For those with limited professional work history, a resume can feel sparse. Including class projects provides tangible proof of your qualifications by demonstrating technical abilities, problem-solving skills, and practical knowledge. This transforms your resume from a list of coursework into a portfolio of your capabilities, which is effective when applying for internships or your first entry-level role.
Deciding Which Projects to Include
The first step is to carefully select which projects will have the most impact, as not all academic work is suitable for a resume. Prioritize projects that are directly related to the job or industry you are targeting. A software development project is highly relevant for a coding job, while a detailed market analysis report would be better for a business role.
Consider the complexity and scope of the work. A semester-long capstone project that involved in-depth research or building a functional product is more impressive than a two-week assignment. Focus on projects that had a clear, tangible outcome, such as a developed application or a comprehensive research paper. These substantial projects more effectively showcase your skills.
Choose projects that allowed you to use in-demand technologies or methodologies. If a job description mentions a specific programming language or project management framework, a project that features that skill becomes more valuable. The goal is to present a curated list that aligns with professional expectations.
Where to Place Projects on Your Resume
Once you have selected your projects, you must decide where they fit best within your resume’s structure. There are two primary strategies for placement, based on your experience level and the significance of the projects themselves.
One option is to create a dedicated “Academic Projects” or “Relevant Projects” section. This approach works well when you have several substantial, highly relevant projects to showcase. Placing them in their own section gives them prominence, immediately drawing a hiring manager’s attention to your practical skills. This is often the preferred method for recent graduates in technical fields.
A dedicated section signals that you view these projects as a form of experience and allows you to provide more detail. This section is placed after your “Education” section but before any limited work experience you might have.
Alternatively, you can integrate projects directly into your “Education” section. This is a good strategy for one or two smaller-scale projects or to conserve space on a one-page resume. Listing them under the corresponding degree ties the practical work directly to your formal education, showing a direct application of your learning.
How to Write a Project Description
An effective project description is concise yet detailed, giving the reader a clear understanding of the project’s purpose and your specific contributions. The structure of the description helps organize this information, making it easy for recruiters to scan and absorb the most important details.
Project Title and Date
Begin each entry with a clear and descriptive title for the project, such as “Customer Churn Prediction Model,” instead of generic course numbers. Following the title, include the month and year or the semester and year (e.g., “Fall 2024”) of completion to provide context.
Project Summary
Directly under the title, write a one- to two-sentence summary that explains the project’s main objective. This overview should state the problem you were trying to solve or the goal you were trying to achieve. For example, a summary might read: “Developed a full-stack web application to streamline inventory management for a small business” or “Conducted a comprehensive market research study to identify growth opportunities for a new product line.”
Key Responsibilities and Accomplishments
This is the core of your project description and should be presented as a series of two to four bullet points. Use strong action verbs to begin each point and focus on your specific contributions, especially in group settings. Detail what you personally did, such as “Engineered a relational database using SQL to store and manage user data” rather than a passive statement like “The project included a database.”
Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments with specific numbers and metrics. This provides concrete evidence of your impact, for instance, stating that you “Increased data processing efficiency by 30% by optimizing Python scripts” or “Led a team of four students to deliver the project two weeks ahead of schedule.”
Skills and Technologies Used
Conclude the project description with a dedicated line listing the specific tools and technologies you utilized. This can be labeled “Technologies:” or “Skills:” followed by a list like “Java, Python, SQL, AWS, Git.” This is important for applicant tracking systems (ATS), which scan resumes for keywords, making your resume more likely to be selected.
Tailoring Your Projects to the Job Application
A generic resume is less effective than one customized for a specific role. The projects you feature should be adapted to align with the requirements listed in the job description. This demonstrates to the hiring manager that you have carefully considered their needs.
Begin by thoroughly analyzing the job posting. Identify the key skills, technologies, and responsibilities the employer is seeking. Look for recurring words and phrases, such as “data analysis,” or “agile methodologies,” which are keywords you should mirror in your project descriptions.
With these keywords in mind, revise the bullet points of your project descriptions. Rephrase your accomplishments to directly reflect the language of the job ad. For example, a general bullet point like “Worked on a team to build a mobile app” could be tailored to say, “Collaborated in an agile team environment to develop an Android application using Java,” directly addressing the company’s need for mobile development and teamwork skills.
When to Remove Projects From Your Resume
Academic projects are a temporary feature on your resume. As you accumulate professional experience, the space on your resume becomes more valuable and should be dedicated to your paid work accomplishments.
A general guideline is to begin removing academic projects after you have secured your first full-time role and have been there for at least a year. Once you have two to three years of solid, relevant work history, academic projects should be removed entirely. Your on-the-job achievements will speak more powerfully than your university work.
The goal of your resume is to showcase your most impressive and relevant qualifications. Early in your career, class projects fulfill this role. As your career progresses, your professional achievements will take their place, and your resume will evolve to reflect your growth.