best resume format for fresh graduate

Build my resume

• Resume builder
• Build a better resume in minutes
• Resume examples
• 2,000+ examples that work in 2024
• Resume templates
• 184 free templates for all levels
• Cover letters
• Cover letter generator
• It's like magic, we promise
• Cover letter examples
• Free downloads in Word & Docs

9 College Graduate Resumes That Got The Job in 2024

• College Graduate Resumes
• College Graduate Resumes by Career
• Resume FAQs

Whether you attended a traditional 4-year university straight out of high school or worked through an online program, there’s no doubt your college experience was unique. 

Hence, it’s safe to assume that your college graduate resume will also be unique, which is good because you want an employer to see what makes you a valuable candidate. That said, it can be difficult to  outline your resume  or work with an AI cover letter generator if your work experience is sparse or irrelevant. 

That’s why we’ve taken the time to build nine college graduate resume samples you can use as a springboard. With our examples and proven tips , we know you’ll be able to expertly draft a professional resume that encompasses your collegiate activities, work history, and skills.

College Graduate Resume

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• Place emphasis on projects relevant to your chosen field. List 2-4 bullet points about your contributions, responsibilities, and accomplishments. Don’t forget to start with a strong action verb. 
• It’s also appropriate to include other extracurriculars on your college graduate resume. Seemingly irrelevant activities are important to include because they demonstrate you’re a well-rounded candidate. 
• Take advantage of the  career objective  by briefly summing up your varied collegiate projects, and be sure to state how your experience better equips you for the job. 
• Examine the description of your desired job, and include some of those mentioned skills that are relevant to you. 

Recent College Graduate Resume

• Include relevant coursework,
• Include a specific and honest list of  skills , 
• Include your GPA (if you’re proud of it!), 
• and include a resume objective. 
• Use numbers when possible to show measurable impact.
• Start with action verbs. 
• Be specific, and avoid generalized statements that could be on any resume. 

New Graduate Nurse Resume

• An excellent approach here would be to describe your involvement in volunteer programs, like Leo’s stints at Beyond the Bedside and Health Habits, Healthy Lives. Go the extra mile to illuminate the tangible difference your intervention facilitated.

Computer Science Graduate Resume

• For each, it’s essential to highlight your application or mastery of skills or tools fundamental to computer science or software engineering (Think Python, Java, PostgreSQL, and C++).

Accounting College Graduate Resume

• It’s a masterstroke for your accounting college graduate resume to highlight your analytical, cost-cutting, process automation, and risk mitigation through experimental projects that can be actualized in the real business world.

Nursing College Graduate Resume

• All you have to do in your nursing college graduate resume is to underline your accomplishments in patient care, saving waiting times, and improving overall outcomes.

Marketing College Graduate Resume

• Internships are extremely valuable to your marketing college graduate resume. Not everyone secures an internship before entering the workforce, so including an internship will demonstrate initiative, real-world experience, and industry knowledge. 
• Whether you’ve improved traffic to your personal blog or volunteered to build campaigns for a local organization, those undertakings matter a great deal because employers will, again, see your initiative as well as how you operate in your skillset when you’re not on the clock. 
• Trying to fit all the pieces of your college years onto one page is a challenge, so choose a template that will allow you to rearrange and organize sections in a logical way. 

Engineering College Graduate Resume

• Something you “just did for fun” may actually be a project worth mentioning. If you developed an app for personal use and preference, this is an excellent project to include that will detail your skills , project outcome, and creativity. 
• awards, achievements, recognition, or organizations/societies you were involved in;
• solid GPAs;
• and relevant coursework. 
• Make sure you change your resume objective for each job you apply to. Otherwise, it’s better to not include one.

Human Resources College Graduate Resume

• Choose a professional but creative template, and take advantage of our free  resume checker  that will help you with a number of things, including using active verbs, avoiding passive voice, and checking for punctuation consistency. 
• No matter what you include in your resume, write job description bullet points that will demonstrate genuine care for the people you work with as well as your ability to assist and improve the experiences of those individuals.
• Hint: If you can quantify your experiences with figures, statistics, percentages, or money, do so—metrics speak louder than vague statements.

Related resume guides

• Grad School
• College Student
• Entry Level

College Graduate Resume FAQs

While you may have work experience to add to your resume, not everyone does—and that’s perfectly okay! Your college career is ripe with experiences to include in your resume. Most importantly, you need to fill in the “work experience” section of your resume, and if you don’t have traditional work experience yet, use this space to talk about academic projects or student organizations you were involved in or even led. Academic projects and student orgs that are relevant to your degree are excellent talking points since they’ll directly provide valuable experience for your career choice. Other things worth including are relevant coursework and a career objective that specifically shares how your experience to date will help you contribute to the job.

Some will tell you to use a functional resume format, which places emphasis on your skills and minimizes your work history. While you  can  use a functional format, we’re gonna throw a curve ball and recommend you use the reverse-chronological resume format instead. Why? If you treat academic and personal projects, volunteer work, and school extracurriculars as valid experience (which you should), you won’t be stumped as to what to put in your “work experience” section on your resume. Employers and recruiters are most familiar with the reverse-chronological format anyway, and you won’t raise red flags with a resume based primarily on skills.

If you’re proud of it! Listing your GPA on your college grad resume is not a requirement for most employers, but it certainly can’t hurt your case if you’ve got a GPA worth sharing with the world. Consider including your GPA if it’s greater than 3.5 as it can demonstrate your strong work ethic, commitment, and perseverance, all while working through multiple projects and tasks. Once you’ve gained several years of work experience, it’s a good idea to remove your GPA as your work experience will stand out above grades from the past.

• We’ll show you how, step-by-step • Real, practical tips and tools • 100% free

Graduate Resume Example for 2024 [Plus 10 Skills for Savvy Job-hunters]

Time to get a job to support your plans and kick off your mission to leave a mark on the world?

We’re here to help. 

Whether you’re looking for your first part-time job to support your studies or internship or if you’re a fresh graduate looking for your first full-time job, you’ve come to the right place. 

Here’s how we’re going to help you write your first student or graduate resume.

In a few minutes, you’ll hear four resume skills and insights that’ll last your entire working life:

• The 6 sections to include in your resume
• What a resume summary is – and how to write yours
• The 10 student skills every employer needs
• How to stand out from the crowd

Let’s follow the Jane Doe’s Novorésumé-created example throughout this guide.

Student and Graduates Resume Writing

Graduate resume sample.

Like the look of this? Stand out from other graduates and students, by creating your resume in minutes with templates that make hiring managers and recruiters take notice.

Here's more related resume examples that you might be interested in:

• College Resume
• High School Resume
• No Experience Resume
• Internship Resume
• Research Assistant Resume
• Teacher Resume

Sections to Include in a Student or Graduate Resume

Here’s a quick overview of the sections that you should include in every resume you write, regardless of how you customize it for each job advertisement or speculative cover letter .  

• Contact and Professional Social Media details . List your professional email address – (not that ‘hilarious’ one you signed up for when you were 13!) – your phone number, and your professional social network profile).
• Professional Resume Summary: A summary for a resume needs to dash off your professional achievements and your skills that are relevant to the job ad.
• A Relevant Professional Title: A professional title for a resume will need to match the position/title that is advertised in the job ad, such as ‘media graduate, junior developer, or paralegal’.
• Education and certificates: Include your thesis, if it’s relevant, and add key courses related to the job. Include your grade point average, scholarships or university medals – if you have them.
• Relevant Experience: Don’t stress about this, we all started somewhere. Include any paid, unpaid or volunteer roles you held during your studies. No experience? No worries! Skip over to this dedicated guide with resume tips for students with no experience yet .
• Skills and expertise: Wizard at Word? Proficient in Photoshop? Google Ad Words guru? Make sure to include your key hard and soft skills (more on this soon).

What about those ‘nice-to-have’ but not mandatory sections? 

Here’s a few you can put in or leave out, based on the role and your own judgement. 

• Conferences, courses and certificates
• Student organizations, clubs, or networks
• Publications and awards
• Volunteer Experience
• Personal Projects

Think you already have enough information to create your student or graduate resume ? 

Check out our intuitive resume builder , job-hunting tips and resume examples to help you choose the best resume template to reach recruiters and hiring managers. 

How to Write a Resume Summary for a Student or Graduate Resume

Let’s get moving on the content of your resume, starting with your resume summary .

Hold up! Wondering what a resume summary is? 

It’s quite straightforward. 

Basically, a resume summary it’s a short paragraph at the start of your resume which sums up your experience and suitability for the role. 

It’s a bit like that elevator pitch you might hear people talk about in movies, start-ups or sales-driven business areas. 

Instead of pitching a company or idea, you pitch you – and the benefits and value you bring, but there is no need to mention everything - for example, your work for an  essay service  may raise some eyebrows.

Time for us to look at Jane’s resume to see this in action.

Her summary is clear and direct. 

Being in business means knowing about a lot of interconnected areas and Jane shows that she is versatile by highlighting her ‘proven and tested’ skills in procurement, marketing and sales – just some of the key areas that every solid business professional needs.

• “An independent and self-motivated business student with proven and tested business, procurement, sales, and marketing skills.”
• “An award-winning and confident communication graduate, able to establish rapport quickly and conduct training sessions with clarity and enthusiasm.”

Top Skills to Include in a Student or Graduate Resume

Let’s take a look at some of Jane’s skills now. 

She includes a nice mix of technical (hard) and soft skills on her resume. 

She talks about her proficiency with Google advertising technology, Typeform, and SendGrid, while highlighting four in-demand soft skills. 

Now you might be worried that you don’t have any of the skills Jane lists in her resume. 

Don’t worry, we bet you have plenty that you can include once you give it some thought. 

Your hard skills will differ drastically based on what you’ve studied too.

And here’s a little secret that will lift your confidence and readiness to complete your resume. 

There are some Soft Skills that almost every single employer will need. 

Here they are:

• Communication
• Adaptability
• Punctuality
• Organization
• Flexibility
• Problem Solving Abilities

How many of them would you add to your college resume template ? 

How to Stand Out From the Crowd as a Student or Fresh Graduate

You clever clogs out there are probably asking: “What if you share these skills with many other applicants?”

How on earth do you stand out?

Simple: you highlight your individual achievements and how they relate to the job.

Jane does this by linking her past work and volunteer experience to results. She successfully overcame personal targets – suggesting she’s driven – for three months in a row. 

This kind of example is a really strong way to show a high-performance attitude, without bragging or claiming ‘I’m a high performer’. It’s showing, not telling. 

A lack of experience is one of the big worries that students and graduates have when first applying for jobs and working on new resumes.  

Look how Jane solves this problem by highlighting her leadership in event planning and social media while at University.

Feeling inspired? Ready to create a resume that helps you get that interview? 

Suggested Reading:

• How to Write a Professional Resume - Extensive Guide
• Cover Letter Writing - Extensive Guide + Examples
• 43+ Resume Tips and Tricks to Land Your Next Job

To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. Learn how we use them for non-authenticated users.

Enhancv > Resume Examples > Freshers

The Ultimate 2022 Resume Format for Freshers Guide [Expert samples from over 100,000 users]

Top 5 tactics to create the best fresher resume format:.

• Don’t simply list what coursework and internships you’ve done. It helps a hiring manager if they can learn about the important things you did in those roles (e.g. started ACM student chapter in Mumbai around Artificial intelligence and control theory)
• Make sure that you use the right resume buzzwords and avoid the bad ones
• Modify your resume to match the interests of the organization you are applying to
• Don’t be vague, paint a complete picture of who you are and how you are a good for the job
• Design your resume with care and make sure your most valuable work catches recruiter’s attention
• Don’t build a 10+ page resume just to show everything you’ve ever done. Remember, it is your resume, not your biography

Start your resume now for FREE. It’s easy!

Why not build a free resume with enhancv as you go it takes 2 mins to get started..

No credit card required

How to create the best fresher resume format?

Make it one page.

In case you don’t know, there is a generally accepted industry standard on resume page length. Ideally, it should be one page for every 10 years of experience. Given that you’re about to graduate and have just started working, you should really only have a one page resume . A one page resume is not only more organized, but quickly helps a recruiter identify your key skills and shortlist you. Imagine getting 100 ten page resumes every day. Going through that is like reading a 1,000 page book!

Make your resume relevant to the role

Don’t underestimate your skills just because you lack work experience. One technique you can try is breaking down the job into 5 different parts and see how you can reflect in your resume that you have covered some (or all) parts. This increases the relevance of your resume to a hiring manager significantly. For example, to apply for a Junior software engineer role you can easily break it down to 5 parts. First is programming language, second is algorithmic knowledge, third is quality/scalability, fourth is GIT/JIRA (i.e. deployment tools), and fifth is database. Now, if you crafted a resume that reflects you mastering 3 programming languages, being proficient with well known algorithms and having used deployment tools. By doing so, you are creating the exact fresh resume format that a hiring manager is looking for!

Show your experience

A majority of employers out there want to see the difference you can make to their organization. Sadly, most freshers don’t account for this when they craft their resume or even while sending job applications. From your volunteering experience to your internships, try to show what you did and the impact it made. Use exact numbers when possible. If you’ve taken relevant coursework, certifications - make sure you don’t miss these important details. Proactively promoting your experience is often the most important factor to a positive assessment of your resume.

Conduct a resume review

• Spelling and grammar mistakes
• Inconsistent punctuation
• Broken website links
• Incorrect contact information
• Long or unclear sentences

Secure impactful references

References can have a huge impact on your application. They are also a critical part of application tracking systems (ATS) that a vast majority of large organizations use. References in resume formats can be of two types: References of someone within the target organization, and references of a well known industry professional. If you get referred by an existing employee of the organization, your resume has a much higher chance of landing you an interview. And, if you cite the reference of a well known industry professional, your resume will definitely land you an interview.

10 sections recruiters and hiring managers are looking for in a fresher resume format

1. Your Resume Header

Your resume’s header is the first thing that any recruiter will see. Typically, a header has contact information, website link(s), a linkedin profile, and other social links. Make sure that your contact information is up to date, and only add emails that look professional. Ideally, a professional email looks something like '[email protected]'. Also, keep the number of things in your resume format header to a minimum. Your goal is to give recruiters a quick sense of who you are and how to contact you, not overwhelm them with a lot of information.

2. Personal Summary

A personal summary and a fresher resume don’t exactly match all of the time. Almost 90% of freshers write a summary like this in their resume: “My goal is to grow professionally and contribute to your esteemed organization and learn more” This doesn’t work for many reasons. First, this doesn’t say anything about what you really want to do. Second, it fails to convey relevance your resume to the job. And, third, it makes you sound passive and shows a lack of enthusiasm. A better version of a personal summary (for a design related role) would go in depth, connect your skills and goals with the role that you are applying for. Here’s an example: “To become one of the best UX designers in the world by practising minimalism, design systems with optimized onboarding for large scale software products. I have a keen interest in UX research, information architecture, and motion designs which drive my desire to accomplish great things in my career.” As you can clearly see, a hiring manager that looks at this professional summary will now understand who you are and what your motivation is for applying to the role. They will be more likely to take notice and evaluate your resume carefully. Mission accomplished!

• Relevant to the role you’re applying for
• Recognizable within your target industry
• A mix of both soft and hard skills
• Software skills (proficiency with AutoCAD)
• Planning and management skills (Expert in SAP SCS planning)
• Predictive Analytics (Implementing customer lifecycle analytics using Tableau)
• Market research (Identifying the right, most profitable customers)
• Inventory management (keeping record of SKUs and managing demand supply pipeline)
• MS Word and Google docs
• Your typing speed (unless you are applying to be a typist)
• Anything that’s not relevant to the role you are applying for

Create a resume to be proud of with Enhancv.

Create the best version of your undefined resume.

4. Your Experience

Underestimating work experience is something that’s common across most fresher resumes. A lot of companies that hire freshers usually look for relevant projects or coursework. A relevant example of experience could be something that you did in your coursework, lab, projects or during your internship and can count as a professional grade working experience.

5. Education

A lot of job requirements clearly demand a level of education (undergraduate, post graduate, PhD). Clearly listing them out in a way a recruiter can quickly understand helps your job application in getting closer to being shortlisted. When you add your education to your resume, make sure to mention the important and relevant coursework in it. For example, if you are a mechanical engineering student, highlighting that you’ve gone through Production Planning helps you to be seen as a more relevant candidate for an Automotive Engineering role.

6. Languages

• English : IELTS CEFR B2
• Tamil : Native Language
• Hindi : Fluent in reading, writing and speaking
• German : Full professional proficiency (ILR scale)

7. Most Proud Of

Did you do something in your college life that you’re incredibly proud of? Adding this section helps you standout from other applicants. After testing it with 100,000+ resume applications, it has proven to be very effective. Freshers can usually add things like a college project, an open source contribution, an achievement in sports, a fellowship, published research papers, etc to name a few.

8. Life Philosophy

So far, most of the sections we’ve gone through were more focused on your work-related skills. But, hiring is also about cultural fit. Take this chance to be more impactful with your resume format. Fortunately, showcasing your life philosophy doesn’t take much. You can simply reflect it by including a quote from a significant figure or a quote that you live by.

9. Certificates and Courses

Often, freshers undergo a number of certification and other courses during college. These courses and certificates can often help you gain first hand experience and prepare you well for your professional career. They are often critical in crafting a winning fresher resume format.

10. References

We spoke about using references and how including them is a part of the best fresher resume format. When you write your references section, ensure to add their name, designation, a contact number and email information.

How to get a referral for the role you want after graduating

As a fresher, you should try to leverage your existing networks to gain job referrals. A job referral is an incredibly powerful way to land a job as referrals often standout from the rest of job applications. If you are unsure on where to get started, your college alumni, your professors and your social network (Linkedin, Facebook, etc) could be the first place. Here’s a detailed guide to getting job referrals (email outreach template included!) that just might come in handy to get job referrals.

Check out our guide on getting referrals for any job you’re applying for.

Trying to land an interview? Check out more winning resume examples for inspiration

Get more inspiration

No spam, just information that will help you build a resume that makes you feel relevant and well represented.

Your resume is just a click away

Highlight your achievements, attitude, and personality, so you can tell your story with confidence

• Create Resume  →
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• HTML Sitemap
• Resume Builder
• Skill Examples
• Resume Examples
• Resume Templates
• Cover Letters
• Meet our customers
• Career resources

© 2021. All rights reserved.

Made with love by people who care.

Fresh Graduate Resume Example + Best Tips for Professionals

As someone newly out of college, the prospect of finding a job can be daunting. Most of us would love to immediately start working in our dream jobs, but we can’t always get to that point without putting in the effort. And the first step towards reaching that dream would be to create an awesome graduate resume. It greatly multiplies your chances of landing interviews and finding that perfect first job.

All resume examples in this guide

College graduate resume example

John Smith [email protected] 888-999-0000

Soon-to-be marketing graduate (2021) with a passion for improving customer acquisition through Google advertising and SEO. I gained experience generating leads through marketing campaigns during my internship at Custom Digital. I have successfully completed 3 paid ad campaigns in my time there generating over 30 leads per campaign.

Merchant’s College, San Francisco Completed 3 years of 4. Graduating in December 2021

Major: BBA in Marketing Management Current GPA: 3.8/4.0 Relevant courses: Social Media management, SEO, Google Ads Management

WORK EXPERIENCE

Job Role: Marketing Intern From April 2020 - December 2020 Custom Digital, SA

Key responsibilities:

• Helping to run targeted local Google ad campaigns
• Analyzing data from each campaign to improve the relevance
• Analyzing website’s to identify where on-page SEO should improve

Key achievements:

• Generated over 30 leads per Google Ads campaign that I ran
• Proficient in Google Suite
• Efficient at analyzing customer data trends
• Proficient in Google Adsense
• Proficient in navigating Google Analytics and Search Console
• Experience using SEO tools - Semrush and Ahrefs

CERTIFICATION

I wanted to improve my knowledge in specific areas so I completed the following Google certifications:

• AdWords Fundamentals Course
• Search Advertising Course
• Analytics Course

However, not any graduate resume will do the trick. It needs to be an outlier against the other resumes the employers are receiving. If the resume doesn’t stand out, then your chances of being chosen for the job are much lower.

And that’s why we’re here to help.

We have compiled this blog with all the information you need to craft that perfect resume. We will tell you what you should and shouldn’t include in the resume, guiding you through the whole process to make sure you get that first job.

So get your notes ready (or come back here when you are) and let’s begin!

The following graduate resume example will give you an idea of what your final resume should mirror. It will include all the points we’re exploring in the sections below.

As a student, you may also be interested in some of the examples below:

• New graduate nurse resume
• College student resume

Or if you prefer to skip the reading, check out our resume templates where we help you create a resume based on all the sections we explored above.

Salary & Employment rates for fresh graduates

First jobs probably aren’t going to meet the expectations you have of a great salary. But, there’s good news! Salaries for new graduates have been increasing over recent years and have reached an all-time high in 2021.

The average salary for new graduates is $55,260, which is an 8.5% rise from the average salary of 2018 which was $50,944. From our perspective, this amount provides a solid foundational base to build on your career. And of course, those in technical majors (i.e. engineering or computer programming) will have above average salaries ranging between $60,000 and $90,000.

• Business - $58,869
• Agriculture - $53,504
• Math and Sciences - $63,316
• Engineering - $71,088
• Computer programming - $86,098

How to write a College graduate resume from zero

Okay, let’s get into the meat of it. Before you write your resume, make sure you have all the information you need on hand. This way, you won’t forget anything or include incorrect details that can mess up your interview in the future.

The ???? goals of writing a college graduate resume are to:

• Communicate your positives (strengths)
• Showcase your education
• highlight your skills and experience

The tricky part of a resume is trying to sell yourself without overselling yourself. You don’t want to drown the reader with information. It needs to be comprehensive but in a precise, easy-to-digest manner. So, to keep in line with this, the main sections you need to include in a resume are:

• Accurate contact information (and your professional social media if you prefer)
• A brief summary - To provide a quick glance at where you excel
• Education details and certificates
• Any experience you may have
• Where your skills lie

Also, going the extra mile can sometimes work in your favor. So, if you have any other awards or experiences that can be professionally added to the job you are applying for, they should be included too. Some examples are:

• Volunteering experience
• Any publications or social awards
• Being part of clubs or student organizations
• Additional courses or certificates

These should be used at your own discretion. Don’t include all of it just to make the resume longer.

The College Graduate Resume Model for a Recent College Graduate

The ideal layout of a resume for graduates should have a structure that is easy on the eyes and simple to read.

Placing information haphazardly on the document can be off-putting to the reader. No matter what information you put in there, make sure you’re following a structure.

A resume can seem difficult to write because you’re always looking at the final result of someone else’s work. By breaking it into chunks, you’ll make it much easier for yourself to draft your own resume.

• Contact information
• Additional sections

Which type of resume should a recent college graduate have?

There are three types of resumes that can be used for a resume. Which type you use will depend on your own skills, accomplishments, and experience. You should determine which one works best by yourself.

• Chronological resume and college graduate resume examples - This is the most popular format. It lists all your details (school, work, experiences) in chronological order starting from your most recent to the past. This highlights all the most pertinent information right on top.
• Functional resume of a recent college graduate - This format is focused on highlighting your skills over your work experience. It will list your most prominent skills and qualifications right on top in bullet points with your work history pushed to the bottom.
• Hybrid resume - This combines the best parts of the two other formats. It includes the work experience section in chronological order while also highlighting your key skills in bullet points.

Now let’s move on to individual areas of the resume and what you need to include in each to draft the best resume.

Header for a Recent College Graduate Resume

The header section is the first thing the employer is going to look at when they glance at your resume. This part needs to clearly convey who you are. If you have worked in an internship or have something unique to highlight, then you can write a short summary about it (shown below).

Including a photo is at your discretion but it is typically removed from a resume. This is because of the following reasons:

• The resume should be kept short and pictures take up a lot of space. The employer will only be interested in your skills and qualifications (unless you’re a model or actor), so focus on that.
• There can be cases of discrimination. Whether on purpose or not, employers can disregard your application based on personal views of age, race, or gender.

If you think a photo will help your chances, however, here’s how you need to include it:

• Dress professionally and according to the company’s culture
• Consider getting your picture taken by a professional

Examples of a good & bad header

John Smith [email protected] • 888-999-0000 • linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

John Smith [email protected] 555-888-6565 012-555-0000 1413 Saint Francis Way, Philadelphia, 19107

Education: Highlight your knowledge

Your education is one of the biggest selling points you have as a new graduate. Especially since you will have little to no professional experience, you need to detail your education to show employers that you’re interested in the field you’re applying for.

Here’s what you need to include:

• The name of your college/university
• Location of the college
• Graduation date
• Field of study
• Your GPA (you should only include this if you have a GPA of 3.5 or higher as it could end up hurting your chances if it’s lower)

This is an example a recent college graduate should use:

Experience: Showcasing it in your resume

The information you include in this section will depend on whether or not you have any professional experience. We have already gone over why this section is important so let’s jump right into both scenarios so you get a better understanding.

Graduate with Professional Experience

Role: Marketing Intern

From June 2020 - March 2021

Longway Marketing, LA

• Creating and managing social media campaigns for 3 clients
• Collecting and analyzing data to identify consumer trends
• Preparing marketing proposals and presentations as per company requirements
• Generated over 100 leads for 5 social media campaigns that I ran

The above graduate resume sample clearly states where you worked, for how long, and what you were directly responsible for. It also highlights what you were able to achieve in that period.

Job: Marketing Intern

I was an intern for 9 months at Longway Marketing and these were the responsibilities I held:

• Managing social media campaigns
• Analyzing customer data
• Creating marketing presentations

This example provides the bare minimum of what you did during your internship. It is all general information and there’s no mention of your achievements.

Graduate Resume Template of a Recent College Graduate - Without Professional Experience

Location: West Coast, Los Angeles

April 2020 - December 2020 (1 day per week)

• Assist in the office helping to make them more organized and run in an efficient manner
• Teach English and Math to the students
• Involved in daily activities such as helping with homework or engaging during playtime

This example states clearly what the experience was, what you did, and how long you were doing it. At a glance, employers can get the gist of the experience, which is what you should be aiming for.

I was introduced to this opportunity by my college and wanted to help in any way I can. I was there at least once a week for almost 10 months and I learned a lot during my experience there. It was heartwarming to help those poor children in need and I think I learned many life lessons in my time there.

The problem with this example is that employers will be forced to read the entire paragraph to understand what you’re writing about. It provides very general information that anyone can write about their experience volunteering.

The information should be listed out in bullet points to browse through.

Skills: The best weapon a fresh graduate could have

As we have already gone through, you don’t need professional skills here (bonus points if you do though!). Just include any skills you’ve learned along the way through your courses or extra-curricular activities. This will help develop your college graduate resume example better, and create a better professional resume summary.

For best results, go through the job description to identify what the company is looking for. Match your own skills with these and note down what is relevant. However, you shouldn’t simply write down the skill with no context. You need to showcase relevant experience, and an education section in your college resume.

Here are some examples:

• Proficient in Google Suite and Microsoft Suite
• Skilled in using Photoshop for design
• Proficient in academic and blog writing

Look to create a perfect CV template. Focus on your transferable skills, and any project management experience you need. Also, look to showcase your key accomplishments, and make resume writing a priority.

About me: Professional summary for a graduate resume

Now, you have the option of either including this summary in the header section (if it’s short and succinct) or towards the end (for a more detailed summary). Adding it to the header section is a great way of highlighting your best achievements that will be seen at the first glance.

However, adding it towards the end is a good way of wrapping up your resume as well. Talk about any entry level position, and your hard skills. Recent college graduates also need to talk about their critical thinking skills in their entry level resume, and any volunteer experience. Take a look at a sample resume to know the perfect cover letter template. Also, take a look at the job advertisement to know if you need to showcase any specific skills.

There are two ways you can write a good summary:

• The resume summary - This is a brief statement noted at the top of the resume to highlight any accomplishments and skills.
• The resume objective - This is just another way of writing a summary but it is focused on showcasing how your career goals are in line with the company’s requirements.

Graduate Resume Model - Resume Summary

A good resume summary should not do the following:

• Go into detail about the accomplishments
• Be more than one short paragraph.

Graduate Resume Model - Resume Objective

A good resume objective should not do the following:

• State that you want the job
• Write in detail about your career goals

Recent college graduate with a BA in Business Administration and 9 months of internship experience. A dedicated worker who will aim to achieve XYZ company’s objectives and take responsibility as efficiently as possible. Seeking to put my academic knowledge to use by effectively filling your open marketing executive position.

I recently graduated with a major in Business Administration. I have some experience working as an intern for a digital marketing company and I believe I can learn from my experience at XYZ company. The position of marketing executive that you are advertising is what I am looking for and I think I am the perfect fit.

Additional sections for your College Graduate Resume Template

Depending on the industry or position you are applying for, there are additional sections you could include in the resume.

Some industries value legit certifications over actual college degrees. For example, being Google certified is more valuable to a digital marketing company than a degree in marketing.

If you’re applying for a position that deals with foreign clients or international markets, then proficiency in another relevant language is a definite bonus.

Including Computing Skills & Certifications

Technology in the modern workforce is a common requirement. The number of areas where technology is required in a business has grown. As such, most employers look for some level of computing skills when hiring candidates. If you know the type of skills required for the job role already, you can include the areas you are proficient in or where you have received certification.

Including Languages

If you are good at multiple languages, then highlighting them is a bonus point for your part. To include them on the resume you should:

• Create a separate section for languages
• Start from your most proficient language
• Mention at what level you know the language.
• American English - Native
• Spanish - Fluent
• French - Conversational

Tips to boost your resume

Now that you understand what needs to be included in a resume, here are a few tips to keep in mind when drafting it.

• Structure the resume so that it can be read at a glance. Break the content into chunks.
• Quantify your achievements (include numbers and figures)
• Check your grammar multiple times before sending the resume
• Remove any fluff and unnecessary words
• Do extra courses and certifications online

Check out some of our resume examples to get an idea of how your completed resume should look like.

Summary: Writing a perfect resume to get jobs as a graduate

• The header should be short and eye-catching
• Don’t include a photo if not required
• Try to keep the resume to one page
• The summary should only showcase your best achievements
• Highlight your education if you don’t have work experience
• Tailor your experience to match the job role
• Don’t just write down your skills, provide more context
• Including any relevant information that makes sense for the position you are applying to

Complement your resume with a cover letter

A resume and cover letter go hand-in-hand as they both cover important sections to getting you hired. A general cover letter won’t do. The cover letter will be the first impression you make on your employer, so it should go into detail about the points you’ve covered in the resume. According to statistics, you can boost your chances of getting hired by 49% by attaching a cover letter to your resume.

The cover letter should include the following information:

• A comprehensive introduction about yourself
• An explanation of why you are the perfect candidate for the job you are applying for
• Quantifiable achievements to validate your explanation
• Tell the employer why you want to join the company
• End with a call-to-action for a callback or interview

You can find cover letter examples to draft your own via ResumeExample.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i put the college in my resume if i didn’t graduate.

The fact that you haven’t graduated yet should not deter you. You can include this information as follows:

What is the hiring process for an internship?

Companies will typically create an internship program to test potential talent or find talent from local universities. So they will have requirements set before the hiring process begins. Typically, they will follow a standard structure:

• Find interns through local schools or by advertising on job boards
• Review resume applications and conduct interviews by phone or in-person
• Select intern(s) based on company requirements
• Inform the intern(s) and share the agreement for the required number of months

Check out other resume templates for graduates

Create your resume with the best templates.

What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Static and dynamic content editing

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

Create your resume in 15 minutes

Our free collection of expertly designed cover letter templates will help you stand out from the crowd and get one step closer to your dream job.

Sample letters to download

Cover Letter

Advice for getting a job, instructions.

Fresher Resume Examples [+ 3 Samples]

This page provides you with Fresher resume samples to use to create your own resume with our easy-to-use resume builder . Below you'll find our how-to section that will guide you through each section of a Fresher resume.

First of all, congratulations on your graduation!

We get it, we have all been there: you’ve recently graduated and you feel like you lack significant experience. You have little idea on how to write the best resume and you don’t know where to start. Well, let’s start from the fact that you’ve landed on this page, most likely looking for the best fresher resume sample on the web: that’s already a first step!

We are here to help you building that standout resume that will convince the recruiter to give you a chance and to invite you to the office for an interview.

Now, your resume is your introduction: to the recruiter, to your future employer, to the company and to the job itself. Don’t rush, sit down and relax because this extremely important step of the process will define your future couple of years.

Let us inspire you, we have already helped thousands of graduates like you getting the dream job they were hoping for!

Also, check out our collection of 500+ resume examples .

How to Write a Fresher Resume

Most resumes don’t get more attention than 15 seconds: did you know that? Crafting a strong graduate resume is not only important, it is mandatory!

As per the format, differently from other resumes, there is no set in stone format: what is strongly suggested though, is a resume objective section, where you match your career objective and goals with the responsibilities and requirements provided in the job description. Make sure you spend 15 minutes studying the company’s business, mission and values: the recruiter will definitely appreciate if you explicitly mention or reference to those.

Education and internships are obviously very important, but we’ll cover them in depth later.

Use a friendly yet professional tone, don’t be too simple nor boring: and please, don’t be funny! This is not a conversation you’d be having at the cafeteria! Clear, powerful fonts are a must: even if you’re very young, basic fonts are your best option as they can be more impressive than one that’s impossible to understand for the recruiter.

If you want to use many colors, we suggest you attend a painting class after-work! This is a professional resume and your future employers might think that it is a bit childish to have a rainbow on it.

Big headings, clean white spaces and no typos are fundamental, too! Last but not least: save your resume as .pdf, as unfortunately MS Word won’t keep your layout intact.

Note : Leverage AI to level-up your resume - Try our AI Resume Builder

• The Summary Section

How many graduates resume would you say a recruiter and hiring manager get on a weekly basis?

Did you say 10? Wrong. Higher.

50? We’re getting closer.

The competition for graduates is insanely fierce and many of you lack experience: you can win the recruiter’s attention in one way, and that’s through your summary. In fact, this is your 60-second pitch to the recruiter, your chance to convince them that you are worth scrolling down your resume.

A perfect summary should be succinct and precise which means short and not vague. Make sure you showcase your best wins at school or during your internship and you make this section count!

• Summarize your past 5 years.
• Tell them what your career goals are
• Limit the focus to a few specific points
• Demonstrate your experience with emerging trends
• Avoid ‘bigging’ yourself up, recruiters don’t always like it.
• Say you will be the “best graduate” more than once.
• Be too generic: everyone is motivated and ready to work hard, on paper
• Work Experience

Obviously, you lack experience.

You might think “Why would I even fill this if I either have no experience or have only done one internship”?

Well, we strongly suggest you make that internship count!

What, out of the responsibilities you had, can focus on to get a recruiter interested?

What qualities did you develop that could ensure you don’t get forgotten amongst the many other applicants?

What skills have you worked on during that experience that can match the job description?

See, it’s not too difficult!

Don’t forget to use bullet points to showcase the aforementioned: the recruiter will appreciate such an organized layout.

You might also benefit from the following tips:

Do (Summarize your work history)

• Tell them what qualifies you as their future employee
• The qualifications you have must be included.
• Always discuss your best wins of your internship.

DON’Ts (Summarize your relationship history)

• Don’t badmouth your previous supervisor
• Don’t lie on your resume, eventually someone will uncover the lie.
• Don’t stretch this section for too long.

Education is fundamental for a fresh graduate like you. And, after all, this will be your easiest section to fill as you recently finished your studies.

Let’s start from the basics, they are fundamental when dealing with this section of your resume:

• Which schools you have attended.
• What you have studied in the past.
• How long you have studied and what were the outcomes to those studies.

You shouldn’t stop here, though? Can you make your education look more impressive? Did you receive or undertake any educational training? Did you get any extra-courses or certifications that match the description of the job you are applying for? Make sure you include them!

• Best Skills for a fresh graduate

This is a very important section for a fresher resume as client’s are searching for specific skills that their hire must have to complete the job.

The best way to know which skills to add here, would be to look in the job description itself and add those skills and related skills in your skill section.

What is the best format for a fresher resume?

The best fresher resume format is the one that follows a functional resume layout. It will allow you to add relevant information to your fresher resume without making it look cluttered.

What should be the resume headline for freshers?

A resume headline or resume header should have the following in it:

• Prospective job title e.g. Fresher Full-Stack Developer.
• Your name, email and phone number.
• Links to your project work, portfolio or your Linkedin profile.

How long should a fresher resume be?

A fresher resume should be a maximum of two pages. Anything longer than that would be considered too long by a hiring manager.

Is a summary important in a resume for freshers?

No, resume summaries are not important for a fresher. Instead, consider adding a resume objective to your fresher resume.

Which resume template is best for freshers?

Any resume template that supports a functional resume layout, looks visually appealing and is ATS friendly is good for a fresher’s resume.

• Cover Letter: yes or no?

A cover letter usually is welcomed by recruiters. Follow our tips here .

The following are a few additional tips to help you during your resume creation:

DO (make yourself look great)

• Keep your language neutral.
• Ensure talents are listed along with your skills.
• Hobbies can be added to bolster your attraction to recruiters.

DON’T (embarrass yourself)

• Be unprofessional.
• Don’t add skills not suited to you

If an excellent Fresher Resume sample is not enough, why don’t you check out one of the most efficient Fresher resume templates in the market? Many professionals like you have successfully used it to take their career to the next level

Copyright © 2024 Workstory Inc.

Select Your Language:

Resume Summaries for Fresh Graduates with Examples

A resume summary is a short description at the top of your resume that briefly describes your experience, skills and why you’re an ideal candidate for a job. Using a resume summary can help recruiters decide whether they want to give your resume more attention or not. In this article, you can review various examples of resume summaries for recent graduates with explanations for each sample.

Resume summary examples for recent graduates

Here are some examples of resume summaries for recent graduates that you can use when writing own resume:

Retail Associate

Example:  ‘Aspiring Retail Associate with strong interpersonal and communication skills. Goal-oriented individual with a strong understanding of how to treat customers. Participated in skills development workshops at Boston College.’

This example begins with a statement of your career goals backed with soft skills needed for the job. As a recent graduate, it can help to focus on what you can offer to the recruiter rather than your specific experience.

Customer Service Representative

Example: ‘A former part-time shop attendant with a basic understanding of customer service looking for an opportunity in sales. Hard-working, proactive individual with strong problem-solving and communication skills and the ability to learn new concepts fast.’

When writing a resume summary as a new graduate applying to a Customer Service Representative position, focus on soft skills that are important for the job. Hiring managers in the customer service industry often focus more on a candidate’s experience and skills related to the job rather than the educational background. Start the resume summary by mentioning previous work experience relevant to customer service before describing your soft skills. 

Sales Assistant

Example: ‘Recent graduate with a degree in business administration and a GPA of 3.5 looking for a position as a Sales Assistant. Reliable communication skills, both oral and written, with a basic understanding of sales and marketing. Capable of working in a fast-paced and demanding environment.’

Highlighting your achievements relevant to the job no matter how small they might be can be very useful in giving your resume an appeal to recruiters. Emphasizing GPA, academic training and responsibilities in school can give an impression of how responsible you are with fulfilling tasks. Soft skills necessary for the job are also important to include in your resume summary.

Nursing Assistant

Example: ‘Nursing student with a passion for helping people looking for a position as a Nursing Assistant. Demonstrated strong communication and leadership skills through volunteering with Red Cross International.’

This example is brief but informs the hiring manager about the individual’s background by highlighting skills and interests. It also shows that this is the right career path for the applicant because the interests and skills align well with the industry.

Gym Instructor

Example: ‘Health Science student with a major in Fitness and Nutrition. Highly motivated to work as a fitness instructor to demonstrate communication, time management and problem-solving skills. Physically fit to serve as a role model to new clients.’

If you have no experience working in the field, it is recommended that you focus on your coursework to give recruiters an idea of your educational background. You can also add important skills and characteristics that can show recruiters what you can contribute to the position and why you are an ideal candidate. 

Medical Scribe

Example: ‘Recent graduate with technical knowledge in computing, data entry, communication software and databases. Interned as a clinic assistant at St. Luke’s Medical Center. Self-motivated, eager to learn, can work in a fast-paced environment and effectively communicate with other people.’

This resume summary for a Medical Scribe started by emphasizing technical skills fitting for an ideal candidate. It also indicated an internship experience which most recruiters prefer from fresh graduate applicants, and soft skills ideal to perform the tasks.

Information Technology (IT)

Example: ‘IT graduate major in computer programing with a background in Java application, HTML, CSS, Python, Tomcat, MySQL and Oracle database. Experience working in an IT company as software support as part of on-the-job training. Highly analytical, motivated and skilled at solving programming problems. Can work well both independently and in a team.’

When making a resume summary for the IT industry, you have to be specific with your skills. You need to emphasize which area you are most capable in to make sure that recruiters know that you are qualified for the job. Both technical and soft skills are important in the IT industry, so it is ideal to highlight them first in your resume.

Example: ‘Recent graduate with a degree in finance and knowledge of data management and cost and performance analysis. Skilled in identifying and resolving wash sales and share quantity discrepancies. Knowledge in virtual portfolio management, stock valuations, financial statement analysis and business management. Excellent problem-solving skills and experienced with using the latest financial software.’

A powerful resume summary understands the importance of providing specific information to readers. It should be able to cover a wide range of skills and background for the job and include enough information to highlight the strongest points of your resume to capture the attention of hiring managers.

Example: ‘Recent college graduate with an internship at Wall Street Financial Group. Seeking an entry-level accounting position to demonstrate accounting skills and knowledge. Highly competent, hardworking and detail-oriented with the capacity to go beyond what is expected to achieve higher career goals.’

This is an example of a resume summary that is brief but shares enough detail to encourage the hiring manager to read the resume more. In this example, the academic background is not mentioned. Instead, it focuses more on skills, experience and goals.

Primary Teacher

Example: ‘A recent graduate with a degree in primary education and a teaching certification, capable of teaching math to children between the ages of seven and 12 years old. Highly adept at various teaching techniques and ensures quality teaching by following education board standards, while making the learning environment fun and conducive to learning.’

This is an ideal resume summary for applicants applying to a teaching position because it highlights teaching skills and academic background. In your summary, you should mention specific credentials, such as the teaching certification, and show positive and nurturing characteristics, as well as other soft skills, to assure the recruiter that you work well with children.

Math Teacher 

Example: ‘A highly organized Math Teacher with proven skills in teaching through teacher certification, academic awards and on-the-job training as a teacher’s assistant in a private school. Ability to work in a team, solve problems professionally and create a nurturing environment. Skilled at communicating complex ideas in a simple but entertaining manner. Looking for an opportunity to share my knowledge and skills in a school that offers career progression.’

This resume summary is very informative about the applicant’s background. It highlights academic achievements and skills that are ideal for a teaching position. It also sounds professional while highlighting a career-driven goal.

Example: ‘Graduate with a degree in office administration experienced in handling calls and organizing schedules. Possesses strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and takes a practical approach in handling different tasks. Looking for a position as a Secretary in a fast-paced environment.’

Recent graduates applying for secretarial jobs whether entry-level or not, should focus on highlighting their specific skills related to the role. Showing the capacity to fulfill the job is ideal to observe in resume summaries, especially that a secretarial job requires strong organization and communication skills aside from having a good credential. It is also advisable to include how an applicant deals with the day-to-day tasks of a Secretary. 

Receptionist

Example: ‘Highly-skilled hospitality management graduate with various on-the-job training in a hotel, restaurant and office setting. Friendly and works well with customer concerns and has strong interpersonal and communication skills. Looking for a position as a Receptionist in the hospitality industry.’

Ideally, a resume summary for a Receptionist role highlights your educational background, experience in the industry (if available) and most importantly, the soft skills. It is highly recommended to indicate a customer-friendly and inviting personality in your resume summary.

Logistics Clerk

Example: ‘Recent graduate with strong attention to detail and organization skills looking for an entry-level job as a Logistics Clerk to build a career in the logistics industry. Can handle large amounts of information, multitask, answer calls and perform data entry jobs.’

While highlighting experience is ideal, resume summary for logistics focuses more on the skills required to function on the job. It would also help to express the kind of personality fitting for the job as well as the career goals.

Human Resources Assistant

Example: ‘Goal-oriented Human Resources recent graduate with experience as a Human Resources intern in an outsourcing company to assist in training and skill development. Highly adept in developing training programs and has excellent oral and written communication skills.’

This resume summary for an HR Assistant focuses mainly on academic background, work experience and specific skills gained from previous first-hand experience in the field. This is one way to emphasize how prepared you are for the job which can leave a good impression on recruiters. 

Related: Writing a Resume Summary (With Examples)

• Knowledge Base
• Free Resume Templates
• Resume Builder
• Resume Examples
• Free Resume Review

What is the best resume format for freshers?

If you are a fresh graduate preparing to apply for your first job, curating a stellar resume is one of the first hurdles that you need to get through.

Given that on average, recruiters only spend about 6 seconds on a single resume, it is essential to make a good first impression with your resume and stand out from the crowd of applicants with a well-formatted resume.

And while you may believe that a quick google search will help you find clarity on the same, it can sometimes trigger more questions and confusion.

But, fret not! You’re in the right place and this guide is just what you need to help you gain clarity on everything about resume formats and the best option for you.

In simple terms, the format of a resume constitutes its layout, design, and other elements such as font styles, headings, bullet points, spacing, and the different resume sections.

Read on to learn more about fresher resume format and related FAQs like the following:

• What is a resume format and why is it important?
• What are the different types of resume formats for fresher graduates?
• What is a chronological resume format for freshers?
• How to structure a functional resume format for freshers?
• What are some good fresher resume tips?

What is a Resume Format for Freshers and Why Does It Matter?

Picture this - you spend hours on end tailoring the contents of your resume to the job description of your targetted role but you miss out on the format.

One look at the disorderly resume and the recruiter instantly rejects it without even reading it. Not exactly a dream scenario for freshers. Isn’t it?

Therefore the need to have an organized resume with a simple design and format that is not only parsable by the recruiters but the Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) as well.

Resume format includes the order in which you present your skills and qualifications, and other visual elements that enhance its readability.

• Some of the well-known resume formats for freshers include reverse chronological, combination, and functional resume formats.

Meanwhile, the visual elements of the resume format for freshers constitutes of the following:

• Resume font style and size
• Spacing and margins
• Resume sections
• Resume length and file format

Also Read: How to create a simple resume format?

Different Resume Formats For Freshers

As stated earlier, there are 3 well-known resume formats that are generally used by freshers and professionals.

Given below is a breakdown of each resume format for freshers and its pros and cons:

Reverse Chronological Resume Format for Freshers

The reverse chronological resume format is the most well-known and widely accepted format that is preferred by recruiters and is easily parsed by Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) used by employers to select candidates.

This format displays the most recent work experience at the top, followed by the older ones.

While as a fresh graduate, you might not have professional experience, you can use this format to present your internship and volunteer experience and educational qualifications as well.

This format works well because it highlights your most recent and relevant experience or qualification, making it easier for the recruiters to scan through it.

Also, it typically uses bullet points to list job duties and accomplishments, which enhances the readability of your fresher resume.

Here are some tips on structuring a reverse chronological resume format for freshers:

• Start with your most recent education or job experience and include details like the name of the institution or company, your job title, and the dates of your tenure
• Describe your responsibilities and achievements by using bullet points, specific examples, and figures
• In case you have completed any relevant coursework or training, including the name of the program and the institution

Also Read: How to use the reverse chronological resume format in 2023?

Functional Resume Format for Freshers

A functional format is a resume format that highlights your skills rather than your work history.

It is often used by individuals who are changing careers or have limited work experience and hence can be a good option for freshers.

This resume format for freshers is characterized by limited use of bullet points and job titles whilst emphasizing specific accomplishments or achievements.

There is minimal to zero mention of work history, and the following are some sections included in this resume format:

• Summary or objective statement
• Skills (grouped by category)
• Education and training section
• Certifications or awards section (if applicable)

Also Read: What is a functional resume format and how can you use it?

Combination Resume Format for Freshers

• A combination format or a hybrid resume combines aspects of both the chronological and functional resume formats.

It typically includes a summary or objective statement, a list of skills and qualifications, and a chronological work experience section.

While this resume format includes elements of both resume formats, it can be time-consuming to create and can appear cluttered and disorganized to the reader.

Also Read: What is a combination resume format and how to use it in 2023?

Resume Tips For Design Elements of Resume Format For Freshers

As for the design elements related to resume format for freshers, given below are some tips that you can follow:

• Ensure that your resume design is simple and doesn’t have flashy or bold colors as it can look unprofessional
• Avoid using infographics and graphs in your resume format if you’re applying for traditional job profiles as the ATS cannot scan them
• Use a font size of 11-12 points for the main text and 14-16 points for your resume headings
• Avoid using fancy and decorative fonts as they are difficult to read and may not be appropriate for a professional setting. Stick to professional and easy-to-read fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
• Ensure to use single spacing for the main text and double spacing for headings to enhance readability and avoid a cluttered look
• Leave a margin of at least 1” on all sides to follow the standard business letter format
• Use bullet points to make your resume more visually appealing and easy to read.
• Create distinct sections in your fresher resume to make it easy for the recruiters and ATS to scan the details.
• Include resume sections like header, contact information, summary/objective, skills, professional experience, educational background, and additional information section if needed
• Unless you have 10+ years of experience, ensure to limit your resume to a single page
• To keep your resume format intact, save your resume in PDF format

Also Read: What are the dos and don'ts of writing a stellar resume?

Key Points from the Blog

• The format of a resume constitutes its layout, design, and other elements such as font styles, headings, bullet points, spacing, and the different resume sections.
• The reverse chronological resume format is the most well-known and widely accepted format that is preferred by recruiters and easily parsed by Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) used by employers to select candidates.
• Functional resume format for freshers is characterized by limited use of bullet points and job titles whilst emphasizing specific accomplishments or achievements.

Visit Hiration’s Career Activator Platform with 24x7 chat support if you need expert guidance on career dilemmas.

Share this blog

Subscribe to Free Resume Writing Blog by Hiration

Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox

Stay up to date! Get all the latest & greatest posts delivered straight to your inbox

Is Your Resume ATS Friendly To Get Shortlisted?

Upload your resume for a free expert review.

• Majors & Careers
• Online Grad School
• Preparing For Grad School
• Student Life

Top Skills to Put in Your Resume as a Fresh Graduate

You want to stand out from the rest of the pack in your first entry-level job. After all, you’re competing against thousands of other fresh graduates who are just like you – or at least that’s how it feels when you’re staring down your inbox every morning.

While choosing the skills to put on your resume, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stick with what you know instead of exploring new opportunities. Of course, some of the skills you already have are probably your best bet, but it can be helpful to think about which would set you apart from other applicants so that you land that perfect job.

These top skills to put on your resume as a fresh graduate will give you an idea of what employers are looking for in new employees and help you stand out in the crowd.

Table of Contents

Applying as a Fresh Graduate: What to Expect

It’s tough being an entry-level job seeker. You’ll find yourself applying to jobs that are well below your skill level, and even worse, you may get rejected by companies who don’t think you have what it takes.

But this doesn’t mean you should give up! There are many ways for a fresh graduate to get noticed by recruiters. Here are some of the best skills for new graduates to put on their resumes:

1. Organizational skills

You know what they say, Time is money! If you want employers to see you as an asset and not just another cost, then it’s important that you demonstrate your organizational skills. You need to be able to manage your time well so that you can work efficiently and effectively.

A good way of proving this is by ensuring that your resume lists all of the projects or tasks you’ve successfully completed without delay.

If you’re still having trouble convincing potential employers about your ability to juggle multiple tasks, then consider including a project management software like Asana on your resume. It’ll show that you have excellent time management skills when it comes to completing tasks on time.

Employers often look for this skill as they want someone who can overcome a tough situation and improve it. If you have organizational skills, be sure to include them on your resume.

It’s not enough to just say that you’re organized; you must provide examples. It’s also important to showcase how organized you are when writing a cover letter. Keep any instructions from employers in mind and mention which details will help them see what skillsets would be beneficial for the position at hand.

2. Time management

In the context of a career, time management is the skill of making decisions on how you spend your time. It includes both dividing your time between competing activities, as well as prioritizing tasks.

When you’re just starting out and have many things on your plate, it can be difficult to determine how best to prioritize tasks and manage your time. As a fresh graduate, here are some ways you can showcase your time management skills:

• Prioritize what needs to be done first  – Some tasks need more attention than others and should be given priority. There may not always be enough hours in the day for everything, but if you know that one thing is most important, then do that first.
• Know when to say no  – Sometimes, there will be too much work or too many requests from other people, and it’s okay to say no. People will respect you for this and value your help more when they ask you for something.
• Ask for help  – Whether that means asking someone else to do some of the work or help complete an assignment, knowing when to ask for assistance is also an important part of time management skills.

3. Research skills

Since the skills you learned as a student are typically not applicable in the workforce, it is essential to include research skills on your resume.

The specific skills you should include will depend on what type of research you conducted as an undergraduate or graduate student. You should also add skills related to other types of research if you have them.

For example, if you did any lab work, be sure to include laboratory skills, such as being detail-oriented and following instructions precisely. If you researched databases for your project, then be sure to mention database expertise.

If you read textbooks for class assignments, then list analytical reading skills. Remember that every skill you list will make a stronger impression than one that’s included less often.

4. Communication skills

Good communication skills are crucial for any job. It is important that you can clearly articulate your thoughts and ideas and that you know how to listen attentively.

But communication skills also go beyond just talking; it’s about being able to read the other person too. You should be sensitive to verbal and non-verbal cues so that you know when it’s time for a change of subject or more silence.

Body language

Body language is an effective way of getting your point across without saying anything at all. Our body sends out subconscious signals to those around us, which they will interpret into something they understand.

People tend to assume they have strong self-esteem when someone speaks with confident body language and walks with their head held high. Similarly, if someone walks with their head bowed and eyes downcast, people may assume this person feels inferior or unsure of themselves.

Fluent English is required for nearly every position on earth these days, so proficiency in the English language is not optional. For example, call center employees need excellent customer service skills (including clear pronunciation), while engineering jobs require excellent reading comprehension and writing abilities.

The bottom line is that whether your goal is to work in sales, accounting, marketing or management, you’ll likely need some specialized language skills. A degree won’t get you very far without them.

5. Leadership skills

As a recent graduate, you may have developed several leadership skills throughout your time in college. These are valuable skills that hiring managers will be looking for. You should put these skills into your resume, even if you don’t think they’re relevant at this point.

For example, if you were president of your fraternity or sorority, list it on your resume and talk about what responsibilities this entailed. If you organized an event like Homecoming or Prom, list it on your resume and describe how much work went into organizing it.

If you’ve been involved with any student organizations during your time at school, use those experiences to illustrate leadership skills.

An employer will always want someone who is willing to take charge and get things done–someone who knows how hard-working environments function because they have firsthand experience with it.

Moreover, it shows initiative and willingness to learn, two qualities employers are always looking for. So don’t be shy; mention anything you did that demonstrated these skills in detail on your resume.

For example, if you were assigned team leader duties during your internship, list those down so the recruiter can understand where your strengths lie. And remember, while these two may seem unrelated, they have one thing in common: They both require immense amounts of organization and teamwork!

6. Analytical and problem-solving skills

In this competitive market, it is important for fresh graduates to show their skills. Employers are looking for people with analytical and problem-solving skills because these skills are necessary for any industry.

In a business, problems aren’t solved overnight – sometimes, they take weeks or months to fix. The sooner a problem is identified and acted upon, the less impact it has on productivity and profit margins.

One key skill related to problem-solving ability is analytical thinking. It is the ability to look at various aspects of a situation and come up with viable solutions based on that information alone.

This skill can be demonstrated through coursework and internships completed during college or through leadership positions held in extracurricular activities. If you have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, make sure you put these on your resume!

Employers want candidates who will solve problems rather than create them. They also want candidates who will bring fresh ideas and insights to the table. Therefore, do not just list analytical skills but also examples of how you used those skills to analyze data or resolve a particular issue at work.

For example, if your degree was in computer science but you worked at an ice cream shop during college, mention that you analyzed customer purchase patterns by day of week and time of day. Make sure that every skill listed has an example so that employers know exactly what type of analytical skill set they would get if they hired you.

7. Computer skills

It’s important that you are proficient with basic computer-related stuff, like Microsoft Word and Excel, since these programs are used frequently in many industries.

You should also consider learning HTML and CSS if you want a job designing websites or web pages. These skills will make you much more marketable than your peers who don’t know how to use these programs.

Also, these skills can help you find work even when others with less experience are turned away. If you’re looking for entry-level computer-related positions, be sure to list these computer skills on your resume!

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator)
• Knowledge of HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript and jQuery
• Knowledge of PHP  and MySQL
• Experience with InDesign or QuarkXpress

8. Flexibility and adaptability

Graduates fresh out of college are just beginning their professional journey, and it can be difficult to know what skills are necessary for a successful career.

If you’re a recent graduate, don’t fret! There are plenty of skills that will help you stand out as a newcomer, and flexibility and adaptability are one of them.

These skills can mean the difference between getting hired and not getting hired. In today’s job market, where so many people have similar qualifications, employers often go for those who show they’ll be able to work well with others and fit into any situation.

These skills are hard to teach on paper, but you can demonstrate your ability by giving examples in your resume or cover letter of situations where you’ve demonstrated these abilities.

Flexibility and adaptability also translate into strong communication skills—being able to articulate yourself effectively when presenting ideas or listening carefully while someone else speaks shows you understand how important communication is on the job.

9. Stress management

Learning how to manage your stress is a vital skill for a fresh graduate. Stress can lead to poor performance, lack of creativity, and low productivity. The best way to manage stress is by having healthy outlets, such as exercising or meditating.

Here are some ways to show you can deal with stress as a fresh graduate:

• Keep a positive attitude . Focus on the positives in your life and be grateful for what you have. This will help reduce negative thoughts about yourself or others around you and keep stress at bay.
• Practice mindfulness and meditation . These practices help slow down your mind and bring awareness into the present moment, which will minimize your worries about past or future events that may not happen anyway.
• Exercise . It’s proven that regular exercise improves mental health and makes it easier to handle stressful situations. However, be careful not to overdo it because too much exercise can also lead to fatigue or burnout.
• Eat right . There is a connection between nutrition and brain function; eating balanced meals will make you more mentally focused and less susceptible to mood swings brought on by caffeine, sugar highs/lows, etcetera.
• Sleep well . Sleep well each night so you don’t get run down physically and mentally.

10. Teamwork

If you’re a fresh graduate looking for work, you know that competition is tough. You’ll need to stand out and prove that you’re a valuable asset to any company. One way to do this is by showcasing your teamwork skills.

Making friends at work is one of the most important skills for fresh graduates because companies want their employees to work together towards a common goal. Employers look for people who are willing to help others and not just those who are selfish or self-serving.

Here are some ways you can highlight your teamwork abilities on your resume:

• Include a list of teams you’ve been part of at school. Explain briefly what the team does and how much responsibility you had in it.
• Talk about what made you an effective team member. What skills did you contribute? Were there ever times when your contributions were especially appreciated? Mention these examples briefly, but don’t spend too much time on them, or they won’t be seen as relevant to the job being applied for.
• If there was anything challenging about being part of that team, mention it briefly as well so that hiring managers will see how well-rounded you are (they like people with experience). Be sure to mention what strategies worked best and how they impacted other members’ performance.

How to Highlight These Skills on Your Resume

So, how do you showcase these skills in your resume as a fresh graduate? Here are some tips:

1. Mention the right keywords.

For your Skills section, include keywords relevant to the position you’re applying for. You can also include generic keywords that will be applicable to any position, such as effective verbal and written communication skills or the ability to work well under pressure.

2. Include any relevant internships.

Mention internships or other jobs where you were given responsibility for projects or initiatives in the Experience section of your resume.

3. Be detailed as possible.

In your Education section, include information about where you went to school, what degree you have, and when you graduated.

4. Mention supporting awards and recognitions.

If there are any awards or recognitions related to school-related activities that are worth mentioning, make sure they’re included on your resume, too!

5. Use a professional resume builder.

If you don’t know how to properly format your resume with all these skills, consider using an online resume maker .

The Bottom Line

The skills you list on your resume can either make or break your chances of landing that all-important first job. Make sure you’re putting your best foot forward by highlighting all of your transferable skills, including analytical and problem-solving skills.

These are skills that virtually everyone is looking for, so be sure to include them on any resume you write. This way, when the interviewer scans over it and sees that you have these important qualities, they’ll know right away that they want to hire you.

Dahlia Keen

Dahlia Keen is passionate about helping people find meaningful work in a career they enjoy. A creative writer for resumekit.com, she is backed by years of experience writing resumes for diverse industries, and she has helped hundreds of professionals land their dream job.

5 Reasons To Apply For An Internship In 2024

10 best phd programs in pennsylvania, related posts.

• 12 Best Laptops for Computer Science Students

• Graduate Certificate vs Degree: What’s the Difference? [2024 Guide]

ACBSP Vs AACSB: Which Business Program Accreditations is Better?

25 Best Gifts for Law Students for 2024

The 25 Best Gifts for Nursing Students in 2024

7 Best Laptops for Engineering Students in 2024

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Posts

• Applying to Big Tech This Year? Here’s How to Ace It.
• Is a Master’s Degree Worth It? [2024 Guide]
• 73% of job seekers believe a degree is needed for a well-paying role–but is it?

© 2024 TheGradCafe.com All rights reserved

• Partner With Us
• Results Search
• Submit Your Results
• Write For Us

All Formats

• Graphic Design

15+ Graduate Fresher Resume Templates

A simple resume is a word that intimidates most people, especially fresh school graduates without experience who are meeting it for the first time. Along with a curriculum vitae (curriculum ) , it is one of the most important documents we will ever have in our lifetime. It becomes a key to opening doors of countless possibilities for entry-level applicants, and this alone is what makes it intimidating. From BSC freshers to med school graduates resume , a resume is an important tool for someone starting their career path.

Resume Template Bundle

ATS Resume Template Bundle

Free Fresher Resume Template

Entry Level Graduate Resume Template with IT Skills

Engineering Graduate Fresher Resume Guide Template

Post Graduate without Experience Fresher Resume Format

MBA Fresh Graduate Resume Example

Graduate Freshers Resume Format

When Writing Your Resume

Cv / resume for hr assistant free download.

Marketing Graduate Resume Template for Fresher

Resume Objective for Marketing Fresher Graduate

Bcom / Commerce MBA Fresher Graduate Resume

College BBA Graduate Sample Resume

Education Graduate Sample Best Resume

Simple Med School Graduate Resume Template

Graduate Nurse Job Resume

Graduate Resume for Banking

BSC Graduate Resume

Your Resume’s Content

• Your details. Indicate your full name, contact number, and return address. Your potential employer must know that the resume outline is from you and how to contact you. Allow them to contact you conveniently for invitations for interviews or queries and clarifications regarding your resume.
• Resume Objectives. As a fresher, writing objectives is a chance for you to show a summary of your strengths and skills that can benefit the role you are applying for. Indicating your goals and contributions you can provide if hired will allow the employer to know what to expect in your personal resume .
• Educational background. In a bulleted layout, indicate the full name of the schools you have attended while highlighting the achievements you’ve gained through those years.
• Skills and technical skills. Provide a list of your skills and resume technical skills that you have that are helpful for the role. It is a way to show your employer that you have what it takes for the role you are applying for.

More in Resume

College recruiter resume, graduate cv template, graduate school statement of purpose template, graduate research assistant resume, graduate nurse resume, graduate assistant resume, graduate teaching assistant resume, graduate accountant resume, new graduate nurse resume, after school tutor resume.

• 12+ HR Fresher Resume Templates
• 21+ Fresher Resume Templates
• 21+ Nurse Resume Templates – PDF, DOC
• 39+ Accountant Resumes in Doc
• 19+ Doctor Resume Templates – PDF, DOC
• 7+ Fresher Accountant Resumes
• 36+ Resume Format – Word, PDF
• 47+ Engineering Resume Templates in Word
• 13+ Computer Science Resume Examples
• 28+ Fresher Resume Templates in Word
• 10+ IT Fresher Resumes
• 48+ Resume Formats in PDF
• 50+ Best Resume Templates to Download
• 3+ Recruitment Consultant CV Templates in PDF
• 12+ Logistics Resume Templates in PDF | MS Word | Apple Pages

File Formats

Word templates, google docs templates, excel templates, powerpoint templates, google sheets templates, google slides templates, pdf templates, publisher templates, psd templates, indesign templates, illustrator templates, pages templates, keynote templates, numbers templates, outlook templates.