Student Resume Example + Writing Tips + Resume Template

Student Resume Writing – Best Tips

A good resume for a college student should convince a recruiter to invite you for an interview. If you are writing your first resume without experience, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Read this ultimate guide on how to write a perfect resume for a student or fresh graduate.

Before we start, one tip. While searching for a full time job as a student or fresh graduate, you will probably look for the job openings published online.

Great but remember also about student and graduate career fairs where employers look for talented young individuals. Career fairs could be a great opportunity. 

1. Select a good  Resume Template

First of all, your school resume has to grab a recruiter’s attention. Prepare a professional resume template that stands out and is appropriate for the job position you are applying for.

It should be appealing but not too fancy though. You can use our student resume template in word or use resume creator. 

If you are a high school student, see sample high school resumes 

2. Professional summary / Career Objective in a Student Resume

A resume summary, also known as the resume introduction or resume statement, is a section that should not be missing from a modern professional resume. This information is usually placed at the top of the resume document so that it can be easily visible.

Typically, the resume summary answers the most important questions: who you are, what kind of experience you have, and why an employer should offer the job to you. It should be few sentences long (ideally 2-5).

TIP: If you are a candidate without experience, you should rather write a career objective than resume summary. Resume objective contains the information about your skills, capabilities, specialities and professional goals. 

The truth is that recruiters often limit themselves to read just this section. If it convinces them enough, they read on. If it doesn’t, your resume may be rejected. 

With that in mind, try to make this resume section as good as it can be. After reading it, the recruiter should start to think that you are the perfect candidate. 

How to write a perfect resume summary or career objective in a college student resumes?

The most important thing is that you write your professional summary in reference to the job ad.

Show that you have the key skills and required experience. You may add information about the area of your specialization or interest.

Do you have any accomplishments from previous jobs? Share this as well. At the end, you can specify what are your professional goals and which area you would like to specialize in.

Student Resume Summary example:

As you can see, your student resume summary should tell the future employer:

• who you are,
• whether you have had previous experience related to the job you are applying for,
• and whether you have been successful in this field.

All of this is meant to convince the recruiter that their company will benefit when they decide to work with you. 

If you use an online resume builder or cv template to prepare your application, make sure it provides space for this section. 

If you feel that a few sentences are not enough, and you would like to tell more about yourself, write a cover letter. You can also find cover letter templates and tips on how to write a cover letter on our website. 

3. How to describe experience in a student resume, the right way?

If you have an experience directly related to the position you are applying for, obviously  include that in your curriculum vitae template.

However let’s assume that you are a total beginner, an applicant with no experience.

Like many students, you have probably taken casual jobs during a college time. They may seem unimportant and unrelated to the position you are applying for, but wait.

Probably you can present any work you have done before in a way that shows you have acquired skills or experience that are required in the job description. 

Let’s say you worked as a warehouseman while in college, and now you’re applying for a job at City Hall.

How do you combine these two?

First of all, read the job opening carefully and pay attention to what skills and experience the employer cares most about.

Then try to present the job as a warehouseman in a way that highlights the features that the job offer demands.

Example? 

Perhaps as a warehouseman, you had to take care of some tasks on your own. The management praised your responsibility, work organization and the fact that you can be relied upon? Mention this. 

Perhaps you detected elements or processes that needed improvement, and you suggested concrete solutions that were accepted?

This is what you can consider to be your professional success.

Another example.

If during your technical studies you did some casual sales work, now think how to use it.

The customer service experience and communication skills you gained there could also prove you are a valuable candidate for technical positions. 

In this way you can make even more connections between your temporary, student jobs and the position you are applying for. 

Remember, jobs aren’t the only thing that matters. Any other activity you undertake during your studies can make the recruiter see you as an ideal candidate for their company.

Just do it right and present it in a way that highlights the skills and experience the employer cares about.

What else apart from the job is worth mentioning in an effective CV for a student or recent college graduate with no experience?

If this is true, mention:

• student internships,
• an internship abroad,
• student exchange programs such as ERASMUS,
• participation in a scientific conference, etc.

In this section, you may also describe any activities that you take part in at the university, e.g. that you are the president of a student club or a member of some student organization. 

You can also write about your activities outside the university, like charity or voluntary activities. 

An information about your work and activities during studies proves that you are smart enough to do both: work and study. It is a strong signal that you are independent, ambitious and responsible person.

If you are still studying, HR Manager can be sure that your education will not be an obstacle in fulfilling your professional duties. 

When describing your work experience, provide the most important information:

• job titles
• names of the companies you have worked for,
• time period you have worked there (indicating not only years, but also months),
• your responsibilities.
  
  Be specific and skip the tasks that aren’t particularly important. Give more space to those that are crucial for the new employer. In particular, highlight the tasks relate to the duties listed in the job ad. 

If you are creating your first job resume or an internship resume, don’t include any confidential data, e.g. specific amounts or personal details (e.g. of people you have worked with).  

The work experience section is also the right place to share your past achievements.

Have you worked in sales and gained new clients?

Share it!

Did you running an interesting project in college? Say it in your curriculum vitae!

If possible, give specific numbers and data that will catch the recruiter’s attention and make the whole thing more authentic.

A sample description of a student’s work experience might look like this:

Another possibility is to create an individual section called ‘Achievements’. This would be an option when you can boast at least several achievements.

Achievements are a real magnet for recruiters. What is more, a question about your key accomplishments is frequently asked during the job interview. Including it in your resume makes you more prepared for that.

TIP: To create a strong, persuasive job resume, enrich you experience description with action verbs. They prove that you have a goal-oriented mindset and initiative. Additionally, action verbs grab attention much more effectively. 

For example, instead of using words, like

• took part,
• helped,
• tried

use:

• implemented new sales strategy,
• improved ROI, ROAS or customer locality,
• achieved or exceeded target,
• reduced monthly costs,
• launched new products,
• optimized ad campaign

3. How to List Education in Marketing Manager Resume? The right way

When it comes to positions like Marketing or Sales Manager, HR Managers will be mainly interested in your experience and skills rather than your education.

However, no matter what position you are applying for, you should always include the education section in your resume.

Keep it simple. Mention just the highest level of your education, like:

• Date of graduation,
• Degree title and specialization (if there was one)
• Collage name

4. Resume Skills Section Best Tip for Marketing and Sales Manager

Skills are one of the most important fields in your resume. Very often, this resume section decides if you get invited for an interview. Do it the right way, then.

First of all, verify the job description to find which skills the company is especially looking for. Pay attention to the keywords they use and include them in your resume (if you possess such skills, of course).

Keep in mind that you are applying for a management position in marketing and sales. This means that apart from hard skills (important for marketing specialists) and marketing knowledge, show your soft skills also, like:

• Leadership capabilities
• Management skills
• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Creativity
• Problem-solving skills
• Flexibility
• Ability to motivate the team

If you have skills that haven’t been listed in a job offer, but you feel they might be useful in a marketing or sales position, just add them. Good example are foreign languages skills. Every company sooner or later wants to expand. Such skills could be a huge benefit.

5. Additional Sections in your Resume

If you feel you have much more to show off than the information contained in a standard resume sections, you can always add some extra fields, like:

• Awards,
• Achievements,
• Certificates,
• Trainings,
• Conferences / Fairs
• Publications / Blog Articles / Portfolio

For example, adding an information about the training or courses you have taken may prove you are a growth-oriented candidate. This could be a true benefit.

Don’t you have no training to include in your resume? Get some.

You have a plenty of online possibilities to take valuable, industry trainings. Many courses can be taken for free. Check Google Digital Workshops or Google Marketing Courses with Certificates.

You find much when search through the Internet.

6. Marketing Manager Cover Letter – should you write it?

If the company wants a Cover Letter, simply send it along with your resume document. If you don’t do it and other candidates do, you may lose chances for an interview.

Apart from this, cover letter might be a great chance to present more valuable information than in resume.

Cover Letter gives you a chance to show more details, specific numbers, case studies, achievements and just tell more about yourself. Adding a good Cover Letter to your Marketing Director Resume can be a real advantage over other candidates.

7. Summary

• Start with good resume summary or career objective
• Use keywords from the offer. In case your resume is verified by ATS software, it has bigger chances to pass it through successfully.
• Use numbers and metrics
• Show achievements, examples, case studies
• Present only relevant information
• Use action verbs
• Before applying, read your resume and cover letter once again to pick out possible mistakes and errors