What Is A Resume
A resume is a concise description of your unique skills and experiences, as related to professional skills. It is usually one typed sheet of paper that outlines your experiences, whether they be work or otherwise, in a career-oriented way. This includes both things you have done and skills you have learned.
There are many different formats for resumes, and the format you use will vary more and more as you grow into certain professions or career fields. For example, in the service industry you might include a photo of yourself on your resume, whereas in a STEM field, youll include a list of specific programs youre experienced running. For a high school student, though, its fine to keep your resume brief and fairly general.
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.
1. Name and contact information2. Summary or objectivec. Description of role and achievement4. Education
Resume Template With High School Education Details
Use this template as a guide when you’re writing your resume and want to include your high school education:
Career Objective high school seeking an opportunity to work as a at so I can .
Experience | |
Education |
- Notable achievements:
- Relevant courses:
Skills
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What Do You Wish Applicants Knew About Writing Their Resumes Education Section
Its vital for applicants to know that holding degrees is not always the most qualifying factor. When looking at the education section of a resume, its important to show how theyve put their education to use in a real-life situation. Bring a sense of uniqueness to your voice in the education section, or break down which parts of the whole educational experience qualify you for this role in the cover letter. You may not immediately appear to have certain education qualifications. Rather than just submitting a ill-fitting resume impulsively or even dismissing it entirely, save the job listing and take the time to review what other qualifying factors may be acceptable.
You Possess An Undergraduate Degree Graduate Degree Or Other Advanced Certification
An employer expects to find information about your undergraduate degree and any graduate work or additional graduate degrees you’ve earned, such as a master’s degree, Ph.D., law degree, and so forth, on your resume. The same goes for any certifications or advanced training you’ve received that’s relevant to your current job goals and career path, such as an RN, PMP, SSBB , etc. Include these in a designated Education and Professional Development resume section.
If you’ve earned an advanced degree or certification that’s considered very important for your field of work, include the acronym for the credential after your name at the top of your resume in addition to including the details of your education at the bottom of your resume in an Education and Professional Development section.
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How To Handle Your Age On Your Resume
Well, for one, career experts agree: There is no rule that you have to put your graduation year on your resume.
While removing the year can be a smart move to deflect attention from your exact age, career experts suggest that you focus on your experience instead of worrying about your age.
If you choose to leave your graduation date out, Ryan Kahn, 38, career coach and founder of California-based staffing agency The Hired Group, advises to keep your resume in a simple format and showcase all your relevant experience toward the top. That will stand out more so than your graduation year.
Removing your graduation year is truly a personal choice, says Holly Berry, 33, managing partner at Vaco, a consulting and specialized recruiting firm, in Louisville, Kentucky. I’m sure, in some cases, companies choose to hire more experienced individuals. But most companies will be excited to hire new college graduates.
So youre wondering: Is a missing graduation date a deal breaker for getting past the resume screening stage? Not if the rest of your resume is impressive and your overall qualifications are strong, says Pamela Skillings, chief interview coach and co-founder of job coaching program Big Interview in New York.
Career Q&a: Is It Lame To Put High School Achievements On My Resume
Q: As I start applying for internships and jobs, Im wondering how much high school experience matters to potential employers. Considering that Im a college sophomore now, how long is too long to keep listing my 10+ high school activities, honor societies and leadership positions on my resume? Does it look juvenile if I talk about high school experiences in interviews?
A: The rule of thumb for including high school activities is that you can go back four years . So, if you are a sophomore you can include the last two years of high school stuff and the first two years of college; if you are a junior in college, you can include the last year of high school, etc.
However, my gut response is that Id limit high school mentions to only one or two of your most impressive or unique accomplishments . In the workforce, high school seems very young. Of course, if you have anything SUPER impressive from high schoola major award, national recognition, a Grammy, an Olympic medal, etc.keep it on your resume as long as youd like!
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Do I Put My High School On An Application
When filling out a job application, you want to remember two key questions: “What have you done?” and “What have you done lately?” Thus, the value of including your high school education or diploma in the education section of a job application depends on how far you have gotten in your education or career.
When To Exclude Your Hs Experience
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Kelsey is Wisdifys expert content developer. Taking feedback from our students, Kelsey creates extremely relevant blog posts and leads the development of Wisdifys other free resources.
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The Buckaroos
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Should I Include My Gpa On My Resume
If youve recently graduated and havent yet tacked on much work experience, your GPA is a smart piece of information to include. But this is only true if its a 3.5 or higher, showing excellent achievement. Not that a GPA lower than 3.5 is anything to be ashamed ofbut in the hiring world, it could actually hurt your chances of landing a job. Best to stick only with high honors when including your GPA on your resume.
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Place High School Education After Your College Experience
If you’ve attended any years of college, even if you have yet to earn a degree, list that experience first, followed by your high school education. If you have a college degree, you can leave your high school education off your resume. Once you have completed a college degree, you should include information regarding classes, projects, internships or organizations that you participated in that are relevant to the role since this information is more recent.
For example, if you were captain of the swim team or student body president and just graduated three years ago, you may want to keep your high school education on your resume even if you’re about to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Accomplishments such as these show a hiring manager you have leadership potential and can work well with a team.
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Should You Put A 34 Gpa On Your Resume The Answer
You may have heard that when adding GPA scores to your resume, a score of 3.5 is the cut-off.;
But what if you are 0.1 away from that score?
Do you list a 3.4 GPA on your resume or not?
As with adding any other element to your resume, it all depends on specific circumstances, and most importantly, the job description.
Keep reading to get a clear idea of whether adding a 3.4 GPA is a good idea or not.
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Sample Resume That Includes High School Education
Here is an example resume that includes high school education you can use as inspiration when writing your own:
Career ObjectiveI am a motivated and hardworking high school student with a 3.9 GPA seeking a position as an administrative assistant with Dallas Dog Rescue so I can expand my knowledge of the nonprofit field and gain experience to build my career path post-graduation.
ExperienceVolunteer dog walker | Dallas County Animal Care | Dallas, Texas
- Create a schedule for dog walking
- Clean and maintain the dog kennels
- Train dogs to walk on leash
- Played with dogs in the open area
- Gave performance reports to dog owners
EducationWestboro High School | Dallas, TexasAnticipated graduation date: May 2021
- GPA: 3.9
- Notable achievements: Placed on the honor roll every year, Student Body Treasurer, Top fundraiser for the school’s charity organization
- Relevant courses: Ethics in Nonprofits, Spanish, Sociology
Skills
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Create A Section Of Your Resume Specifically For Education
Because employers look for an education section, make sure you have one on your resume. Typically, education sections appear toward the bottom of your resume after your experience, although you may include this information on either the left or right side of your resume if you’re using a unique template. Create an education header and only include information pertaining to your education in this section.
How To List Awards On Resume
Listing an award follows the same logic as mentioning an honor or achievement. For certain fields, include them in the education section.
Experienced applicants have a choice: to list them as job duties worded as accomplishments or as part of a professional summary.
Just like an honor, when you have more than one, list them in reverse chronical order. Also, include:
- The name of the award.
- Who gave it to you.
- The date you received it.
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Why Include An Education Section On A Resume
Theres a good chance that every resume youve ever seen had an education section. But why?
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What Factors Distinguish An Excellent Resume Education Section From A Lackluster One
Its extremely important that each application is customized. Every piece from each section in the resume all the way to the cover letter should be written to fit the specific role the applicant is applying for. An excellent education section shows me the applicant has researched the business, maybe even networked in and discussed the role with someone from my company. I can see this when nontraditional pieces of education have been included throughout the resume. To me, this is valuable education that would have otherwise been missing if the applicant hadnt invested time to research before applying. Lackluster education sections are those that follow a standard resume outline. Theres high school, technical school or college degrees listed, but nothing that notes theyve gone the extra mile to show how their education and experience has made them the perfect fit for the job.
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Former Supervisors References And Pay
Because you will have a separate;list of references, you do not need to include any contact information for your former supervisors on your resume. The only exception to this is creating a resume for a federal job, where this information is required.
Most companies do not want to see your hobbies on your resume. However, if you have a hobby that relates to the company, you may include it.
High School Gpa On A Resume
If youre currently a high school student or just graduated, you should consider including your GPA on your resume.
But not always.
You can include it with no regrets if your GPA is higher than 3.5.
You should think about leaving your GPA off your resume if:
- Your GPA is lower than 3.5
- You are a college or university student long enough to list that GPA instead
- You have a couple of years of relevant work experience
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When To Include A Gpa On Your Resume
Do you need to include your high school or college grade point average on your resume? When can you leave it off, and when should you leave it off?
In high school and college, job seekers tend to include their GPAs on their resumes, particularly if those GPAs are strong . However, after graduating from college, it can be difficult to know when to remove that decimal number from your resume. If you have a good GPA, its an asset on your resume.
If not, it could hurt your candidacy. Thats especially the case when employers are seeking competitive candidates who have excelled in school.
A GPA listed in the education section of;your resume can either help or hurt your chance of getting an interview. Make sure you know when to include this information, and when to leave it out.
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What Is A Simple Resume
A simple resume typically includes a resume summary or objective, skills section, work history and education. It may also list any awards or accomplishments you have received throughout your career. Additionally, a simple resume clearly highlights your abilities and experience in a minimalist and easy-to-read way.
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How Do I Write A Simple Resume
How to Write a Resume Step by step
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:
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