How To List Projects On A Resume

Projects are any planned tasks with a specific end point and goal, and can be related to school, work, or your personal life. For example, a project could be creating a YouTube video, designing a brand logo, or launching a new online product.

Listing projects on your resume can make you more attractive to potential employers because it highlights your practical experience, showcases your skills, and highlights your accomplishments and results.

Projects can be especially valuable on your resume when you’re:

• A high school student, college student, or a recent graduate
• Lacking formal work experience
• Changing careers
• A freelancer

Keep reading for examples of how to list projects on your resume or check out this video where our career expert Eva discusses six types of relevant experience for your resume.

Academic projects

Listing academic projects is a great way to display necessary skills and qualifications for a job or internship, especially if you lack relevant work experience.

Academic projects should be listed in your education section as either a bullet point or a short paragraph below your degree information (such as university name, extracurricular activities, and academic awards).

Here’s how to add an academic project to your resume:

1. Give your project a name
2. Include dates (or the semester it took place)
3. Add a short description highlighting any necessary skills or experience outlined in the job description

Work projects

If you’ve completed any notable projects in a current or previous role (or if you’re currently working on one), listing them in your work experience section is the best way to highlight them for a hiring manager to see.

Here’s how to list a work project on your resume:

1. Below the work experience entry, include either a short paragraph or extra bullet point describing your duties and responsibilities for the project
2. Give the project a name, even something as simple as “Key Project” will work
3. If your project is still underway, add “(ongoing)” after the name of the project
4. Include action verbs and hard numbers

In the example below the candidate lists the marketing project they led as a single bullet point in their work experience section (highlighted in bold):

Freelance projects

Freelance projects can be added under your professional experience section, or you can list them in a separate “Freelance” section.

Listing freelance work on your resume highlights your ability to work remotely, deliver results, and manage clients. Whether it’s a video editing project, freelance writing, or graphic design, adding the projects you’ve done can really highlight your professional skill set.

Here’s how to list a freelance project in your resume:

1. Give your freelance project a name and list it alongside the name of the company
2. Mention a location if applicable
3. Include either a short paragraph or extra bullet point describing your duties and responsibilities for the project as well as what you acheived
4. Add the start and end dates of the project (if it’s still underway, add “(ongoing)” after the project name)

Here’s an example of how to include a freelance programming project in your work experience section:

Volunteer projects

You can add volunteer experience on your resume if you don’t have much relevant experience or you’re a recent graduate. Listing volunteer projects shows employers that you’re self-driven, and can be an excellent opportunity to highlight your transferable skills.

If you don’t have a lot of work experience, you can create a “Relevant Experience” section and add your volunteer projects there along with any other relevant experience you have (like internships or freelance work). Otherwise, list your projects in a separate “Volunteer Experience” section.

Here’s how to list volunteer projects on your resume:

1. Give your volunteer project a name
2. Mention where you volunteered (including city, state)
3. Indicate how long you spent on the project
4. Include either a short paragraph or extra bullet point describing what you accomplished

In this resume example, the applicant is looking to fill the role of a pet store manager so they highlight their experience volunteering at a dog shelter.

Personal projects

Showcasing your personal and side projects on your resume is a great way to demonstrate both hard and soft skills when applying for a job.

Be selective with which personal projects you list and only include ones that are relevant to the job. Remember, you’re not listing your personal projects because the hiring manager’s curious about your hobbies – you’re listing them to show off the skills they’re looking for.

Here’s how to add personal projects on your resume:

1. Provide a project name and the dates you worked on it
2. Include bullet points that accurately describe what the project entailed
3. Highlight any qualifications and skills you gained from the experience

Here’s an example of how a candidate lists their travel blog on a resume when applying for a Social Media Manager role at a travel company:

Frequently asked questions about listing projects on a resume

Here are answers to some common questions about listing projects on a resume:

Is it OK to put projects on a resume?

Yes – in fact, you should put them on a resume when you don’t have much experience in the industry, or you wish to highlight several hard and soft skills that aren’t linked to prior work experience.

How many projects should I include in my resume?

Deciding how many projects to include on your resume largely depends on whether or not they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for.

If you have multiple relevant projects in a separate “Project” section, limit them to the 3-5 most recent and applicable ones.

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