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Student resume example

A strong student resume puts education first, turns part-time jobs and class projects into achievements, and fits on one page. Below is a complete free example for a college junior applying for a summer internship, with notes on every section. Load it into the builder and make it yours.

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Student resume example for Jordan Ellis, an environmental science student: profile, education with GPA, research assistant and barista jobs, a GIS class project, skills and activities. Full size
Sample US Letter student resume in the Campus template. The person and some employers are fictional.

Why this example works

  • Education comes first, because for a student it is the strongest and most relevant section.
  • Part-time jobs are written as achievements ("promoted to shift lead after eight months"), not duties.
  • A class project fills the gap that a missing internship would leave, with a real result at the end.
  • Everything fits on one US Letter page, with enough white space to scan in a few seconds.
Start with this example Start from a blank CV

Opens the free builder with this example filled in. Edit every line, switch templates and download a free PDF with a free account. If you already have a CV in this browser, you will be asked before anything is replaced.

Section by section: how this resume is built

What each part of the example does, and how to write yours.

  1. Header: name, title and availability

    Put a short title under your name that says what you are ("Environmental Science Student"), then email, phone, city and state, and LinkedIn if your profile is up to date. For internships, add when you can work. Recruiters filter on dates first.

    From the example Availability: Summer 2027 (May to August)

  2. Summary: three lines, three facts

    Say your year, major and school, what you are looking for, and the two or three skills that match the posting. End with one line about how you work, backed by something real. Skip "motivated" and "passionate"; show it instead.

    From the example Comfortable with stream sampling, GIS mapping in ArcGIS Pro and cleaning data in R.

  3. Education: the main event

    Give the degree, major and minor, expected graduation month and year, and GPA if it is 3.0 or higher. Add four or five relevant courses and any honors. Leave out high school once you are in college.

    From the example Dean's List: Autumn 2024, Spring 2025, Autumn 2025.

  4. Experience: campus jobs count

    Research assistant roles, retail, food service and camp jobs all show you can be trusted with responsibility. Give each two or three bullets, starting with a verb and ending with a number or a result. Use present tense for jobs you still have.

    From the example Wrote a one-page training checklist for new baristas that the manager now gives to every new hire.

  5. Projects: your substitute for an internship

    A class project is real work if you describe it like work: the team size, the tools, your part and what happened next. Pick projects that use the skills in the job posting.

    From the example I designed the data form and the final canopy map, which the campus grounds team asked to keep.

  6. Skills and activities

    List skills the posting asks for and that you could talk about in an interview: software, lab or field methods, languages. Add a club role only when it shows responsibility, such as managing a budget or organizing an event.

    From the example Manage the club’s $2,400 yearly budget and organized two campus clean-ups with 60+ volunteers each.

Common mistakes, and what to write instead

  • Avoid:Listing high school awards and clubs when you are already a college junior.

    Instead:Replace them with college coursework, projects and campus roles. High school drops off after your first year.

  • Avoid:"Responsible for making drinks and handling the register."

    Instead:"Serve 150+ customers during the weekday morning rush while keeping drink times under four minutes."

  • Avoid:A two-page resume padded with every class you have taken.

    Instead:One page, with four or five courses that match the internship.

  • Avoid:A GPA of 2.7 at the top of the page.

    Instead:Leave GPA off when it is below 3.0, or show your major GPA if it is higher. Never round up.

  • Avoid:An unprofessional email address from middle school.

    Instead:A plain firstname.lastname address you check every day.

Tailoring a student resume to each internship

Most internship postings list five to ten requirements. Before you apply, copy the posting into a document and highlight every skill, tool and task it mentions. Then check your resume against the list.

  • Move the most relevant job or project to the top of its section.
  • Use the posting's words where they are true for you. If it says "field data collection", do not write only "fieldwork".
  • Rewrite the first line of your summary for the role: "looking for a summer field or lab internship" becomes "looking for a summer water quality internship".
  • Drop a bullet that has nothing to do with the role to make room for one that does.

Ten minutes of tailoring per application is worth more than sending the same resume to fifty employers. Keep one master copy with everything, export a backup from the builder, and trim a copy for each application.

Templates that suit this resume

Load the example, then switch templates in the builder. Your content stays as it is.

Start with this example
  • Campus CV template with a single column with an accent line at the top, square-bullet headings, education first and skill tags

    Campus

    Education first, with grade highlights. Used in this example.

  • Atlas CV template with a centred spaced-capital name, thin rules under each heading and a single text column

    Atlas

    Classic single column; safe for any employer.

  • Slate CV template with a minimal single column with generous white space, no colour blocks and light headings

    Slate

    Minimal and airy, good for a short resume.

  • Summit CV template with a dense single column with compact headings, inline skills and contact details on the right of the header

    Summit

    Compact layout if you have a lot to fit.

  • Meridian CV template with a single column with experience and education on a vertical timeline of dots

    Meridian

    Timeline style that makes dates easy to follow.

  • Modern CV template with a solid colour left sidebar for contact details, skills and languages beside a light main column

    Modern

    Sidebar for skills and contact details.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a student resume be?

One page. Recruiters screening interns spend very little time on each resume, and a single page with your best points makes their job easy.

Should I put my GPA on my resume?

Include it if it is 3.0 or higher, or if the posting asks for it. If your major GPA is higher than your overall GPA, you can list "Major GPA: 3.5" instead, as long as you label it clearly.

What if I have no work experience at all?

Use class projects, volunteering, campus clubs and informal work such as tutoring or babysitting. Our first resume example shows how to fill a page without a formal job.

Should I list my high school?

Once you are in college, usually not. The exception is a first-year student with little else to show, or a high school with a direct link to the job.

Is this student resume example free to use?

Yes. Load it into the CompleteCV builder, replace the details with your own, and download a PDF for free. No watermark; download with a free account.

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