write cv university student

We value your privacy

We use cookies to allow this site to work for you, improve your user experience, and to serve you advertising tailored to your interests. Let us know if you agree to all cookies. You can manage your preferences at any time

Your Privacy

We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.

The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.

You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice

Manage consent preferences

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.

You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.

These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.

These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.

If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.

These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.

Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won’t be tailored to your interests.

The shortcut to your shortlist

Make your university search faster and less stressful. Get a personalised shortlist by selecting what matters to you.

• CHOOSE ONE OR MORE

Popular universities

• University of Kent
• University of East Anglia UEA
• University of Chester
• Coventry University
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Portmouth
• Nottingham Trent University
• University of Sunderland
• London Metropolitan University
• London South Bank University
• University of East London
• BROWSE ALL UNIVERSITIES

Course search

Popular undergraduate courses.

• Computer Science
• LLB Bachelor of Laws
• Biomedical Sciences
• Physiotherapy
• Sports Science

Open days search

Upcoming open days.

• University of Glasgow
• Bournemouth University
• BIMM University
• Solent University (Southampton)

Article search

Popular topics.

• Choosing what to study
• Choosing where to study
• Applying to university
• League tables
• Student life - after you start

Popular articles

• What is UCAS Extra?
• Replying to offers
• What's a university open day
• Student finance and funding
• Types of degree in the UK
• BROWSE ALL ADVICE

How to write a student CV (with examples)

Guide to writing a student cv, with a list of skills and examples for students with no experience in employment..

How to write a student CV

What to include (intro, links, experiences, skills, references), style and other cv writing tips, for students with no experience in employment, writing a cv for university.

A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a personal document that summarises your experiences and skills. You use it when applying for jobs to show employers why you might be suitable for a role. 

Sometimes you submit a CV on its own, but often you also have to submit a cover letter. The cover letter gives a more in-depth explanation of why someone should hire you. An employer can use your CV to find evidence of the experiences you refer to in your letter. 

There is no one correct way to write a CV. The following advice is a general suggestion for what you can do, informed by feedback from employers and student recruiters. 

How to write a student CV 

Your CV is to show why you would make a great employee. A messy CV may suggest that you'll be a messy worker – take care when writing, so the employer will see you're committed to the role.  

Employers often receive hundreds of applications and usually look at CVs first. Yours should be concise and eye-catching – ideally no longer than two sides of A4 paper. If there's too much information, the employer may lose interest and move on to the next. 

If you can, avoid sending the same CV for all jobs you apply for. Instead, try to tailor them to each employer and role. You can create a master CV with all your experiences and skills and make a new copy to tweak and tailor to the role you're applying for. 

What to include 

Before putting your CV together, start by writing down all your experiences you can think of that may have helped you develop your skills. These could include: 

• Jobs you've held 
• Qualifications from GCSE level and above 
• Other academic achievements 
• Your hobbies 
• Teams or societies you've been in 
• Awards you've received 
• Events you've been a part of 

You can use this information when planning what to write in each of the following sections. 

Introduction 

At the top of your CV, include your: 

• Full name 
• Professional email address 
• Phone number 
• General location or current address 
• Optional: a tagline that summarises you (for example, "Graduate graphic designer") 

If you want, you can include a personal statement. This could be a few sentences that provide an overview of who you are, what you have to offer and your ambitions. A personal statement isn't mandatory; you only need to include it if you think it works well and doesn't take up too much space on the page. 

An example of a personal statement could be: 

Conscientious business student looking to work in customer service during summer. Keen to develop interpersonal, teamwork and organisation skills in a retail environment.

Links and portfolio 

You can include links to your online profiles or work to enhance your CV. This could be your: 

• LinkedIn profile 
• Website 
• Online portfolio 
• Social media that you use for your work 

Links give the person reviewing your CV further examples of your work. Sharing them is especially useful if you display visual work online. This could be your art, writing, software development or other digital design. 

Experience 

When writing out your employment history , list out the jobs you have worked in reverse-chronological order. You want to include: 

• Your job title 
• Name of the company you worked for 
• How long you were employed there (for example, "Jan 2020 – March 2021") 
• Primary responsibilities of your role 
• Any achievements you had in this role, such as being recognised as employee of the month 

This section can include any paid work you've had as well as internships, placements and voluntary work. If one of your less recent experiences is more relevant than your current role, don't be afraid to rearrange your CV to highlight the important bits. 

Next, add your education . Similar to employment information, write about your most recent education first, detailing the: 

• School, college or university where you studied 
• Dates you studied there 
• Subjects you took 
• Qualifications and grades you achieved (or predicted grades) 

After this, you can write about other relevant experiences , such as: 

• Clubs, societies, teams or groups you belong to 
• Extra training you've completed, for example, a first aid course 
• Starting a website 
• Achievements like the Duke of Edinburgh award 
• Completing an enterprise programme 
• Winning a scholarship 
• Hobbies like playing an instrument 

With every experience you write about, mention what you achieved during that time and how you developed your skills. 

For example, if you have been captain of a sports team, you could say how you managed the team for a competition and that this helped you build leadership skills. 

If you can't think of any experiences to write about, check out our further advice below . 

Gaps because of Covid-19 

Don't worry if there are some gaps in your employment history due to the pandemic. Most employers are fully aware of how difficult it has been to find secure employment during this time. 

However, if you can, show how you made the most of any time you had out of employment. You could write about: 

• A course you've taken 
• Skills gained like learning a language 
• Any relevant online events you attended 
• Charity work or helping your community during lockdown 
• New hobbies you've picked up 

Skills for CV 

When adding skills to your CV, list them in a separate section or write them under each related experience. Try to back them up with examples to clearly show how you have these skills. (Alternatively, you can create a skills-based CV – see below .) 

Your skills should match the job role. What is the employer looking for; what does it say in the job advert? Think about if your experiences have helped you develop these qualities. 

Subject-specific skills 

You may have subject-specific skills that are relevant to the role. For instance, if you study history and apply for a social media position, you could say that your degree has shown you how to be great at sourcing relevant information and writing engaging content. 

Or, if you've used software such as Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Excel, these computer skills may be attractive to employers recruiting for design or administration roles. 

Transferable skills 

Throughout your education or work experiences, the likelihood is that you have also developed several skills that can apply to numerous job roles. Transferable skills that many employers look for include: 

• Time management 
• Teamwork 
• Leadership 
• Problem-solving 
• Communication 
• Organisation 
• Working under pressure 
• Enthusiasm 
• Customer service 
• Meeting deadlines 

See our advice below about how to adapt the skills you've gained during your studies for your CV. 

Further relevant skills could be: 

• Ability to speak other languages 
• If you have a driving licence 
• Good level of fitness 
• DBS check 

References 

Before an employer hires you, they will probably ask for references. This is so they can be sure that they hire the best person for the role. 

You can add the contact details of your 'referees' to your CV. The employer can then phone or email your referees to confirm what you've written and find out more about your experiences. They could check with a previous employer, for example, that you used particular skills in a certain role, or if you were punctual and hard-working. 

You usually only have to provide details of two contacts. Ideally, one should be a previous employer. The other can be an academic contact, such as a teacher. Unfortunately, you cannot choose a personal contact, such as a friend or family member. 

If you don't have any employment history, referees you could use include: 

• Someone you've volunteered for 
• A community leader, such as a Scouts leader or sports coach 
• Your school work experience manager 
• A mentor or tutor 

Make sure you ask for your referee's permission before adding them to your CV. 

Alternatively, you can write "references available on request" if you want to save space – unless the employer has specified that they want references on your application. 

• What are internships?

There are no rules for the format of your student CV, but it's best to keep it professional and as easy to understand as possible. Aim for: 

• Simple layout 
• Clear structure with headings 
• Short paragraphs and sentences 
• Key points in bullet lists 
• Varied and interesting vocabulary (look at the job ad to see the kind of language used) 
• Minimal use of the word "I" 
• No spelling mistakes, grammatical errors or typos 
• Honest writing with little humour and exaggeration 

You can get creative with the design if you think the employer will like it (perhaps if they're a graphic design company). But avoid going over the top as it may distract from the important information. 

CV writing tips 

• Don't make up information or exaggerate – you may get caught out at the interview stage 
• If you're an international student, you might want to say if your visa allows you to work part-time in the UK 
• Rewrite, edit and proofread your CV, take breaks when doing so, and ask someone to check it for you to ensure it makes sense and there are no mistakes 
• Regularly revisit your CV to make sure it's up to date and relevant to what you're applying for 
• Use your school, college or university career service for extra support with your CV, even if you're a recent graduate 
• Avoid putting your photo on your CV, as well as your age, race, religion, sexual orientation or other personal characteristics, to help employers follow anti-discrimination laws

For students with no experience in employment 

Don't worry if you're unsure what to write about on your CV – you'll have gained many skills throughout your studies that are appropriate for a job. Think in depth about the activities you've been involved in during your education. For example: 

• Have you completed a group project in a science class? Skills you have developed here are communication and working with others 
• Created your own artwork or piece of music? You have creative skills 
• Studied French, German or another language? Even if you're not fluent, learning a language shows your commitment 
• Good at solving mathematical problems? You can think critically 
• Worked on a piece of coursework or revised for exams? You're adept at time management and organisation 

Think about your hobbies, interests or any other activity you've been involved in. Do you fundraise for charity? Run any long races? Build models? Play an instrument? These show you have enthusiasm, focus and dedication. 

Whatever you're good at or interested in, try and make it applicable to the skills that the employer is looking for. 

Skills-based CV (alternative layout) 

Instead of organising your CV around your experiences, you can highlight your abilities through a skills-based CV. Choose your best skills and write them as subheadings, listing evidence below. For example, if an employer is looking for communication skills, you could organise your experiences as follows: 

Communication   During my degree at university, I was always active in seminar discussions, where I’d carefully explain and debate my thoughts to the wider group  My course involved regular presentations of our work to tutors and the class, which demanded clear and effective verbal communication skills  Through essays and coursework, I honed my written communication skills and can structure arguments coherently on the page  I also enjoyed several group projects where as a team, we’d listen to everyone’s perspectives and ensure everyone felt valued in the group

After categorising each skill, you can then list any relevant employment, volunteering or other experiences below. 

Writing a CV for university 

You don't need a CV to apply for university through UCAS, but you may need it for: 

• Applying for a scholarship 
• Grant proposals 
• University teaching roles 

Whoever is looking through your CV for academic purposes is likely to be looking through many others. So be sure to tailor it for what you're applying to. Make it clearly show your education history, work experiences and achievements.

For more information on applications, see our applying to university guide .

• Student jobs

What do graduates do and earn?

Related articles.

Have a look at what you can do and earn after graduation.

How universities are adapting to the careers of...

With more ways than ever to gain the skills needed for your future career, find out how...

How to become a police officer

There are various ways into policing, in this guide we look at undergraduate courses,...

Is this page useful?

Sorry about that..., how can we improve it, thanks for your feedback.

Skip navigation

• Summer Updates
• For Employers
• In the Know
• Make An Appointment
• Internships
• Employer Connections
• CCE Programs
• Funding Programs
• Drop-in Hours
• Career Counseling Appointments
• Practice Interviews
• Programs & Services
• Design Your Next Steps
• Resumes & CVs
• Cover Letters
• Negotiating
• Career Advancement
• Graduate School
• Premium Resources
• Communications & Media
• Engineering & Technology
• Environment & Sustainability
• Financial Services
• International Affairs
• Non-Profits & Social Justice
• Psychology, Counseling, & Social Work
• Ways to Gain Experience
• Career Assessments
• Connect With Alumni
• Student Experiences
• First-Generation/Low-Income Students
• International Students
• Students with Disabilities
• Veteran Students
• LGBTQ Students
• Visiting Students
• Students of Color

Creating an Undergraduate CV

Your curriculum vitae (CV) is a representation of your scholarly identity and trajectory in your field. 

A CV is used to apply to research roles or other academic positions. It shows your academic credentials and achievements, experience conducting research in your field, and other experience relevant to the opportunity you’re targeting.

Your goal is to convey your interest in the field, as well as the relevant skills and knowledge that will prepare you to excel in the target opportunity.

When might I use a CV as an undergraduate?

You may be asked for a CV when you’re applying to a research position, to a fellowship, or to graduate school in the sciences. If you’re applying to a research position in industry, pay attention to whether they ask for a resume or a CV in their posting, as they may prefer a resume. In your cover letter, you can let them know that a CV is available upon request.

Many faculty may be happy to receive either a resume or a CV from undergrads looking to conduct research with them. Remember that in this case, whichever document you submit should still be tailored toward research in their field! If you haven’t done research before, convey your interest and preparedness by showing the transferable skills and knowledge you’ve built through your coursework and other experiences.

What should my CV look like as an undergraduate?

Unlike your one-page resume, your undergraduate CV can be two pages.

Sections on a CV

The sections on a CV are designed to feature the experiences that academics (like professors or researchers) acquire over time. As an undergrad, the sections on your CV will depend on the experience you’ve had so far—and the professors or researchers interested in hiring undergrads won’t expect you to have graduate-level experience. So, don’t worry if you don’t have information to go in all of these categories!

Start with these mandatory sections:

Contact information.

Include your name, address, phone number, email address, and professional website or profile (if you have one).

Include the degree-granting institution and school, the degree you’re receiving, your major or concentration, and your expected graduation date. If you’re writing a departmental thesis, include the title and the names of your thesis advisers. You can include relevant coursework, which we generally recommend keeping to two lines of text or less.

If you have additional higher education, you can also include it. If you’ve studied abroad, for instance, you can include the institution name, the month and year range you attended, and relevant coursework you took during this program.

Your CV may include some of the following sections: 

Research experience.

Include the name of the lab or department and institution, the position you held, the location, and your dates of involvement. We recommend including a brief description of the project, your role, the primary methods used, and key findings.

Publications

This section includes scholarly publications such as journal articles, book chapters, and published conference proceedings.

Format each bibliographic entry according to your discipline’s style guide, with the article or chapter title, journal name, and publication information. Include authors in publication order, bolding your name.

Include publication status if the piece is not yet published—e.g., in preparation, under review, forthcoming. We recommend listing the DOI if the article has been accepted but does not yet have page numbers.

Presentations

This section showcases scholarly presentations you’ve made, usually at conferences or symposia.

Include the author(s) and title of presentation, the conference or symposium name, and the location and date (or month if a range) of the presentation. Specify the format of the presentation—e.g., poster or oral presentation.

Grants / Awards / Academic Honors

List any academic awards, fellowships, grants, or funding received. In each entry, include the award name, award-granting institution, and year of the award.

If the nature of the award will not be clear based on the award name, you can briefly clarify parenthetically.

Teaching Experience

Include the name of the course and institution, the position you held (e.g., Teaching Assistant, Instructor of Record), the location, and month-year range of the teaching engagement. We encourge you to include a brief description of your role.

Additional Professional Experience

On a CV, you may include recent professional experience that is pertinent to your scholarly trajectory. You can title this section by the job area if helpful—e.g., Additional Engineering Experience, Editorial Experience, Museum Experience.

Include the name of the organization, your job title, and the location and month-year range of the experience. You can include a brief description of your role and accomplishments to highlight relevant transferable skills.

Leadership / Activities / Service / Volunteer Work

Include the organization, your position title, the location, and dates of your involvement. You can include a brief description of your role and accomplishments.

Professional Memberships or Affiliations

List any memberships you maintain to professional organizations in your field. Many scholarly associations have low-cost student memberships.

Certifications

Include any relevant certifications or licensures you hold.

Create categories for your skills, such as languages, technical or computer (software, hardware, coding languages), laboratory, machining, and design. In each category, list the relevant items—e.g., language names, tools, programs. For languages, we recommend indicating your proficiency level. Keep each category to 3 lines maximum.

This includes a list of relevant references, including their name, title, institution, and contact information (phone and/or email).

How should I format my CV?

CVs typically have a much simpler format than resumes. You’ll left-justify the content, use one-inch margins all around, and a size 11 or 12 font. Use bold and italics sparingly, and avoid extra design elements. Include a right-justified header includes your last name and page numbers (#/#).

How should I describe my experiences on my CV?

Typically, undergraduate CVs include short descriptions of your experience that focus on field-related content such as a description of the research project and the methods you used. Remember, your reader is likely another scholar in your discipline who will be able to interpret this technical language. It is more common to display these descriptions in paragraph form, but some people prefer bullet points for clarity.

Learning About CV Conventions in Your Field

Many professors, postdocs, and graduate students post their CVs on their departmental or lab website. Their CVs will be a lot longer than yours—some professors’ CVs run up to 15 pages. You may notice that faculty CVs will be, in most cases, less detailed than your undergraduate one, with fewer descriptions: they may be serving as records of research and teaching conducted, rather than job-search documents. Nevertheless, these CVs can help you understand trends and conventions in your discipline.

Can I see what a CV might look like?

Sure! We’ve created a couple of sample undergraduate CVs for your reference.

• Sample Undergraduate Science CV
• Sample Undergraduate Humanities / Social Science CV

Where can I get feedback on my CV?

You can get feedback on your CV from your previous research mentors (faculty, postdocs, grad students), instructors of relevant courses you’ve taken, career counselors , fellowship advisers , or writing consultants .

We recommend always seeking feedback from mentors in your field, as they will be able to offer discipline-specific insights and tips.

Related Resources

Finding an Undergraduate Research Position

Getting research experience during your time as an undergraduate can aid in your pursuit for graduate school or certain career opportunities. There are many opportunities available to conduct research alongside faculty at Columbia or other universities and research institutes.

Privacy Policy Accessibility Notice of Non-Discrimination Terms of Use

University Student CV Example, Tips and Guide

A university student CV can help you make the transition from full-time study to the world of work. Whether you need a job to support your studies, or you’re applying for graduate roles, you’re going to need a CV that helps you stand out from the crowd. In this article, we provide CV tips to help you emphasise your skills and qualities, even if you lack relevant work experience.

Key Sections to Include in CV

Whether you’re a university student or a senior professional, your CV should include the same sections. However, your university student CV template might present the information in a different order to an experienced professional CV. The key sections to include in your university student CV are:

Your CV header contains your contact details and personal information. Include your full name, your address or location, your email address and your phone number. A photo can make your CV more visually appealing, but check the job advert first. Some employers ask applicants not to include one. Avoid adding any personal demographic information such as your date of birth, gender or religion. Including these can make your application fall foul of anti-discrimination laws.

CV objective or summary

The CV objective or summary is an introduction to the document, and to you as a person. Write a personal statement of two or three sentences that explain why you’re applying for the role, as well as your skills and experience. Here’s an example of a CV summary for a graduate job:

An enthusiastic and skilled UX developer with a first-class degree in computer science and experience in graphic design. A fast-learner who thrives in a team environment and relishes a competitive working culture. Seeking a role with an innovative, creative agency that provides challenging work and offers clear career progression.

A CV for a university student might place greater emphasis on skills than experience. This is understandable, as full-time students or recent graduates are unlikely to have accumulated much relevant work experience. You could split your skills section into hard and soft skills, or technical and general or transferable skills. Consult the job description to make sure the skills you include match what the employer is looking for.

Take a look at this example skills section for a project management role below:

Project management skills:

• Project planning and initiation
• Budget management
• Risk assessment
• Workflow management

General skills:

• Organisation
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management
• Critical thinking

For university students, the education section of your CV is one of the most important. Managers recruiting for entry-level roles might play particular attention to your degree. You might wish to include references to your secondary education, if you studied any relevant subjects. You could also include brief details of any awards you’ve won, society memberships or extra-curricular activities.

Follow this format when listing your education:

BA (Hons) Business Management, Sheffield Hallam University, 2016 – 2019

• Julie Parsons Prize for Best Dissertation
• Junior Common Room President, 2016 – 2017
• Member of SHU Film Club

Work experience

Traditionally, the work experience section is one of the most important in any CV. However, if you’re a university student looking for a part-time role or applying for your first job after graduating, you might not have very much relevant experience. You may decide to emphasise other skills and experience on your CV above your work history. Nevertheless, you should still include a work experience section. Mention any roles you’ve had in the past, and any relevant responsibilities and achievements.

For each entry, include your job title, the name of your employer, its location and the dates you worked there. Underneath these details, add several bullet points explaining your duties and achievements. You could mention hard skills you gained or softer skills, such as working as part of a team. Just remember to consult the job description and make sure everything you include relates back to a requirement listed there.

Take a look at this example of a work experience section for a university student CV:

Part-time Duty Manager, SHU Leisure Centre, Sheffield, November 2018 – May 2021

• Supervised a team of approximately 30 customer service employees, lifeguards and personal trainers at a university health club
• Organised a work roster to ensure the smooth running and staffing of the facility
• Trained new employees on health and safety, customer service and operational procedures
• Supervised sales of gym memberships, resulting in a 15% increase in memberships across a two-year period

Sales Assistant, Bucks Electrical Ltd, Milton Keynes, April 2015 – June 2018

• Weekend sales position for a popular local consumer electronics retailer
• Managed customer service enquiries and received 90% positive feedback based on customer satisfaction survey
• Performed weekly inventory and ordered products from regular suppliers 
• Awarded salesperson of the month on three occasions

Optional sections

There are various optional sections you could add to your CV to lend it more weight and relevance. These can be especially useful if you’re light on real-world work experience but want to prove your skills and qualities. Optional sections include certifications or training you’ve completed, foreign languages, hobbies and volunteer work. Only include any of these details if they’re relevant to the role you’re applying for.

Tips for Writing a University Student CV

Follow these tips to increase your chances of success with your university student job applications:

• Select the most suitable format: If you lack relevant experience in the workforce, or in a particular industry, you might choose a skills-based CV format. This format places the skills and education sections above the work experience section in the document. If you already have some useful work experience, you may prefer the traditional format. In this format, your work experience is the first section underneath your header and CV objective.
• Tailor your CV to each role: Take the time to tailor your CV for each application. A generic CV is easy to spot and suggests that you’re unwilling to take the time to truly think about how or why you’re suited to the job. Mention the hiring company by name on your document and look at the job description for keywords to use throughout your CV.
• Quantify your experience: Offer evidence to show why your experience makes you a strong candidate. This could be in the form of numbers, such as your sales figures from a part-time sales job, or in providing descriptions of your impact and achievements.
• Use simple, clear language: Use bullet points throughout your CV and limit the document to a maximum of two sides of A4 (one side is even better). Avoid using industry jargon or trying to over-sell your achievements, and remember to proofread your CV before sending.
• Write a compelling cover letter: Your cover letter gives you the chance to expand upon your CV and explain why you want the job, and what makes you the ideal candidate. Jobseeker’s high-quality cover-letter templates can provide inspiration.
• Use a clean, professional CV design : The layout and design of your CV can make a big difference in the competition for sought-after graduate jobs. Use a CV layout that’s clear and easy-to-read, with subtle use of colour, columns and bold and larger fonts for headings. Jobseeker has various university student CV templates to help your CV to stand out.

Key Takeaways for a University Student CV

A strong university student CV can make a world of difference when applying for your first graduate position. Make sure you emphasise your skills and educational achievements, and only include details that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Tailor your CV for each application and quantify your achievements to prove your worth to hiring managers. Use a clean, eye-catching CV design, like the ones on Jobseeker, to help your CV stand out from the crowd. Jobseeker has a wealth of designs and CV examples to help you get started. Sign up today to create a winning CV for your dream job.

Get ahead of the competition

Make your job applications stand-out from other candidates.

Accountant CV Example

CV Example Architecture

CV example teacher

Privacy preference center

We care about your privacy

When you visit our website, we will use cookies to make sure you enjoy your stay. We respect your privacy and we’ll never share your resumes and cover letters with recruiters or job sites. On the other hand, we’re using several third party tools to help us run our website with all its functionality.

But what exactly are cookies? Cookies are small bits of information which get stored on your computer. This information usually isn’t enough to directly identify you, but it allows us to deliver a page tailored to your particular needs and preferences.

Because we really care about your right to privacy, we give you a lot of control over which cookies we use in your sessions. Click on the different category headings on the left to find out more, and change our default settings.

However, remember that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of our website. Finally, note that we’ll need to use a cookie to remember your cookie preferences.

Without these cookies our website wouldn’t function and they cannot be switched off. We need them to provide services that you’ve asked for.

Want an example? We use these cookies when you sign in to Kickresume. We also use them to remember things you’ve already done, like text you’ve entered into a registration form so it’ll be there when you go back to the page in the same session.

Thanks to these cookies, we can count visits and traffic sources to our pages. This allows us to measure and improve the performance of our website and provide you with content you’ll find interesting.

Performance cookies let us see which pages are the most and least popular, and how you and other visitors move around the site.

All information these cookies collect is aggregated (it’s a statistic) and therefore completely anonymous. If you don’t let us use these cookies, you’ll leave us in the dark a bit, as we won’t be able to give you the content you may like.

We use these cookies to uniquely identify your browser and internet device. Thanks to them, we and our partners can build a profile of your interests, and target you with discounts to our service and specialized content.

On the other hand, these cookies allow some companies target you with advertising on other sites. This is to provide you with advertising that you might find interesting, rather than with a series of irrelevant ads you don’t care about.

University Student Resume Examples & Writing Guide for 2024

Write an eye-catching resume as a university student

Writing a resume while still attending university can feel immensely difficult, as you may not have an extensive work history to showcase just yet. However, with a few quick tricks, you can optimize your resume as a university student to be compelling and eye-catching in no time.

In this comprehensive guide, we will unveil essential tips for crafting an impactful resume while you're still a university student. Keep reading to learn all about:

• Choosing the correct resume format for your experience level
• Writing a resume summary that showcases your best attributes
• Including a variety of technical and interpersonal skills on your resume
• Describing your relevant work experience with concise details
• Listing your educational credentials accurately on a resume
• Including relevant extra sections in your university student resume

Still looking for a job? These 100+ resources will tell you everything you need to get hired fast.

1. Choose the correct resume format for your university student resume

Resume formats vary in purpose depending on how much work experience a person has. For current university students, it is often preferable to choose a format that prioritizes academic experience over work experience, as they are more likely to have a greater amount of this type of experience.

In general, there are 3 main types of resume format for an applicant to choose between:

• Reverse-Chronological: The reverse-chronological resume focuses almost entirely on work experience, listing your most recent job first and working backward from there. Although this format is the standard expected by most employers, it is not always the most ideal for current students without an extensive work history.
• Functional: The functional resume format shifts the focus of the document away from work experience and onto education, skills, and unpaid experience. This is often the best choice for students, as it provides the most opportunity to showcase academic experience and achievements.
• Hybrid: The hybrid resume is a combination of the above two formats, spreading out the focus of the document more evenly between all sections rather than having one main focal point. This format works well for current students who have a mix of both academic and professional experience.

Choose your preferred template and make your resume shine.

Try our AI Resume Writer and have your resume ready in minutes!

2. write a university student resume summary that showcases your best attributes.

A resume summary is a brief statement at the beginning of a resume that introduces you to the reader.

Including a well-written summary on your resume that details your best professional or academic attributes is a great way to not only catch an employer’s attention but also make your resume more memorable overall.

To help illustrate how to write an effective resume summary, check out the following weak example, followed by a correction and explanation:

Incorrect university student resume summary example

Current University Student studying computer science. Experienced in coding and programming, with a portfolio of development projects available upon request. Recipient of the University’s Academic Excellence Award for 3 consecutive years.

Why is this Incorrect?

In this example, the applicant covers key details about their academic career but fails to provide the necessary context to make this information compelling to readers. To improve this summary, they should use more engaging language and exact facts.

Corrected university student resume summary

Senior University Student with a major in Computer Science. Specialized in software development and programming, with 10+ mobile app projects completed between 2021 to 2022. Three-time recipient (2020-2022) of the Academic Excellence Award given by the university’s Computer Science Department.

Why is this Correct?

This corrected example provides more specific information, such as the amount and type of programming projects the applicant has worked on and the department that gives out the award they earned. As a result, the summary reads more coherently and is more attention-grabbing.

3. Include a variety of technical and interpersonal skills on your university student resume

Skills are an essential part of any resume – they help to show employers more of your talents that may have been overlooked in the other sections of your resume. Plus, the skills you choose to include can be used throughout various sections of your resume as well.

The key to including skills on your resume is to choose an array of both technical and interpersonal skills .

Technical skills — also called hard skills — are learned abilities gained through education and training. These are highly quantifiable and measurable skills, such as knowing how to code or speaking a foreign language.

Interpersonal skills — also called soft skills — can be both inherent and learned. These abilities deal with how well you interact with and understand the people and world around you.

Here are 10 technical and 10 interpersonal skills that look great on a University Student’s resume:

Effective technical skills for your university student resume

• Productivity software (Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, etc.)
• Graphic design
• Programming languages (Python, Java, Ruby, etc.)
• Software development
• Project management
• Data collection & analytics
• Literary analysis
• Social media management
• Bookkeeping & accounting
• Foreign languages

The best interpersonal skills to put on your university student resume

• Verbal & written communication
• Collaboration & teamwork
• Adaptability
• Self-confidence
• Time management
• Organization
• Critical thinking

Find out your resume score!

4. Describe your relevant work experience with concise details

Depending on which resume format you have decided to use, your work experience section may vary in length and detail. Regardless of what type of resume you opt for, however, the work experience you do include should offer concise details that provide good insight into your transferrable skills and work ethic.

If you lack any formal work experience, you may be able to substitute a work experience for a simplified “Hands-On Experience” section that includes unpaid work such as internships, volunteering, or extracurricular leadership roles.

Here's an example of a work experience entry from a university student’s resume

Duke University, Durham, N.C. Outdoor Programs Leader August 2021 to Present

• Trained intensively for 10 weeks, earning First Aid, CPR, and Wilderness First Aid certifications.
• Led monthly weekend backpacking trips with 10 undergraduate participants, supervising daily activities and ensuring the safety of students.
• Maintained the office work schedule and performed morning and nightime inventory checks when on duty.

5. List your university student educational credentials accurately on a resume

When creating an education section for your resume while still attending university, it is crucial to indicate that your degree is ongoing and when you expect to complete it. You should also include previous degrees or diplomas earned as well to give a better overview of your academic history.

Additionally, you can also use your education section to detail any key academic accomplishments, such as membership in an honor society or leadership roles.

Here's an example of a well-crafted education section on a university student’s resume

The University of North Carolina at Asheville, Asheville, N.C. B.A. in Communications

• In Progress, Expected Graduation: May 2022
• Dean’s List 2020, 2021

Charles D. Owen High School, Black Mountain, N.C. High School Diploma

• Graduated: 2018, Salutatorian

6. Include relevant extra sections in your university student resume

Adding relevant extra sections to your university student resume is of paramount importance. While your education and academic achievements are crucial, extra sections can provide a more comprehensive picture of your skills, experiences, and interests.

These sections offer an opportunity to showcase your diverse abilities and demonstrate your well-roundedness as a candidate. Including sections such as projects, internships, extracurricular activities, leadership roles, volunteering, and certifications can significantly enhance your resume.

Here's an example of listing research experience on your university student resume

Research Experience

• Collaborated with a team of researchers to investigate the effects of environmental factors on plant growth and development.
• Assisted in experimental design, data collection, and analysis using laboratory techniques and statistical software.
• Presented research findings at departmental seminars and contributed to the development of research publications.
• Developed a strong understanding of research methodologies, critical thinking, and data interpretation.

Nikoleta Kuhejda

A journalist by trade, a writer by fate. Nikoleta went from writing for media outlets to exploring the world of content creation with Kickresume and helping people get closer to the job of their dreams. Her insights and career guides have been published by The Female Lead , College Recruiter , and ISIC, among others. When she’s not writing or (enthusiastically) pestering people with questions, you can find her traveling or sipping on a cup of coffee.

All student resume examples

• Formal Sciences Student
• High School Student
• Humanities Student
• Student Internship
• Natural Sciences Student
• Professions And Applied Sciences Student
• Social Sciences Student

All university student resume examples

Related university student cover letter examples

Resume guides

How to write a professional resume summary [+examples], how to put your education on a resume [+examples], how to describe your work experience on a resume [+examples], let your resume do the work..

Join 5,000,000 job seekers worldwide and get hired faster with your best resume yet.

The Best Free Student CV Builder

Build a better student CV to further your career and land your dream job today.

Sign-up FREE. No Credit Card Required.

" For the last two years I've used VisualCV to get summer jobs. This year I graduated and landed my dream job after VisualCv landed me an interview. I recommend this app on a regular basis to any student "

Bio-Mechanical Engineering Student

" Ultra easy to use and always gives a resume the "wow" factor you want it to have visually. A lot of options for the way the end user can receive your resume too. Well worth it!!! "

Social Media Manager

" I am a student who is trying to get a job and i got many praises for the cv format and design. Its the best CV making app in the whole world. Customer support is excellent. They are blazingly fast, reliable and dependable. Cheers to them. I recommend this app and open cv to all. "

Data Analyst

The best student CV builder

Helps you land the best job possible with a modern student CV. Best of all… It's free to sign up and create your first CV or resume.

Student CV Examples

Real CV examples from VisualCV members and students. Access real-life VisualCV examples from A-Z to help you create your CV or resume. It's one of the world's largest collections of real-life CVs and resumes!

Student CV Resources

Learn how to systematically approach your job search, write the perfect resume or CV, and land your dream job with our free resources.

How it Works

Choose your design

Whether it's a mind-blowing web portfolio or professional PDF resume, VisualCV has the right template for the job. Every template is carefully crafted to help you get from application to interview.

Create custom versions

Mobile friendly and optimized for search engines, your online VisualCV is meant for sharing. For traditional job applications, create a copy and export to PDF in one click.

Track the results

Know when your resume is viewed with VisualCV analytics. We track views and downloads so you know when to follow up. It's like having your own personal marketing department.

Make your next career move with confidence.

VisualCV is the best tool for students, college students, university students and alumni to stand out in the job market.

Student Resume Format

Professional resumes are different from a student resume. Any student resume format has to make sure that the lack of work experience doesn’t make the student resume look bad.

It is critical for a student resume to showcase their projects, academic achievements and key skills in the right way. And, that’s why a combination resume or a functional resume is the best choice for a student resume.

The Best Resume Creator for Students

VisualCV is the best resume creator for students. With our platform designed to support your talents and accomplishments, you can craft your student resume in less than 5 minutes.

Not sure where to get started? Sign-up and select one of our pre-filled student resume templates and customize them to land your dream role.

How to make a Student CV?

To make a student CV, you can either use a traditional software like Microsoft Word or you can use an online resume builder like VisualCV. Whatever the choice you make for the student resume building platform, you should focus on:

• Selecting a combination or functional resume layout.
• Writing a resume objective that connects your skills and past projects with the target role.
• Add a section to list any student awards and your top skills.
• List your academic history.

How to Use this Online Student Resume Builder?

Using our student resume builder is extremely easy. Sign-up in a few seconds, start from scratch to use an existing student resume template from our library. Customize it for every role that you apply to as a student.

Customizing your student resume for every job takes less than a minute with VisualCV. And, our online student resume builder allows you to create and store multiple CVs.

Student CV Templates

From scholarships, academic positions to entry level jobs, student CV templates are the best way to write your CV. Our library has more than 20 student CV templates that you can use to highlight your volunteer experiences, top skills, key projects and academic course work in a clean and impactful way.

A common mistake many students make while selecting a CV template, the length of the CV is an afterthought. We suggest that you keep your student CV to only one-page and select a template accordingly.

Student CV Template

College Student Resume Template

PHD Student CV Template

How Can a Student Make a CV with No Experience?

To write a student CV with no experience, select a functional CV format and put emphasis on your project work and skills. Your project work can include both: academic and any other relevant projects. Stand out from the applicants by adding certifications, skills and awards sections to your resume.

What Should a Student CV Include?

A student CV should include the following:

• Relevant projects done either at university level or on your own.
• A relevant list of skills
• Certifications
• CV objective
• (optional) Any notable endorsements or references
• Link to your portfolio
• CV header with the right contact details

Copyright © 2024 Workstory Inc.

Select Your Language:

CV Template Master

Free Word CV templates, résumé templates and careers advice

Home » Careers advice » How to write a student CV template (with free download)

How to write a student CV template (with free download)

Who is this guide for?

This guide is for you if you are:

• A student looking for their first job ; and/or
• A student with no experience; and/or
• A student looking for a part time job
• A high school or A-level student looking for work
• A graduate student

This guide sets out how you can write a CV even if you have little or no work experience. In addition, it provides links to our various free student CV templates, with an example of a good CV for students to use.

How is this guide different?

Surfing the web doesn’t throw up many good CV samples for students. Many guides on how to write a CV are written for those who have been in the workplace for some time.

This guide is written for students who may have little or no work experience to put on their CV. It explains section-by-section how to create the correct CV format for students and what should go in a student CV.

Section-by-section guide to your student CV

(1) personal contact information.

Your personal contact information typically goes at the top of your CV.

This should include:

• First name and last name
• Email (make sure there’s nothing unprofessional about this – e.g. don’t use [email protected])
• Phone number(s)
• Driving license status if relevant to the job – e.g. ‘Full clean driving license’

This should not include (unless highly relevant to the job):

• Disabilities
• Gender reassignment
• Marital status / civil partnership
• Pregnancy or the fact you recently had a baby
• Religion or belief
• Sexual orientation

The only time these protected characteristics should be mentioned is if they are directly relevant to the job (for example, working in a women’s refuge).

EXAMPLE CONTACT DETAILS FOR A STUDENT:

(2) Personal statement

There are lots of names used for the personal statement – you might hear it referred to as a:

• personal profile
• career objective
• introduction
• or some combination of these words!

However, whatever you want to call it, it always has the same function.

It is a concise paragraph of around 2 to 4 lines which should explain:

• Who you are
• Why you are the perfect candidate for this job (clues in the job advert!)
• What you’re looking for

EXAMPLE PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR A STUDENT:

To write this section:

• Start off with a line introducing yourself and giving a couple of great points about you (as relevant to the workplace/job as possible).
• Read the job advert carefully and summarise which of the most important parts you meet (1 – 2 sentences).
• Briefly explain what you’re looking for (e.g. a full time job, a part time job, casual work, a Saturday or weekend job etc).

Take care with point 3. If for example you’d consider working Saturday or Sunday for the right job but you prefer Saturday, put down Saturday/Sunday. Otherwise, by limiting what you say, you may miss out on some great opportunities.

As a student, it’s likely you’ll have little or no work experience. Therefore, the skills section should appear higher up on your CV than would normally be the case. It’s quite typical to find this section below the personal statement for students.

To complete this section successfully, you need to look again at the job advert:

Note the highlighted words above. For this particular role, all of the skills required are ‘soft skills’.

Whilst hard skills are very defined and specific (such as typing speed or the ability to use a certain software package), soft skills are less measurable, but no less important. You’ll see a range of soft skills above including:

• Professionalism
• Self-motivated
• Passion for great food
• Desire to deliver above and beyond expectations
• Keen eye for detail
• Exceptional ability to deliver great customer service
• Ensuring the customer is relaxed and feels at ease (for example, by being friendly and having a good rapport)

This section looks best with a bullet point list. However, what you shouldn’t do is simply list all of the skills that you found in the job advert on your CV. An employer will not simply take you at your word. Instead, you need to give evidence of how you have the skills that the employer is looking for.

Giving evidence for soft skills:

• Consider when, in the past few years, there have been times where you used the skills that the employer is looking for to affect something positively. For example, this might be as part of a school project, preparing for an essay or dissertation, or creating and delivering a presentation. Give examples.
• If you’ve led or taken part in a team at school – a band, sports team or technology team for example, use examples of where you’ve demonstrated the skills as part of your participation.
• If you’ve taken part in a martial arts class, chances are you’ll have developed a lot of soft skills that you can talk about, alongside your achievements. Martial arts teach self-discipline, concentration, focus and coordination amongst other things. In addition, some dojos offer their students the opportunity to assist in teaching a class which can help develop communication, work ethic, leadership, personal responsibility and listening.
• If you’ve been given other responsibilities outside of school, consider whether these demonstrated soft skills.

Improving employability :

• If you’re short on skills and struggling to get an interview, consider volunteering for a whole. This is a great way to gain and develop soft skills and to have something to put on your student CV. In addition, it shows prospective employers you have experience of working in a business environment.
• Participating in community projects is another way you can develop and demonstrate soft skills.

Here’s a great video from Don Georgevich, the founder of JobInterviewTools.com, which further explains how skills can be demonstrated on your CV:

EXAMPLE SKILLS SECTION FOR A STUDENT:

(4) Work experience

Many students have very little or no formal work experience at all. For jobs where an employer anticipates applications from students, they will not expect to see much work experience. However, including non-traditional work experience can give you an advantage over other candidates.

This might include:

• Casual work such as regular babysitting, dog walking, gardening and car washing (you can make these sound more impressive if you explain how you fitted these around your other commitments and/or generated a good wage from them)
• Volunteering at a charity shop, country park or local institution.
• Organising a project in the local community.
• Freelancing – if you have specific hard skills such as programming, graphic design or writing, freelancing is a good way to build these into work experience you can give on your CV. Try sites such as People Per Hour and Fiverr to gain some experience.
• Blogging for a local business or newspaper.
• Helping in the family business.
• Helping at local events (stewards, marshals, health and safety team, clean up)

EXAMPLE EXPERIENCE SECTION FOR A STUDENT:

(5) Education

Because students have less or no work experience to include, they need to make the most of their education section.

First and foremost, highlight parts of your education (and grades) which are mandatory to apply for the role, or may be of interest to the employer.

Next, take another look at the job advert and consider the soft skills that the employer wants. If the job advert doesn’t contain a lot of detail, have a look at the Job Profiles on Prospects which will give you a better idea of what’s required.

Now consider how you’ve used those soft skills during your education. For example:

• Written communication – e.g. essays, dissertations, coursework or student journalism, and corresponding with your tutors and supervisors – together with other students for project work.
• Verbal communication – e.g. presentations, involvement in performance arts, or participating in debate teams.
• Teamwork – e.g. working with a group of students on a academic project or involvement with groups
• Time management – e.g. meeting deadlines for essays and dissertations, involvement in extra-curricular activities while studying or have a part-time job which requires division of your time between multiple things.
• Problem solving / critical thinking – e.g. when faced with difficult academic problems, carrying out research / finding innovative solutions, showing initiative, thinking outside of the box.
• Dealing with constructive criticism and learning – during your studies you will have received plenty of constructive criticism. Showing how you too this on board and improved your work can demonstrate to employers that you’re willing to listen and learn.

Providing examples of how you acquired and used these skills during your education can strengthen your application.

EXAMPLE EDUCATION SECTION FOR A STUDENT (SIMPLE):

EXAMPLE EDUCATION SECTION FOR A STUDENT (MORE DETAILED):

Here are some examples of the additional information you could include in your education section to demonstrate the soft skills an employer is looking for. Remember to focus on any skills the employer has specifically requested, or those that are common for the role you’re applying to (as identified on Prospect’s job profiles).

“While studying for my degree, I was a member of the award-winning Bath University Debating Society. I was involved with everything from weekly meetings to big public debates and competitions, which developed my persuasive communication, my ability to present and my public speaking skills.” “My dissertation was on the topic of Nursing in a Community Care context. I found myself struggling with this topic after spending some months researching and drafting material, and sought the assistance of my supervisor. He identified that the topic was too broad and therefore there was too much material. Although it meant a substantial rewrite, I took on board his constructive feedback and narrowed the topic. Subsequently my dissertation was awarded a Distinction.”

(6) Hobbies and interests

You don’t have to include a hobbies and interests section but leaving this out is a missed opportunity. This is because it can add substantial value and credibility to a student’s CV, if used properly.

Students have a well-deserved reputation of enjoying a party, so this section can help dispel those preconceptions. In addition, you can point out to prospective employers how your hobbies have helped you further develop valuable soft skills.

For each hobby, ask yourself:

• What soft skills would you need in order to partake?
• Do you have to communicate with people in order to achieve success – like scoring a goal in football or a try in rugby?
• Why did you get chosen as the captain of your sports team?

Some examples of great hobbies to include are:

• Sports (communication, hard work, dedication and fitness)
• Music (creative, confidence, and performance)
• Arts and creative hobbies
• Website building (IT skills)
• Captain of sports team (leadership)
• Journalism (writing), and so on.

Don’t simply list the associated soft skill. Instead, explain – e.g.

“I captained my university football team between 2017 and 2018, which developed my ability to lead and mentor others, and to help them to improve.”

If you attained a particular achievement or award for your hobbies, be sure to mention this!

(7) References

Employers in the UK expect you to include two references on your CV. Appropriate people to include are:

• If you have worked or volunteered, your supervisor
• Your current tutor/supervisor or head of house
• If you’re involved in a sports team, school band, debating team, school project etc, the adult organiser / manager

Work down this list – i.e. you should always include your most recent employer if you have already had a job.

References should include:

• Address (use school / work address where relevant)
• Phone number.

Always ask the person first to ensure they are happy to provide the reference! Find out more: How to write references in a CV .

Example Student CV

Here’s a complete example of a student CV template:

Free student CV template downloads

You can download the above student CV template on this page .

Here are some other helpful templates and examples for students writing a CV:

• All student CV templates and guide
• Apprenticeship CV example
• Example of a CV for a student in university
• School leaver CV template
• CV for teenager: free CV template for a 13, 14 or 15 year old
• Alternative student CV template
• Work experience CV
• Skills based CV
• CV for a part time job (skills based)

Jen Wiss-Carline has been a Senior Manager and Consultant for several sizeable companies which included dealing with all aspects of staff management and recruitment. She is also a Solicitor and Chartered Legal Executive, having been admitted as a Fellow in February 2006.

2 thoughts on “How to write a student CV template (with free download)”

This guide has been SO helpful to me, thanks.

This helped so much!

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Privacy Overview

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.

Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.

40 Student CV skills for your CV

If you’re trying to bag a job as a student, you need to pack your CV with impressive skills to land interviews.

And as a student you’ve probably picked up hundreds of valuable skills without even realising.

In this article, we’ve listed 40+ student skills for your CV, including soft skills, tech skills and essential workplace skills.

CV templates 

Student Soft skills

Here are some of the top soft skills employers will be looking for on a CV , even if you’re a student with little-to-no work experience:

• Creativity – e.g. “Wrote and produced a feature-length play which was performed at the university student union and featured in the student newspaper.”
• Critical thinking – e.g. “Completed 10+ data charts for Analytics module during Marketing degree.”
• Coordination – e.g. “Worked with a team of 4 other students to create a faux advertising campaign as an assignment for our Digital Marketing module.”
• Adaptability – e.g. “Worked as a shop floor assistant, handling customer inquiries, re-stocking shelves, taking inventory and processing orders.”
• Interpersonal skills – e.g. “Volunteered with a homeless charity, encouraging donations and organising fundraisers.”
• Work ethic – e.g. “Began volunteering aged 16 with local foodbank, handing out food parcels and taking inventory on stock.”
• Time management – e.g. “ Managed 4 full-time university modules while volunteering part-time in the student library.”
• Organisational skills – e.g. “Worked on the student events committee and helped to organise our university’s graduation celebration.”
• Teamwork – e.g. “Was part of a team of 6 reaching the finals of our university’s rowing club, taking home the second-place medal.”
• Attention to detail – e.g. “Volunteered in a charity shop doing visual merchandising and organising items according to genre, price and style.”

Student tech skills

If you’re currently a student , you probably grew up developing useful tech literacy. Here are the top tech skills to include on your student CV:

• Administrative skills – e.g. “Filed memos, took restaurant bookings and organised waiting staff’s work schedule in Microsoft Excel.”
• Social media management – e.g. “Managed the shop’s social media presence, writing Facebook posts, Instagram stories and Twitter posts.”
• Web design – e.g. “Helped develop our school’s first website, upkeeping the school blog and uploading photos and videos.”
• Adobe Photoshop – e.g. “Created leaflets and posters for our university debating championship using Adobe Photoshop.”
• Digital communication – e.g. “Composed all emails, responded to memos and crafted all posts on our social media channels.”
• Microsoft Office – e.g. “Created PowerPoint presentations on UK voting trends and organised all data in Microsoft Excel for Social Studies module.”
• Online literacy – e.g. “Ran a personal blog from age 16 to 22, documenting my school and university experience and reaching around 700 unique visitors per month.”
• Coding – e.g. “Completed first year of my Bachelor’s in computer programming, trained in Python, CSS, HTML and UX.”
• Video editing – e.g. “5 years’ experience creating videos using Final Cut Pro, with over 200,000 total views on 84 videos on YouTube channel.”
• Photography – e.g. “3+ years’ experience in amateur and freelance photography, with my freelance work featured on the amateur photographer site Unsplash.”

Support skills

Having good support skills is important when it comes to being a productive member of any team. Here are the key support skills you can highlight on your student CV:

• Active listening – e.g. “Elected as year representative, I headed our university’s successful campaign to tackle drug abuse, distributing surveys and speaking 1-on-1 with affected students.”
• Patience – e.g. “Worked in a fast-paced customer service environment, handling up to 40+ phone calls in a given hour and resolving customer complaints.”
• Customer Service – e.g. “Helped customers select appropriate products from our electronics range, offering support and guidance on the shop floor.”
• Conflict Resolution – e.g. “Conduced work experience at local primary school, supervising children in both the playground and classroom and intervening during problems.”
• Empathy – e.g. “Worked as a volunteer for a women’s shelter, speaking with new arrivals and preparing teas, coffees and meals.”
• Negotiation – e.g. “Helped upsell products to new customers, promoting our brand range and signing up 100 customers to our loyalty card scheme.”
• Team support – e.g . “Supported supervisors in inventory and stock checking, while carrying out my own tasks in a timely manner.”
• Verbal communication – e.g. “Managed the customer service desk, taking phone calls, filtering emails and passing on important memos to supervisors and management staff.”
• Reliability – e.g. “Supported our local church’s efforts in fundraising and was selected to carry out street fundraising, achieving over 400 unique donations in 6 months.”
• Emotional intelligence – e.g. “Volunteered at local animal shelter, helping the team feed and bathe new animals while also helping integrate new volunteers.”

Workplace skills

Throughout academia and any part-time or volunteer work, you’ll develop lots of important workplace skills. Here are the top workplace skills to include on your CV :

• Initiative – e.g. “Volunteered with 3 different charities and organised coffee mornings for local parents with young children.”
• Flexibility – e.g. “Worked on a shift pattern for 9 months, alternating between weekend work, evening work and weekday work.”
• Planning – e.g. “Took 3 full-time modules while also taking on an extra second-language module in order to prepare for my year studying abroad.”
• Resourcefulness – e.g . “Helped train three new employees at our self-service checkout system.”
• Enthusiasm – e.g. “Volunteered to onboard new restaurant employees during quiet periods, helping management staff cut costs.”
• Leadership – e.g. “Was elected head of 2 nd year student body, tasked with all communications between staff and students.”
• Presentation skills – e.g. “Performed regular presentations as part of my graded assignments in my social studies module, often presenting data to audiences of up to 200 students.”
• Integrity – e.g. “Worked for three years as a volunteer for the RSPCA, contributing to fundraising efforts and organising events in the local community.”
• Collaboration – e.g. “Worked with our partner university in creating our prison writing program, visiting women’s prisons and conducting book clubs and writing workshops.”
• Willingness to learn – e.g. “During role as customer service assistant, was trained on the job in inventory, cash handling and stock checking.”

What are student CV skills?

Student CV skills describe mostly soft skills that you’ve obtained both in your academic career and your part-time work (if you have any.)

Most students won’t have a full CV of work experience yet, so your student skills will be made up of your soft skills and tech skills, some of which you may have even learned as a hobby (such as Photoshop or video editing.)

Your student skills can also come from your work within academia: planning, organising your study schedule and coordinating in groups will all contribute towards your workplace skills.

Why are student CV skills important?

Student CV skills are important because they demonstrate your initiative to employers. Plus, having some work experience on your CV before graduating is always a good sign, indicating to a recruiter that you’re a self-starter and have a strong work ethic.

In addition, your student CV skills are important as they will help you to understand the importance of soft skills on your CV. Having strong, verifiable soft skills – such as organisational skills and communication skills – will give your CV an edge over competition in the future.

How to include student CV skills on your CV

You can include your student CV skills either in your core skills section of your CV or in the work experience section of your CV.

If you have no work experience, you can list your student CV skills either in the extra-curricular activities section of your CV, or in your education section of your CV.

In your CV profile

If you’re targeting typical student jobs in the retail or hospitality, it’s a good idea to highlight your student skills in your CV profile . While it might be tempting to include some of your more advanced skills, a restaurant owner isn’t going to be impressed by your coding abilities.

What they will be impressed by is your reliability, punctuality, and interpersonal skills. For jobs in customer-facing roles, focus on highlighting your soft skills on your CV profile.

You can add your student skills to your CV profile as shown in the example below:

In your jobs and extra-curricular activities

Being a student, you might not have a lot of work experience. If so, you can include your soft skills in the extracurricular section of your CV, or alongside your academic achievements. If you do have work experience, you can list your soft skills in your work experience section.

Put simply, include your skills alongside where you learned them, whether it be at school, at university, during a part-time job or working as a volunteer.

You can add your student skills to your work experience or extracurricular section as shown in the example below:

What to avoid

When you’re writing your CV as a student, it’s normal to feel a bit stuck. Without lots of paid work experience, it can feel impossible to list skills and competences. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to impress with grades alone – a shop owner is more interested in your adaptability and flexibility than your A* grade in Physics.

The key is to draw on the experience you already have. Volunteer work, unpaid work experience and your academic work can all contribute to your soft skills and show recruiters that you’d make an excellent employee.

Many companies who employ students (such as restaurants, bars, and shops) will know that you don’t have a full work history, and they won’t expect one. So, instead of highlighting your academic achievements, highlight the soft skills you’ve developed over the years, and demonstrate to an employer why you’d be a great addition to their team.

• Undergraduate Students
• Doctoral Students
• Master’s Students
• Engineering Master’s Students
• Faculty & Staff
• Parents & Families
• Asian / Pacific Islander
• Black/African American
• First Generation/Low Income
• Hispanic/Latinx
• International
• Native American/Indigenous
• Neurodiverse
• Student Athletes
• Students with Disabilities
• Undocumented
• What is a Career Community?
• Business, Finance & Consulting
• Data, Technology & Engineering
• Discovery & Exploration
• Education, Government, Nonprofit & Policy
• Energy, Environment & Sustainability
• Entertainment, Media & Arts
• Healthcare & Biomedical Sciences
• Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Design
• Know Yourself
• Explore Options
• Focus & Prepare
• Take Action
• Evaluate & Refine
• Featured Opportunities
• Career Readiness Resources
• Personalize Your Hub
• For Employers
• Share This: Share 10 Things to Check Before Submitting a Resume on Facebook Share 10 Things to Check Before Submitting a Resume on LinkedIn Share 10 Things to Check Before Submitting a Resume on X

1. Keywords related to position: Be sure to have words related to the job description and the industry throughout your resume. Some employers spend about 5-10 seconds during the first view of the resume so GRAB THEIR ATTENTION!

2. Education: Your academic journey is essential and you want to ensure that all institutions are represented.

3. Relevant Content: Your resume does not have to consist of every job/experience that you have ever been engaged in. The good thing about resumes is that you can choose the most relevant experiences or experiences that have the most the relevant skills necessary for the position you are applying for.

4. Tailored Accomplishment Statements: Your accomplishment statements should emphasize the skills and knowledge you have, that would be beneficial to the responsibilities of role you are applying for. This is where you have the opportunity to show the employer that you have the necessary skills to do this job.

5. Grammar: Be sure to review your document for any grammatical errors or opportunities to use stronger words. This is very important in making a great first impression for yourself.

6. Skills: Before submitting your resume, be sure that you have technical and transferable skills that highlight another reason the employer should consider you for the interview or position. Soft skills are just as valuable, so be sure to highlight those skills to give the employer a sense of who you are.

7. Readability: Your resume should be easy on the eye and readable for any audience. Fancy and too small fonts can be difficult to read for some people and you do not want to be automatically rejected because of that.

8. Length: A resume is typically between 1-2 pages, especially depending on the industry. When tailoring your resume, use as much relevant content that can fill 1 page but if you have even more relevant content, be sure that it is at least past the 2nd page if the additional page is needed

9. Format: Your format should be consistent throughout the entire document from the headings, the sub-headings, the experiences to the dates, it must be consistent.

10. Contact Information: Your contact information is very important so that employers can get in touch with you. Your full address is not necessary on a resume, so just the city and state will suffice. Be sure to have your email, phone number and any of your professional handles for employers to have options for outreach.

For more assistance with resumes feel free to view our Resume Guide or book an appointment with the career center through Handshake

Explore Jobs

• Jobs Near Me
• Remote Jobs
• Full Time Jobs
• Part Time Jobs
• Entry Level Jobs
• Work From Home Jobs

Find Specific Jobs

• $15 Per Hour Jobs
• $20 Per Hour Jobs
• Hiring Immediately Jobs
• High School Jobs
• H1b Visa Jobs

Explore Careers

• Business And Financial
• Architecture And Engineering
• Computer And Mathematical

Explore Professions

• What They Do
• Certifications
• Demographics

Best Companies

• Health Care
• Fortune 500

Explore Companies

• CEO And Executies
• Resume Builder
• Career Advice
• Explore Majors
• Questions And Answers
• Interview Questions

How To Write A Resume In 7 Steps (With Examples)

• How To Write A Resume
• Resume Skills Section
• Resume Objective Section
• Career Objective Section
• Resume Reference Section
• Resume Summary Section
• Resume Summary Example
• Resume Interests Section
• Address On Resume
• Relevant Work Experience
• Anticipated Graduation Date On Resume
• Education Section On Resume
• Contact Information On Resume
• Statement Of Qualifications
• How To List Publications On Resume
• Accomplishments On Resumes
• Awards On Resume
• Dean's List On Resume
• Study Abroad On Resume

Resumes are still the most important document in your job search . Generating a professional and interesting resume isn’t easy, but there is a standard set of guidelines that you can follow. As hiring managers usually only spend a short time looking over each resume, you want to make sure that yours has a reason for them to keep reading.

If you’re looking to write a resume, rewrite a resume you already have, or are just curious about resume format, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through the steps to writing an excellent resume, as well as offering examples for what sections of the resume should look like.

Key Takeaways:

A resume is a short document that details your professional history in a way that tailors your experience and skill set for the particular job you’re applying for.

Resumes follow a few standard formatting practices, which hiring managers and recruiters expect to see.

Highlighting your work experience, skills, and educational background with relevant keywords can help you get past applicant tracking systems and into more interviews.

How to write a resume

Writing a resume involves using the proper formatting, writing an introduction, and adding your work experience and education. Stuffing your entire professional life into a single page resume can feel overwhelming, but remember that you’re distilling the relevant parts of your professional experience in order to catch the eye of the recruiter .

Formatting your resume. To start, use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google docs. Standard resume formatting calls for:

1 inch margins

10-12 point font

A professional, commonly-used font

Additionally, there are three resume formats that are commonly used. Most people should stick with a chronological resume format , but the combination resume format and functional resume format can be effective for more advanced workers or those who have significant gaps in their resume.

Write a resume header . It doesn’t matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can’t contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information:

Your full name. First and last.

Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly.

Your email address. Nothing inappropriate — [email protected] is a safe choice.

Location. City, State, Zip Code is fine, but you can include your full mailing address if you think it’s appropriate.

Your social media (optional). LinkedIn is the obvious one you’d want to include, but make sure your profile looks good. If you have an online portfolio , either on a personal blog/website or on a site like Journo Portfolio , feel free to include that here as well.

Your job title. Also optional, but can be useful for applicant tracking systems.

Resume introduction. You have four options for your resume introduction: a resume objective, summary statement, resume profile, or qualifications summary. For most job-seekers, a resume summary statement is the best choice. Regardless of which resume introduction you choose, avoid first-person pronouns (I/me/my).

Resume objective. A resume objective is the goal of your resume. Since the objective of every resume is to land a job, this is not the most original or impressive opener you can have.

On the other hand, it’s a good choice for an entry-level applicant or someone who is changing career paths . This should be a 1-3 sentence summary of why you’re motivated to get the position you’re applying for.

Who should use a resume objective: Entry-level applicants, career-changers, and recent college graduates.

Resume summary. This is the best opener for most job-seekers. As the name suggests, a resume summary highlights the most salient aspects of your resume.

It should include your current position, how many years of experience you have, some of your biggest achievements, and possibly your career goals. This should be a 1-3 sentence spiel and should include some quantifiable experiences.

Who should use a resume summary: Most job seekers; anyone with quantifiable accomplishments to emphasize and a broad range of skills.

Qualifications summary. A bullet point list (4-6 points is the sweet spot) of your qualifications for the position. It’s best used by applicants going for jobs that require a fixed skill set. It’s not a great choice for entry-level applicants who lack quantifiable achievements.

You’ll notice that a qualifications summary takes up more space than a resume objective or summary, but it can actually save the hiring manager time if you provide a bunch of valuable information right off the top.

Who should use a qualifications summary: Those applying to a job with requirements for certain skills and job-seekers who have a lot of experience in their industry and/or field.

Resume profile. A resume profile is similar to a resume summary, but goes into more detail about your accomplishments at your current or former job, while also telling the reader about your career goals. Think of a resume profile as a section that pulls all the best parts of your work experience section into one place.

Who should use a resume profile: Anyone with significant accomplishments under their belt, expertise in a niche field, or applying to a job in the same industry that they have lots of experience in.

Resume headline. Resume headlines aren’t necessary, but you can include one alongside any of the four types of resume introduction listed above. A resume headline comes between your contact information and the resume introduction of your choice.

Headlines can be used by entry-level applicants and experienced job-seekers alike. The important point is that your headline should be short and to the point. Additionally, you should use title case when writing your resume headline (capitalize words as you would for a book title).

Who should use a resume headline: Any job-seeker who wants to showcase their experience or unique value right off the bat.

Work experience. Your work experience section is the place to let hiring managers know that you have relevant experience that would allow you to handle the job you’re applying for.

If you’re using the chronological resume format, your work experience section would come after your resume summary/objective. In a funcitonal reumse, it would follow your skills section. Either way, work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order (most recent experience at the top).

When listing your work experience, you should include all of the following information:

Job title. Start by stating the position you held at the company. These are easy cue for the hiring manager to look at and determine whether your past positions would help you succeed at their company.

Company Info. Include the name of the employer, the location where you worked, and perhaps a brief description of the company, if it isn’t a well-known name.

Dates Employed: Use the mm/yyyy format if you want to be sure that most applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick it up. Whatever format you use for dates, be consistent, or your resume will look sloppy.

Job Description. Don’t just list your job’s responsibilities; hiring managers and recruiters already have an idea of your duties based on the job title. Instead, list your most important and impressive responsibilities/achievements at the job with bullet points. Determine which of these are most relevant for your new role based on the job description.

Ideally, each bullet should be no longer than a single line. However, two lines is acceptable, if used sparingly.

Always start with a strong action verb, followed by a quantifiable achievement and a specific duty. For example: “Developed ad campaigns for clients, increasing sales by an average of 27%.” Each job title should include 3-5 bullet points.

The order that you include this information can be changed around, as long as you are consistent throughout your resume. However, the bullet points detailing your job’s achievements should always be the last item for each entry.

It’s important that you tailor your resume’s work experience section to the job you’re applying for. We recommend reading the job description carefully and highlighting the action verbs in one color and the skills, adjectives, and job-specific nouns in a different color.

Educational background. In almost all cases, your education section should come after your professional history. If you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you may choose to put your educational achievements first.

Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don’t need to add any information about your high school experience. If you didn’t finish college, it’s okay to give a list of what credits you did complete.

Each educational experience can be listed in the following format:

Degree/Program Name College/University Name Dates attended

You don’t need to add anything else, especially if your resume is already impressive enough. But if you’re struggling to fill up the page, or you feel that aspects of your educational experience will help make you a standout, you may consider also including:

Minor. If you think it rounds out your not-exactly-relevant-to-the-job major nicely.

GPA. Only if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any favors to include this.

Honors. Dean’s List, Cum Laude, etc.

Achievements. If you wrote a killer thesis/dissertation that showcases intimate knowledge relevant to the job to which you’re applying, you can include its title and a very brief description.

Extracurricular activities. Only include if they’re relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a management position and you were president of your student government.

Certifications/Licenses. If the job you’re applying for requires/likes to see certain certifications or licenses that you have, you may include them in this section as well.

Skills section. Your impressive skills should be scattered logistically throughout your professional history section, but you should also include a section solely dedicated to highlighting your skill set . Skills can be broken down into two categories:

Hard skills are skills you learn through training and indicate expertise with a technical ability or job-specific responsibility.

Soft skills are your personality traits, interpersonal abilities, and intangible qualities that make you more effective at your job.

Your resume should have a healthy mix of hard and soft skills, as both are essential to job performance. However, since soft skills are harder to prove in the context of a resume, we recommend leaning more toward hard skills. Additionally, whenever you list a soft skill, make sure that it has a correlating item in your work experience section.

For example, if you say you are skilled in collaboration, you should mention a time when a team project was a major success somewhere in your work experience section.

Optional sections. If you still have space left or there’s more you want to show off that doesn’t quite fit in any of the above sections, you may consider adding an additional section covering one or more of the below categories:

Language . Being bilingual is always impressive, and can be included on a resume for any company. Highlight this more if your position involves liaising with international distributors and/or clients. Don’t lie about your proficiency level.

It may be best to not mention it if you’re not particularly proficient speaker . Such as if you took courses in school, or haven’t really managed to gain fluency. It can end up looking like an attempt to inflate your credentials, which you want to avoid.

Volunteer experience . Always a good thing to include. It shows you’re a team player who behaves in a way that promotes the greater good, without thought of personal gain. Especially good for entry-level candidates and those applying for jobs at a non-profit. If you have gaps in your work history, you can also consider including volunteer experiences in your work history section instead.

Personal projects. A personal blog, published works, or a portfolio of your past projects are all good things to include. They show you take initiative, enjoy and take pride in your work, and that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, if relevant.

Certifications/licenses. If you didn’t include these in your education section, this is another good place to list relevant certifications or licenses that you have.

Interests . This is largely just a space filler if your resume is light in other areas. However, if your hobbies are directly related to the job that you’re applying for, it’s not a bad idea to include them. And it might draw a recruiter’s attention if you end up sharing some of the same interests as they do.

If you have several seemingly random items that are valuable, but don’t warrant creating a whole separate section for, you can also make a section called “Additional Experience.” Here you can include all of the above categories in one place. Just make sure that each item is clear and easy for readers to understand.

Resume samples

Now that we have a good idea of how to write a resume, let’s take a look at some example resumes:

Jack Pilgrim Washington , DC 14015 – (555) 444-3333 – [email protected] – www.linkedin.com/jpilgrim Resume Summary Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience creating and implementing promotional materials and social media graphics. Worked with sales and marketing teams to increase inbound calls by 23% YoY through compelling digital media. Adept at planning, managing, and prioritizing multiple deadlines at once, and thrives in fast-paced work environment. Work Experience Creative Designs | Washington, DC Lead Graphic Designer | June 2018-Present Worked with sales and marketing teams to create landing pages, sales proposals, and supporting media elements to drive sales by over $250,000 per quarter Trained, managed, and mentored team of 4 junior designers to fulfill 40+ project orders on a weekly basis Conducted UX research through surveys, usability testing, and data analysis to plan content marketing strategy, driving organic search traffic by 12% Presented proposals, results, and status updates to set of 4-7 clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at or above 95% for 3 years straight Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Junior Graphic Designer | July 2016-May 2018 Translated client needs and branding strategies into design and content strategy, increasing client retention by 22% Reduced project turnaround time by 8% by Utilizing web-based ticket system for completing and archiving finalized pieces Posted digital artwork to network IPTV using web interface to produce high-end info-graphics and other materials Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Marketing Intern | September 2015-July 2016 Assisted marketing team with data collection, analysis, and presentation using Google Analytics Drew up storyboards for new marketing campaigns alongside sales team, increasing brand awareness through social media Wrote 500-1000 word articles to pair with graphical elements on page, leading to a 40% boost in engagement on company website Education Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia May 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Skills Adobe Creative Suite Typography HTML/CSS WordPress Collaboration Organization

Allison Neederly Chicago, Illinois , 60007 | (333) 222-1111 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/allison.neederly Resume Summary Dedicated customer service representative with 4+ years experience resolving customers’ needs in-person, online, and over the phone. Top achiever at XYZ Inc. with a 100% customer satisfaction rate for Q1 of 2020. Friendly personable, and knowledgable about company’s products and services. Relevant Skills Customer Service Responded to upwards of 200 customer queries daily with XYZ Inc., reducing the average wait time by 56% and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 13% Ability to resolve conflict and create a positive atmosphere for shopping for both new and existing customers through technical proficiency Expert product knowledge and communication skills, and experience training and mentoring new customer service staff Web Chat and Phone Skilled in 3 web chat platforms for helping online customers resolve their queries quickly and accurately Achieved fastest call resolution rate at XYZ Inc., with an average resolution time of under 5 minutes per customer Performed outbound calls for customer satisfaction surveys, as well as writing web-based surveys for 10,000+ customers Troubleshooting Detailed product knowledge allowed for customer technical issues to be resolved at rate within top 5% of all customer service associates at XYZ Inc. Created manual for step-by-step directions for troubleshooting that was implemented for team of 100+ customer service reps Positive attitude took average tech-related negative response from 1/5 stars to 4/5 stars, increasing trust in brands and services Work Experience XYZ Inc. | Philadelphia, PA Customer Service Associate New Look Global | Burlington, VT Junior Customer Service Representative L.L. Bean | Burlington, VT Sales Associate Education University of Vermont | Burlington, VT May 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Priya Laghari New York, NY | (222) 111-0000 | [email protected] | www.priyabizdev.com Resume Profile Strategy Development: Grew John Deere’s international sales by 13% by tapping into undeserved countries in Southeast Asia Management: Oversaw a team of managers representing marketing, sales, and product teams. Streamlined collaborative, cross-functional communications through agile and scrum management system CRM: Developed, customized, and implemented new customer relationship management database for accounts totaling over $10M in value Work Experience Business Development Manager 01/2015-Present Microsoft | Redmond, WA Developed product strategies and roadmap for Google AdWords, increasing inbound traffic by 26% YoY Reduced time training on new software by 50% for new and existing employees by implement e-learning programs Spearheaded digital marketing campaign worth $1M that saw a return of 200% in first year by qualifying leads earlier in the sales funnel Regional Sales Manager 11/2012-01/2015 Big Things Inc. | St. Louis, MO Managed territory encompassing 29 regional locations with an annual revenue of approx. $55M Worked with C-level executives to plan business strategies, resulting in 20% reduction in overhead costs Increased client retention by 12% in first year by implementing a CRM approach based on account profiling and elevating levels of relationship selling Account Manager 02/2009-11/2012 Solutions Corp. | Chicago, IL Implemented and developed CRM strategic plans, increasing retention of long-term clients by 22% Maintained 50+ accounts totaling over $35M in value Generated leads through one-on-one consultation via phone inquiries, online check-ins, and meeting office walk-ins Relevant Skills CRM: Proficient with Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot; some experience with Keap. Used various CRM software over a decade to successfully manage customer relations and quick to adapt to new software and tools that aid in quality of customer experience. Salesmanship: Negotiated and closed over several deals worth $1M+ and skilled in upselling and cross-selling. Adept at working closely with marketing and product teams to maximize the efficiency of the sales funnel for both inbound and outbound traffic. Presentation: Represented Microsoft Northwest Region at quarterly board meetings, ensuring all stakeholders were kept abreast of new developments and opportunities. Also deliver monthly presentations to big clients and vendors to maintain positive relationship. Data analytics. Expert at integrating data from various analytics platforms, including Google, Microsoft Power BI, and SAP BusinessObjects Education Colgate University | May 2008 MBA Fordham University | May 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Business

For more resume examples and templates:

Resume examples by job

Google docs resume template

Resume templates

Resume builder

Resume Headers Samples:

Tip : Never put your contact info in the header of your document; some applicant tracking systems might miss it.

For more on how to write a resume header:

Resume Header

Resume Titles

Resume introduction examples

Entry-Level Resume Objective.

Recent graduate with a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Virginia seeking an entry-level role in content marketing. Excellent copywriter with 2+ years experience editing content as a member of the UVa Writing Center.

Career Change Resume Objective.

Eager to apply 7+ years of experience with customer success management to make successful outbound B2B calls, deliver customized business solutions to new and existing customers, and provide expert product knowledge in the role of Account Manager for XYZ Inc.

Example Resume Summary Statement.

Accountant with over 8 years of experience in the medical industry. Adept at advising on management of cash deficits, reconciling departmental accounts, and creating new accounts and codes. Coordinated invoice preparation system for ABC that reduced contractor overhead by 19% YoY.

English teacher with a love of language and 6 years of experience teaching high school students. Developed new curriculum that boosted freshman reading comprehension scores by 12% and created after school book club for AP Lit class, resulting in 100% of participating students achieving a 5 on the AP Lit test.

Example Qualifications Summary.

Executive assistant with 5+ years experience helping maintain efficiency in an office of 25 employees Communicated directly with internal and external stakeholders, helping Senior Vice President manage projects worth $5M+ Proactively managed office schedules, identifying and prioritizing changes to ensure client satisfaction Recognized in a company of 500 for “Outstanding Achiever” in May 2019

Example Resume Profile.

Detail-oriented IT Specialist with 4 years of experience overseeing and improving the infrastructure of IT systems. Adept at building and running troubleshooting systems and testing services. Decreased security risk by 47% through continual optimization, while also improving the speed of client portal by 22%. Excellent communicator both internally and for client-facing discussions. Achieved 98%+ customer satisfaction ratings through weekly and monthly check-ins with accounts valued cumulatively at $500,000.

Entry-Level Resume Headline.

Bilingual College Graduate with 80 WPM Typing Speed and Tutoring Experience

Experienced Resume Headline.

Business Development Specialist with 6+ Years Experience Scaling Start-Up Tech Teams

For more on resume introductions:

Resume objective statement

Resume summary statement

Resume summary statement examples

Qualifications summary

Sample resume work experience sections

Work Experience XYZ Industries | Seattle, WA Marketing Associate | May 2019-Present Delivered weekly presentations to client-base to communicate brand messaging, increasing client retention by 11% Served as liaison between marketing and product teams, resulting in projects finishing 2 weeks early, on average Leveraged Excel skills to create and maintain spreadsheet to track consumer insights, emergent trends, and inform decisions of marketing team through competitive analysis Managed team of 5 contractors to juggle multiple priority projects simultaneously, never missing a deadline Initiated an affiliate referral program that PR team went on to turn into a revenue-generating stream valued at $30,000 annually ABC Corp | Seattle, WA Marketing Intern | September 2018-May 2019 Developed, maintained, and processed 20+ digital consent forms and distributor forms Worked collaboratively with a team of 10 marketing professionals, closely aligning our goals with the PR team Provided data analysis using Google Analytics and performed keyword research to increase blog traffic by 56% over six months Answered up to 50 customer queries by phone and email each week

For more on building the perfect resume work experience section:

Resume work experience section

First resume (no experience)

Examples Of Education Resume Sections

Graduated recently from a 4-year program.

Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois May 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Minor in Psychology 3.95 GPA magna cum laude Dean’s List all semesters

Two degrees.

Fordham University | Bronx, New York April 2016 Master of Chemical Engineering Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York April 2014 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Anticipated graduation date (not yet graduated).

DePaul Univeristy | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in History – Degree anticipated May 2021 Current GPA: 3.8

Older job seeker (graduated 10+ years ago).

University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

High school graduate (no college degree).

Johnston High School 2016-2020 Head of Computer Club

More on crafting the perfect resume education section:

Education resume section

GPA on resume

Dean’s list

Magna cum laude

Examples Of Skills For Resume

Examples of hard skills include:

Examples of soft skills include:

Here’s more information on how to incorporate skills into your resume:

Resume skills section

Hard skills

Soft skills

Top skills for professionals

Skills-based resume

Resume writing FAQ

What is a resume?

A resume is a one to two-page document that focuses on professional experience, past achievements, education and certifications, and specific skills tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Almost every job application requires a resume, and hiring managers use them as a first impression in determining which applicants get a shot at an interview.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have 30 years of professional experience, this guide should help craft a resume that stands out from the crowd and get you one step closer to landing your dream job.

What is the format for writing a good resume?

Most people will want to use a chronological or reverse-chronological resume format. This format is compatible with most applicant tracking systems (ATS) and is easy for employers to read. Additionally it helps highlight your experience, which helps prove your qualifications.

How far back should a resume go?

A resume should go back no further than 10 to 15 years. However, it is important that all your information is relevant. Therefore, do not include job experience that is irrelevant to your application, even if it’s fewer than 10 years old. Save that information for later discussions.

Should you personalize your resume for each job?

Yes, you should personalize your resume for each job you apply to. Many recruiters use ATS now, which will search for keywords in a resume and reject those that don’t have them. That means that the skills you choose to highlight as well as your opening, such as your resume summary, should be altered to suit each job you apply to.

You don’t need to rewrite the entire resume for each job, but it does show attention to detail and initiative to make sure that your resume is customized. It also makes it more likely that you’ll get past the first step of the process.

State of New York Department of Labor – Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications

Harvard University – Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Matthew Zane is the lead editor of Zippia's How To Get A Job Guides. He is a teacher, writer, and world-traveler that wants to help people at every stage of the career life cycle. He completed his masters in American Literature from Trinity College Dublin and BA in English from the University of Connecticut.

Recent Job Searches

• Registered Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Truck Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Call Center Representative Jobs Resume Location
• Customer Service Representative Jobs Resume
• Delivery Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Warehouse Worker Jobs Resume Location
• Account Executive Jobs Resume Location
• Sales Associate Jobs Resume Location
• Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Company Driver Jobs Resume

Related posts

How To Write A Successful Career Change Resume (With Examples)

Statement Of Qualifications: What It Is And Examples

How To Put Dean’s List On Your Resume (With Examples)

Where To List Awards On Your Resume (With Examples)

• Career Advice >
• Resume Structure >
• Parts Of A Resume >