How to Write a Resume for Undergraduate Students (With Example)

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published May 21, 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Undergraduates prefer to search for part-time jobs while they finish their studies, especially to gain experience. An undergraduate resume can help you secure that internship or professional position you seek after graduation. Understanding how to create an undergraduate resume is the best way to communicate your experience and skills to potential employers. In this article, we discuss how to craft an undergraduate resume and provide an example to help you prepare your own.

How to write a resume for undergraduate students

You can follow these steps to build an impressive resume for undergraduate students:

1. Choose the best format

A resume in any format contains five sections that show your suitability for a position. What differentiates the formats is the order of the sections and the amount of space available for them in your resume layout. There are three primary formats for resumes, which are:

Chronological format

This standard resume format prominently displays the companies for which you've worked and the duration of your employment. To create this format, arrange your employment history in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent or current position and working your way backward. This format typically starts with a summary, followed by sections on work experience, skills, and education.

Functional format

This format emphasizes skills and related accomplishments while downplaying work history. It typically contains a summary, a section on qualifications or skills, a section on work experience, and a section on education. If you've acquired a reasonable number of skills, you can use this format.

Hybrid format

This style combines chronological and functional elements. If you're an undergraduate or new to the job market, you can use the hybrid format. The hybrid resume format combines the functional resume's emphasis on skills with the chronological resume's focus on work history. This format can be ideal for you because it emphasizes your skills over your work history, which is likely minimal because of your lack of experience in the field. It also highlights your most significant achievements.

2. Create a simple contact details section

This section may contain your full name, city and province of residence, current phone number, and email address. Ensure that your initial contact information fills only one line of space on the page, directly beneath your name at the top of the resume. Ensure that the font size of your name and contact information aren't identical. On your resume, your name may be the most prominent heading.

3. Write a brief objective

A resume objective for an undergraduate can emphasize the value you can bring to the company. Try to direct it at the job position and the company. Ensuring the objective doesn't exceed two sentences is beneficial, and keep it brief and pertinent. If you lack work experience, prioritize your education and newly gained skills. Stating that you're open to advancement opportunities and career growth shows the employer that you can commit to long-term goals. Ensure that the information in your objective remains supported by information in your resume, such as memberships in organizations.

4. Be innovative in the section on work experience

Experience usually includes professional or compensated work. You may include course assignments, volunteer work, leadership positions, and independent endeavours. The resume's purpose is to highlight the most relevant experiences and skills you may have gained or developed outside of formal employment.

Your work experience section's accomplishment statements, the bullet points beneath each position, are more effective when written in the situation-action-results (SAR) format. By following the SAR format when writing your accomplishment statements, you ensure that the reader fully understands what you accomplished, why you accomplished it, and what occurred because of your actions. By including specific quantifiers, you can make your work and its outcomes even more transparent.

5. Make the education section of your resume attractive

Except for those in finance and law, most applicants place their education section last. Customize the education section of your resume to reflect your current situation, including the degree you're pursuing and any academic accomplishments. Your education section may contain the following:

Your GPA, but you can avoid this information if your GPA isn't outstanding
Relevant coursework completed
Significant areas of study
Your school's name and address
Year of graduation
Any honours or academic recognition you have received

6. Highlight your skills

When hiring managers assess your resume, they attempt to determine why you may be an asset to the organization. Including a list of your skills is an excellent way to demonstrate your ability to succeed in the position. It's beneficial to include a mix of soft and hard skills. For example, you can include personal characteristics or skills that you can apply to any job, such as time management or problem-solving skills. You can also include skills you learned through experience and education, such as foreign languages or software programs.

Make sure to include six to eight important skills and tailor this list to the job posting's requirements and preferences. You can imitate job posting terms to increase your chances of obtaining the job. If you're having difficulty deciding which skills to include, consider the following:

What are your accomplishments and successes?
What are your best skills and characteristics?
Are there any specific skills or characteristics that professionals in the field you're applying possess?

7. Add other sections

If you genuinely want the job, you can distinguish yourself from your undergraduate peers, including some additional sections in your resume. The following are some excellent additions to any undergraduate resume:

Hobbies and interests
Achievements and distinctions
Certifications
Competitions in which you competed or won
Volunteerism
University associations
Professional organizations associated with your field of study
References

Example of an undergraduate resume

The following is an example of a hybrid format undergraduate resume:

John Wood Frey
3693 Hamilton Street, Milton, Ontario
John.woodfrey@email.com, 555-102-1234, woodfreyjohn.portfolio.net

Objective
Highly dependable and motivated university student positioned to contribute significantly to the customer service operations team through enthusiasm, tact, and a strong work ethic.

Relevant skills

Customer service skills: Capable of utilizing a strong team orientation, mathematical abilities, and interpersonal skills to ensure the availability of excellent customer service in busy and fast-paced retail environments.
Organization skills: Superior organizational and time-management abilities, willingness to work overtime and irregular hours to ensure the profitability and efficiency of the organization.
Computer skills: Technical competencies include social media, word processors, and spreadsheet programs.
Communication skills: Enthusiastic communicator in both written and oral form. Develop long-lasting relationships with customers and peers by demonstrating helpfulness, cultural sensitivity, and cheerfulness.
Team player skills: Ability to recognize peers' accomplishments, inputs, and contributions. An enthusiastic team member who can quickly acquire and apply new procedures, methods, and policies.

Related work experience
Retail Store Associate (part-time)
October 2017 to July 2019
Milton Store, Ontario

Engaged customers on a personal level and provided dedicated and prompt assistance
Increased store operational efficiency by managing inventory, customer requests, new purchase orders, transactions, and pricing requirements
Arranged store merchandise exhibits and shelves to keep environments aesthetically appealing

Customer Service Intern
July 2019 to October 2020
Ranzon Milton, Inc., Ontario,

Provided recommendations for future training enhancements
Utilized performance metrics, interviews, and data from benchmarking
Implemented new techniques and developments as assigned by the supervisor
Performed internal and external studies to plan and establish a customer maturity model
Supported the customer service manager
Utilized the company's customer relationship management (CRM) software

Education
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in marketing
Milton University, Ontario
Expected graduation: 2022
Relevant coursework: Sales and Marketing, Business Operations, Global Business Management, SMB Budgeting Behaviours, Business Ethics, Internal Finance, Business Economics, and Public Policy.
Hunter Science High School, Ontario
Graduated: 2018

Leadership experience
Milton University, Ontario
2018 to 2020
Bad Cheque Committee Member

Assured the proper operation of a bad cheque system
Processed honour infractions perpetrated by students
Collaborated with the university's administration to ensure that student violators received appropriate disciplinary action
Educated local merchants about the university's honour system

Alpha Service Fraternity, Ontario
2017 to 2018
Committee Chairman

Elected to a co-ed fraternal service organization that assists individuals in the surrounding community
Conducted over 50 hours of community service per semester
Formed major service projects as chairman

Affiliations
Milton University's Business Majors' Guild