Write A Compelling Resume Summary Statement
A resume summary is a statement of 3-4 sentences that outlines your skills, accomplishments, and career objectives. It should sum up why youre applying for the position and how you are qualified for the role.
Its important to also adapt the statement to the job you are applying to, mentioning capabilities and achievements that qualify you for the specific tasks you will be performing.
Below you can find 2 examples of well-formulated resume summary statements:
- Honor roll high school student with experience working with children and the elderly. Looking to help a community service organization to bring a positive change to their community.
- Dedicated and passionate high school student looking to bring a hard-working attitude to a sales assistant position. Confident individual with excellent communication and people skills.
How Do You List High School On Your Resume
In your resume’s education section, list the name of your high school, its city and state, and the years you attended. You can also list one or two major achievements, such as being a team captain or being the president or founder of a club. If and when you have a college education, list it above your high school details.
When Is Your High School Best Left Off
A few years after you finish high school, potential employers will care more about your accomplishments after graduation, so its fine to delete your high school from your resume.
A good sign that you can leave your high school information off your resume: Space is an issue and you can’t fit all your information on one page.
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High School Resume Examples
The overall employment rate for high school graduates is expected to grow by 5% from 2016 to 2026, which is the average amount of growth expected for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While an individual isnt guaranteed employment with a high school diploma, those who do find a job may earn more and can expect lower unemployment rates than those without a diploma. In 2018, workers with a high school diploma earned approximately $200 a week more than those without, and the unemployment rate was around 5%.
For high school graduates, the top earners are those who receive on-the-job-training and apprenticeships in occupations such as driver, storage and distribution manager, detective and criminal investigator and commercial pilot, but all require at least a high school diploma to get started.
How To List Contact Information On Your High School Resume
Youve passed the eye test. Now the easy partlisting your contact information.
It should be simple, right?
Wrong. Its easy to screw up.
Butwe have your back. Just follow these tips:
Name
Start with your first name followed by your last time. To add a little depth, think about putting a subtitle below your name to brand yourself, such as Highly-Motivated High School Senior.
Mailing Address
As a high school student or recent grad, youre likely to stay local. The plus sidecompanies want local hires for tax purposes and commute times. Look at the job offer and see if its best to add. If you go door-to-door handing in your resume, make sure to add your address.
Email address
We dont live in the Stone Age. Everyone uses email, so this is crucial to add in your resume. But its important to come off professionally by using a Gmail account as opposed to one you made in middle school .
Phone number
List your personal cell phone number. Its best not to add other numbers on your resume template for high school students. Who has a house phone these days anyway?
LinkedIn URL
Youre just a high school student, so using a premier professional networking platform wasnt on the table for you. Well, now is the time to impress by creating oneyoull need it sooner or later so why not start early? Heres how:
Social Media
Blog or Website
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High School Student Resume Example
The following is an example of a resume for a high school student. It includes both formal and informal work experience, volunteering and academic achievements. The resume lists work experience first, followed by the student’s volunteer experience and achievements and then education. If you have no formal work experience, you should know how to format your resume to reflect this appropriately.
Also, note that the resume has a summary that focuses on the student’s skills that are the best match for the job they are applying for. This way, the employer can see at a glance why the applicant would be a good candidate for the job.
Write A Matching Cover Letter
Now that you know how to write your dream resume, you might be wondering: is a cover letter necessary? The answer is yes, always include a cover letter if you have the option.
Knowing how to write a good cover letter helps you round out every application you ever send out, and boosts your chances of landing an interview.
Cover letters are a valuable tool in your job-hunting arsenal because they give you an opportunity to provide context to your resume, show off your personality, and express enthusiasm for the job youre applying for.
Heres an example of what a resume paired with a matching cover letter might look like :
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How To Put Skills On A High Schooler Resume
Without the work experience, youll need to show you have the relevant skills to be a top-notch employee.
And you know you have the talent.
But
The hundreds of other high school students out there have talent as well. Whats worse, you dont know which resume skills to put.
Well, weve got you covered.
Start by making a master list of basic skills you have. Here are a few to consider putting on your high school resume:
What Is A Chronological Resume And What Order Should It Be In
The most widely used resume is known as the Chronological resume. This means that time-dependent components, such as education and work experience, are represented in a reverse-chronological structure. Your last job should be first , and your first job should be last . This also applies to all other experiences that you mention on your resume that took place within a certain period, such as study programs, courses, internships, and ancillary activities.
The order of your resume is then as follows: personal and contact details, followed by a concise personal profile about yourself. Hereafter, state your training, followed by any work experience, languages, skills, characteristics, and interests.
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Why Are High School Resume Templates Beneficial
As a high school student, you typically have limited work and obtain entry-level jobs to begin your experience in the work field. Having templates to work from and understanding how to write resumes can make hiring managers more likely to hire you. Here are some more reasons these templates are beneficial:
Faqs Related To High Schooler Resume
How to write a resume for a high school student with no work experience?
Focus on your achievements and responsibility. Many employers are hesitant to hire students mainly due to a lack of focus or ability to show up to work as scheduled. If you can clearly articulate why and how you eclipse those objectives, you are likely to stand above other candidates.
Does a 15-year-old need a resume?
Anyone applying for any position should create a resume. This is a professional outline that makes it easier for people to review your skills, abilities, and what makes you unique. Even a 15-year old student who is looking for their first summer job or part-time opportunity should take advantage of creating a resume. If youre 15, dont stress too hard on being too technical just list your details, keep it simple, but make it sound professional.
How long should a high school student’s resume be?
It depends on your objective. If youre applying for a first job, and dont have a lot of experience, keeping it simple is best. The main item you want to document on a resume are your skills, abilities, and why youre a responsible candidate for the position. Being on time to school, or being a leader in extracurricular activities can outweigh previous work history in many cases.
How do I make my high school student’s resume stand out?
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Write A Catching High School Resume Objective
The basics are done. Nows the time to hook the recruiters.
Whats the best way to make your resume stand out?
A pitch-perfect high school resume objective.
Its a short paragraph at the top of your resume that explains what skills will make you a good fit and what youre hoping to achieve for the company.
Take a look at which high school resume objectives work and which ones do not:
Keeps Your Resume Organized
Using a high school resume template helps you keep your resume organized and ensures that you fill in the information in the appropriate places. It also helps ensure all information that should be included in your resume is there. Using a template helps you organize your thoughts and helps your resume look more professional.
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Hard Vs Soft Skills: Whats The Difference
Heres the difference between hard skills and soft skills:
Hard skills
Hard skills are quantifiable, job-specific abilities learned through education, training, or on-the-job experience. Language skills, computer skills, and being able to operate heavy machinery all count as types of hard skills.
Heres a list of 24 popular hard skills to put on your resume:
What Information Should My High School Resume Include
In a nutshell, your high school resume should include:
- Contact info: Name, email, phone number, address
- Education: high school name, GPA, test scores, class rank, coursework, achievements and honors
- Experience: Work, volunteer, and extracurricular qualifications
- Skills: Computer expertise, foreign languages
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Create Additional Resume Sections
Although space is precious on a resume, additional sections can go a long way to differentiate you from other candidates. As mentioned above, considering that as a high school student you may not have much work experience, adding more information can be an excellent way to show your potential.
Below are some of the most successful optional sections you can add to your resume:
- Hobbies and interests are a great way to show who you are as a person. They make you seem like a well-rounded applicant who is motivated and passionate. Pastimes with skills that are transferable to the job youre applying to are especially valuable to include. For example, being part of a sports team may indicate that you have strong teamwork abilities, communication skills, and a competitive mindset.
- Awards can help sell yourself to employers. Regardless of the achievement, any successes you may have picked up during your high school career can help you stand out from the crowd.
- Volunteering experiences are always a good addition to any resume. These show that you are a proactive individual who cares about other people or your community. People like to work with individuals who are generous and helpful, so make sure to list any volunteering projects or experiences youve undertaken.
High School Student Resume Education Example: Your Real Experience Lies Here
Think of it this way: your career right now is your experience as a high school student. It’s probably more important than your employment history, if you have any work experience at all, so treat the education section of your high school student resume as a higher priority. Place it higher up on the page, and include more than just dates and the name of your high school.
Expand on your high school “career” achievements and focuses, starting with a list of classes that are relevant to the job you seek. Looking to work with children?Highlight your early childhood education class.
Also mention any accolades and honors, or even your grade point averageif it shines. You can also use the education section to describe projects you are proud of and how they reflect your skills.
Your resume sections do not have to be in the same order as they are listed in this high school student resume sample. Put the section you think is most important and impressive first and go from there. Just remember, the summary must remain at the top.
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Choosing The Best Resume Format For A College Student
Unless you already have some work experience, the most commonly used chronological formatmay not be suitable for structuring your high school student resume. Its the most straightforward way for job candidates to organize their experience and qualifications below employer headings and dates, in order from most recent to earliest.
But for high school students or recent graduates with little or nothing to list in a traditional employment history section, other resume formats can be ideal. The format you choose should depend on the type of job and industry, and how best to present yourself as an ideal match.
In cases where specialized knowledge and skills, and possibly extracurricular activities, are relevant to prospective employers, a functionalresume may be your best bet. It offers greater flexibility to emphasize your most relevant strengths up front in a section labelled Experience.
A hybrid, or combination, resume format offers even more versatility. You can integrate chronological and functional elements in the most applicable manner, and perhaps even put your education section higher up on the page to emphasize your school interests and accomplishments.
High School Graduate Resume Exampleeducation
SAT Score: 1450
John Jay High School, Katonah, NY
GPA 3.8
20152019
President, High School Yearbook Committee
- Led team of 8 to source 750+ photos of 253 senior students, plus 100+ memorable quotes and other memories.
- Worked with vendors to secure a 15% cost-savings.
- Developed plan to include underrepresented groups 50% more.
Excelled in Business Coursework
- Enrolled in 5 business classes through the school’s young business leader program, including accounting, business law, and marketing.
- Maintained 4.0 GPA in all 5 core business classes.
- As business management class project, created team that raised concessions sales at all home football teams by 25%.
Captain of Debate Team 2 Years
- Led team to 3rd place in New York State debate tournament.
- Coached and mentored 5 debate team members in best practices to improve debate scores by 20% in 3 months.
- Co-captain of school track team
Get the point?
You dont have to use those exact high school graduate resume examples.
Dont just slap your GPA in there, plus a team sport.
If youve got projects, classes, or high school achievements thatll wow them, show them.
And if not?
Dont sweat it. Just fill your high school graduate resume with no work experience with other high-flying moments from your life.
Expert Hint: Include your GPA only if its 3.0 or above. Otherwise you might hurt your chances.
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Turn Blah Education To A Reason To Hire You
Youve been in the halls of a school your entire life.
Its where youve achieved some of your greatest accomplishments, whether its acing your AP or Honors courses, heading the debate club, or earning a high GPA.
The education section on your high school resume is where you can show this off.
Start by listing your school name and expected graduation date.
Highlight your biggest achievements as a high school student.
List any AP or Honors courses you attended under relevant courseworkextra brownie points if it connects with the position youre applying to.
Put your GPA on your resume since this is the first job youre applying for or if youve recently graduated.
And dont forget about your memberships, especially if they were academic-centered.
Take a look at how this candidate made her education section on her high school resume shine with her biggest achievementsand one that is just blah:
Use Your Resume As A Marketing Tool
A resume is one of the most important marketing tools you can use to sell yourself to colleges, impress scholarship judges, and get a part-time job or an internship during high school and/or college. You can also use your resume when asking for recommendation letters. It gives the people who are recommending you a reminder of your accomplishments.
Put your best effort into your high school resume. It is a valuable tool for all students and will make life easier whether you are applying to college, for a job or internship or trying to win a scholarship.
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Moving Forward: Upgrading The Resume
Over the years, you should update your resume. Spend 30 minutes every few months adding experiences and job duties that will help you attain your next opportunity.
- As you grow older, your resume will need to be more specialized.
This means youll need to add more experiences, duties, qualifications, skills, and credentials that relate to your industry and desired position.
Between senior year of high school and college, your resume will look completely different.
- In order to ensure youre updating you resume correctly, use the notepad in your smartphone to record your job tasks and duties.
- If you were asked to do something new, expand your skill set, or develop talents, you need to add these in your resume.
- The notepad in your smartphone will be a useful resource for when you sit down to upgrade your resume it will keep your memory fresh and prevent you from hitting writers block.
As an exercise, spend a few minutes every year perusing your notepad, witnessing your professional growth.