Student Resume Examples, Templates, and Writing Tips

This illustration includes tips for writing a student resume such as "List any job skills and interpersonal skills," "Include GPA if it's above a 3.5," "Highlight college honors and accomplishments," "Describe college experience as a job," and "Place education immediately after qualifications summary."

Maddy Price © The Balance

Resume examples and templates are extremely helpful, especially when you are writing one of yourfirst resumes. They provide you with a format for writing your resume and help you understand what information to include.

Below are a variety of sample resumes and resume templates for high school students, college students, and recent graduates seeking employment.

Resume Sample With Tips on What to Include

This is a student resume example. Download the resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or read the example below.

Screenshot of a student resume example
©TheBalance 2018 

Student Resume Sample (Text Version)

Nicholas Student
123 Main Street * Anytown, New York 10001
(123) 456-7890 * nicholas.student@email.com

QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY

Self-motivated and highly reliable university student positioned to contribute strongly to customer service operations demanding tact, enthusiasm, and an exemplary work ethic.

  • Customer Service: Able to utilize strong math skills, team orientation, and interpersonal strengths to ensure provision of high-quality customer service within fast-paced retail environments.
  • Communication & Presentation: Charismatic communicator in speech and in writing. Build lasting relationships with both peers and customers, displaying humor, helpfulness, cheerfulness, and cultural sensitivity.
  • Organization / Computers: Outstanding time-management and organizational abilities, willingly working unpredictable hours / overtime to ensure organizational efficiency and profitability. Technical proficiencies include Microsoft Office Suite and social media.
  • Key Strengths: Intelligent and loyal team member, readily listening to others, acknowledging peer accomplishment, and contributing to positive and productive work environments and team morale. Swiftly learn and apply new work methods, procedures, and policies.

EDUCATION

Type of Degree and Major (anticipated 20XX);
3.87 GPA
NAME OF UNIVERSITY, City, State
Dean’s List; Rush Chairman, Alpha Beta Kappa; Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society; Joe H. Green Scholarship

EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

NAME OF UNIVERSITY, City, State
Student ~ [insert Major], August 20XX-Present
Currently pursuing comprehensive four-year course of study in [insert major], laying solid groundwork for eventual career in [insert career field]. Completed coursework includes … [insert names of courses applicable to your job target. Examples: “English Composition and Rhetoric,” “Speech,” “Business Administration”]. Enthusiastically lead group projects and mentor peers in subjects including writing and mathematics. 

  • Insert an academic accomplishment. Example: “Earned Dean’s List recognition for every term of attendance.”
  • Insert a volunteer accomplishment. Example: “Volunteered as guide and mentor to high school students participating in college orientation sessions.”
  • Insert a leadership or personal accomplishment. “Selected as dormitory RA tasked with ensuring the welfare of 50 student residents.”

THE GAP, City, State
Sales Assistant, Summers 20XX and 20XX
Demonstrated engaging customer service skills and a solid work ethic as Sales Assistant for busy retail store. Greeted customers and helped in product selection and check out; merchandised displays, restocked shelves, and tidied store.

  • Insert an accomplishment, using skills keywords. Example: “Willingly stepped up to work overtime to ensure adequate staffing during sales events.”
  • Insert an accomplishment. Example: “Earned ‘Employee of the Month’ awards during both summers of position tenure.”

High School and College Student Resume Examples

Student Resume Templates

Use these templates to see how to lay out your resume, and get insight into which sections to include and how to order the sections.

  • High School Resume Template
  • College Resume Template
  • General Resume Template
  • One-Page Resume Template
  • Microsoft Resume Templates

Sample High School Resumes

Whether you have no work experience or a few part-time jobs, use these samples to create your resume as a high school student or recent graduate.

Sample College / Entry-Level Resumes

There are lots of possibilities for a college student or recent graduate's resume. Let your qualifications and experience, as well as the requirements of the position, guide you in determining how to lay out your resume and what information to include. Browse the samples below for inspiration. 

Tips for Writing a Student Resume

When you're still in school or newly graduated, you may feel like there's not much to include in your resume. Most likely, though, you have more qualifications and experience than you'd initially think. Start by listing your education—if your GPA is strong or if you're on the Dean's List, include that information in the education section of your resume.

Even if you do not have a lot of work experience, you likely have participated in activities or volunteer work that can be listed. You may even have a hobby—for instance, writing a blog that is a review of every book you read or posting beautiful photographs online—that could be relevant to your job application.

Here are some tips to help punch up a student resume:

  • Volunteer and campus experience: Haven't held a lot of jobs? That's not necessarily a problem if you've ever volunteered or been involved with an on-campus organization, such as the student newspaper, an a cappella group, an LGBT group, or anything else. Emphasize any leadership roles you have played, and any accomplishments made, or skills developed that might relate to your career needs in your description of these roles. Involvement in sports or a sorority or fraternity can also be included, especially if it can be framed to show off leadership skills or your ability to work well in a team. Here's how to add volunteer work on your resume.
  • Relate your abilities to jobs: Look carefully at the jobs you want, and develop your resume with the positions in mind. (Here's information on how to decode a job posting.) If the position calls for programming knowledge, you can call out your relevant coursework in a qualifications section. Or, if the ability to be organized and reliable pop up in the job ad, you can make sure those skills are emphasized in your job descriptions on your resume.
  • List honors and skills: If you've received any awards, you can break out an honors section to list them. You can also have a skills section where you list soft skills as well as any programs, languages, or certifications you have. 

When you're first getting started writing a resume as a student, include as much information as possible. You can always edit it down later. Aim to have your resume be a single page—more prolonged than that is excessive for someone just starting out in a career.

To quickly make the best impression on hiring managers, recruiters, and connections, consider creating three versions of your resume, including a comprehensive, a targeted, and a short teaser version.

Proofread carefully since grammatical errors and typos will make you look unprofessional and underqualified. (Use this resume proofreading checklist to help catch mistakes.