Undergraduate Student Resume Template & Guide

Undergraduates need to know how to leverage their education to get a job. Here are our tips for making the most of an undergraduate resume

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Undergraduate Resume Example

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Undergraduate Resume Samples

An undergraduate degree is a great first step to getting a job, but it’s not always easy to present your skills and qualifications in your resume that gets a hiring manager’s attention. Here’s how you can make sure your undergraduate work really shines in your student resume.

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What Should I Highlight on an Undergraduate Resume?

What you highlight in your resume will depend on the field that you’re entering and your particular education and experiences. Someone with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration will highlight different areas compared to someone with a bachelor’s in computer science, for example. This is a big reason resume examples for specific jobs can be helpful—they can show you what to talk about and show to a recruiter for the best results. Generally, you should focus on any related extracurricular activities and work experience, as well as specific skills and knowledge you’ve gained through your undergrad years.

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The Structure of an Undergraduate Resume

The structure of your resume will depend partially on the resume format that you use. There are three types of resume formats: the functional resume, which emphasizes education and skills, the chronological resume, which emphasizes work history, and the combination resume, which allows for emphasis on both. All of these formats will have similar resume sections, even if they’re presented in a different order:

Header

The resume header includes your full name, phone number, email address, and any professional profile links you have such as your LinkedIn. Most resume templates will include some graphic flourishes or design elements in the header for extra visual impact.

Resume summary or objective

The next section is your resume summary or resume objective. The summary is a two to three-sentence section that goes over your most prominent technical skills, work experience, and key achievements. The objective contains the same information but also states your career goal. Think of it this way: If you only had a few sentences to describe your background and strengths to a hiring manager, what would you write? That should be what you put in your objective or summary.

Skills

Look at resume samples for your field to help you determine what technical skills and other relevant skills you should include from the job listing. Remember that most fields need both hard skills and soft skills, but which skills should take precedence in your resume will depend on the job you’re applying to.

Work history

Most of the time, a college graduate who’s just starting a job search will get stuck on the work experience section, worrying that they don’t have any work experience they can include here. In fact, graduates often have internships, extracurricular activities, academic projects and relevant coursework that can be applied to the job title they’re trying to get. Just review your experiences during your school years to determine what experience you have, and add any relevant activities here.

Education

List your highest academic credential here (such as your undergraduate diploma); if you haven’t graduated yet, list your expected date of completion. If you’ve picked up any certifications, list them here.

Dos and Don’ts for an Undergraduate Resume

Do:

Quantify your achievements. “Top 5% of the class” looks much better on a resume than “Excelled in college.”
Use bullet points and concise phrases instead of lengthy paragraphs. Bullet points make it easier for a hiring manager to scan through your resume.
Turn adjectives into action verbs. Instead of just saying that you’re a “Was a team player,” say, “Collaborated with a team of six to create initiatives.”

Don’t:

Include your high school experience. It’s understood that you went through high school or a GED equivalent because this is required to apply to college.
Include your GPA. If you graduated with honors, however, like cum laude or Dean’s List, you can include them next to your education, but otherwise, it’s not necessary to list your GPA, unless requested.
Focus on skills you really excel in. It’s better to have five or six skills you’re really happy with and proud of than a dozen you’re uncertain about.

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FAQ: Undergraduate Resumes

Q: Should I include a cover letter for an undergraduate application?

It’s generally a good idea to include a cover letter for any job application. It helps you provide more details about your background and why you think you’re a good fit for the job, and it’s also your opportunity to ask for a job interview. You can use the ResumeHelp cover letter builder to create your cover letter even if you’re not great at writing cover letters.

Q: How can I write an undergraduate resume without a lot of experience?

If you’re short on professional experience, incorporate any academic, internship and volunteer experiences that feature skills or knowledge that are pertinent to the job opportunity. For extra help organizing your experience, use the ResumeHelp resume builder.

Q: How do I change my undergraduate resume to apply to different jobs?

The best thing you can do to make sure your resume works for each job is to look for resume keywords in the job description, such as important skills and requirements the employer wants. Using these keywords in your resume makes you more likely to get through to the next level. With resume keywords, you can always present the best side of yourself to the hiring manager.

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