College Resume Template for Students and Graduates

There's plenty of important information, from your education to volunteer work, to include on your resume if you're a current college student or recent college graduate.

Organizing all these details, and knowing what to include (and what to leave off), can be a complicated task. Using a template simplifies the process. 

Take a look at a resume template geared toward college students and recent grads, as well as advice on how to write a resume, and take advantage of this template. 

How To Use a Resume Template

A template helps you with the layout of your resume. Templates also show you what elements need to be included in your resumes, such as your education and work history.

You can use a template as a starting point for your own resume. However, you should always personalize and customize your resume, so it reflects your skills and abilities, and the jobs you are applying for.

For example, if a resume template does not include a list of skills, but you want to include one, you should do so.

What To Include in Your Resume

There are several sections to a resume that readers will expect to see. These include the following: 

Contact Information
The first section of your resume should include information on how the employer can contact you.

First Last Name
Street Address (optional)
City, State Zip Code
Phone
Email Address

Education
In the education section of your resume, list the college you attend or graduated from, the degrees you attained, and awards and honors you have earned. If you are still a college student or are a recent graduate, you may also include your GPA.

College, Degree
Awards, Honors

Experience
This section of your resume includes your work history. List the companies you worked for, dates of employment, the positions you held, and a bulleted list of responsibilities and achievements. If you have completed internships, it's fine to include them in the experience section of your resume. You can also list summer jobs. Place jobs in reverse chronological order — that is, the roles you've held most recently should be at the top of the list. 

Company #1
City, State
Dates Worked

Job Title

• Responsibilities / Achievements
• Responsibilities / Achievements

Company #2
City, State
Dates Worked

Job Title

• Responsibilities / Achievements
• Responsibilities / Achievements

Skills
Include skills related to the position/career field that you are applying for. These might include computer skills, language skills, or another type of skill related to the position. If you have any certifications related to these skills (such as CPR certification or certification in a particular computer program), you can list these here too.

Skill #1 (related certifications)
Skill #2 (related certifications)

Along with these required sections, you can also include optional sections: 

• Resume objective or resume profile: Include one, but not both, of these sections. Whichever one you opt to include should be placed at the top of your resume, below contact information and above the education section. A resume objective sets out your goals. It's less commonly used nowadays than a resume profile. 
• Extracurricular activities: Include athletics, clubs, organizations, and other college activities. If you held a position on a team (such as team captain) or in a club (such as president), you can mention this as well. List the club or sports team, your position, and your number of years on the club or team. 

Tips for Writing a College Resume

Follow these strategies as you work on your student or recent grad resume:

• Don't fret about lack of experience: Hiring managers do not expect students or recent graduates to have worked full-time jobs. 
• Use a professional email address: Since you want to make a good impression, use a professional email address (like first initial, last name or your first and last name). If you have an email address through your school, and it will continue to be usable post-graduation, that's appropriate to use. 
• Stick to one page: Keep the length of your resume to a single page. Later in your career, it may make sense to expand the length of this document.
• Pay attention to formatting: The little things matter when it comes to resumes. This is a professional document. Make sure to use a standard font and font size, and be consistent with all formatting. (That is, if section headers are bolded, make sure they're allbolded, not just some of them.) 
• Put the focus on education: Since you do not have ample work experience, put the focus on your education. Keep it on the top of your resume (above experience). Once you have your first full-time job, you'll want to switch the positions of these two sections, so experience comes first, and education is below it. 
• Make sure your graduation date is clear: If you're still in schoolbut applying for jobs, you'll want hiring managers to be able to spot when you'll be available to begin working. You can put "expected graduation date: Month, Year" in the education section. 
• Be smart as you write job descriptions: Use action verbs, put the focus on accomplishments over tasks if possible, and include numberswhen you can. 
• Use a helpful filename: Make it easy on hiring managers. Include your first and last name in the filename for the resume, along with the word resume. If you just name it "resume" it's easy for it to get lost in a hiring manager's desktop. 
• Proofread, proofread, proofread: This is no place to make a silly mistake or typo. Read through your resume carefully — consider asking a friend or someone at your college's career office to review it as well. 

College Resume Template for Students and Graduates

Below is an example of a resume for college students and graduates. Download the resume template (compatible with Google Docs or Word Online) or read the example below.

College Resume Example