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Resume Tips

The only student resume template you'll ever need

August 25, 2025 10 min read By StoryCV Team
Student resume template with real examples

Looking at student resume templates feels overwhelming at first. Too many formats. Too many rules. And if you don't have much experience yet, it feels even harder to fill a page without sounding fake.

But a student resume doesn't need to be complicated. It needs to be clear. Your contact details, your education, a few lines about what you've done so far like projects, part-time jobs and even volunteering. That's enough to get started.

What is the best format for a student resume?

One page. One column. Clear headings. Bullet points. Reverse chronological order. Most recent things at the top. Margins between 0.5 and 1 inch. Font size 10.5–12, readable, no script fonts. Sans serif fonts for resume is recommended.

That's it.

Why this format works

  • It matches how recruiters scan. Left to right, top to bottom.
  • It is ATS friendly. No text in images or tables.
  • It makes tradeoffs obvious. You highlight proof in the first ⅓ of the page.

How to write a good resume as a student?

Focus on relevance. Show what you did, not what your responsibilities were. Use numbers when you can. Keep bullets short. Each bullet should answer: "Why should they care?"

✅ Strong Student Achievement Examples

  • Built a web app for a class project used by 30+ classmates to track deadlines.
  • Managed weekly events for a campus club, growing attendance from 40 to 120 students.

What are the sections of a resume

  • Contact info: name, email, LinkedIn, portfolio/GitHub.
  • Education: degree, university, graduation date, GPA if strong, relevant coursework.
  • Experience: internships, part-time jobs, projects.
  • Skills: tools, languages, software.
  • Optional: extracurriculars, volunteer work, awards.

Default layout

  1. Contact and links
  2. Headline or target role
  3. Education
  4. Skills
  5. Projects and coursework
  6. Experience (internships, part-time, freelance)
  7. Leadership and activities
  8. Awards and extras

Save as PDF unless the employer asks for Word.

Put your strongest section higher. If projects are your proof, move them above experience.

If you are struggling to stick to one page, remember: a resume is a decision tool, not a biography. Show proof of skills the job needs. Hide everything else.

Skills for a student resume

The skills section is where students often get stuck. You think you don't have enough to show. Wrong. You have more than you realize.

Break skills into clear categories. Technical skills go first if they're relevant to the job. Language skills matter if you're applying to global companies. Soft skills only count if you can prove them with examples elsewhere on your resume.

✅ Strong Skills Section Examples

  • Programming: Python, Java, JavaScript, HTML/CSS
  • Tools: Git, VS Code, Figma, Excel, Google Analytics
  • Languages: English (native), Spanish (conversational), Mandarin (basic)

Don't list skills you can't discuss in an interview. If you put "Excel" and can't explain pivot tables, that's a problem. If you list "Python" but only wrote one script for class, be ready to explain what you built.

Here's what counts as a skill for students: any software you've used for class projects, programming languages from coursework, design tools from personal projects, languages you speak at home, and technical skills from internships or part-time jobs.

❌ Avoid These Common Mistakes

  • Generic soft skills like "communication" without proof
  • Skills you learned years ago and can't remember
  • Obvious skills like "Microsoft Word" unless specifically required

Margins, fonts, and layout specs

  • Margins. 0.75 to 1 inch on all sides. If you need space, go 0.5 inch, never less.
  • Font size. 10.5 to 12 for body, 12 to 14 for headings.
  • Fonts. Any clean system font. No script fonts. Avoid icons.
  • Line spacing. 1.0 to 1.15. Add 2 to 4 pt space after each section.
  • File name. firstname_lastname_resume_role.pdf

Can you put extracurricular activities on a resume?

Yes. Treat them as leadership and impact.

✅ Good examples

  • President, FinTech Society — grew membership from 60 to 140, secured 3 sponsor partners.
  • Captain, Volleyball Team — coordinated 12-player schedule and led training that improved set success by 18 percent.
  • Organizer, Women in Tech Hackathon — raised $8,000 in funding, managed 120 participants.

❌ Avoid

Listing passive memberships without outcomes.

Your resume's job is to earn a shortlisting. The hiring manager's job is to reduce risk. Use numbers and outcomes to lower that risk.

Can you put babysitting on a resume?

Yes. Frame it as paid work with scope and outcomes.

✅ Examples

  • Babysitter, self-employed — managed care for two children ages 4 and 7, improved homework completion from 50 percent to 100 percent over 3 months.
  • Tutor and caregiver — created a 6-week reading plan, raised reading level by one grade.

What makes a good student template

Use these criteria to judge any template.

  • Simple structure. One column. No tables.
  • Scannable headings. Education, Skills, Projects, Experience.
  • Keyword-friendly. Text, not images.
  • Tight spacing. Enough white space to breathe, but not wasteful.
  • Proof-first. Bullets show outcomes, not tasks.

Ready to Transform Your Student Resume?

You now know which sections to include and how to structure a student resume. Filling it in and making it look sharp is where most students get stuck. That's where StoryCV can help. It takes your experience, projects, and skills, and turns them into a resume ready to send to recruiters in minutes.

Start Building Your Resume

Student resume examples for internships

Niche down. Aim each version at one role. Software engineering intern, data analyst intern, product design intern, research assistant, operations associate.

Software engineering intern

  • Built a full-stack CRUD app used by 35 peers. Cut manual tracking time by 3 hours per week.
  • Wrote unit tests that raised coverage from 0 to 72 percent across key modules.
  • Refactored API calls to reduce average response time from 420 ms to 180 ms.

Data analyst intern

  • Cleaned 120,000-row survey dataset. Reduced processing time by 60 percent.
  • Automated weekly KPI dashboard in spreadsheets. Saved team 2 hours weekly.
  • A/B tested landing copy. Improved click-through by 14 percent.

Marketing intern

  • Planned 4-week TikTok content calendar. Grew followers from 0 to 1,800.
  • Ran UTM-tagged email campaign to 3,200 students. 32 percent open, 6 percent click.
  • Negotiated 3 campus partnerships that added 220 signups.

Student resumes don't need to be perfect. They need to show you can learn, contribute, and take responsibility. That's enough to get in the door.

Copy-ready student resume templates

Internship resume template

📄 Internship-focused Student Resume Template

# **[Your Name]**
[Your Email] | [Your Phone] | [LinkedIn Profile] | [Portfolio/GitHub]

## **EDUCATION**
**Bachelor of Science in Computer Science**  
University of California, Berkeley | Expected May 2026  
GPA: 3.7/4.0 | Relevant Coursework: Data Structures, Algorithms, Web Development

## **TECHNICAL SKILLS**
**Languages:** Python, Java, JavaScript, HTML/CSS  
**Tools:** Git, VS Code, React, Node.js, MySQL

## **PROJECTS**
**Personal Budget Tracker Web App** | January 2025
- Built a full-stack web application using React and Node.js for expense tracking
- Implemented user authentication and data visualization with Chart.js
- Deployed on Heroku, serving 50+ active users

**Campus Event Finder** | Class Project | Fall 2024
- Developed a mobile-responsive website to help students discover campus events
- Collaborated with 3 team members using Git for version control
- Achieved 95% user satisfaction rating in class demo

## **EXPERIENCE**
**Computer Science Tutor** | UC Berkeley Learning Center | Sep 2024 - Present
- Tutor 15+ students weekly in intro programming and data structures
- Improved student test scores by average of 20% through personalized study plans

**Freelance Web Developer** | Self-Employed | Summer 2024
- Created websites for 3 local businesses, increasing their online presence
- Generated $2,000 in revenue while learning client communication skills

## **ACTIVITIES**
**Computer Science Club** | Vice President | Jan 2024 - Present
- Organize weekly coding workshops attended by 40+ students
- Coordinate with industry professionals for guest speaker events

First job CV template

📄 First Job Student Resume Template

# **[Your Name]**
[Your Email] | [Your Phone] | [LinkedIn Profile] | [Portfolio/GitHub]

## **PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY**
Recent Business Administration graduate with strong analytical skills and internship experience in marketing. Proven ability to manage multiple projects, work collaboratively in team environments, and deliver results under tight deadlines. Seeking an entry-level position in digital marketing to apply academic knowledge and gain hands-on experience.

## **EDUCATION**
**Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing Concentration**  
State University | May 2025  
GPA: 3.6/4.0 | Dean's List: Fall 2023, Spring 2024

## **EXPERIENCE**
**Marketing Intern** | TechStart Solutions | Summer 2024
- Assisted in developing social media campaigns that increased engagement by 35%
- Conducted market research on 50+ competitor companies and presented findings to senior management
- Created content for company blog, generating 1,200+ page views per article

**Sales Associate** | Campus Bookstore | Sep 2023 - Present
- Provide customer service to 100+ students daily during peak periods
- Process transactions accurately while maintaining friendly, professional demeanor
- Train 2 new employees on store policies and POS system

**Event Coordinator** | Student Activities Board | Jan 2024 - Present
- Plan and execute campus events for audiences of 200-500 students
- Manage budgets of $3,000-$8,000 while coordinating with multiple vendors
- Collaborate with 8-person team to ensure successful event execution

## **SKILLS**
**Technical:** Google Analytics, Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, Social Media Management  
**Languages:** Spanish (Conversational), French (Basic)  
**Soft Skills:** Project Management, Team Leadership, Public Speaking, Problem-Solving

## **ACHIEVEMENTS**
- Outstanding Student Leader Award (2024)
- Marketing Case Competition - 2nd Place (2024)
- Volunteer of the Year - Local Food Bank (2023)

Templates are a start, but you don't have to do this alone. StoryCV uses AI to turn your student resume template into a polished, recruiter-ready resume in minutes.