Free Resume Templates And Resume Builders
Are you staring down a blank page, trying to convert years of work experience into a narrative that will make sense to a hiring manager on one page? If so, a resume template can help.
A resume template provides you with a layout for your resume. That way, you don’t have to design the document from scratch. A template starts the process for you by laying out certain basic sections hiring managers expect to see, such as name and contact information. A resume outline can come in handy as well to get you started.
Once you have the requirements covered, its much easier to customize your resume and make your achievements shine.
Turn Education Into Yet Another Reason To Hire You
- Deans List 2015, 2016
- Founder of LingoBuzz bloga student-run blog on language changes observable in new media
- Freelance contributor to 5 online music magazines
On a good student resume, the education section has every right to be more detailed than on a seasoned pros resume.
After all, this is what you do on a daily basis.
The rule of thumb is to only list the latest school/degree. But if youre an MA student, do list your bachelors as well. And dont go back more than five years.
If youre preparing a high school student resume your education section could look like this:
Student Resume: Interests And Activities
Interests and activities go a long way in a student resume.
Being a part of the sports team can show you as a team player.
Taking music lessons for a long period of time could show passion and dedication. Being active at chess often shows an upper hand in strategy.
Similar to the other sections, again, you must mention:
- what you did
- how long you did it for
- what were your achievements in the same
- any related qualifications
In case you did not have much work history to list, you could add relevant details about skills related to your interests and activities.
Further, the interests in a college student resume can include:
- Sporting or community club participation
- Odd jobs or volunteer activities
- Practicing Yoga or Gardening
- Painting, Cooking or Stamp collecting
- Travelling, Photography or Wildlife conservation
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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.
What Is The Best Format For Your High School Student Resume
In general, the standard resume format is the reverse-chronological resume. This resume focuses on work experience, listing your most recent job first and working chronologically backward from there.
However, unless you have many years of experience working in professional positions, then you will likely not have enough work experience as a high school student for this format. As a result, you may want to consider one of the following alternative formats:
- The Functional Resume: Functional resumes remove the focus from work experience and instead place it on education, skills, and unpaid experience . This is often the best format for current students, as it allows you to prioritize academic experience and extracurriculars.
- The Hybrid Resume: Hybrid resumes spread the focus of a resume out more evenly between all sections. This type of resume is well-suited for students who have held part-time jobs and have some work experience to showcase alongside their academic experience.
Choose your preferred template and make your resume shine.
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Don’t Send Out Your Resume Until You Do This
We know: It’s not easy getting a job when you have little to no experience. However, a strong high school student resume can help you get noticed by hiring managers. Could you use some help getting it all together? Get a free resume evaluation today from the experts at Monster’s Resume Writing Service. You’ll get detailed feedback in two business days, including a review of your resume’s appearance and content, and a prediction of a recruiter’s first impression. It’s a quick and easy way to start off your job search on a strong note.
Tailor Your Resume To Fit Each Job
Job candidates who do not tailor their resumes for each position are putting themselves at a disadvantage. A quick and easy way of adapting your resume for each role is using a resume builder.
Once you have a list of your strengths and skills, and you have identified the key requirements of a job, it is simple to tailor your resume using a high school resume template.
Think about what the employer is looking for and highlight your achievements which clearly demonstrate that you are the right person for the job.
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How To Write The Work Experience Section Of A High School Resume
As we arrive at the biggest, most stressful section of a high school resume, we have to address a question we commonly get from students:
How do you write a resume with no experience?
Many students think because they havent worked an official job, they lack experience. But it isnt true. Unless youve been sitting in a box for your entire life, youve earned experience worth putting on a high school resumewe just need to dig a little deeper to find it.
So what types of experiences can you include on your high school resume? Of course, if you have work experienceeven if its for your family business and you werent an official employeeyou should showcase it. But if not, dont worry. Instead, you can share information about your high school internships, volunteer work, community service, club involvement, participation in sports, leadership positions, and even the challenging academic summer programs youve attended.
These types of activities are impressive to potential employers and colleges, so dont be nervous if youre writing a high school resume with no work experience. Be proud of the unique experiences youve had. You can even change the title of the section from Work Experience to Relevant Activities or Major Achievements.
How to write descriptions for your experiences on a high school resume
And what should each bullet point description contain? Here are a few guidelines to ensure your experience descriptions have the greatest impact:
Prioritize Education Vs Experience
For college students or recent graduates, it can be difficult to decide whether to list your education or experience first. Notice in Jonathans resume below, he lists his education history first to showcase his student activity and accolades, like the Best Student Web Developer Award. Thats because his educational accomplishments demonstrate more enthusiasm and mastery of his technical abilities than his limited experience as a freelance web developer with just two work projects completed.
Not sure whether to list your education or experience section first? Figure out which one allows you to present your most pertinent and remarkable information. If your main selling points come from your college experience, then be sure to list your education section first. Then you can get really creative in emphasizing your academic history and accomplishments, as discussed next.
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Include Any Work Experience You May Have
As mentioned previously, as a high school student, its very normal that you have little to no work experience to show. This is completely fine, and you can fill this space with additional sections we will elaborate upon later.
However, if you have already undertaken some positions or small roles, even if for a very short time, its always recommended to include them. Due to the fact that youre still in high school, they will still represent an enterprising attitude to employers even if they arent strictly related.
When including your work history, make sure to list your duties, responsibilities, and any achievements you had using concise bullet points. Also add your title during your time there, the company name, and the start/end dates of the experience.
Corrected High School Student Resume Summary
Hard-Working High School Senior with 2+ years of experience volunteering as the high school office assistant, providing morning announcements and assisting with student check-ins. Co-president of the Student Debate Club, responsible for planning weekly Tuesday meetings.
Why is this correct?
In this example, the applicant is far more specific with their experience as an office assistant. Rather than stating they are a soon-to-be graduate, the applicant instead says the exact year in school they are . Overall, this example has a lot more detail and specificity that makes it a more compelling summary.
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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.
What Is A Resume Summary
A resume summary is a brief section at the top of your resume that highlights why youd be a good fit for a position. In one to four lines, you can explain your professional background, skills, and accomplishments. Those who have a decent amount of experience in their field tend to use resume summaries, however, as a student, you can find a way to make this section beneficial for you. Those with little professional experience may opt-out of a resume summary and use a resume objective instead. This is a short statement at the top of your resume that explains your intentions for finding a job and career goals. As a student, you need to decide whether a summary or objective serves you better. As long as you can still keep your resume to one page, you may include both.
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Why Use A Resume Template
You may be great at your job, but that doesn’t mean you’re equally skilled when it comes to designing a professional resume. Even if you are adept at writing this kind of document, the whole process is time-consuming. Not only does a template save time, but it reminds you of exactly what sections to include.
Even if you’re not a rookie when it comes to resume writing, it’s always useful to review resume templates and samples when preparing your resume. That way, you can get an idea of what a resume should look like.
Employment History Or Experience Section: An Overlooked Gem
Many students writing their first resume dont bother with anything except the education section. With no job experience, it seems pointless. But even if youre young, you have lots to offer. If you do have job experience, however, you can call this the employment history section, otherwise you may choose to name it the experience section. But if done right, this section can make you look more vibrant, active and creative.
What can you write in the experience section of a student resume? Here are some ideas:
- Summer or temp jobs. You mainly want to show the employer youve already been part of the workforce. You know what a job is.
- Internships. If you have these on your list, its one of the greatest advantages possible. Internships usually take place at more complicated jobs and are related to more advanced professions.
- Social / volunteer work. This demonstrates your ability to cooperate with other people and work towards a goal.
- Other projects . Anything that didnt land in the above categories goes here. Examples: Websites you ran with friends, local community events you helped with.
Make sure to use the same approach as in the education section: provide detailed descriptions of your duties, results, projects, interactions and any pertinent information. Even if it doesnt seem that impressive to you, on your resume it shows that these were real activities and/or work experiences.
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Focus On Depth And Length Of Commitment
When deciding which activities and accomplishments make the cut, keep in mind that colleges would much rather see you excited about one or two key experiences than sporadic involvement in 20 clubs. If having an after-school job limited your ability to participate in clubs or sports, make sure your resume plays up your work responsibilities, training, and on-the-job skills.
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High School Student For College Resume
Use this template
Why this resume works
- When youre writing your high school student for college resume, its important to include a career objective.
- A career objective is an overview that serves to highlight key skills, demonstrate your personality , and provide compelling reasons for hiring managers or college administrators to read your resume.
- The most important thing you can do when writing a career objective is to make sure its highly specific for every job application you submit.
- This means you should include the company/college name youre applying to, the job title/major youre interested in, and skills that are especially relevant.
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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.
Emphasize Teamwork And Leadership
Good teamwork skills are necessary for most entry-level jobs, and so its wise to provide examples of how youve participated in school, church, club, or scouting roles requiring teamwork. Its even better to describe any leadership roles youve held, since this demonstrates to your employer that you can hold responsibility, take personal initiative, and organize and support others.
The chances are high that you havent had a lot of paid work experience since you’re a high school student. While you should describe any actual real jobs youve held, its also a good idea to describe volunteer experience, accompanied by dates, your responsibilities, and your contributions in these roles.
Volunteer experience is important for high school students because it provides experience and shows that you’re trying to find out what you might be interested in.
At the end of your resume, include a statement of selected interests. Employers like candidates who are well-rounded and involved in their communities.
Theyll get a better idea of your personality if you mention a few sports that you play or interests like theater, music, or environmentalism. Be careful, however, not to mention interests that are too political or might distract you from your job .
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What Additional Sections To Include On A High School Resume
After youve completed the above sections, you might find you still have some space on your high school resumeand thats good! It gives you an opportunity to further impress potential employers and colleges. Lets explore the different types of sections you can add to round out your resume.
Honors and Awards. Many students will include this section in their high school resume because its the perfect way to showcase their academic, sport, and extracurricular achievements. You might include being on the Honor Roll, having perfect attendance, winning a sports championship, placing first in a robotics competition, or receiving a scholarship, to name a few examples.
Relevant certifications. If youve had the opportunity to complete training and earn certifications relating to the position youre applying tofor instance, a CPR certification for a lifeguard or preschool assistant jobyou might want to devote an additional section to those.
Portfolio or published works. If youre an artist, writer, or other type of creative, you can add a section to your high school resume that specifically highlights your best creative achievements. For example, you can share the artwork youve publicly displayed, the poems youve had published, or the musical pieces youve performed.
Remember, your high school resume is all about you. So tailor the focus of your additional sections to showcase your uniqueness and bring you closer to the job, internship, scholarship, or college youre pursuing.