Your recent college graduate resume should demonstrate your commitment to continuing education, drive to excel, and success in networking and developing mentor relationships. Also, display your accomplishments in internship or volunteer opportunities in your field of study. This guide provides expert tips to create an accomplishment-driven resume emphasizing the most compelling aspects of your experiences as a recent college graduate.
Key takeaways:
Using a resume template can help you write an effective recent college graduate resume. Your resume should include these sections:
Provide your full name, phone number, email address, location, and a link to your online professional profile. Ensure your contact information is current so potential employers can contact you for an interview.
Aliya Jackson
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
New York, NY 12345
LinkedIn | Portfolio
In about two to three sentences, summarize your educational background, relevant skills, career objectives, and experience in your field of study as a recent college graduate. Use this section to make a strong, enticing introduction. Highlight your strengths and integrate keywords from the job description to show you’re a good match for the position. You can choose to title this section Career Objectives and share your goals and skills that you’ve developed on the road to attaining them.
Ambitious, recent multi-disciplinary college graduate with degrees in business administration and computer science. Proven performer with experience as a junior software developer at Microsoft, with success in significantly lowering software bugs by 25%, and as a business administration intern at Johnson & Johnson, focused on lowering operational costs by 10%. Dedicated to continuous learning, networking, and professional development.
As a recent graduate, list education and certifications earned before your profile or career objectives section. List any relevant education and certifications you’ve received to show you’re qualified in your field of study. Include the title of the degree or certificate earned, the institution’s name, and the completion date. You can also list continuing education courses or professional development programs you’ve completed.
Template:
[Degree Name]
[School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example:
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Business Administration, June 2022
Boston College, Boston, MA
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Computer Science, May 2020
Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA
Template:
[Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
Examples:
Certified Governance of Enterprise Information Technology (CGEIT), Information Systems Audit and Control Association, 2021
Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute, 2023
This section should list your internship experiences, including job duties, employer names, and dates of employment. Be sure to highlight specific achievements and accomplishments, quantifying your results wherever possible.
Junior Software Developer, Microsoft, Redmond, WA
June 2021 – present
Use numbers and metrics to show the results you achieved in previous roles. Provide context to your academic and field experience, and give recruiters a better understanding of your scope and impact. You can demonstrate your value and potential as a recent college graduate by detailing your contributions to teams.
Creating a recent college graduate resume can be challenging if you don’t have real-world experience yet. However, it’s important to remember you still have valuable skills and knowledge from your education and training. Be sure to highlight any relevant coursework you’ve done or certifications you’ve earned.
Consider including volunteer work or internships you’ve completed in your field of study. Focus on emphasizing your willingness to learn, strong work ethic, and problem-solving skills. By focusing on these qualities, you can demonstrate your potential to be a valuable asset to any team.
Display the specific skills that make you a strong candidate for the position. Choose hard skills such as software development and soft skills such as communication and problem-solving. Strategically choose which ones to include. Consider which skills the company is looking for and how you can match them.
Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
---|---|
Budgeting | Communication |
Data gathering and analysis | Complex problem-solving |
Microsoft Office Suite | Cross-functional collaboration |
Operational improvement | Teamwork |
Qualitative and quantitative analysis | Time management |
Take a strategic approach with the words on your recent college graduate resume. In the professional experience section of your resume, use action verbs to communicate your job duties and accomplishments. Instead of listing responsibilities, start each sentence with an action verb. Show how you executed your tasks through descriptive words and avoid using first-person language, such as, “I was responsible for…” Consider using the action verbs below to inject some energy into your recent college graduate resume:
Action Verbs | |
---|---|
Administered | Coordinated |
Created | Documented |
Educated | Examined |
Improved | Monitored |
Performed | Prepared |
Scheduled | Trained |
When selecting your recent college graduate resume template, prioritize structure and readability over visual appeal. Avoid loud graphics and overbearing colors, and instead focus on a clean design that showcases your content in an organized way. Keep in mind, hiring managers will always be more interested in your achievements and qualifications than the style of your template.
Aliya Jackson
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
New York, NY 12345
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Ambitious, recent multi-disciplinary college graduate with degrees in business administration and computer science. Proven performer with experience as a junior software developer at Microsoft, with success in significantly lowering software bugs by 25%, and as a business administration intern at Johnson & Johnson, focused on lowering operational costs by 10%. Dedicated to continuous learning, networking, and professional development.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Business Administration, June 2022
Columbia University, New York, NY
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science, May 2020
University of Syracuse, Syracuse, NY
Junior Software Developer, Amazon, New York, NY
June 2021 – present
Business Administration Intern, Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ
June 2019 – May 2020
The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides occupational outlook statistics for jobs across industries, projecting potential growth from 2022 to 2032, areas of growth and opportunity, and what driving factors are making an impact on employment in every field. Search the site for your area of study to find out what you might expect when looking for a job.
Also, when writing your recent college graduate resume, be sure to align the content with the job description to secure the most lucrative opportunities. For example, if a company is looking for a software developer who specializes in gaming, be sure to note this in your professional experience section where you describe internship roles.
Reverse chronological format is ideal for most resumes, including those for recent college graduates. This approach ensures that your most recent and relevant experience is featured at the top of your document (after your education). Even at the entry-level, avoid functional resume formats. If you lack hands-on experience, your resume will still be more effective if you highlight academic projects rather than only listing technical skills.
Your resume should demonstrate critical thinking skills to help companies solve problems and make informed decisions, along with your ability to collaborate with a team, attention to detail, organizational skills, and time management. Include hard and soft skills that show you are a well-rounded candidate.
Make your recent college graduate resume stand out by highlighting achievements, demonstrating the value you bring to companies by incorporating numbers and data, and using keywords that align with the job description. Begin with a compelling profile summary, list your education and certifications, detail your internship and academic accomplishments in the experience section, and list relevant key skills that align with the job description.
ResumeTemplates offers free, HR approved resume templates to help you create a professional resume in minutes. Choose from several template options and even pre-populate a resume from your profile.