Do projects belong on your CV?

This guide accompanies our short video on YouTube.

Work experience is the backbone of most CVs, but it is not the only evidence you have. A well-chosen project - from a class, a side venture, volunteering or your own initiative - can demonstrate skills your job history has not used yet.

1. Why projects can count

Harvard's career office advises students to show how they used their skills by listing projects, not just memberships or course titles: evidence that you actually designed the part or programmed the app, not proof that you attended. The Muse makes the matching point for experienced candidates: a project ties a skill directly to a result, which is what employers look for on every CV.

2. When to include one

Projects help most when your experience section does not yet show the background the role needs. The Muse names the two classic cases: recent graduates, whose coursework, capstone or research projects can demonstrate workplace skills like collaboration and presentation, and career changers, who can use a project to bridge from what they do now to what they want to do next. A side project can also fill a gap between roles with something concrete.

3. How to write a project entry

Write a project like a compact job entry: the project's name, your role, what you built, the tools you used, and what came of it. Harvard's test is substance over label - "programmed the app" beats "member of the coding club". Keep it small and real rather than grand and vague, and pick the two or three projects most relevant to this role rather than everything you have ever built.

4. When to take them off

Keep school projects while they still add relevant evidence. The Muse quotes a career coach who recommends removing them after a first full-time role; treat that as one editing guideline, not a universal deadline. Keep a later project when it demonstrates skills your job entries do not show.

5. Frequently asked questions

Do personal or side projects count?

Yes - paid and unpaid work can both qualify you, as long as the project is real and relevant to the role.

How many projects should I list?

Two or three strong, relevant ones usually read better than a long mixed list.

Should I link to the project?

If a public repository or live page helps demonstrate your work, include a working link. Share only material you have permission to publish; do not expose an employer’s confidential work or unpublished research.