How To Write A Resume For High School Students

Recommended Resume Templates For High School Students

Resume templates are a tool that job seekers use to take the worry out of creating an eye-catching layout better yet, templates are created by professional designers. That assures they provide the structure and great design of your resume.

Using a resume template is as simple as filling in the blanks, saving you time and effort.

These resume templates are easy to use and make your resume-writing process quick and easy. Select the style you like and enter your information by section. You can also personalize your document with customizable options.

We also offer a variety of fonts, size, colors and styles created by expert designers. Your resume can stand out with our modern, traditional or bold layouts.

JobHero also has aResume Builder that offers 25+ customizable resume templates.

Jump-start your high school resume today!

What Is A High School Academic Resume

A high school academic resume is designed to accompany your college application and give admissions offices a snapshot of your accomplishments, work history, extracurricular activities and hobbies. While this resume will include your work history, it is designed to focus more on your high school academic accomplishments, community service and extracurricular activities. It can be a great way to set yourself apart from other college applicants and give the admissions office a more in-depth look at who you are as a person.

Get Writing Tips And Examples For Jobs Or College Applications

High school students may need a resume to apply for a job or as part of a college application. Even if you haven’t held a paid position before, there’s still plenty of information to include on your resume. High schoolers can highlight educational achievements, after-school activities, and volunteer work.

Here are some tips for writing your high school resume.

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High School Resume Tips And Example

This article has been approved by an Indeed Career Coach

As a high school student, developing a resume is a great way to start preparing for the working world. Resumes can be used for job applications, to secure internships and even to help complete college applications. Your high school resume will likely be focused on relevant coursework, extracurricular activities like volunteering or clubs and any job experience you do have.

Here are some tips to help you compose a high school resume that stands out to potential future employers and sets the foundation for a successful career.

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Job Outlook For High School Students

Many high school students ask themselves, “How will I get a job without experience?” Guess what: Everybody who is now working started out in a first job without having any employment history. You have to start somewhere. A little time and research can be all it takes to find a job that adds to your skills list while putting some money in your pocket!

You have already made the decision to look for work. Now, with Resume.io’s collection of tools at your fingertips, we’ll walk you through everything you need in the first steps to success. It all starts with getting your foot in the door.

If you plan to work during the summer, you are lucky because of the relatively low competition. Over time, fewer teens have been choosing to enter the seasonal job market only about one in three during the summer of 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . Fewer high school students are working part-time jobs during the school year as well, so you will be in demand no matter when you want to work.

According to a Brookings Institute report on BLS statistics, only about half of high school students aged 16 to 19 had a job in 2000, down from 58% during the peak year in 1979. By 2018, the percentage had dropped and plateaued to 35%, the lowest on record

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High School Academic Resume Template

Here is a template to help you build your own resume.

Name

• Lead weekly meetings and recruited members from Spanish classes

• Coordinated the fundraising efforts that raised $10,000 and funded an organization-wide trip to Mexico

• Planned club events with at least one event per quarter

School Newspaper – Editor

• Reviewed and edited all submissions from writers

• Collaborated with the teacher to build the newspaper layout

• Conducted research to fact check stories when necessary

ATHLETICS

• Varsity swim team for 3 years

• Co-captain of the swim team senior year

WORK EXPERIENCE

2018-Present

• Received 95% positive customer comment cards

• Take customer orders accurately and ensure they are relayed to the cooks in a timely manner

• Frequently take home the highest tips because of consistently fast service

INTERESTS

• Pursued my passion for photography and grew an Instagram account to 20,000 followers by posting my original work

• Volunteer at a local animal sanctuary, taking photographs for their social media networks

High School Resume Example

Now that you know the fundamentals on how to craft the best possible high school resume, its helpful to examine a real example before starting your own.

The following resume was created using the ResumeCoach resume builder. Thanks to this service you can pick the template that strikes your fancy from a comprehensive library of options, including this one. You can also customize the template based on your particular needs and specifications.

Using this kind of tool, you will input your information through a simple step-by-step process and find expert guidance along the way. In just a few minutes, you will end up with an optimized resume. Take a look at how your end-result might turn out!

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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.

Highlight Your Volunteer Experience And Extracurricular Activities

Few high school students have a long work history. But theres no need to panic if youre writing a resume with no experience.

You can replace the work experience section of a standard resume with a section describing your extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or both.

Heres an example of a well-written resume volunteer section followed by an extracurricular activities list:

If you need more information to fill your resume, expand on activities youve been involved in. Include noteworthy information, like leadership roles you held, or major projects you led and organized, like this:

Heritage High School Student Council

Secretary, 2020 Present

• Take and distribute detailed notes from 10 student council meetings every semester
• Implemented Trello to manage council projects, saving an average of 3 weeks on each project compared to timeframes for the same tasks in previous semesters

You can also include your hobbies and interests on your resume if they show how you can perform well in the workplace. For example, reading is a good hobby to put on a library page resume because it shows you enjoy and respect literature.

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Review The Job Posting Before Creating Your Resume

Resume writing tips for high school students. Writing a high school resume, a college student resume, or a graduate resume for a first job? Circle any key qualifications or requirements of the job. You want a high school resume to land in the interview pile.

Thats not always the case for high school students or those writing an internship resume, thoughbut theres no need to panic if youre one of them. Use this sample resume as a basis for your own resume if you: National center for education statistics, companies are actively hiring students.

Tips for writing a high school resume. Be sure to include in your resume any experiences and skills that show you are an ideal fit for the specific job. In most cases, you can include your education , grades , volunteer experiences, sports clubs, and other extracurricular activities you participate in.

Resumes for high school students can be short, single paged, and straight to the point. Here are some tips to help you compose a high school resume that stands out to potential future employers and sets the foundation for a successful career. In these first few lines, you need to distinguish yourself from other applicants to ensure she reads on.

Expert resume/cv writers know what to mark and how to write A resume for a high school student can be very challenging. Highlight these throughout all other resume sections.

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.

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Write A High School Graduate Resume Objective

The recruiter just deleted your high school graduate resume.

You just seemed a little mediocre for the job.

How can you drop jaws instead?

Write an educated resume profile in the form of a resume objective.

Write it at the end so you dont struggle with the material.

You may have come across the term resume summary as well.

Generally, resume summaries serve the same purpose as resume objectives, but are suitable for experienced candidates who have several years of professional experience under the belt.

Now, see these high school graduate resume examples:

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.

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Start Your Resume Before Your Senior Year

As you make your way through high school, it’s important to keep track of your hobbies, awards, accomplishments and activities you’re involved in. This will remind you of what you did throughout high school, beginning with your freshman year. It will also let you see where you need to improve. For example, if you don’t have any volunteer work listed, it gives you time to gather volunteer experience before submitting your high school resume.

Include An Experience Section

You should also list any work experience you have. This can include babysitting, being a lifeguard, volunteering, internships you’ve done and more. Consider the most relevant experience you have. Detail the location of your workplace, the city, your title, the dates you worked there and your job responsibilities. List your work experience in chronological order with the most recent at the top.

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How To Write A High School Resume

Start with the job search.

Determine if you want a part-time job, an internship, a seasonal job or a trade job. This will help you determine what work experiences and skills you need to highlight in your resume. Remember that theres no one-size-fits-all resume each one should be tailored to the specific job youre applying for.

Establish your strengths.

Think of your participation in clubs, teams, associations or even hobbies. Make a list of these activities and what youve learned in them it could be teamwork, self-discipline, creativity, communication. You will use these qualities to write your resumes skills section.

Choose the right format.

The same way one resume wont work for every job application one resume wont work for every candidate. The following three resume formats help present you in the most flattering way while downplaying any potential weaknesses you may have like, say, lack of extensive work experience.

Resume Summary Example: Personality First And Foremost

Describing yourself can be tough, but don’t hold back. You have many of the qualities employers want. Here’s where your personality can shine. The 2-3 sentence resume summary is the first section, directly under your contact information. It allows you to exhibit a bit of personality while you explain the qualitiesthat will make you a great employee.

Here are some sample questions to ask yourself when writing your summary:

• What makes me a good student, friend, teammate, family member?
• Which of my skills or personal qualities have helped me in school ? Am I organized, creative, responsible?
• What activities, projects and interests could I describe that translate into job skills?

Below is a high school student resume summary example you can use as a guide for creating your own version.

Resourceful and dedicated high school student with excellent analytical skills and a demonstrated commitment to providing great customer service. Strong organizational abilities with proven successes managing multiple academic projects and volunteering events. Well-rounded and professional team player dedicated to continuing academic pursuits at a collegiate level.

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High School Student Resume Template

Miguel Co / The Balance

As a high school student with limited work experience, it can be hard to know how to organize your resume, and what to include. By focusing on your education, volunteer, and extracurricular experience, you can create a strong resume that will stand out to an employer.

Read below for more detailed tips on writing a high school resume. Youll also find a downloadable resume template that lists the information you should include in your high school resume. Use this template to generate a list of information to include on your own resume.

How To Write A High School Resume For College Applications

Think resumes are only for job seekers? Think again. High school student resumes give colleges a snapshot of your accomplishments, extracurriculars, hobbies, and work history. They can also be a useful tool for prepping for a college interview or to give to the teachers who are writing your letters of recommendation.

Not sure how to get started? Follow our tips for crafting a standout resume for college and scholarship applications.

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Match Your Skills To The Job

Make a list of what you have done in all your school and non-school activities, along with the skills you have learned or used in each of those roles. Include those that are the closest match for what the company is seeking on your resume.

For example, if youre applying for a job in a retail store, the hiring manager will be interested in knowing that you are dependable, reliable, accurate, and have interpersonal and communication skills.

For a part-time job where the schedule varies, you will need to be flexible and able to work a variety of different hours.

A good way to find the skills you need for a job is to review the job requirements listed in the job posting. In many cases, it will be easy to determine what skills you need to be considered for the job.

For example, heres a description for McDonalds crew jobs:

We’re looking for hard-working, enthusiastic individuals who want to be a part of a winning team. If you enjoy working with people and love to learn new things, we want to meet you. We offer flexible schedules and the opportunity to advance within our restaurants.

Here are some of the skills you need to work at Starbucks:

• Ability to learn quickly.

Domino’s Pizza is seeking:

• Qualified customer service reps with personality and people skills.

Extracurricular Activities: A Hidden Strength

This section of your high school student resume is optional, but potentially very worthwhile. As a high school student, you may be putting a lot of time and effort into extracurricular activitiesthat demonstrate your commitment to showing up and participating. These may be especially relevant if they illustrate an interest related to the job you are applying for.

Creating a master list of your extracurricular activities is a worthwhile exercise in its own right. It can reinforce your choices of which skills and personal attributes to highlight in other resume sections. It may also clarify the type of job you want, and lead you to consider targeting your job search to a field that fits your extracurricular interests.

Any master list be it for skills, activities or jobs can be useful for your own reference and convenience. Its a visual tool that highlights what you are looking for at a glance, then makes it easy to cherry-pick the most appropriate resume samples for your current resume version.

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