RESUME GUIDE 

🎓 Resume Resource Hub for College Students

✨ Welcome!

Whether you're preparing to enter college, return to the workforce, shift careers, or transition from military to civilian life, your resume is your first opportunity to make a powerful impression.

This complete guide gives you the tools, templates, keywords, and algorithm-beating strategies to create a resume that works—for internships, part-time jobs, scholarships, and full-time careers.

🧭 Why Your Resume Matters (Now More Than Ever)

Most employers today use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)—software that scans, scores, and filters resumes before a human even sees them. If your resume isn’t formatted and optimized properly, it could be rejected before it's reviewed.

This guide teaches you how to beat the bots and impress the hiring manager.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Resume Guides for All Backgrounds

(Each guide includes what to include, 🔗 action verbs, templates, and external examples)

1. High School Students (Juniors & Seniors)

• GPA, honors, AP/IB classes

• Clubs, sports, or band

• Volunteer work & part-time jobs

• Leadership roles

• Action Words: “Organized,” “Led,” “Managed”

• Template: High School Resume

• Example: 🔗 Zety’s High School Guide

2. New College Freshmen

• High school activities + early college involvement

• Career goals, relevant coursework

• 🔗Action Verbs: “Developed,” “Assisted,” “Achieved”

• Template: Freshman Resume

• Example: 🔗 Canva Resume Templates

3. Current College Students

• Internships, campus leadership, projects

• Technical and soft skills

• Action Words: “Collaborated,” “Designed,” “Analyzed”

• Template: College Student Resume

• Example: 🔗 The Balance Careers

4. Returning Adults

• Transferable skills from previous jobs

• Certifications or new education

• Action Words: “Implemented,” “Optimized,” “Adapted”

• Template: Adult Learner Resume

• Example: 🔗 JobScan Resume Examples

5. Veterans

• Civilian descriptions of military roles

• Leadership, logistics, certifications

• Action Words: “Directed,” “Supervised,” “Achieved”

• Template: Veteran Resume

• Example: 🔗 Hire Heroes USA

6. International Students

• Language skills, work authorization, cultural experience

• Academic projects and internships

• Action Words: “Translated,” “Adapted,” “Communicated”

• Template: International Resume

• Example: 🔗 Indeed International Resume

🧬 Best Practices for Building an ATS-Friendly Resume

1. Use a Clean, Simple Format

• Standard fonts: Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman

• Bold headings, bullet points, left alignment

• Save as PDF (unless otherwise stated)

• Avoid: Text boxes, columns, graphics, headers/footers

2. Visual Layout (Example)

3. Optimize for Keywords

• Pull terms directly from job descriptions

• Use both technical and soft skills

• Example: “Provided bilingual support using CRM (Salesforce)”

• Tool: Jobscan.co

4. Use 🔗 Action Verbs for a strong and exact desciption

5. Quantify Your Achievements

• Numbers show impact: "Managed $3,000 budget and cut expenses by 20%"

6. Tailor Every Resume

• Customize for each job

• Include relevant job title and terms

💵 Integrate Financial Literacy

Financial literacy is a transferable, valuable skill.

Examples to Add:

• “Managed personal budget using Mint; saved $1,200/semester”

• “Treasurer for club; oversaw $10,000 budget”

• “Organized fundraiser, raised $5,000, tracked spending”

Keywords: Budgeted, Allocated, Monitored, Reduced

Explore the 🔗 Financial Literacy page for more.

📂 Resume Tools & Resources

✅ Final Resume Checklist

• One-page length (for students/early professionals)

• Clear format, no design clutter

• Customized for each role

• Keywords from job descriptions

• Action verbs + quantifiable results

• Shows financial/leadership skills

• Proofread thoroughly

• Saved as PDF

• File named: FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf

🚀 Take the Next Step

📲 Sign up for SMS reminders to stay on top of:

• Job deadlines

• Financial aid dates

• Career tips & resume updates

🔗 Signup-form

🎯 Conclusion

Your resume is your story—your skills, growth, and goals. No matter where you're starting, this guide gives you the strategy, language, and confidence to build a resume that wins interviews and opens doors.

Keep refining, applying, and learning. You're ready. 

ADDITONAL TIPS

Resume Guide for Students and Recent Graduates

At Higher Edu Pro, we’re here to help you prepare for what’s next. Whether you’re applying to college, internships, scholarships, or your first full-time job, our Resume Guide for Students and Recent Graduates is built to help you succeed.

Write a Resume That Stands Out

A great resume opens doors. This guide helps students organize experience, format resumes properly, and prepare for scholarships, internships, and college admissions. Whether you have work experience or you're just getting started, we’ll show you how to highlight your strengths and tell your story with confidence.

Resume Tips for Students

• Start with a clear objective – Tailor your summary to your goals and audience

• Highlight education and key coursework – Show how your academic journey fits the opportunity

• Showcase volunteer work, leadership, and extracurriculars – Employers and schools want to see engagement

• Use clean formatting – Easy-to-read layouts make a big difference

• Include achievements and quantifiable results – Show impact, not just participation

Searching for Jobs and Career Opportunities?

Our Resume Guide is just the beginning. Higher Edu Pro connects you with additional tools to support your job and scholarship applications, including:

• Career Simulator to explore paths and match skills

• College and scholarship search tools

• Templates and examples to help you get started

Next Steps

Download your resume checklist or access editable templates from our resource center. And don’t forget to sign up for SMS alerts at 🔗Signup form so you never miss a deadline or opportunity.

With Higher Edu Pro, you’ll be ready for every opportunity—college, career, or beyond.

Write your resume. Launch your future. Empower Your Education.