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How to List Projects on a Resume (with Examples)

10 min read · Updated on February 23, 2024

Projects on your resume can prove you have what it takes to succeed

You've likely heard a few catchphrases related to resume writing. Things like “show, don't tell” and “be an achiever, not a doer.”  One of the most effective ways to put these principles into action is by including projects on your resume. But how exactly do you list projects on a resume, and why are they so important?

You've come to the right place. Here, you'll learn how to list projects on your resume in a way that catches the eye of hiring managers and helps you to stand out from the competition. 

It doesn't matter if you're fresh out of college or have a decade of experience under your belt; including projects on your resume can significantly enhance your chances of landing your dream job.

Your old resume may have been a list of work experiences, but your new resume will outshine the competition and win you the interviews you seek. 

Projects vs work experience

Depending on where you're at in your career, it can be tough to separate projects from actual work experience, especially if you're a freelancer or regularly tackle projects as a part of your job. While both are exceedingly valuable in telling your career story, you have to be a bit discerning to determine which is more important. 

Obviously, you gain experience from working at jobs and completing projects, but listing projects separately can help you to highlight specific skills that might get lost when you explain work you did in a previous job. 

The main differences can be summarized as: 

Projects are concise and specific

Work history provides a broader view of your career trajectory

At the end of the day, you must pick the things you want to include on your resume with the aim of balancing your knowledge and skills with what's being called for in the job description. Relevancy and tailoring your resume are critical, allowing prospective employers to see what you have to offer their team. 

Why listing projects can be good for you

When you're trying to prove to an employer that you're an achiever rather than a doer, having a project or two to back up your claims can do wonders for your candidacy. Not only do projects on your resume have the ability to demonstrate relevant skills, but they also allow you to showcase initiative and accomplishments. 

In the context of standing out from the crowd, projects on your resume can add depth to your experience to paint a more well-rounded and comprehensive picture of what you bring to the table for the new employer. One thing that a lot of people miss is that you can also use projects on your resume to fill in any experience gaps that may be present. 

Types of projects you can highlight on your resume

While the projects you list on your resume are as unique as you are, there are some common types. Knowing what type of project you're going to list on your resume will help you to determine if the project is relevant and can also guide you in knowing where on your resume to list it. 

There are four basic types.

This is any project you've done in your position with a company. It was probably part of your job description, but it could've also been something you were called on to do outside of your day-to-day role. Perhaps you led a team to launch a new product or created a new process for doing something that saved time and money. Work projects are good to have on your resume because they demonstrate that you're the type of person to go above and beyond to achieve an objective. 

2. Academic

These are projects that you complete in a classroom or educational setting. You'll definitely need to include academic projects if you're fresh out of college and have little to no work history or relevant professional experience. Academic projects for your resume can be anything from conducting a research study and writing a thesis or dissertation to developing a software application as part of a class project. Including academic projects on your resume gives you a chance to highlight relevant skills and prove to a future employer that you have a passion for learning and development. After all, continuous improvement is a highly sought-after skill. 

3. Personal

Sometimes, you get bored at home and decide you want to build a personal website or create a blog. There have even been folks who've created apps that work with their smart home devices to automate activities. It doesn't matter that these are personal projects, if you find that your resume is lacking particular skills or achievements you can use these projects on your resume to round out your candidacy. That said, adding a personal project to your resume should be a last resort. 

4. Freelance

'Tis the time we live in – a lot of people work as independent contractors or freelance. It's a great way to fill in employment gaps or have some income if you're on a sabbatical . The most common freelance projects center around things like graphic design, marketing, tech, and writing. These types of projects can be valuable additions to your resume. 

How to add projects to your resume

Since you want to keep your resume relevant to the job you're applying for, the first step is to create a list of projects from your history and compare them to what employers need. 

Analyze the job description to dissect out the keywords and phrases. Once you have that list, compare it to the skills and achievements you can talk about with each project. Beyond picking the right project to match the job, you also have to consider space.

Bear these guidelines in mind:

Pick projects for your resume that match the job description

Pick projects that allow you to keep your resume on the right number of pages

The final step is to properly format the project entries in their respective sections. 

Where to include projects on your resume

For the most part, you'll format a project listing the same way you would a work history listing. The only difference is that you may not have a company to list indicating where you did the project. If you can't list the client or location associated with the project, don't let that stop you from adding it. 

As you would expect, work projects would be listed in the Professional Experience section, academic projects are best suited in the Education section, and some projects may even merit having their own special section. 

What does all of that look like? Let's take a look.

Projects in their own section 

For the most part, your resume should have at least five sections:

Contact information

Profile (which contains your title and summary paragraph)

Work history

You can also add an entirely new section called “Projects,” “Selected Projects,” “Relevant Projects,” or “Academic Projects.” 

Depending on how hard you have to lean on those projects to wow a hiring manager will be the deciding factor on whether you place this new section above or below “Professional Experience.” If you really need them to make your candidacy, then put them above. If you want them on there just to give the hiring manager one more glimpse into what you can do, then put them below. 

Example of projects in their own section

You should create a title for the section and then list each project with relevant bullet points that call out things you achieved in working on that project. It's also appropriate to put the dates you were working on each project. 

Selected Projects

Post Evaluation Platinum LEED Office Building | 04/2022 - 10/2022

Used advanced knowledge of Occupant Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Survey benchmarks and performed literature review / precedent studies to present data-driven solutions regarding visual and thermal comfort. 

Authored and presented findings related to underfloor air distribution (UFAD) system analysis. 

Integrated Façade Simulator: Hybrid Reality Simulations for Assessing Human Façade Interaction | 09/2020 - 05/2021

Created a novel integrated hybrid system that simulated a multi-sensory environment and observed participants and the impact of environmental stimuli for sensation, perception of comfort, and energy consumption. 

Projects in the experience section

If you're one of those people who get chosen by a boss to work on a project or if you've spent a significant time as an independent contractor , then it's probably going to serve you best to include projects within the “Professional Experience” section of your resume. 

Example of projects in the experience section

Format it like you would any other position within your experience section, including the name of the company, the dates you were employed, your position title, and some achievement bullets. Then, beneath those achievement bullets for your job, add “Noted Projects” and talk about the project as separate from what you accomplished as an employee. 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

XYZ Company | Location 05/2015 to Present

Senior Biologist

Achievement bullet #1

Achievement bullet #2

Achievement bullet #3

Noted Projects:

Major Development Plan and Infrastructure Project – 03/2019 - 06/2021

Monitored site conditions to ensure the protection of sensitive species, including California gnatcatcher, cactus wren, least Bell's vireo, arroyo chub, arroyo toad, and general nesting birds.

Oversaw end-to-end project management processes, including scoping, planning, timelines, delivery, execution, and status reporting. 

Subdivision Development Project – 04/2013 - 01/2017

Directed biological resource protection initiatives for a 180-acre development project, resulting in approximately 475 acres of preserved, restored, and enhanced habitats. 

Conducted protocol and non-protocol environmental impact surveys for 3 years, in the wake of a widespread wildfire, to assess gnatcatcher habitat, population density, and movement. 

Projects in the education section

It can be hard to craft a resume when you've just graduated college and have no real experience to show future employers. Fortunately, you can lean on things you did at school to inject experiences, achievements, and skills into your resume. You just write an expanded education section. 

Relate reading: How to List Education on Your Resume (with Examples)

Example of projects in the education section

Whether you're listing your GPA or relevant coursework, you can always add some college projects to your resume education section if you need to prove your salt to a new company. 

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bachelor of Finance, | State University – Location (Expected May 2024)

Coursework : Current Economic Problems, Macroeconomics, Accounting Principles, Money and Capital Markets, Business Statistics, Spreadsheet Modeling in Finance, Global Financial Markets

Academic projects

Secured funding for a non-fungible token (NFT) from State University's Board of Trustees and generated a 100% return on investment (ROI). 

Placed in the top 10% of a financial modeling competition. Analyzed comparative values over time to predict future performance and identified a portfolio of stocks that were graded and ranked in terms of profit and loss and accuracy of predictions. 

Projects on your resume win interviews

Remember that the main goal of your resume is to win interviews. Adding projects can be just the thing that makes you stand out from the crowd of job seekers. Use projects wisely, though. Leverage them to boost your skills, enhance your achievements, and inject necessary keywords into your resume that align with what the job description asks for in a new employee. 

Once you get all of that written, we'll give it a once-over for you with a free resume review . After all, it's always good to get expert, objective feedback on your resume. 

Recommended reading:

Guide to Writing a Great Resume with No Work Experience

Ask Amanda: How Do I List Self-Employment & Freelance Work On My Resume?

47 Accomplishment Examples for Your Resume: Expert Picks

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

See how your resume stacks up.

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How To Put Projects On A Resume (With Examples)

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Summary. To put projects on your traditional chronological resume , include a separate projects section beneath the education or work experience section. In a project based resume, rename the work experience section to be named “projects” and you can avoid the standard chronological resume format and instead focus on your most relevant projects and professional skills.

No matter where you are in your career journey, adding projects to your resume can highlight your key qualifications and help your application make more of an impression.

In this article, you’ll learn how to add projects to your resume and when it’s a good idea to take this route.

Key Takeaways

You can work projects into your work history section, organize your resume around your projects, or create a separate section for your projects.

You should list your most relevant projects first and leave off any irrelevant projects.

Freelancers, entry-level job candidates, and people who are changing career paths could benefit most from project-based resumes.

How to List Projects on a Resume

Examples of ways to list projects on a resume, tips for listing projects on a resume, why should you put projects on a resume, what is a project-based resume, who should use project-based resumes, putting projects on a resume faq, final thoughts.

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To list projects on a traditional chronological resume , you should include a separate projects section beneath the education or work experience portion of your professional resume. This can be easily accomplished by including a “key projects” section below the bullets detailing your previous job responsibilities and accomplishments.

Listing projects on a traditional date-ordered resume can be a great option for professionals who want to showcase their project management expertise while also detailing their prior work titles and chronological job experience.

If you’re looking to ditch your traditional chronological resume altogether, a project-based resume is a great way of showcasing your most desirable professional skills outside of the tight confines of a standard cookie-cutter resume that lists your work experience in reverse chronological order.

By renaming the “work experience” section of your resume to “projects,” you can easily avoid the standard chronological resume format and instead focus on your most relevant projects and professional skills. This unique structure focuses more on practical, hands-on experience and less on how long you held a certain job title.

To list projects on a resume:

Contextualize the project’s details. You don’t want each project to take up too much space, but you do need to describe the key who, what, where, when, and why of the story. Most importantly, bring in numbers as often as possible.

Highlight your accomplishments. “Ideally, your resume is a list of achievements,” says resume expert Don Pippin . When describing your projects, be sure that the direct impact that you had on the end result is apparent.

Tailor your resume for each job. Again, this applies to all resumes, not just project-based ones. In the context of projects, though, be sure to think about how each entry relates to the specific job you’re applying for.

Provide examples. If you’re emailing your resume, including some hyperlinks to documents relating to past projects can be really impactful. Not only can the hiring manager see the results of your work, but also how you and your team approached projects in general.

Below are three examples of ways you can list projects on your professional resume or CV . Using these examples as a template when writing your job-specific resume can help you advance in the hiring process and land the job of your dreams.

Listing Projects in the Education Section of Your Chronological Resume Example:

Education Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, Massachusetts B.S. in Mechanical Engineering , May 2020 | GPA: 3.8 Key Projects: Led a team of three engineering students to execute blueprints and coordinate the production of state-of-the-art air filtration systems for the university hospital. Production and installation came in 12% under budget and were completed 2 weeks ahead of schedule.

Listing Projects Below Previous Job Responsibilities and Work Descriptions in Your Chronological Resume Example:

Work Experience Sales Associate Baker Technologies | March 2019-present Drove revenue by 13% year-over-year by initiating increased customer engagement policy Oversaw a team of five cashiers, who collectively processed average credit card and cash payments of over $20,000 daily Key Projects: Worked with a software developer to redesign and launch Baker Technologies’ online marketplace, resulting in a $2 million increase in profits for 2019.

Listing Projects in a Projects Section of Your Project-Based Resume Example:

Professional Project Highlights App Development Camping With Oliver , July 2020-November 2020 Developed and coded a complex app, compatible with iPhone and Android devices, designed to help hikers locate free campsites in their area. Increased digital revenue stream by 55% following launch Private Web Design Bobbi’s Bakery , January 2021-March 2021 Built a multifunctional website with a complex ordering system using HTLM 5, CSS, and bug-free code Managed all custom graphics, page composition, and branding for this client, leading to a 30% Q/Q jump in sales

If it’s your first time listing projects on a resume or ditching your traditional chronological resume or project-based one, there are a few things you need to keep in mind to craft an effective resume and impress hiring managers.

By following these five tips, you’ll be able to perfectly listing projects on your professional resume and allow your key skills and job qualifications to shine.

Lead with the most relevant projects. One of the biggest advantages of a project-based resume is having the ability to list your work experiences and skills in order of the most relevant projects, instead of arranging them chronologically.

Highlight leadership and job-specific skills. If you’re listing projects on your resume, it’s important to be deliberate and meticulous in the projects you include. Your project list should be presentable, professional, and perfectly convey your leadership and job-specific skills.

Show how you achieve results and meet company goals. Another substantial perk of listing projects on your resume is the ability to clearly illustrate and verify how you are results-driven and ready to meet company goals.

Illustrate how your experiences align with company values. Not only is it important to showcase the skills and qualifications required for a job opening, but it’s also essential to illustrate how your work style and professional goals align with the values a company prides itself on.

Keep project descriptions short. To emphasize your strongest skills and professional abilities, it’s important to keep project descriptions short, concise, and to the point. Providing only the essential details to demonstrate your skills, achievements, and experience will allow hiring managers to easily read and review your resume.

Listing projects on your resume will help you get a leg up over other qualified competing applicants.

A project-based resume, similar to a functional resume , is highly effective in conveying your unique qualifications, work style, field of specialization, and areas of expertise.

Project-based resumes are great tools for illustrating hands-on experience and your decision-making and conflict resolution skills. Describing projects you’ve been involved with can give hiring managers a glimpse into how you operate as an employee.

Submitting a project-based resume with your job applications can allow you to position yourself as the best candidate for the role by highlighting and describing projects that closely align with the job description included in the advertisement.

Including a list of projects on your resume will allow your job application to shine and illustrate your work capabilities and well-rounded personality; to hiring managers and job recruiters.

A project-based resume is a professional resume that focuses on accomplishments rather than chronological job titles and previous work responsibilities.

Where a traditional resume lists work experience and academic degrees in date order, a project-based resume instead does one of two things.

It either lists a job seeker’s relevant academic, work, and personal projects in order of most to least compelling or includes specific projects beneath the education or work experience sections of a resume.

Project-based resumes effectively provide hiring managers and prospective employers with verifiable proof of a job applicant’s industry expertise, achievements, and experience.

Anyone can use project-based resumes, but the following groups might find additional benefit:

Freelancers. Project-based resumes can be an especially worthwhile option for freelancers , as it allows you to ditch the traditional chronological resume and instead focus on projects you have worked on that are most relevant to the position you’re applying to.

Entry-level candidates. Not only is a project-based resume a great alternative for freelance workers, but it can also be equally as enticing for traditional employees or recent graduates since projects can be easily listed beneath education and work experience sections, as you would normally list accomplishments, skills, and previous job responsibilities.

Career changers. Writing a project-based resume can be a great option for people looking for their first job, changing careers, coming off a long sabbatical or personal leave, or searching for a full-time job after a series of freelance gigs.

Should I put my projects on my resume?

Yes, you should put your projects on your resume. Listing a few of your most impressive professional projects on your resume can help hiring managers see what you’re capable of.

What kind of projects should I put on my resume?

You should put successful, professional projects that relate to the job you’re applying for on your resume. Think of a few of the projects that demonstrate the skills that are listed on the job description you’re applying for and put them on your resume.

Do personal projects count as experience?

No, personal projects don’t count as experience. They don’t usually count as formal work experience, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put some of them on your resume, especially if they demonstrate your professional skills.

is it OK to put project details in a resume?

Yes, It’s OK to put project details in a resume. Projects are a great addition to your resume when your experience section doesn’t already show that you have the background or experience for a job. Recent graduates or entry-level candidates are the ones who typically put projects on their resume.

Whether you’re a freelancer or a traditional employee, a recent graduate or a career changer, projects can make your resume pop.

By illustrating your hands-on work experience, verifying your skills and job qualifications, and marketing yourself as the best candidate for the role, you’ll have hiring managers who can’t wait to call you in for an interview to learn more.

Using the tips and templates included in this article can help you write a well-structured and effective project-based resume and make a great first impression on recruiters across industries.

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Elsie is an experienced writer, reporter, and content creator. As a leader in her field, Elsie is best known for her work as a Reporter for The Southampton Press, but she can also be credited with contributions to Long Island Pulse Magazine and Hamptons Online. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Stony Brook University and currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee.

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How to List Projects on a Resume

Not sure if your project is resume-worthy? Check out our guide on when, where, and how to include projects on your resume.

3 years ago   •   8 min read

You might not have a projects section on your resume — and that’s okay. Including projects on your resume is entirely optional, but it can be a good idea if you’ve completed any personal or educational projects that highlight transferable skills or are relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Should you include projects on a resume?

There is a place for both personal and educational projects on your resume. Projects might be particularly relevant if:

You have a lot of freelance or contract work

If some (or all) of your work has been project-based, your resume should highlight this — not hide it. By using a project-based format for your work experience, you can keep the focus squarely on your accomplishments without cluttering up your resume.

You're a student

Current students or recent graduates can use university projects to highlight your relevant skills in a more practical setting. Educational projects might include projects you completed at university, during further education, or as part of a professional or career change program. It doesn’t include regular coursework, unless it was particularly outstanding (ie. award-winning).

You're changing careers

If most of your paid experience is in a different role or industry, projects can help demonstrate your competence with a more relevant skill set. This is especially true if you’re trying to break into a highly specialized or technical field. For roles involving software development, coding, or data analysis, a few relevant projects may even be more worthy of inclusion on your resume than a lot of work experience in a different industry. If this is your situation, consider dropping some of your older or less relevant work experience in favor of a dedicated projects section that can highlight your hands-on experience with specific technical skills.

I’d recommend uploading your resume to the tool below to check if you’ve listed your projects the right way. It’ll let you know if your projects section highlights relevant work experience, accomplishments and skills.

You lack relevant work experience

Some Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) or other types of resume screening will automatically reject candidates who lack certain skills or keywords. To get around this, you can use projects as a way to legitimately include skills that are required by the job listing if you have no other way of demonstrating them. Again, this can be particularly important if you’re trying to break into a technical field, so it’s worth taking the time to develop those hands-on skills before you start applying.

If you’re not sure which technical skills are required by the job you’re applying for, use the skills search tool below to find the right ones.

If you've decided to include projects on your resume, keep scrolling for step-by-step guides with templates you can copy and paste.

How to feature projects on your resume

So, you’ve decided to include one or two well-chosen projects on your resume — but how do you format them? Here are a few practical examples you can follow.

In your work experience section

When: If your paid work was project-based, including freelance , consulting, and contract work.

How: List key accomplishments underneath individual projects.

• List your employer, staffing agency, or consulting firm (it's fine to create one if you were freelancing).
• List your job title. If you were self-employed, give yourself a standard job title.
• List the dates of employment.
• Add a short blurb describing the nature of your work.
• Include 3-6 bullet points detailing your most relevant accomplishments, starting with an action verb and include hard numbers and metrics.
• Use a resume checker to score your bullet points and give you personalized feedback.
• Read our tips on how to list contract work and self-employment on a resume .

Here's a template for listing projects in your work experience section:

YOUR NAME CONSULTING SERVICES, Columbus, OH Independent SEO Consultant (Jun 2017 – Present) Developed strategic insights for seven medium-large companies ($5M+/year) to improve SEO, web traffic and conversions. Revamped and implemented new websites for four companies. Selected Projects Name of project - 1-3 bullet points in the format [Action Verb] [Accomplishment] [Metric], e.g. Growth Strategy for Travel Agency - Spearheaded a major pricing restructure by redirecting focus on consumer willingness to pay instead of product cost; implemented a three-tiered pricing model which increased average sale 35% and margin 12%

This example shows how a project-based resume can emphasize your key skills and achievements.

In a dedicated projects section

When: If you have the space for it on your resume and you have one or more significant projects you want to make a focal point.

How: Think of a projects section like a mini work experience section.

• List the project name at the top, like you would an employer.
• List your specific role in the project as your job title.
• Use bullet points to highlight the hard skills you used. Remember to begin each bullet point with an action verb.
• Use numbers to demonstrate the impact of your role whenever possible.
• Include a link to your online portfolio (if applicable).

Here's a template for formatting a separate projects section:

PROJECTS Project Name | Developer , Feb 2019 GitHub link: [link] - Designed the overall architecture of the editor using React.JS, with XYZ integration to allow real-time collaboration - Set up multiple authentication methods, including Google OAuth, magic link and Shibboleth SSO

This is an example of how a standard project might look on your resume.

This is another example that explicitly demonstrates your skills and expertise. It includes relevant keywords, which will help your resume get past any ATS and allows employers to see that you’re qualified at a glance. It also uses hard numbers to good effect, showcasing not only what you accomplished but also the impact it had on the overall project.

If your projects demonstrate hands-on experience with specific programming languages or other practical skills, use your projects section to link to an online portfolio. Hiring managers in fields like software development, graphic design , and writing will want to see examples of your actual work whenever possible, since that’s the best way to see your skills firsthand and judge whether they’re a good fit.

In your education section

When: If you're a current student or recent graduate without a lot of relevant work experience. You should especially consider including projects in your education section if you completed a specific pre-professional program, like an MBA.

How: Pin your education section to the top of your resume to keep it front and center.

• Title your section 'Education.'
• List your education as normal, including the university you attended, degree attained, and date of graduation (this last one is optional).
• Include a 'Projects' subheading (optional).
• Include 1-2 bullet points briefly outlining what the project was.
• Start with an action verb to describe what you did and use numbers to quantify the results.
• For more tips on how to make your education section stand out to hiring managers, check out our guide on how to list education on your resume .

Here's a template for listing projects in your education section:

EDUCATION Resume Worded University, San Francisco, CA | May 2010 Master of Business Administration Candidate; Major in Business Analytics - Built and launched Android app, Resume Worded, in team of 3; gained over 10,000 users in 6 months

This example shows how including projects can explicitly demonstrate your achievements, even if your degree is your only relevant experience in that field.

In an additional section

When: For personal projects, especially if you don’t have the real estate to dedicate to a significant projects section.

How: At the bottom of your resume, or on the side if you prefer a two-column format.

• Title your section 'Additional Projects' or 'Other.'
• If you're using a general 'Other' section including skills, etc. add a 'Projects' subheading.
• List each project briefly in 1-2 lines, including what you did and what the results were.
• (Optional) List the date of completion or duration of the project.

Here's a template for listing projects in an additional section:

ADDITIONAL PROJECTS - Aggregated, cleansed and combined data from 10+ public data sources to create a Tableau dashboard of inflation rates over the past 10 years (January 2021) - Another project (optional)

This example demonstrates how you don’t need to dedicate a large amount of space to a project for it to be worthwhile including.

Do’s and don’ts for projects on your resume

• Use projects to demonstrate hard skills. Technical skills like programming, proficiency with specific software programs, or experience with social media marketing are all appropriate skills you may want to highlight.
• Tailor the projects to the specific job you’re applying for . Not every project is relevant to every role, and not every single task within a specific project is related to all roles either — be selective about what you include.
• Use hard numbers and metrics whenever you can. If you attended a coding boot camp, mention the specific programming languages you learned. If you used Facebook ads to sell your craft projects, state how much you were able to improve sales. Always be specific about what you achieved, not just what you did.
• Don't use projects for soft skills like communication or leadership. These skills are easy for anyone to claim and difficult to quantify, so you’ll want to use more relevant examples of how you’ve demonstrated these in a professional setting.
• Don't include projects in your regular work experience section. No matter how hard you’ve worked on them, they lack the accountability and oversight that paid work experience requires, so don’t try to frame them as something they aren’t.
• Don't include projects just to bulk up your resume. Only include them if they’re truly relevant to the role and will strengthen your candidacy.
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How to List Projects on a Resume: A Concise Approach

In This Guide:

What are the benefits of listing projects on a resume, types of projects to include on your resume, how to list projects on a resume, how to avoid sounding boastful, how can i talk about a confidential project on a resume, how many projects should i include in a resume, summary & key takeaways: how to list projects on your resume.

You want to list projects on your resume, but you’ve got no idea how to do it?

Keep reading and you will learn:

• What are the benefits of listing projects on your resume
• What types of projects should you include on your resume
• How to list projects on your resume
• How to avoid sounding boastful
• How to talk about a confidential project on your resume
• How many projects should you include on your resume

If you want to save some time, you should definitely check out our Resume Builder .

But if you really want to really dig into the issue of listing projects on your resume, just keep reading.

Let’s dive in.

Why should I include projects on my resume, how would that help me?

The main goal of listing projects on your resume is to show potential employers that you have gained skills, experience and professional achievements that fit perfectly into their role.

What is important to do when listing your projects, is to highlight hands-on examples of how you applied your capabilities to find solutions.

Describing your experiences in the projects can also show potential employers if your character would be compatible with the company.

What is more, you can use these highlights to show that you have leadership skills, project management expertise and the ability to take initiative.

If you play your cards right, potential employers will start to picture you in a position that requires you to use the skill set you have gained in your previous projects.

There are a few types of projects you can include on your resume.

Keep in mind that whatever project you list, should apply to the job you are applying for. Its purpose is to increase your chances, so choose wisely.

We are going to take a look at the three most common types of projects that you can list on your resume:

Work projects

Your relevant work experience always works in your favour.

The way you can strengthen its effect and catch the recruiter’s eye is to list projects from your previous places of work on your resume.

Keep in mind that you should only highlight projects and accomplishments that show a set of skills relevant to the position you are applying for.

Personal projects

Another way to go is to list personal projects that show skills and personality traits that your potential employer might be looking for.

The project can be anything from community service and volunteering, to a personal project such as a blog.

Personal projects can make a really powerful impression on potential employers. They show that you take personal initiatives that develop your skills and personality traits.

When you have little or no work experience, personal projects can make an excelent addition to your resume.

Academic projects

The third main project type you can include in your resume are academic projects.

These projects can greatly highlight the skills and competencies relevant to a position you are applying for.

Academic projects can show your technical expertise or demonstrate soft skills such as teamwork and leadership.

Don’t hesitate to include any of these three types of projects on your resume. They can only work in your favour.

When listing projects on your resume, your best choice would be to write them below a job description as accomplishments.

Another way to go is to list them in a separate section. You can name it Projects, Academic Projects or Personal Projects, depending on their type.

If your projects are Academic, it’s better to list them in the education section on your resume.

If your projects are the strongest thing in your resume, we advise you to create a project-based resume.

Let’s take a look at all these scenarios.

Project-Based Resumes for Freelancers

When you are a freelancer, you will need a slightly different approach to building your resume.

A reverse chronological format works perfectly for most resumes.

It makes your resume easy to read by recruiters and it shows them if your experience is relevant in no time.

But when you are building a project-based resume, this format will probably not work so well.

As a freelancer, you probably work on lots of projects, and in many cases, the last one in reverse chronological order would not be suitable for the position you are applying for.

The actual problem arises because of the fact that recruiters have to look through lots of resumes every day.

That’s why a recruiter only spends about 7 seconds on a single resume, so chances are that a freelancer with a standard reverse chronological format resume would not be noticed.

The best way around that is to remove your work experience section, and replace it with Projects section.

Make sure you include details for every project in the section. That includes an overview of the project, time and numerical results/achievements.

Here is an awesome example of what you need to do for every project on your resume:

Adding Projects to a Resume—Traditional Employment

Even if you are not a freelancer, you might feel like you should include some of your side projects.

Don’t hesitate, but list them.

Projects are a great addition to traditional employment types of resumes as well.

What you need to do if you have extensive experience, is to create a separate section for your projects only.

Recruiters love extra sections. Having an extra section for your projects can only work in your favour.

As projects are not the main strength of your resume, you need to keep the project description brief.

Here is one example to get you going:

Key Projects

Spearheaded a cost-cutting project achieving a $50,000 dollar annual saving by replacing paper towels with hand dryers in all bathroom facilities as National Operations Manager with Redbridge Systems.

Adding School, College and Academic Projects to Your Education Section

If you recently graduated high school or college, or you are still studying, you might find it difficult to write your resume.

What you can do in this situation is list School, College and Academic Projects on your resume.

By shifting the focus from the lack of work experience to the projects and the skills you have gained from them, you can easily get some bonus points with the recruiter.

Here is an example of how to include project, such as volunteer work, on your resume:

There is also a slight risk, that listing projects on your resume might sound rather boastful.

In order to avoid that moment, you might want to stick to the advice of keeping it simple.

What you need to mention is an overview of the project, time and numerical results/achievements.

When you are using a confidential project on your resume to land a new job, caution is advisable.

It’s one thing to list a project on your resume when it has already gone public, but mentioning a confidential project is a good way to wreck your chances of getting the job.

Keep in mind that no employer wants an employee who would be willing to share a confidential project on a document that any stranger could potentially see.

You might think that you would be safe if you leave out most of the information.

However, the truth is that the recruiter may feel like it would be right to call your former employer and tell them that you are leaking confidential information.

Your week would probably not improve from there on, especially if you have a confidentiality agreement signed in the past.

So, all in all, you should focus on your public projects and accomplishments. Doing so will make your life much less complicated.

You should consider including a link to your online portfolio, website or blog if you have any.

This would encourage the hiring manager to review your projects in greater detail, and allow them to see the skill set you have acquired while working on the projects.

You should also focus on the projects that present your skill set in the best light,

What you need to do is list only a few important projects on your resume. If you have more to show the potential employer, you should definitely include a professional portfolio.

So, all in all, in most cases it is a good idea to include projects on your resume.

No matter if your projects come from former work, high school, college, or if they are personal, they can only work in your favour.

The key points you need to take out at the end of the day are:

• If you are a freelancer, you might want to consider building a project-based resume, instead of using a reverse-chronological format
• If you have some additional projects to your work experience, you should include them in your Work Experience or Education sections. If you have more projects, consider creating a separate section for your projects only.
• If you have too many projects you want to mention on your resume, consider mentioning the most important ones and include a link to a professional portfolio
• If you have worked on a confidential project, better leave it out of your resume

So, there you go, you are ready to get your resume to the next step.

Include the projects you have worked on and get the interview for your dream job.

*** What are your thoughts? Did you list your projects on your resume? Give us a shout out in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!

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How to List Projects on a Resume (with Examples)

When it comes to applying for a new job, it might be helpful to think of the process as similar to applying to college. Competitive students have a high school diploma (experience), good grades (technical/soft skills), decent test scores (professional recommendations), and finally, extracurricular activities (projects).

Like extracurriculars, external projects can include anything you’ve done that’s outside of your regular working tasks, and don’t necessarily have to be professional. If you think your academic work, charity efforts, or even personal/artistic endeavors might help demonstrate your abilities to future employers, then include them. Not only will it help you show off different skills, it could also help you stand out. Some research shows that at least 82% of job seekers don’t list any projects on their resume.

So, being part of the 18% who does, is just another way you can get noticed amongst hundreds of other applicants.

Types of Projects and How to List Them

It’s very important to tailor your resume to each and every job you apply to, and picking and choosing which external projects to include is one great way to do that.

The most common types of projects one might include on a resume are as follows:

Work Related Projects

These are projects that you completed at your place of work, but which you feel deserve special attention on your resume. For instance, if you work in a lab and have only highlighted your day-to-day tasks, you might want to consider creating a subheader in order to list any specific research projects you helped with. It would look something like this:

CraniumLabs, Juno, AK — May 2019 to January 2022

Lab Technician

Impressive Achievements

Special Responsibilities

Notable Projects:

I was the only technician of my level asked to perform duties for the genome sequencing project taking place in the lab. I was required to handle very fragile materials and work long hours. My efforts were recognized with an authorship credit on a professional paper — a copy of which can be provided upon request.

Academic Projects

You may no longer be in school, but all the time and effort you put into receiving your degree(s) shouldn’t be boiled down to just a single line on your resume. If you worked on something you’re particularly proud of or which you think will impress future employers while a student, be sure to list it.

If these are the only external projects you are highlighting, and therefore you won’t have a separate ‘Projects’ section on your resume, we suggest you list academic projects directly underneath the name of the institution where you completed said projects. For example:

Masters in Fine Arts, YALE UNIVERSITY — New Haven, CT (Graduated 2020)

Relevant Coursework: List of Relevant Classes/Coursework/Literature

Academic Projects:

I was commissioned to take the portrait photograph for the incoming Dean of Students, a very high honor considering no student had ever been asked to do so before.

My thesis focused on capturing the beauty of the concrete jungle and was featured in the New Haven Museum of Contemporary Art for their Summer Showcase of 2020.

Freelance Projects

It’s estimated that 43% of full-time workers also have a side hustle, which means almost half of the American working population is taking on paid freelance projects outside of their regular 9-5 job. If you’re among them, you should absolutely find a way to include these projects in your resume. Even if you don’t think they are directly relevant, it will show that you have a good work ethic and are able to multitask.

Note: Both freelance projects and personal projects should be listed underneath their own subheading at the bottom of your resume.

Personal/Charitable

Did you know that 80% of parents who took time off to stay home with their kids reported being somewhat or very concerned about returning to the workforce? It’s likely some of that fear results from having a gap in their resume, but including personal or charitable projects is a really good opportunity to fill that gap. Maybe you volunteer at your children’s school? Coach any sports teams? Get creative and don’t sell yourself short! The skills you pick up in your personal life can be just as valuable as the ones you hone in the workplace.

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Projects on Resume: Boost Your CV by Showing What You Worked On IRL

• Klara Cervenanska , 
• Updated October 20, 2023 9 min read

Including projects on a resume isn't a common practice. Yet, it's a game-changer that can set you apart from the crowd. Why?

It showcases your real-life expertise , offering tangible proof of your skills and capabilities.

But, what are projects on a resume? Projects on a resume is a separate section in your resume where you list any kind of projects you've worked on. These can be academic, personal, work-related, freelance projects, etc.

Including these on a CV highlights your initiative and expertise and gives recruiters a glimpse into your hands-on experience, allowing them to see your capabilities in action, not just as words on paper.

In this article, we go over:

What are projects on a resume?

• What projects to put on a resume?
• How to list projects on a resume?

Plus, we show you examples of a 'projects' resume section ready for you to copy and paste into your own CV.

Table of Contents

Click on a section to skip

Types of projects to show on your resume

How to list projects on a resume, projects on resume examples, formatting tips for a projects resume section, key takeaways: projects on resume.

Projects on a resume is basically like your standard sections on resumes: Education , Work Experience , or Skills . This section acts like a visual portfolio embedded in your CV, detailing the diverse projects you've engaged in.

So, how does this section look? Well, it includes a concise description of each project, outlining your role, the skills applied, and, importantly, a link for the recruiter to see the actual work or results.

Imagine a recruiter clicking through to see your coding project on GitHub or a marketing campaign you designed—impressive, right?

Why include a projects section in your resume?

A projects section on your resume offers insight into your hands-on experience and drive.

Here's why adding a projects section to your resume can benefit you:

• Stand out from the crowd . Not many candidates utilize this section. Including it can differentiate your resume from the stack, making it more memorable and engaging.
• Shows hands-on experience. It’s one thing to list your skills; another thing to show them in action. This section lets your work speak for itself, providing tangible evidence of your capabilities.
• Demonstrates initiative . Listing projects, especially personal or voluntary ones, showcases your motivation, dedication, and proactive nature. It tells employers you don’t just wait for assignments—you seek opportunities to learn and grow.
• Diversifies your profile: Regardless of whether you’re a fresh graduate or a seasoned professional, projects can show a range of skills and experiences, making your profile richer and more versatile.

In essence, a projects resume section serves as proof of your skills and experiences, allowing recruiters a glimpse into your practical expertise. Plus, it adds something a little extra to your resume.

Alternatively, if you already have a great LinkedIn profile with your projects included your can try the easy LinkedIn to resume converter and you'll have your resume ready in no time.

The projects section of your resume can be as diverse as your experiences. The key is to pick projects that best represent your skills, dedication, and expertise in a potential job role.

Here, we dissect some of the most impactful types of projects you might consider including:

1. Personal projects on resume

Personal projects can be incredibly telling. They often arise from passion, self-motivation, and a genuine desire to learn or create.

These projects can be an excellent indicator of your ambition, dedication, and self-learning capabilities.

Personal projects can include (but aren't limited to):

• Personal blog talking about industry trends
• DIY crafts website you started
• App developed during weekends
• Photography portfolio capturing unique perspectives
• E-commerce site you set up and handled

2. Academic projects on resume

For those fresh out of school or even industry professionals, academic projects can show both theoretical understanding and its practical application.

They show your ability to apply classroom learning to real-world scenarios, cooperating with peers, and see an assignment through to completion.

Here are examples of academic projects you can include on your resume:

• Research paper on a critical industry challenge
• Science fair project with a novel idea
• Community initiative led by your university
• Multidisciplinary capstone project
• Simulation model showcasing problem-solving

3. Python projects for resume

With the increasing prominence of Python in diverse fields, showcasing Python projects can be a game-changer for both tech-centric roles and those that lean less technical.

It highlights your proficiency with one of the world's most versatile programming languages and your ability to solve problems using tech.

And, using platforms like GitHub can be an excellent way to provide tangible proof of your code and your commitment to collaborative coding.

Steps to list Python projects on resume:

• Highlight the problem: State the challenge.
• Elaborate on the tools: Mention Python tools or frameworks.
• Use GitHub: Share a link to the repository to showcase the code.
• Impact and results: Summarize the outcomes.

Below are examples of what types of Python projects you can include:

• Data analysis tool using Pandas and Matplotlib.
• Automation script streamlining tasks.
• Web scraper for market insights.
• Customer service chatbot .
• Game using Python's Pygame library.

4. Freelance projects on resume

Freelance work showcases adaptability, entrepreneurship, and the ability to manage client needs.

• A brand strategy crafted for a startup.
• Website design for local businesses.
• Social media campaigns executed for multiple clients.
• Content creation for diverse industries.
• A consulting stint to optimize business processes.

5. Volunteering projects on resume

Volunteering reflects dedication, empathy, and often, leadership and teamwork.

• Organizing community clean-up drives.
• Fundraising campaigns for a local charity.
• Teaching initiatives in underprivileged areas.
• Disaster relief work in affected regions.
• Setting up and running awareness campaigns on social issues.

Remember, the aim is to provide a glimpse into your diverse skill set. Tailor your “Projects” section to resonate with the job you’re applying for, ensuring it’s a testament to your fit for the role.

When it comes to listing projects, there's a choice to make:

A. Do you create a separate section? Or B. Weave them into existing sections? A good rule of thumb? If you have three or more projects , consider creating a separate section.

Both integrating projects into existing sections and creating a separate section have their merits.

Steps to list projects in a separate projects section:

• Choose the right title. Opt for titles like "Projects," "Independent projects," or "Freelance projects" based on your projects' nature.
• Include details. Mention your specific role, the outcomes achieved, and any technologies or tools you've used.
• Quantify. Using numbers like "boosted website traffic by 20%," often means more to recruiters.
• Include URLs. Add a direct link to your project. You can use a hyperlink or provide the full URL. However, be mindful with hyperlinks. Some Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) might strip the hyperlink, leaving only plain text.

Steps to list projects within an existing resume section:

• Integration. Incorporate project details into your Work experience or other relevant sections (e.g., Education).
• Use action verbs . Begin with verbs like "developed," "initiated," or "spearheaded" for added vigor.
• Include URLs. If available online, share links to your project, ensuring potential employers can view your work directly.
• Consistency. Ensure your formatting matches the rest of your resume for a unified look.

Whichever method you opt for, ensure your projects are presented to best highlight your experience and accomplishments.

Sometimes, it's easier to show rather than tell. To provide a clearer outlook, we provide a few examples to get you started with including projects on your resume.

Below is an example of how a separate projects section on a resume might look for someone in the marketing field :

Sometimes, blending projects into your work experience offers a better view of your contributions to a particular role.

Here's an example of how you can seamlessly integrate a significant project within the "Work Experience" section:

Note:  The following resume examples were created using Kickresume's  resume builder .

In the world of resumes, presentation matters as much as content.

A well-formatted projects section can elevate your resume, making it more digestible and engaging for recruiters.

Here are some formatting tips to ensure your projects section shines:

• Use bullet points. Bullet points break up text, making your achievements easier to skim and digest. It also looks tidier and more organized.
• Consistency in formatting. Whether it's the font, size, or layout, ensure it matches the rest of your resume. Consistency signals professionalism.
• Positioning the projects section. If your projects are highly relevant to the job you're applying for, place this section near the top of your resume. But, if they're more extra, position them towards the end.
• Prioritize your projects. Always lead with your most relevant projects. If you developed a game-changing marketing strategy, it should come before that small side project you did 3 years ago.
• Including URLs. When adding URLs to showcase your work, make sure they're neat. You can use hyperlinks, but be careful. Some ATS may strip out hyperlinks, leaving plain text. Always ensure the plain text URL is understandable and doesn't break when the hyperlink is removed.

Remember, the goal is to make your projects section as readable and impressive as possible, guiding the recruiter's eye to your most noteworthy accomplishments.

The job market is as competitive as ever, and standing out is paramount.

One sure way to make your resume stand out is to include projects you've worked on in your CV. It adds a little something extra to your resume and provides a real-life look into your skills.

Create a separate projects section if you have more than 3 relevant projects to showcase. If not, you can include the projects in other resume sections, like the work experience.

Don't forget to give the project a clear name , mention what your role was, what the outcome was, and include a URL .

A projects section can be the x-factor that propels your resume to the top of the pile. It paints a fuller picture of who you are as a professional, not just what you've done, but how you've approached and executed real-world challenges.

FAQ: Projects on resume

A dedicated space on your resume where you showcase the hands-on work you've undertaken. It's not just about what you say you can do; it's about what you've actually achieved.

There's versatility here. From personal passions to academic assignments and from freelance gigs to tech endeavors like Python tasks — each project type tells a story of your dedication and skill.

There are two main paths. Either as a separate section or integrated within existing sections like work experience. A standalone projects section could be the way to go if you've got a hefty list, say three or more substantial projects.

1. It differentiates you from a sea of similar resumes. 2. Offers tangible evidence of your skills in action. 3. Demonstrates initiative and proactiveness. 4. Adds depth and versatility to your professional story.

Klara graduated from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. After having written resumes for many of her fellow students, she began writing full-time for Kickresume. Klara is our go-to person for all things related to student or 'no experience resumes'. At the same time, she has written some of the most popular resume advice articles on this blog. Her pieces were featured in multiple CNBC articles. When she's not writing, you'll probably find her chasing dogs or people-watching while sipping on a cup of coffee.

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Projects on Your Resume: Listing Work and Academic Projects

Including projects on your resume is a great way to highlight your skills and experience. This section will discuss the importance of highlighting projects and skills, the positive impact projects can have on job applications, and how to highlight individual work and team collaboration.

Importance of Highlighting Projects and Skills

When you include your project work on your resume, you are showcasing your ability to take initiative, work independently or collaboratively, and contribute to meaningful projects. Projects completed both in a work or academic setting can demonstrate your ability to solve problems, create solutions, and demonstrate your subject matter expertise.

Employers are looking for candidates who can make a positive impact on the organization, and projects provide evidence of your ability to do so. By highlighting projects and skills, you can show potential employers that you have a track record of delivering quality work and generating meaningful insights.

How Projects Can Positively Impact Job Applications

Including projects on your resume can help you stand out from other applicants. In particular, if you have completed projects that are relevant to the job you are applying for, you can demonstrate that you have the specific experience and knowledge needed to excel in that role.

Additionally, projects can also indicate your work ethic, attention to detail, and willingness to take on new challenges. All of these attributes are highly valued by employers, and highlighting them on your resume can make you a stronger candidate in the hiring process.

Highlighting Individual Work and Team Collaboration

When highlighting projects on your resume, it is important to provide details about your individual contributions as well as your team collaboration. This can involve listing specific tasks you completed, detailing any challenges you faced and how you overcame them, and highlighting any specific skills you developed as a result of the project.

You should also describe how you worked with others on the project, providing examples of how you contributed to the overall success of the team. This can include detailing your team leadership skills, your ability to collaborate effectively, and your willingness to take on additional responsibilities to ensure the project’s success.

Listing your projects on your resume can add significant value to your job applications. By showcasing your skills, experience, and ability to work both independently and as part of a team, you can demonstrate to potential employers that you are a strong candidate for the role.

Identifying Relevant Projects

When it comes to crafting a winning resume, including the right projects can make all the difference. But how do you know which ones deserve a spot on your CV? Here are some tips for identifying the most relevant projects to showcase your skills and impress potential employers.

Identifying the Right Projects for Inclusion in Your Resume

First things first, it’s important to know which projects to include on your resume. Not every project you’ve worked on may be relevant to the position you’re applying for. To determine which projects to include, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does this project align with the requirements of the job I’m applying for?
• Did I contribute significantly to the project’s success?
• Does this project showcase skills that are relevant to the job?

By answering these questions, you can narrow down the projects that are most relevant to the position and highlight your strengths.

Differentiating Between Work and Academic Projects

It’s also important to understand the differences between work and academic projects. Work projects typically involve real-world problems, specific goals, and deadlines, while academic projects focus on theoretical concepts and often have more open-ended outcomes.

When including academic projects on your resume, focus on the skills and knowledge gained rather than the project itself. For example, if you worked on a research project, emphasize the research skills and analytical abilities you gained rather than the particulars of the project.

Identifying the Most Impressive Projects

Finally, once you’ve narrowed down your project list, it’s time to identify the most impressive ones. These are the projects that demonstrate your expertise, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. To identify these projects, consider the following:

• Projects with notable outcomes or achievements
• Projects that required innovative solutions or unique approaches
• Projects with clear metrics that demonstrate success

By highlighting these impressive projects on your resume, you’ll be able to stand out from the competition and showcase your potential as an employee.

Identifying the most relevant projects to include on your resume requires careful consideration of the position, your skills, and the projects themselves. By following these tips, you’ll be able to craft a winning resume that showcases your achievements and makes you a top candidate for the job.

Types of Projects to Include on Resume

When listing projects on your resume, it’s important to understand the different types of projects that can be included. These include academic projects, work-related projects, and personal projects. In this section, we’ll discuss each type and how to select the most relevant projects for your career.

Understanding Different Types of Projects

Academic projects refer to projects completed during your studies. These can be individual or group projects and can include research papers, case studies, presentations, or capstone projects. Academic projects demonstrate your ability to apply the knowledge and skills you’ve gained in your studies to real-world problems.

Work-related projects include any projects completed during your employment, such as product launches, marketing campaigns, process improvements, or software development projects. Work-related projects demonstrate your ability to work in a team and deliver results in a professional setting.

Personal projects refer to projects you complete outside of work or school, such as volunteer work, blog writing, or creating a website. These projects demonstrate your personal interests and skills.

Selecting the Most Relevant Projects for Your Career

When selecting projects to include on your resume, it’s important to choose projects that are relevant to your career goals. For example, if you are applying for a job as a software developer, you should list work-related or academic projects related to software development or computer science.

It’s also important to choose projects that demonstrate your unique skills and strengths. For example, if you are an excellent communicator, you could include a project that required strong communication skills or involved leading a team.

Using Examples to Showcase Projects Effectively

When listing projects on your resume, make sure to provide specific examples of your accomplishments and contributions. For example, instead of simply stating that you worked on a team project, provide details on your role in the project and the results achieved.

Additionally, make sure to quantify your achievements whenever possible. For example, you could mention how the project you worked on resulted in increased sales, improved customer satisfaction, or cost savings for your company.

By understanding the different types of projects and selecting the most relevant ones for your career, you can effectively showcase your skills and accomplishments on your resume.

How to List Projects on Resume

When it comes to listing projects on your resume, proper formatting and clear organization are crucial. A well-structured project section can showcase the depth of your experience and expertise and help you stand out from other applicants. In this section, we will discuss the different sections to include and how to give enough details to showcase the depth of the project.

Proper Formatting and Organization

The first step in listing projects on your resume is to ensure proper formatting and organization. This includes using bullet points to make your information easy to read, using clear headings and sections to highlight different projects, and ensuring consistency in font and formatting.

When listing your projects, consider breaking them down into sub-headings, such as Work Projects, Academic Projects, or Volunteer Projects. This can help to give context to the reader and make it clear what type of experience you have in each area.

Explanation of the Different Sections to Include

The following sections should be included in your project section:

Project Title: This should be the name of the project you worked on.

Description: In a few sentences, describe the project, your role, and your contributions. Be sure to highlight the skills you used and the results you achieved.

Date: Include the month and year of your involvement in the project.

Skill Keywords: Include keywords that are relevant to the skills you utilized in the project. This can include technical skills, such as programming languages, or soft skills, such as communication or leadership.

Results and Achievements: Where possible, include specific results or achievements from the project. This could be a successful launch, a positive feedback from superiors or increased engagement numbers.

Giving Enough Details to Showcase the Depth of the Project

When listing your projects, be sure to give enough details to showcase the depth of your experience. This can include the size of the team you worked with, the budget of the project, and any challenges you faced and overcame. Additionally, highlighting the specific skills you utilized and the results you achieved can help to demonstrate your expertise.

However, be careful not to insert too much detail. As a rule of thumb, your project descriptions should be no more than 3-4 bullet points. Keep your information clear, concise, and relevant.

When listing projects on your resume, proper formatting and organization are key. Include the project title, description, date, skill keywords, and achievements. Be specific in the details provided, but avoid overloading with unnecessary information. With these tips, you can create a clear and concise project section that showcases your expertise and experience to potential employers.

Tips for Describing Projects on Resume

When it comes to showcasing your work and academic projects on your resume, clear and concise descriptions are key. Here are some tips to help you effectively describe your projects:

Writing Clear Descriptions

Make sure your descriptions are easy to understand and free of technical jargon. Use simple language to explain what the project entailed and what you achieved. Consider including the problem you solved, the approach you took, and the outcome of the project.

Defining Your Role within the Project

It’s important to clearly define your role within the project. Did you lead the project or were you a team member? What were your specific responsibilities? This will give potential employers a better understanding of your skills and expertise.

Showcasing the Size and Scope of a Project

Use numbers and data to showcase the size and scope of the project. This could include things like the budget, the number of people involved, or the timeline of the project. Also, consider including any awards or notable recognitions the project received.

When describing your projects on your resume, be sure to focus on the impact and results you achieved. By outlining your specific contributions and showcasing the size and scope of the project, you can make a strong case for your experience and expertise.

Example: Listing Work Projects

When it comes to showcasing your experience on a resume, listing your work projects can be an effective way to demonstrate your skills, responsibilities, and accomplishments. This section will provide examples of project descriptions that can help you tailor your own resume to highlight your unique experience.

Each example project description should focus on the core skills you utilized during the project, the responsibilities you had, and any achievements or accomplishments that resulted from your work. By demonstrating your value through these descriptions, you can effectively communicate your potential to future employers.

Including relevant work projects on your resume can also help you stand out from other candidates. In today’s competitive job market, it’s important to show that you have real-world experience and have successfully tackled complex tasks related to your job or industry. Listing specific projects shows that you have a deep understanding of your current role and the skills necessary to excel in it.

When selecting which projects to include on your resume, consider the significance of each project. Did it have a measurable impact on your company, industry, or community? Did you play a key role in the project’s success? If so, be sure to highlight your contribution and the results of your efforts.

Including work projects on your resume can give you a significant edge over other candidates. By showcasing your skills, responsibilities, and accomplishments, you demonstrate that you are a valuable asset to any organization. So, take the time to carefully select and highlight your most important projects and watch as potential employers take notice of your experience and potential.

Example: Listing Academic Projects

This section is dedicated to showcasing examples of academic project descriptions that effectively highlight skills, knowledge, and academic accomplishments.

When it comes to crafting a compelling resume, it’s important to include relevant projects that showcase your abilities and achievements. Academic projects offer a unique opportunity to showcase your expertise in a particular area and demonstrate your commitment to your field of study.

Academic projects can range from research papers and case studies to group projects and presentations. When listing these projects on your resume, it’s important to highlight the skills and knowledge that you gained while completing them. This could include things like critical thinking, problem-solving, research, writing, presentation, and teamwork skills.

Including academic projects on your resume can also demonstrate your commitment to your field of study and your desire to continue learning and growing in your profession. It can show potential employers that you are dedicated to your craft and that you have a deep understanding of the subject matter.

Including academic projects on your resume can help you stand out from other candidates and demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and commitment to your field. When listing your academic projects, be sure to focus on the skills and knowledge that you gained from them and explain how they are relevant to the position or field that you’re applying to.

Including Non-Project Experience

When it comes to listing projects on your resume, it’s important to understand how to balance non-project experience with project experience. Non-project experience can include part-time jobs, internships, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and personal projects.

While project experience can demonstrate your skills in a specific field, non-project experience can showcase your transferable skills, such as communication, leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork.

To highlight your transferable skills, it’s essential to provide a brief description of your non-project experience on your resume. For example, instead of simply writing “Cashier at ABC Store,” you could write “Provided excellent customer service, handled cash and credit card transactions, and trained new employees.” This way, you’re not just listing your job title, you’re demonstrating the skills you gained from the job.

Another way to use non-project experience on your resume is to support your project descriptions. For example, if you completed a project that required you to work with a team, you could mention your experience as a team captain in your college club. Or, if you developed a website for a project, you could mention your experience in freelance web design.

Including non-project experience on your resume can be advantageous in showcasing your transferable skills and supporting your project descriptions. Remember to balance your non-project and project experience appropriately and demonstrate the skills you gained from each experience.

Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid

When it comes to your resume, showcasing your projects can be a great way to highlight your skills and experience. However, there are some common mistakes to avoid when listing your projects. Here are some tips to help you avoid pitfalls and strengthen your project descriptions:

Discussion of common mistakes when listing projects

Failing to provide context: When listing your projects, it’s important to provide context for each one. This includes explaining your role in the project, the goals and objectives, and the outcomes achieved. Without this information, your project descriptions may be unclear and unimpressive.

Being too vague: Don’t be afraid to get into the details of your projects. Give concrete examples of the work you did and the impact it had. Vague project descriptions can be a turn-off for potential employers.

Focusing only on technical skills: While technical skills are important, remember that your projects also demonstrate your teamwork, communication, and problem-solving abilities. Make sure your descriptions highlight these important soft skills as well.

Avoiding common traps and pitfalls

Listing irrelevant projects: When deciding which projects to include on your resume, make sure they are relevant to the job you are applying for. Listing too many or irrelevant projects can be overwhelming for the reader and detract from your more important experiences.

Only including completed projects: If you have projects that are still in progress, don’t be afraid to list them. Showcasing your ability to manage ongoing projects can be an impressive quality to potential employers.

Not showcasing your unique contributions: Make sure your project descriptions highlight your specific contributions and achievements. This can help differentiate you from other candidates with similar project experience.

Pointers for strengthening your project descriptions

Use action verbs: Start your project descriptions with strong action verbs to emphasize your accomplishments. Words like “managed,” “developed,” and “implemented” can convey a sense of leadership and accomplishment.

Quantify your results: Whenever possible, include specific metrics to quantify the results of your projects. This can help demonstrate the impact of your work in a concrete way.

Keep it concise: While it’s important to provide details about your projects, make sure your descriptions are still concise and easy to read. Stick to the most important information and avoid rambling or unnecessary details.

By avoiding common resume mistakes and strengthening your project descriptions, you can make your resume an impressive representation of your experience and skills. Use these tips to showcase your project work and stand out from other candidates.

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More from ResumeHead

How to Make Projects on a Resume Look Good (Including Examples)

Whether you’re applying for your first job or seeking a new challenge in your career, there are different types of projects to list that can fit into your application.

Projects on a resume are a good way to highlight relevant soft skills and hard skills. It’s not an essential resume section but it definitely helps prove that you’re qualified for the job even without having years of experience under your belt. 

4 Types of Projects to Put on Your Resume 

There are 4 main types of projects to put on a resume . Each of these is effective for showcasing your skills as well as traits or qualities that companies may want to see such as a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. 

Academic Projects

Academic projects are tasks undertaken by students or researchers as part of their course. This type of project typically involves the application of theoretical knowledge to realistic scenarios.

Here are some examples:

• Dissertations: This is a research project that’s completed by students to achieve their bachelor’s degree. 
• Case studies: You may have had to research a specific scenario and write a detailed report about it.
• Group presentations: Part of your course could involve working as a group to deliver a presentation on a particular topic. 
• Scientific experiments: Those who are doing a STEM degree may have had to create and test hypotheses to answer questions requiring deep subject knowledge. 
• Study abroad programs: You may have managed to secure the opportunity at university to study and work abroad.
• Design projects: Students in engineering or design-related majors may have had to create a product prototype using a sample client brief. 

Freelance Projects

Freelancing is when a company hires you for a particular job as an independent contractor rather than an employee. However, this could also go in the professional experience section, which might be the better option especially when you have no direct work experience . 

Here’s a few examples:

• Freelance web designers – designing websites for individuals or businesses.
• Freelance writers – writing blog posts and social media content for companies. 
• Freelance video editor – editing YouTube and TikTok videos for content creators. 

Personal Projects

These are projects that you undertake in your free time. They’re also often referred to as passion projects because they’re purely motivated by your own interests and personal goals. 

• Learning a new language
• Building a website or app
• Volunteering
• Writing a book or starting a blog 

Work Projects 

Work projects are specific assignments or tasks that you completed during your employment at a previous company. 

For example, let’s say that you worked as a marketing assistant for a software company. 

Your manager assigns you to develop a social media marketing campaign for the company’s latest product release. Now although this can be mentioned in the work experience section, having a separate resume section allows you to elaborate on this project in more detail. 

A Note on Confidential Projects

A confidential project is one that includes sensitive data about a company. For example, you might’ve worked on a project related to future business expansion plans. In these cases, double-check the signed work agreements. 

But if you’re unsure, the safer option is to leave it out.

Where to List Projects on a Resume 

Work experience section.

Mention the project you carried out alongside what you achieved in the work history section . It’s no different than how you would normally write about your previous job position except you’re framing the project as an achievement. 

In short, here’s how to write about projects in the work experience section:

• Describe your project responsibilities
• Highlight the outcome of the project as a result of your own efforts

Now here’s some example bullet points:

• Managed a budget of $10,000 and ensured that the digital marketing project was delivered on time and within budget.
• Led the CRM project by overseeing the vendor selection process and organizing system implementation.

Additional Resume Section

An additional resume section could be:

• Extracurricular activities
• Involvement

See the example below. 

The heading could also be specified depending on the type of project you’re writing about. See an example of this below. 

Projects Resume Section

Lastly, another option is to create a resume section dedicated to listing and describing relevant projects. The header of this section should be “projects”. 

How to List Projects on Resume and Make Them Look Good

We’ll show you step-by-step how to create a resume projects section. 

We’ll also go through how to describe each project in a way that makes you look good by emphasizing your skills. 

Note: If you’d like to follow this process as we’re going through it, sign up here for free . You won’t be asked for any card details – simply enter your email and create a password to get started! 

1. Outline the Resume Section Format 

Start by considering the resume section format . This means taking into account the following details: 

• Resume font
• Horizontal lines
• All caps text

In other words, outline how you’re going to structure the projects section of your resume.

2. Enter the Resume Section Header

The header of your coursework section should either be “coursework” or “relevant coursework.” 

Use bold text for the resume section header so that it’s easy to find for the hiring manager. Feel free to also add a bold horizontal line to make this stand out.

See the examples below. 

3. Enter the Subheaders 

Include the following details as subheaders:

• Project name
• Organization
• Start and end date of project

This is how it looks from inside Rezi’s resume builder:

4. Describe Your Responsibilities

Inside Rezi’s resume builder in the projects section, the last box is where you write bullet points describing what you did. 

Now, there’s a few things to keep in mind to write bullet points about your projects in a way that impress hiring managers.

Start Your Sentences With Clear Verbs

Weak verbs are vague and overused. In contrast, strong verbs are specific. They make your contributions and actions clear, which highlights the impact that you’ve made. 

Examples of good verbs include:

• Accelerated
• Transformed

Examples of generic verbs include:

Highlight Your Achievements 

The first half of your bullet point is where you describe a responsibility. The other half is where you highlight the outcome that was achieved because of how well you carried out that responsibility.  

Now imagine that the project you’re writing about was the development of a new software app. 

Here’s some example bullet points to highlight your achievements: 

• Led a team of 5 developers and managed project timelines and budgets.
• Utilized Agile project management methodology to improve project efficiency by 30%.

On the other hand, you could highlight relevant skills that you learned or developed by writing bullet points such as:

• Developed strong communication skills by working with cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated strong leadership skills by motivating and coaching team members.

Use Numbers and Jargon Naturally

Let’s refer to the software developer resume example that helped one of our users secure a job interview with HubSpot. 

The key takeaway? Use technical language naturally and be as specific as you can when describing your responsibilities by using numbers. Jargon is generally okay as long as you’re not rinsing out buzzwords throughout your application or forcing them in bullet points where it doesn’t flow well.  

Tailor It to the Job Description

Match the company’s job description to position yourself as an ideal candidate with relevant experience. 

• Use resume keywords  
• Include projects that are closely similar to the responsibilities of the job position
• Embed the company’s values and terminology in a bullet point or two
• Showcase desirable skills and traits that were listed on the job ad

1 Bullet Point Can Be Enough

A single bullet point can be more than enough like the robotics engineer resume sample below.

Here’s a few reasons why you might only need one bullet point:

• Emphasis: a single bullet point makes what you’ve written stand out.
• Space: to give space to other sections that are more important while maintaining a one-page resume .
• Unnecessary: the other bullet points that you might write about the project aren’t as relevant. 

Use Rezi’s AI Resume Writer

You probably might’ve noticed that there’s a “generate bullet” button inside our resume builder for the projects section. After entering your project title, click this button to use our AI writer to draft bullet points for you based on the best resume writing practices. 

Then, either add it to your resume by clicking “apply suggestion” or click “AI writer generate” to try again. 

Watch the short clip below to see how our AI writer works.

5. Get Feedback Using the Content Analysis Feature 

The final step is to head over to the “finish up” tab where you can see the entire resume you created so far with Rezi.

Select “explore my rezi score.”

This resume checker tool gives you content and format suggestions to improve your application. Feel free to make adjustments based on the feedback provided. 

When to Include Projects On Your Resume

The goal of showcasing past projects is to highlight transferable skills to hiring managers. That said, there are 4 ideal scenarios for when to list your projects on a resume. 

It’s Directly Related to the Job Responsibilities

Let’s say you’re applying for an entry-level web developer job position. 

A personal project you might’ve worked on in your spare time was building a website purely with HTML. This would be worth mentioning on your resume because it shows that you have hands-on experience with a primary task.

You Have Little to No Work Experience in the Role 

Projects are good to include especially when:

• You’re a recent college graduate applying for entry-level roles 
• You’re writing an internship resume
• You’re making a significant career change 

Although you may not have experience in the field, listing projects helps highlight that you’re still a good match for the job. 

To Replace Outdated Work Experience

Writing about a recent project that showcases relevant skills is more impressive than an irrelevant job title from more than 5 or 10 years ago. In other words, use projects to replace outdated information. 

Here’s a good example below from the product marketing manager resume . 

You Have Employment Gaps

Employment gaps raise questions. Still, reassure recruiters that you’ve still got it. Reinforce your track record and prove that your skills haven't collected dust by describing the projects that you’ve been working on. 

When to Not Include Projects on a Resume 

These are common mistakes . If you find yourself in any of these situations, refrain from using a projects section. 

You Have More Direct Work Experience to List

Employers are usually more interested in reviewing your professional work history than past projects. So if you had a previous job that’s directly related to the role you’re applying for, it’s worth including this on your resume instead of a project. 

You Already Have 3 Projects Listed

Having too many projects strips away the focus from your actual work experience. This may not leave the best first impression, especially when applying for roles that require at least 2 years of experience. 

The only time this doesn’t apply is when you’re applying for an internship role or entry-level job . 

The Projects Are Outdated

Projects are outdated when they go as far back on your background as 10+ years ago. Although it could highlight passion and work ethic, it wouldn’t be as effective compared to describing a project completed a few months ago. 

If you decide you still want to mention the project, there are 2 alternatives:

• Bring it up on your cover letter instead of your resume
• Omit the dates 

3 Resume Examples With Well-Written Projects

Don’t see your job title listed below? No worries, you'll probably find it in our ATS library of 300+ free resume templates . 

Creative Producer Resume

Project Manager Resume

Software Engineer Intern Resume

Either create a dedicated projects section or mention it in another relevant resume section. 

When you’re writing about paid projects, consider listing them in the work experience section instead. And if you have too many projects to put on a resume, include a portfolio or website link. 

Astley Cervania

Astley Cervania is a career writer and editor who has helped hundreds of thousands of job seekers build resumes and cover letters that land interviews. He is a Rezi-acknowledged expert in the field of career advice and has been delivering job success insights for 4+ years, helping readers translate their work background into a compelling job application.

Projects In Resumes: Where Do They Belong? (And How to Make Them Shine)

3 key takeaways

• Why including projects in resume sections is important
• How to use the Teal AI Resume Builder to list projects on a resume
• Inspirational examples of projects on a resume across a variety of professional scenarios

They highlight your skills, showcase your impact, and elevate your professional profile. But where do you include projects in a resume to have the most impact in a way that differentiates you and impresses prospective employers?

Whether you're a freelancer with a diverse portfolio , a professional aiming to showcase your accomplishments, a recent graduate with academic projects, or someone looking to make a career change, effectively showcasing your project experience can distinguish you in a way that helps drive your career.

Why including projects on your resume can make a difference

Including relevant projects on your resume can significantly impact how hiring managers or recruiters view your qualifications. If you're wondering how to write experience on a resume , projects are a fantastic way showcase your skills, creativity, initiative, and problem-solving abilities. And they offer tangible evidence of everything you're capable of while adding depth to your resume beyond traditional work or educational experience.

What kinds of projects should you put on a resume?

• Academic projects demonstrate your ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations.
• Personal projects reflect your passion, self-motivation, and dedication.
• Team projects highlight your collaboration, communication, and teamwork skills.
• Freelance projects reveal your entrepreneurial spirit, client management skills, and ability to deliver results independently.
• Volunteer projects emphasize your commitment to community service, teamwork, and social causes.
• Leadership projects reveal your ability to take charge, inspire others, and drive successful outcomes.

And while most projects contribute to growth through the lessons or skills you’ve learned, the key to including projects in a resume is choosing ones relevant to the job description or industry you're targeting.

Choosing the right projects ensures that those you list resonate with the hiring manager, showcasing your expertise in a way that directly relates to the position you're applying for.

When should you include projects on your resume?

Deciding whether to include projects on your resume largely depends on your professional circumstances and the specific job you're applying for. 

So, which professional scenarios would benefit from the impact projects offer? 

When you're a freelancer or contract worker

Projects are often a primary form of work for freelancers or contractors. And, if you’ve found yourself in this professional realm, you should prominently showcase them as resume accomplishments within your “Work Experience” section. Think of creating your work experience as a more project-based resume section instead. (Just remember to be mindful of any non-disclosure agreements you may have signed before listing any client-identifying information.)

For example, imagine you're a freelance web designer who completed a website revamp for a client in coffee distribution. In this case, you didn't sign a non-disclosure agreement, so you're free to use their name, metrics, and more. Here's how you would highlight the project on your resume:

Website Redesign: Bigbie Coffee

• Created visually appealing and user-friendly website interface featuring responsive design, intuitive navigation, and enhanced branding.
• Received positive client feedback on new website's aesthetics, functionality, and improved user experience.
• Resulted in a 30% increase in website traffic within the first month of the redesign implementation
• Redesign resulted in a 20% increase in online orders and a 15% rise in average transaction value.

When you're a student or recent graduate

Especially if you're a student or recent graduate creating a resume with limited professional experience, showcasing academic projects in a resume can serve as valuable evidence of your skills, knowledge, and initiative—positioning you as a qualified and capable candidate.

For instance, if you've recently graduated college with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, a resume project could look like this:  

Senior CS-450 Software Development Project

• Developed a comprehensive task management application utilizing Java and JavaScript, allowing users to create, assign, and track tasks, set deadlines, and collaborate with team members seamlessly.
• Received an outstanding grade of 99% for the project—showcasing excellence in software design, implementation, and functionality.
• Received positive feedback from both professors and classmates on the application's intuitive user interface, robust functionality, and efficient task management capabilities.

When you're changing careers 

Transferable skills are the bread and butter of any career changer's resume. They highlight valuable abilities, demonstrate soft skills, and convey knowledge you've acquired that applies to other careers, industries, or professional spaces.

As a career changer, key projects demonstrate transferable skills and showcase your passion and knowledge for the target industry or field you are transitioning into.

Let's say you're shifting from financial services to sales. In that case, showcasing a leadership project, like spearheading a cross-functional team to implement a CRM system that resulted in improved sales processes, streamlined communication, and increased client retention rates, would be applicable. This is because the leadership skills, communication, and problem-solving skills demonstrated in this project are highly transferable to sales. 

So how could that look as a project in a resume? 

CRM Implementation for Enhanced Sales Processes and Client Retention

• Led a team of 10 in successfully implementing a CRM system within the financial services department.
• Facilitated cross-functional collaboration between sales, marketing, and IT teams, ensuring smooth adoption and integration within seven business days.
• CRM implementation resulted in a 25% improvement in efficiency, reduced manual effort, and enabled teams to focus on client interactions, leading to a 15% increase in client retention rates within six months.

When you don’t have much relevant work experience

If you're trying to create a resume with no work experience or have minimal relevant experience, personal projects can help demonstrate ability, initiative, and dedication. 

Imagine you've been out of the workforce for some time. What personal projects might be relevant if you're applying for a job role in software marketing? Volunteering for a school PTO, organizing a fundraising campaign, maintaining a personal blog or website, or creating social media campaigns for various causes are all valuable and relevant in marketing.

 So how can you add one of those examples as a project description in a resume?

Culinary Lifestyle Blog: Gourmet Delights

• Successfully maintained and curated a culinary lifestyle blog, "Gourmet Delights," for four years, focusing on exploring unique flavors, recipes, and culinary experiences.
• Increased website traffic year over year, achieving a remarkable 200x growth in monthly page views and engagement YoY through effective content creation and promotion strategies.
• Recognized for consistent updating and high-quality content, leading to partnerships with renowned brands and selection for paid advertisements, establishing the blog as a trusted resource within the culinary community.

When you’re applying for project-based roles

If you're applying for a project-based role such as project manager, coordinator, or administrator, showcasing the skills you've developed by completing various projects demonstrates competence and experience. 

As a resume project, this could look something like the following: 

Software Implementation - StreamlineX

• Led the successful implementation of the StreamlineX software solution, overseeing a team of 10 developers, coordinating activities, and ensuring timely delivery.
• Met all project deadlines with 100% on-time delivery, effectively managing project milestones and dependencies.
• Completed the project within the allocated budget, achieving a cost savings of 15% by optimizing resources and streamlining processes.
• Improved overall efficiency by 20%, as measured by reduced processing time and increased productivity, resulting in a 30% decrease in customer support inquiries

Strategies for listing projects on your resume

Listing projects throughout different sections of your resume can be done strategically in a way that highlights your accomplishments and demonstrates relevant skills in an easily digestible format. 

Showcasing projects in a dedicated “Project” section

If your relevant experience is the sum of multiple projects, it might be worth adding a separate "Projects" section to your resume. 

Formatted the same way you would a comprehensive "Work Experience" section, a "Projects" section would include:

• Name of the project 
• The organization you were with while completing that project
• Dates started and completed
• The scope (for example, the size of the team, project duration, or budget)
• Any feedback received 
• Measurable results 

Including projects in your "Work Experience" section

When including projects that were part of your work experience, provide clear details of the project's scope, your role, and the outcomes achieved. Think of them as one part of your resume job description .

Be sure to use bullet points to showcase your contributions, skills utilized, and quantifiable achievements. 

As work experience, a project would look something like this:

Incorporating projects in your “Education” section

Incorporating academic projects within your "Education" section is valuable if you're a student or recent grad with limited work experience. As a bonus, leveraging this approach can be particularly beneficial when the school projects align closely with the skills and qualifications a prospective employer is looking for.

Highlighting projects in your professional summary

Your professional summary or the "About Me" section on a resume offers a high-level overview of your most impressive achievements.

If you have a standout project that showcases your technical skills, expertise, and accomplishments, including it in this section as an attention grabber can significantly enhance your resume's impact and pique the interest of hiring managers.

How to Use the Teal Resume Builder to showcase projects on your resume

Using the free Teal AI Resume Builder , you can quickly and easily incorporate past projects anywhere in your “Professional Summary,” “Work Experience,” or "Education" section.

Teal is more effective than trying to manipulate resume templates or create a resume from scratch because all the tools you need to put your resume together cohesively and professionally are in one place.

Note: Start with steps one and two, then follow the instructions for the specific section you want to add projects on your resume to. Be sure to click "Save" after Step 4.

Step 1: If you haven't yet, sign up for Teal . Or simply log in to your account. 

Step 2: Navigate to the Resume Builder icon in the left panel. Then, select the resume you want to add projects to or click the "New Resume" button at the top right. 

Listing Projects in Teal's "Project" section

Step 3: To list projects in Teal's "Project" section, scroll to "Projects."

Step 4: From here, click "Add Project" to include the project name, organization, start and end date, and any important details.

Incorporating a project in your professional summary

Step 3: To highlight a project as part of your professional summary, scroll to the "Professional Summaries" section. 

Step 4: From here, you can click "Add Professional Summary" to create one from scratch. Or, click the "Edit Professional Summary" pencil icon to incorporate a project into an existing summary.

Adding a project as work experience

Step 3: To highlight a project as part of your work experience, scroll to the "Work Experience" section. 

Step 4: From here, click "Add Work Experience" and complete the details followed by "Add an achievement." Or just click "Add an Achievement" to incorporate a project into existing work experience. You can also use Teal's generative AI to create an achievement with the click of a button. Then incorporate a specific project metric you want to highlight, and you're set!

Including a project in education

Step 3: To add a project or group of academic projects to your "Education" section, scroll to "Education."

Step 4: Then click "Add Education." Under the details, scroll to "Additional Information." Add your projects here.

Dos and don'ts for including projects on your resume

Now that you know how to add projects to your resume, let's talk about some best practices for incorporating them in an effective, compelling, and impactful way. 

Resume project dos

1. Choose relevant projects:  Recruiters and hiring managers seek specific skills that align with the role they want to fill. List projects relevant to the role you're applying for can help you stand out as a qualified candidate whose experience aligns with the job requirements.

2. Showcase your role in the project:  Were you collaborating with a large group? Leading a team? Exclusively responsible for the project's outcome? Clearly defining your role can offer prospective employers an idea of your abilities, responsibilities, and team interaction skills.

3. Include quantifiable achievements:  Showcasing numbers, metrics, and data whenever possible provides a tangible understanding of the impact of your work. 

4. Use action verbs:  Action verbs and keywords from the job description draw attention to your skills and experiences by conveying a powerful sense of movement.

5. Tailor the project descriptions for each job application:  Using keywords and language from the job description not only shows that your qualifications align with a specific role but also conveys your understanding of the role's requirements.

Pro Tip:  The Teal Job Application Tracker pulls keywords and other important language from the job description to help you tailor your resume for every role. 

Resume project don'ts

1. Don't overload your resume with projects:  Listing projects on a resume can be exciting! After all, you're proud of all you've accomplished. But unless you have limited or no work experience, don't include too many projects. It's best to include only those most relevant projects or impressive projects in addition to other achievements and impact.

2. Don't be vague:  Using specific details about your role, the project's objective, and the outcome can give recruiters or hiring managers a clear understanding of your key skills and abilities.

3. Don't forget to mention the team size:  If the project was a team effort, include the team size to offer insight into the work environment you're accustomed to. 

4. Don't neglect the job-specific skills used or gained:  Skills are often part of the keywords from a job description, and incorporating them into your projects helps showcase your alignment with the role.

5. Don't skip proofreading:  Show your attention to detail by proofreading your projects (and entire resume!) for spelling and grammar mistakes. 

Inspiring examples of projects listed on resumes

Highlighting impactful projects on your resume can show employers your capabilities, creativity, and motivation. Check out some inspiring examples below.

Academic projects for fresh graduates and entry-level applicants

Example 1: Computer Science capstone project: "Intelligent Chatbot for Customer Support" 

• Developed an intelligent chatbot using natural language processing algorithms to assist customers with common inquiries, resulting in a 30% reduction in customer support ticket volume.
• Received an A grade for the project, showcasing strong problem-solving skills, proficiency in Python programming, and effective communication with team members and stakeholders.

Example 2: Marketing course campaign project: "Brand Revive: Reimagining the Consumer Experience"

• Designed and implemented a comprehensive marketing campaign targeting Gen Z consumers, resulting in a 20% increase in brand engagement on social media platforms and a 15% boost in website traffic.
• Demonstrated exceptional creativity and strategic thinking, effectively utilizing digital marketing tools such as social media management, content creation, and data analytics.
• Received positive feedback from professor, who commended my ability to integrate consumer insights into the campaign and generate measurable results through a well-executed teamwork approach.

Work projects as achievements for professionals in project-rich industries

Example 3: Software development project achievement

• Led a team of 12 developers in successfully creating and implementing an automated inventory management system, resulting in a 40% reduction in stock discrepancies and a 30% increase in overall operational efficiency. Using project management expertise, implemented Agile methodologies, coordinated project timelines, and ensured seamless collaboration among team members to deliver implementation on time and within budget.

Example 4: Social media campaign project achievement

• Using data analysis, identified audience preferences, and optimized content strategy, designed and executed a social media campaign targeting millennial consumers, resulting in a 50% increase in brand followers across various platforms, a 25% boost in organic reach, and a 10% rise in conversion rates.

Work experience resume projects for freelancers or contract workers

Example 5: Brand redesign project - freelance graphic designer

• Client: Confidential, January 2022 - March 2022
• Successfully completed brand redesign project for client—a leading global company in the manufacturing industry—to enhance their visual identity and market positioning.
• Developed a comprehensive brand strategy, including logo redesign, color palette selection, and brand guidelines, resulting in a 20% increase in brand recognition and a 15% growth in customer engagement.
• Respected all non-disclosure agreements and maintained strict client confidentiality.

Example 6: New product launch - contract-based project manager

• Client: CuttingEdge Video, Project Duration: May 2021 - December 2021
• Title: Launch Operations Lead 
• Led a cross-functional team of 20 members to successfully launch CuttingEdge's new video automation product, exceeding revenue targets by 25% and achieving a 90% customer satisfaction rating.
• Oversaw project planning, resource allocation, and risk management, ensuring seamless execution and adherence to timelines.
• Received commendation from CEO, COO, and VP for effective stakeholder management, problem-solving skills, and the ability to deliver high-quality results within a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Professional summary projects for career changers

Example 7: Former teacher transitioning to corporate training 

Formerly a dedicated teacher with 15+ years of experience, I'm transitioning into a corporate training role, leveraging my expertise in curriculum development. I've successfully designed and implemented an innovative training program, significantly improving employee performance and knowledge retention by 20%. My proficiency in instructional design, needs assessment, and adult learning principles allows me to deliver engaging and impactful training sessions.

Example 8: Former salesperson transitioning to project management 

With 9 years in SaaS sales, I'm now transitioning into a project management role, showcasing my ability to drive successful product launches. I've led cross-functional teams in executing a highly successful Stock Forecasting product launch, resulting in a remarkable 30% increase in sales revenue within the first quarter. My strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and experience in developing effective marketing strategies contribute to the seamless execution of projects and achieving exceptional market penetration.

"Project" section examples for professionals returning to work

Example 9: Volunteer project for a professional returning to work after a sabbatical

• Project Title: Fundraising Campaign for Local Non-Profit Organization
• During my career sabbatical, I dedicated my time and skills to spearheading a successful fundraising campaign for a local non-profit organization focused on children's education.
• Utilized my expertise in marketing and event management to develop and execute a comprehensive campaign strategy, resulting in a 50% increase in funds raised compared to the previous year.
• Demonstrated strong leadership and project management skills by coordinating a team of volunteers, fostering community partnerships, and effectively leveraging digital platforms for campaign promotion.

Example 10: Personal Project for a professional returning to work after COVID-19 layoffs

• Project Title: Website Development for Freelance Portfolio
• During my unemployment period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, I undertook a personal project to develop a professional website showcasing my skills and portfolio as a graphic designer.
• Designed and implemented a visually appealing and user-friendly website, highlighting my expertise in web design, branding, and digital marketing.
• Demonstrated adaptability and self-motivation by continuously updating and expanding the website to reflect new projects and industry trends, ensuring relevance and showcasing my commitment to staying current in the field.

Add projects to your resume today

Including projects on your resume highlights your skills and accomplishments in a way that impresses a recruiter or hiring manager and differentiates you from the competition in today's market.

With Teal's suite of tools, you can incorporate projects into your professional summary, work experience, or education quickly and easily.

Want to see just how easy it is to showcase your unique experiences in a professional, clear, and polished way?

Frequently Asked Questions

What are project examples for a resume.

Examples for a resume could include software development projects, marketing campaigns, engineering designs, research papers, community service initiatives, or event planning experiences.

How many projects should I list on my resume?

What's more important that a specific number is that the projects you list on your resume are 100% relevant to the position you're applying for, ensuring your resume remains concise and tailored to showcase your most applicable skills and experiences.

Should I include personal projects on my resume?

Yes, if they're relevant! Personal projects can be a great way to demonstrate passion, initiative, and relevant skills, especially for early-career professionals, career changers, or those re-entering the workforce.

Kayte Grady

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