How to Format a College Student Resume

The first step in creating any resume is to choose the best resume format.

Formatting has many benefits, but mostly it allows the hiring manager to read your resume with ease.

The most common form of resume for a college student is “functional” or “skill-based”, which allows the hiring manager to instantly see the benefits of hiring you. We recommend college students starting with this format.

Students will generally have stronger skills than their work background, making functional resumes a good choice. It is also ideal for those with gaps in their employment history.

Now that you have the best format, you need to edit your resume layout.

Use a College Student Resume Template

Before you start creating your college student’s resume, you may want to use a college student resume template.

A neat and organized resume will be a breeze for recruiters to read.

Oh, and it’s the best way to avoid formatting issues.

What to Include in a College Student Resume

Main sections on a university student resume:

• Contact information
• Skills
• Education
• Volunteer Experience
• Extra-curricular activities

Would you like to go a step further? You can also add these optional sections:

• Awards and Certificates
• Personal projects
• Languages
• interests and hobbies

So what should you write for each of these sections? Read on to find out.

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How to Correctly Display your Contact Information

Now, this part doesn’t require skills, but it should be true to the facts. Cluttering up the contact section could mean that the hiring is unable to contact you – oops!

The contact information section should include:

• Name surname
• Title – In this case, “University Student” or “High School Graduate”
• Phone Number – Fix this a few times
• Email Address – Use a professional email address (ad.lastad@gmail.com) not from your childhood (baileythehamster@gmail.com).
• (Optional) Location – Applying for a job abroad? Mention your position.

How to Write a College Student Resume Summary or Objective

So, this is a job you really want.

This could even be a job YOU NEED.

However, your competition is fierce.

And with so much competition, you have to convince the hiring manager in the first few sentences.

To do this, use a resume summary or goal.

These are short paragraphs at the top of your resume, just below your contact information. They provide an overview of your entire resume.

But what’s the difference between the two parts?

A resume summary is a 2-4-sentence summary of your professional experiences and achievements.

How to Make Your College Student Work Experience Stand Out

Recruiters want to make sure you can get the job done. There is no easier way to do this than by listing your work experience.

Here’s the best way to structure your work experience section: What should a college student put on their resume?,#How do you list your writing skills on a resume?,#What is the best resume format to use in 2020?,#Is it bad to have a 2 page resume?,#What type of resume is best?,#What are the 5 types of writing?,#What are the basic skills of writing?,#What are the most important writing skills?,#What does a good college resume look like?,#How long should a resume be for a college student?,#What should I write in academic achievement?,#How do I write about my achievements?,#What is your greatest achievement sample answer?,#How do you write your accomplishments?,#What are strong writing skills?,#What are the two most important aspect of writing?,#What are the qualities of a good writing?,#What is the style of writing?,#Which type of writing is used to tell a story?,#What are pieces of writing called?,#What should a 2 page resume look like?,#How long should your resume be 2020?,#How far back should a resume go?

• Position Name
• Company name
• History
• Responsibilities and Achievements

To differentiate your resume from the competition, you should focus on your achievements rather than daily tasks. This will allow the recruiter to see the obvious benefits of hiring you.

Instead of saying:

“Customers served”

Say:

“One night served more than 80 people food and more than one table at the same time”

Simply, the first statement is very vague. The employer has no chance of being affected by this.

The second phrase indicates that you can serve more than 80 people and multiple tables at the same time. This tells the recruiter that you can work under pressure and within time constraints – impressive!

How to Correctly List your Education

Next, it’s time to talk about your education.

Whether it’s a college freshman resume or college sophomore resume, your education department is very important.

There is nothing too complicated in this section, just enter the information of your continuing degree in the following format:

• Degree Type and Major
• University name
• Expected graduation
• GPA, Honors, Courses and anything else you might want to add

Top 10 Skills for a College Student Resume

You have all the skills.

But here’s the thing –

Your competition is also very talented!

Show that you are the best candidate for the hiring manager by listing your best skills.

But what are the best skills for a college resume?

Make a list of hard skills and soft skills you’ve ever developed in life such as:

What Else Can You Include?

We’ve now covered every essential resume section.

However, the school bell has not rang yet.

You need your resume to stand out!

Skip the sections above will be enough to shortlist you, but adding the sections below can give you more advantages over other applicants.

Include a Cover Letter with Your Resume

Your CV should now be ready to be sent.

But wait –

No application is complete without a persuasive cover letter.

Unlike a general resume, a personalized cover letter shows that you care about working for this particular company.

Here’s how to structure a successful cover letter:

You should complete the following sections:

Key Takeaways

Creating a college resume doesn’t have to be difficult.

For a college resume that stands out from the competition, follow the tips in this guide.

Our top tips on how to create a college resume are:

• Make your resume easy to read by formatting it correctly. Prioritize reverse chronological format and then follow content layout best practices
• Use a resume summary or goal to get the employer’s attention
• Highlight your most important achievements to date in your work experience section
• Add a compelling cover letter to set you apart from the competition