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How do you write a student resume?

One of the things that can be daunting for a fresh graduate is creating an impressive student resume.

The competition in the job market is fierce and there are probably other candidates applying for the same position as you but with an added edge of work experience.

In addition to that, recruiters don't spend more than 6-7 seconds on a resume.

So how can you possibly get ahead of the competition and make your student resume stand out to the recruiters?

Lucky for you, this blog is going to cover just that and other related FAQs like the following:

• What is a student resume?
• How to write a student resume?
• What should a student resume include?
• How to write College Student Resume Objective
• What are some student resume FAQs?

What Is a Student Resume?

A student resume is a concise one-page document of your skills and experiences that is tailored to your target job.

Resumes are often required while applying for a job or internship. But, you will need a student resume for other purposes as well, like the following:

• Scholarship application
• Summer program
• Volunteer position
• College/university interviews

And while there are various formats for writing a student resume, the most preferred format is the functional and the reverse chronological order formats.

As opposed to a professional resume, a student resume highlights your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and volunteer experience if any.

And as the name suggests, a student's resume is written by a high school or a college student.

College students typically seek jobs that could help them start a career or one that could earn them some pocket money.

An impactful student resume should highlight your part-time work, volunteer, and internship experiences.

It should also showcase your academic accomplishments together with the relevant skills you've acquired through your studies and part-time work experiences.

One of the common mistakes that fresh graduates make with their student resumes is that they use the same resume for every job application they apply to.

That's a big no-no.

Your must tailor your resume according to the job description of every job vacancy you apply to.

That means you need to pay attention to what their requirements are and accordingly, you must highlight the skills that can fulfill these criteria.

Also Read: How to write a stellar nursing resume?

How to Write a Student Resume?

To write an impactful student resume, you must follow some basic guidelines.

First things first, it should not exceed a page and must have distinct sections like the following:

1. Header
2. Profile title
3. Contact information
4. Resume objective/summary
5. Key skills
6. Work experience (if any)
7. Educational qualifications
8. Certifications
9. Additional section (for honors & awards, extra curriculum activities, and the languages you speak)

Since most recruiters now use the Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) to select the most relevant resumes based on the number of keywords that resumes contain, you need to ensure that your student resume is ATS-friendly.

You can pick up the keywords from the job listing and also research to see which keywords are currently trending for your specific industry and add them to your student resume.

Also Read: How to write a resume with no experience?

What Should a Student Resume Include?

As stated earlier, your student resume needs to have distinct sections for different information.

Here's a breakdown of what each of these sections needs to include:

Student Resume Header

The header of your student resume must always be your full name in the largest font size (16-20 points).

This helps maintain the unique identity of your resume and makes it easier for recruiters to see it.

If you have a middle name, you can initialize it. Given below is a sample for student resume header:

Also Read: How to write a great resume header?

Personal Information Section

The personal information section of your student resume must include the following details:

• A reachable phone number (with a "+" sign and the USD code before the number)
• A professional email address
• Your current location (city and state)
• A link to your LinkedIn profile or an online portfolio
• Your profile title (i.e. the title of the position you're applying for)

Resume Summary/Objective

Although the summary or objection section is placed at the top part of your student resume, you need to write this section only after you've completed writing the other resume sections.

Following this approach will help you get a better idea of what your student resume objective or summary should highlight.

And the difference between a resume objective and a summary is that students with no experience usually write a resume objective while a resume summary is written by candidates who have work experience.

Also, be it resume objective or summary, it should not exceed 2-3 lines.

One common mistake that students make while writing an objective section is that they state how the job will benefit them, instead of focusing on how they can add value to the company.

You can stand out from other applicants by following the right approach and highlighting how your skills and knowledge will benefit the company.

To put things in perspective, here's one example of a poorly written objective section:

"Seeking a position in an engineering team where I can use my knowledge to grow as a professional in the field and learn more. I possess relevant internship experience in the field and I wish to gain more knowledge on the workings of modern architecture."

The above objective statement only outlines personal goals and is not at all compelling.

It tells the recruiter how the job would be beneficial for the candidate and not the other way round.

Now, here’s an example of a good student resume objective:

"Mechanical engineer graduate from an ABET-accredited university with 6 months of internship experience and structural knowledge of auto CAD, CREO, ANSYS including programming languages. Skilled at conducting structural analysis & test runs to develop prototypes that meet the product specifications."

This objective statement works well because it highlights all the key accomplishments and skills of the candidate concisely.

It shows the recruiters exactly what the candidate can offer if they get hired.

Also Read: How to write an impressive resume objective?

Student Resume Skills

The key skills section of your student resume must highlight all the skills that you've acquired through your formal education, certifications, and internship experiences.

Remember to refer to the job listing to pick out keywords that you can include in your skills if they stand true to you.

You can also refer to your professional experience or educational section to understand what key skills you possess.

Given below are some of the common key skills of different job profiles:

Development Research Analyst & Consultant

Leadership & Team Management	Reporting & Documentation	Impact Assessment
Research & Analysis	Public-speaking & Communication	System Dynamics Modelling
Behavioural Analysis	CBA Analysis	Primary & Secondary Research

Sales & Marketing Professional

Market Analysis	Door-to-Door Marketing	Content Marketing
Sales & Distribution	Project Execution	Customer Satisfaction
Team Leadership & Supervision	Logistics Delivery	Strategy Formulation

Consulting Professional

Consulting	Data Analysis	Data Collection
Primary & Secondary Research	Recommendations	Business Strategy
New Initiatives	Profit Management	Team Management

Law Graduate

Due Diligence	Coordination & Liaison	Drafting
Legal Research	Vetting Documents	Document Review
Contracts & Legal Documentation	Agreements	Compliance

Ensure to prioritize the skills which are most useful for your target job and pay attention to the requirements listed by the recruiters in the job listing.

For instance, if you’re looking for a customer service job, your communication skills must be highlighted.

By customizing your resume for the job you want, you can show employers you have the skills and experience they’re looking for.

And in case you are applying for a technical position, ensure to have a sub-section under your key skills to list your technical skills.

Here are some examples of technical skills that you can add to your student resume:

TECHNICAL SKILLS

MS Office	Windows/OS X	Java
MySQL	C++	Javascript

Also Read: What skills to put on a resume?

Student Resume Education Section

In a student resume, the education section comes before the professional experience section as many candidates lack professional experience.

You must use reverse chronological order to list details of your educational background.

Your education section must include the following details:

• Name of institution
• Location
• Starting and completion dates
• Name of the degree
• Relevant coursework

If you are making a high school graduate resume, you can put your high school name on your resume.

You can also include a list of your academic achievements in your student resume by creating a sub-section for your academic achievements under your education section.

Here's an example:

Also Read: How to list education on resume?

Student Resume Work History & Internships

Your work experience section must highlight any internship, part-time job, freelance, and volunteer experience that you may have.

You must include the following details of your work experience:

• Job title
• Name of the company/employer
• Dates of employment
• And location (city and state)

Ensure to list your experiences in the form of bullet points rather than bulky paragraphs and follow the following pointers to draft your work experience:

• Begin your sentences with a power verb
• Follow the cause and effect method to showcase your work
• Use numbers to quantify achievements
• Highlight the keywords and list similar points under a single bucket

Given below is are some bullet points that follow the stated pointers:

• Delivered strong customer service & consistently met targets to increase profitability
• Processed 10+ calls daily as part of tracking customer feedback and answering queries
• Met daily targets of GBP ~3,000 to ensure efficiency
• Managed a team of 4 to efficiently monitor the inventory & provide the highest level of customer service
• Assisted in training new recruits on their roles & responsibilities, standard operating procedures, and daily tasks to facilitate the onboarding process
• Chaired meetings for the horse club on a weekly basis to plan and organize fundraisers for a budget of USD 10,000

Also Read: How to showcase your work experience in a resume?

Student Resume: Certifications & Trainings

Now if you have taken any certification course that is relevant to the job you're applying for, you can list them under this section.

Needless to say, being certified gives you an edge over other candidates as it is proof that you have specialized skills that other candidates may or may not have.

Take a look at the following sample of certification section of a student resume:

Also Read: How to list certifications on a resume?

Student Resume Additional Section

As stated earlier, the additional section of your student resume can showcase extra curriculum activities that you were part of.

These activities can help show your potential skills and abilities that can be important to the recruiter.

The following snapshot shows how you can list them in your student resume:

Being a part of the sports team can show you as a team player and highlight your teamwork skills.

Taking music lessons for a long period of time could show passion and dedication while being a chess player shows your cognitive skills.

Therefore if you were a part of extra-curriculum activities at your school and college, mention them under the additional information section of your student resume.

Lastly, ensure to proofread your student resume.

Proofreading and submitting an error-free resume shows that you are detail-oriented and organized.

Double-check for spelling and grammar errors. Also, get it professionally reviewed to ensure you haven't missed key spots.

Also Read: What are the top 5 must-have resume sections?

Student Resume FAQs

1. How many pages can a student resume comprise?
   1 page. Do not breach the length.

2. How to make a resume for a high school student?
   Making a resume for a high school student is fairly simple. It should have targeted data and relevant keywords.

3. What should a resume look like for a high school student?
   A high school resume should have a lot of space and should only be dual-colored.

Also Read: How to write a resume for beginners?

College Student Resume Sample

Key Takeaways

• Your student resume must be focused on your academic qualifications and achievements.
• Include information about your GPA and Dean's Merit List inclusion as long as it is strong.
• List certifications and coursework related to the target job.
• Include relevant part-time/freelance/odd jobs.
• Use your summary statement to highlight your skills and experiences.
• List transitional skills that are tailored according to the target job.
• List volunteer experiences that you have.
• Include extracurricular activities if you have limited experience.
• Use action verbs to show the impact of your contribution and responsibility.
• Quantify your skills and achievements in your student resume.
• Tailor your student resume according to the job description of the targeted job.
• Proofread your student resume before you send out your applications.

If you want to build a compelling student resume, use Hiration's AI-powered resume builder that has 24x7 chat support. You can also write to us at support@hiration.com if you have any queries.