creativity, attention to detail, and also self-motivation in many cases. Im less wowed by a project that was obviously part of a school curriculum requirement than one that was created through an applicants personal interest in a subject. I believe examples of an applicants approach to such projects provides an invaluable insight into how they handle professional tasks in the future.

Zack West, Hiring Manager at

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Diverse Mix Of Skills

As a recent graduate, you dont need formal work experience to have a strong resume skills section. Just through your coursework and extracurricular activities, youve likely accumulated an array of marketable skills like:

Hard Skills:

• Research
• Team Leadership

Start by listing any technical skills, and any hard or soft skills you possess that are relevant to the position. Soft skills in particular are valuable, as they are usable for nearly any job.

Tips For Transfer Students:

As a transfer student, you are in a unique position. If you have completed an associates degree, it is perfectly acceptable to list only the institution from which you graduated in your education section. If you have not yet graduated with an associates degree, or are transferring before you will graduate, you should include both your current institution and your high school. If you studied abroad, that should be listed as well.

If you are transferring into a specific program , consider listing any completed coursework relevant to your prospective degree. You can then continue to add to this section as you progress through college and use a similar version of the same résumé when applying for early career opportunities. You may choose to list an objective as well, but it is not necessary. If you dont have enough room for your other activities, skip it.

For reference, here is a sample college résumé. This blog evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of two college students résumés and offers advice on how to make them stronger. Depending on how far along you are in school and how many activities you participate in, you may want to model your résumé off of either Student Caffés college or high school example.

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Create Multiple Master Resumes

As a recent college grad, you may not know exactly which field or industry to target at the beginning of your job search. This is especially common for graduates with more general degrees like Business Administration or English. While youve no doubt acquired many new skills during your college career, they may not be specific enough to pave a solid path toward any one job.

In these cases, you can create master resumes for multiple career paths. For example, a Communications major could have a Journalism master resume and a Digital Marketing master resume that looks completely different.

What To Include In The Education Section Of A High School Resume

Since you havent graduated high school yet, you might be feeling a little lackluster about writing the education section of your high school resume. But rest assured, there are plenty of enticing details you can include in this section to help you impress employers and colleges. Heres a list of information you might add to your education section:

• High school name and location.

• Expected graduation datethe month and year will suffice.

• Weighted GPA. This is an optional item to include if your GPA will impress the person reading your high school resumea 3.5 or above, for example.

• Class rank. Again, if it is impressivethe top 20% of your class, for example.

• SAT or ACT score. Only include your scores in high school resumes for college and scholarship applicationspotential employers wont know what a good SAT score is .

• Especially challenging and relevant coursework. Dont include the standard high school curriculum, but you can list IB or AP classes youve taken that relate to the job or internship youre applying for.

• Leadership roles in clubs or sportsfor instance, Team Captain, Varsity Soccer. Especially mention your extracurriculars that are relevant to the position youre seeking.

• Academic memberships. You can include your involvement in a college preparatory program or selective honors societies, if applicable.

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Use Active And Specific Language

Use the active voice when cataloging your achievements. You should also be offering clear evidence. If you can, use numbers and facts to support your experiences.

For example, rather than saying, Started tutoring business, you might instead write, Built a tutoring business by recruiting 15 student tutors and initiating a social media campaign targeting students in need of STEM support personally worked with 25 students, who improved their GPAs by an average of X points.

Option : Describe Projects

Yet another possibility is to actually describe any course projects which are related to your target job. This can be a good approach for candidates who don’t possess much or any related work experience.

For example, a person who is aiming for a job with a focus on information technology might describe a programming project which involved the creation of a complex Excel database. If you received any recognition for the project, or an outstanding grade, you could also mention those.

Coursework in Information Technology

Casleton High School, Castleton, VAHigh School Diploma, May 2019GPA 3.9, Honor Roll Each Semester

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Include An Objective Or Professional Summary

This statement, also called a “career objective,””resume summary” or “objective statement,” goes below your contact information and is usually composed of one to two sentences that sum up your short-term professional goals and why youre seeking employment. Your objective statement should be brief and focus specifically on your current career-related experience as well as your developed skills. Keep this section under 50 words or two to three lines in length.

Read more: Guide To Writing Objectives for a College Resume

Heres an example objective statement:

Recent graduate of a well-ranked literature program with extensive high-level coursework and experience in editing and proofreading for academic and business writing. Skilled at applying multiple style guides and seeking a position that involves regular use of these skills.

This example is under 50 words, provides only essential details about the applicant and showcases the candidates relevant skills and potential value to the company.

Pro Tip: Tailor your summary to the employer. Mention specific skills listed in the job posting and that you are seeking a position with their company. This signals to the employer that you have studied the job description, know the qualifications needed for their role and are highlighting that information immediately.

For more information, read our guides on writing a resume summary, profile or objective statement:

• A Complete Resume Summary Guide

Do Not Overstate Your Expertise Or Include Dishonest Information

You never know whether a college admissions counselor will call one of your references, teachers, or school counselors to confirm the information you provided. You are better off being honest and consistent. If you volunteer 5 hours a month, dont say you volunteer 15 hours per month. If you took one semester of Spanish, it is unlikely you can claim to be fluent in the language. Tell the truth.

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Prove Youre A Motivated Learner

College resumes are distinct because they prioritize education. If youve pursued special academic work such as research with a professor, independent study or a senior thesis be sure to include a short description in your resume. This type of work demonstrates dedication, focus and passion for a subject, as well as critical writing and communication skills.

When To Start Creating A College Resume

Freshman year of high school is the ideal time to start your resume. Adding activities and awards each year will ensure you do not forget important events. Tracking each year allows you to see which categories to give more attention to in order to increase the strength of your resume. Keep in mind longevity in one or two activities carries more weight than surface-level activity in numerous activities. College personnel can see through someone who is simply trying to pad their resume, versus someone who is passionate in a given area.

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Community Service And Volunteer Work

Well, maybe leave off any court-ordered community service! While community service and volunteer work are not paid, they still provided you with valuable experience and show employers that you have a willingness to give without expecting anything in return.

These experiences should be listed as a job with a title, such as an essay writer, that explains the role you played in the organization and should include a description of your duties and accomplishments.

Writing A Great Resume As A New College Graduate Is Easier Than You Think

Writing your first resume fresh out of university is intimidating.

Thankfully, it doesnt have to be. Employers know that a college education teaches a variety of marketable skills and expertise. Your resume is an opportunity to demonstrate those skills, and show employers what you have to offer.

To best emphasize your talents as a recent college graduate, your resume should:

• showcase your educational background,
• highlight your coursework ,
• and demonstrate your most relevant professional skills.

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Focus On Depth And Length Of Commitment

When deciding which activities and accomplishments make the cut, keep in mind that colleges would much rather see you excited about one or two key experiences than sporadic involvement in 20 clubs. If having an after-school job limited your ability to participate in clubs or sports, make sure your resume plays up your work responsibilities, training, and on-the-job skills.

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What To Include In Your Resume

Here’s information on what to include when you’re writing your resume as a college student or recent graduate.

• Focus on education. Emphasize your academic history. Along with the name of your school and degree, include any achievements, such as a high GPA or any academic awards. If you have taken courses related to the job youre applying for, list those as well.
• Include relevant jobs. Think about the skills and experiences required for the job you want. Include any internships or jobs where you developed these qualities. Even if your work experiences arent directly related, think of ways to highlight experiences you had that are relevant to the job you want. For example, you might include a former job as a cashier if it helped you develop customer service or leadership skills.
• Include extracurricular activities. Because you likely have limited work experience, emphasize any non-work activities. These might include clubs, sports, babysitting, volunteer work, or community service. All of these activities can show your skills and abilities.
• Include leadership experience. Have you held a position in a club, or been a captain on a sports team? Have you had any leadership responsibilities at your previous jobs? Be sure to list these experiences, as they show your ability to lead a team.

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Recent College Graduate Job Application Tips

Now that you know what to include on your resume, its time to learn how to write it effectively.

Here are three expert tips for assembling the perfect job application as a recent college graduate:

1. Highlight your experience as a student

As a new graduate, your college education is your biggest asset entering the job market.

Employers understand that earning a degree requires a variety of marketable skills. However, its your responsibility to demonstrate what those skills are and why theyre valuable.

To do this, include a detailed education section. Mention your GPA on your resume , honors or awards, and your major/s and minor/s. Also, include any study abroad programs you completed as a separate entry in your education section

Additionally, you should highlight extracurriculars or relevant coursework on your resume as entries in your experience section. These experiences help fill in the gaps on your resume if you lack formal work experience, and demonstrate the valuable professional skills youve picked up through your academic career.

2. Emphasize your soft skills

Soft skills, such as communication, team management, or interpersonal skills, are always in high demand from employers. For many entry level positions, hiring managers consider them to be even more valuable than hard skills, because soft skills are notoriously difficult to teach.

3. Write a convincing cover letter

The Transition & The Importance Of A Resume

Although many student-athletes grow up lacing their Air Jordans and dreaming of going pro, the reality is that very few go on to be professional athletes. If they do, in most sports it probably isn’t going to be for that long. In fact, according to the NCAA, only 1 percent of college athletes go on to play professionallythe rest enter the corporate world, just a wide majority of the world. The reality is that you have to start preparing one way or another.

But just because youve traded the locker room for the boardroom doesnt mean you should put your glory days behind you altogether. A lot of the thrills and experience you had as an athlete can be replicated in the business world in many ways.

Your resume is your way to take your game to that next level. It is just validation of your experience and skill-set similar to having a highlight film in your sport. Having a well thought out and put together resume can get you into the door of your dream job and get you off on the right foot when transitioning into your next career.

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