How to Create Part Time Job Resumes for Students
Table of Contents
Introduction to Part Time Job Resume for Students
Your first job is perhaps the most important step in the right direction as you journey on into professional life, a new chapter of your adult life. And there’s no lie that it can be tough and rather daunting, whether it’s drafting your perfect resume or trying to find a job that’ll give you a chance. Remember, it may seem like just skills on paper, but it is actually success in the making.
But, no matter how difficult a feat it may seem to be, all it takes is the perfect resume to make all your problems go away. And right now, as a college student, the key to your success is knowing just how to draft the perfect part time job resume for students.
So, what does a part time job resume require? After all, it’s a lot different from a full time job and often probably your first go at something you might not even want to pursue full time, but are in it for the experience.
Now, as we break down the ins and outs of part time job resume for students, you need to remember that there are countless other just like you and looking for the same opportunities as you, so it’s on you to take these tips and tricks, and formats and turn them into the best part time job resumes, your employers have seen. But first, let’s answer an important question.
Why Do You Need a Resume for A Part Time Student Job?
So, for a start, it’s important to understand that whether you’re applying for a full time or a part time job, the sole purpose of a resume continues to stay the same. And what is that purpose, you may ask.
Well, your resume exists to provide the recruiter and employers the perfect snapshot of your prior work experience, skills, qualifications, and achievements, so they’re able to gauge whether you’re the perfect fit for the company that they’ve been looking for all this time.
So, even if it’s a student job, you’ll be evaluated the same as any other professional candidate, however, with some leverage when it comes to prior experience and work hours, which is a huge plus. This is where you can save up and use your extracurricular activities for your resume and give your employer a better idea of your skills and capabilities.
But there are some part-time, entry-level jobs that don’t require a resume at all. This is usually the case if you’re applying for very basic positions in the industry, such as some café and restaurant jobs. However, you might have to justify your reasoning behind not having any experience sometimes.
Part-Time Job Resume for Students – A Sample
So, before we get into the long and hefty, crucial details when it comes to part-time job resumes, let’s provide you with a template so that you get an idea of what your resume should end up looking like once you’re done perfecting it with the tips and tricks we’re about to tell you.
Sarah Walter
213-542-1153
Professional Objective
Enthusiastic and friendly barista with 10 months of part-time experience. Strong organizational skills and a commitment to exceptional customer service. Works very well under pressure and has experience working at high-volume establishments that serve more than 150 customers daily. Looking to apply my skills and experience to deliver barista services as a part-time team member at High Street Mocha.
Work Experience
Barista (part-time)
The Local-Tea
September 2022 – June 2023
- Managed customer orders, provided recommendations on drink specials, and customized orders for coffees, teas, and shakes to meet individual preferences.
- Efficiently handled over 75 cash and card transactions daily, ensuring accuracy and customer satisfaction.
- Professionally addressed customer requests and concerns, escalating issues to the manager when necessary.
- Conducted training sessions for 15 new employees, imparting customer service best practices and strategies for handling stressful situations.
Key Achievements
- Successfully introduced a new children’s drinks menu option, which led to a five-fold increase in sales compared to before.
Education
California State University 2022 – 2023 B.A. in mass communication (Expected Graduation: May 2024)
Relevant Coursework:
- Media Writing
- Media Ethics and Law
Skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Conflict resolution and management
- Ability to thrive under pressure
- Exceptional customer service
- Proficient in handling cash and card transactions
- Strong memory for orders and preferences
- Attentive to food allergies and dietary preferences
So, for starters, this is what your part time job resume template should look like, so now you’ve got the perfect sample to help you get it right the first time. Now, let’s talk about the details.
The Perfect Format to Get Your Part Time Job Resumes Right
So, it’s about time you get the details to make sure you format your part time job resume for students precisely how it needs to be to the T. Remember, now your focus needs to be making sure you create a job-winning resume.
So, as we’ve mentioned before, you’re not alone. In fact, there are probably hundreds of students looking for the same kind of part time jobs, just from your college only. So, be sure to let yourself stand out by letting your achievements and skills take center stage.
Let’s take it section by section and catch you up to speed with all that you need to know about an award-winning resume format for a part time job.
1. Make Sure to Use the Best Format for Part Time Job Resume for Students
Despite the position you have in mind or the ideal job title you’re searching high and low for, you need to know that you’ll be one amongst hundreds or maybe even a thousand others, just like you.
And just because you’re looking for some part time employment, there’s no toning down the seriousness of your job and resume or even the emphasis on your uniqueness as a perfect candidate in comparison to full-time professional jobs.
The employers are still going to be out there looking for people who are not just going to give it their best but will also be making it an experience worth their time. So, there really isn’t going to be any cutting corners and finding an easy way out that magically leads to instant hiring.
Now, keeping all of this in mind, here are some golden tips for formatting one of the best resumes your employer has ever seen.
- First off, the contact information you put in your resume needs to be up to date. This is crucial because, for a callback, you need all your platforms and phone numbers active. Apart from that, it's also extremely crucial that your LinkedIn profile is optimized. If you don't have a LinkedIn account, well, this is your sign to get one ready and going, pronto. The goal is to increase your social media footprint by almost double or triple.
- The best resume format that you should most definitely go for is the chronological resume format and layout. This format is especially good for part-timers because here, your professional experience takes center stage and is also a format that most of the hiring managers are able to easily point out.
Here’s a Plus: It’s also a super ATS-compliant resume format, which is a fan favorite amongst recruiters.
- You should also go for resume fonts that are very up-to-date and modern. Do leave some white space on the page so that your text on the page appears as an instant pop.
- And here's the last one, folks: you need to make sure that you save your part-time student job resume in PDF form so your resume and its layout are sealed solid.
2. Writing the Perfect Job Resume Summary
So, your resume needs a good resume profile, or in other words, a resume summary, to begin with. Now, this summary can be a sweet, simple, and short paragraph that comes right at the start of your part time job resume, which also makes it clear why you are an ideal fit for the job in question.
As a student who’ll either be looking for their first-ever job or another gig for the summer somewhere else, you need to specify some sort of fundamental career objectives.
Now, an easy way of doing that is looking into these two things:
- You should emphasize the knowledge and skills that you already have and articulate them in a manner that also reflects how they make you the right fit for the job
- You should also think of skills you possess that are more transferrable, as well as some concrete milestones. All of these can help you come off as a rate promising candidate.
And so incorporating a career summary into your part time job resume becomes a fantastic idea that can give you the right head start to getting that callback. It’s also more so a formal requirement when it comes to gigs in professions that are standard, such as mechanics or nursing.
Here’s a little bit on how to do that:
- Come up with some key points about your work experience so far, as well as skills and accomplishments.Then, choose some points (best to keep it up to 4) that again highlight you as a remarkable individual.
- Then, choose some points (best to keep it up to 4) that again highlight you as a remarkable individual.
3. Drafting a Good Job Description
Next up, it’s time for you to bring your resume to professional life by adding in all that you’ve taken away as a result of your multiple previous part time jobs and internships. This is where you captivate the recruiter with just how impressive your understanding of different things is and the way you’ve let your experience add so much value to your life, career prospects, and expertise.
So, it’s all about indulging the recruiter in the story of your work life, from the job title all the way to the impact. And keep in mind, our number of hours has nothing to do with this. You just need to know how to write well, and even mundane jobs or experiences can end up getting you the position of your dreams only if you’ve written about them well.
- Start by detailing your current position at work and then go backward and provide an overview of your past positions.
- As you detail these job entries, you need to follow this format: first comes your job title, then follow it up with the term "part-time" if that is the case, next up is the company name, employment duration dates, and around a maximum of 6 bullet points explaining your experience and tasks.
- Your bullet points become less the further back you tread in your past experience.
- It’s a good idea to start each bullet point using an action verb.
- Make sure to also include some quantifiable achievements that will be sure to impress your employer.
- Remember, you should keep tailoring your job experience to reflect and highlight you as a capable candidate for the job that you’re applying for.
4. Let Your Part Time Job Resume’s Education Section Shine
Your education should be a show-stopper, and you’re the one who needs to make sure of that. So, don’t worry because whether you’re a newbie to the working game or an experienced pro, we’ve got tips for both.
If you’re someone who doesn’t have too much experience, ten your education section is the section that needs to be the highlight of your resume. You can do so by sprinkling in the magic of certifications, awards, and achievements from your school or even college. But keep in mind that they should be relevant to the job.
Now, if you’re somebody with a whole lot of experience, then a summarized version of your education should still be good enough to get the employer locked in. so, in these cases, you can keep it rather simple, too, with just your school/college/university name, certifications, degree, minors, and majors. Then, you can sprinkle in your educational skills and accomplishments.
5. Emphasizing Your Skills
Now, even though you’re working part time, when it comes to resumes, there isn’t any difference between you and a full-time worker. So, essentially, you’ll still have to highlight your previous part time job skills that make you a perfect candidate for this job.
Now, here are a few tips to make your skills stand out and stand bright.
- First of all, you need to take a minute and brainstorm. So, whether it's hard skills, soft skills, technical or any other work-related skills, you need to think it all through and combine them into a perfect and impressive list.
- For some help, you can use your job ad as a guide to help you better gauge the skills that’ll be most relevant to the job when you list them on your resume. It’s always a good idea to include skills that support both your education and experience.
6. Adding In Some Extra Sections
So, depending on what the job in question is and all the related requirements, you can also dabble and add some extra sections to your resume. Remember, this is all so that your resume has some golden light glimmering onto it as it sparkles from in between the pile of hundreds of others.
You just need to know what sections to add and what they should be about because, after all, they’re meant to help you stand out even more.
- If you’ve learned a few languages along the way, then you can freely add these in a separate section on your resume. And here’s the best part. This section can be a total game-changer when it comes to getting you the job and always makes you stand out so much more.
- Everyone tends to do some sort of social, volunteer, or community work throughout their time, especially before or during high school and college. Now, this is an excellent section to add to your resume. In fact, hobbies, awards, projects, and achievements can all be given their own section to shine all the more light on your credibility and capabilities. Often, this is just what gives your resume that extra edge over others.
7. Sealing Your Part Time Job Resume with A Cover Letter
Lastly, let’s talk about cover letters. So, we know how much hard work and effort goes into drafting a good part time job resume for students. But your cover letter is a big and important part of it, too, especially if you’re looking to seal the deal with a part time job instantly.
If you don’t believe us, the numbers will surely convince you. According to the HR statistics that we’ve gathered, it’s reported that around 50% of recruiters and employers almost immediately reject a part time job resume if it has a cover letter missing.
So, let’s look into some tips and tricks to ace your cover letter.
- It’s important to use a very professional cover letter format so that your recruiters are impressed and not disappointed. Keep the industry standards in mind when your searching for one.
- Make sure your cover letter starts with a hook so the recruiter is drawn in with just one glance.
- Be sure to highlight how your skills and experience are just what the company needs as of right now to continue to excel.
- Just as you're ending your cover letter, make sure to include a call to action so that you can end with a bang.
- Now, to wrap things up, add a professional and unique cover letter title so that there’s no confusion and your part time job resume for students is good to go.
Quick Questions
With the format, template, tips, and tricks we’ve provided in this blog, you can write an award-winning part time job resume for students.
If you don’t have experience, then your resume automatically becomes the perfect place to showcase your skills.
This is the format you should follow for a working student’s resume:
- Deciding on a format for your student resume
- Include your contact information
- Write an objective or summary statement
- Include an education section
- Add in work experience
- List relevant skills
- Proofread your resume
A good objective for a student resume is to say that you’re here to expand your knowledge, learnings, and skills.