Top Undergraduate Resume Examples to Use This Year

Updated August 24, 2022607

Once you get your undergraduate degree, you still need to create your resume. Here’s how you can write a great undergraduate resume after you graduate.

Undergraduate Resume Examples

When you get your undergraduate degree, it’s probably to try and get a job. However, just having an undergraduate degree isn’t enough to turn every hiring manager’s head. Here’s how you can present your degree and other elements of your resume in the best way possible.

What to Highlight in an Undergraduate Resume

Your resume highlights will always depend on the specific field you’re in, the certifications you might need, and the experience you should have. Before you start your job search, look at a variety of resume samples and learn more about how other graduate students reply to job ads in your field. This can help you write a better resume.

Structure of an Undergraduate Resume

The first step to writing a great undergraduate resume is to determine the right resume format. Most resume templates for grad students will use the functional resume format, which emphasizes your experience and education. The chronological format and combination format emphasize your work experience, which you might not have as an undergraduate. Once you know your resume format, you can move on to the content.

Header

The header of your resume should include all of your contact information. Add your email address, which should be a professional address, like FirstnameLastname@gmail.com. Also include professional social media links, like your LinkedIn profile, and your phone number.

Resume summary or objective

The next section of your resume should be your resume summary or resume objective. This is a short paragraph, about 2-3 sentences, that goes over the most important elements of your resume. You’ll likely want to do a resume objective for your college student resume, as it lends itself well to a resume without much experience. A resume objective showcases your initiatives and best skills, as well as your overall career goals.

Skills

The specific skills you cite in your undergraduate resume will depend on the field you have your degree in. All fields will need both soft skills, which are general skills that govern the way you do every job, and hard skills, also called technical skills, which are specific skills that you learn for your field. Check out undergraduate resume examples for your field or look for student resume examples to find out how other people structure their resumes.

Work experience

If you have any previous work experience, you can list up to 10 years of experience in this section. Entry-level jobs in your field may not require any work experience, but you can list relevant coursework and extracurricular activities here. Think about all the experiences you may have gone through during graduate school to fill out your work experience section.

Education

You’ll want to lead with your undergrad experience here. Include the name of your graduate school, the specific degree you received, and your graduation date or expected graduation date.

Do’s and Don’ts for an Undergraduate Resume

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind when writing your undergraduate resume:

Do:

Use metrics to quantify your achievements. Instead of just “Excelled in most classes,” use “Top 10% of all students.”
Use bullet points to shorten lengthy paragraphs. This makes it easier for a hiring manager to scan your resume, which lets them take in your information more quickly.
Emphasize your experiences with action verbs. “Collaborated with 15 students to create theses” looks much stronger than “Was a team leader.”

Don’t:

Include high school experience in your education section. The college experience on your resume indicates that you got your high school diploma or GED.
Include your GPA. Most hiring managers don’t care about your GPA, but certain graduating honors, like a cum laude or Dean’s List, may hold value.
Add lots of skills just to fill out your skills section. Focus on skills that you excel at rather than trying to pad your resume, as it will stand out to hiring managers.

FAQ: Undergraduate Resumes

Do I need to include a cover letter for an undergraduate application?

Yes. It’s important to add a cover letter to any application, and a cover letter can be extremely helpful when trying to explain your college experience to a hiring manager. If you’re not used to writing cover letters, you can use the ResumeNerd cover letter builder to make the process as easy as possible.

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

If you don’t have much experience in your field, you should look instead to rely on your education as the most important factor. Think of your undergraduate degree as your work experience. It’s what makes you ready for your field. Your relevant skills should also play into this, as you’ll have developed skills throughout the education process.

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

You should make every resume individualized to the job you’re applying for, as this will help your resume pass applicant tracking systems (ATS). The best way to do this is to look through the job description and see what skills and traits the hiring manager listed on the job posting. Reflect those skills and traits through your resume, using the ResumeNerd resume builder to make the process easier.

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About The Author

Cindi Cervone Carlson

Cindi Cervone Carlson is a Senior Vice President for Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Cindi is responsible for developing, delivering, and implementing a dynamic, world-class organization dedicated to delivering outplacement consulting, training, support, and executive coaching. Cindi started her career at Challenger as a client who had lost her job. Over the past nine years, she has risen from an entry-level, part-time professional to Senior Vice President.