how to write a resume when you're in high school

How to write a high school resume (when you’re still in school)

With a good strategy and the right mindset, you can learn how to write the high school resume that scores you your first job.

Whether you are applying for a prestigious internship or an entry-level job, you probably already have what it takes. It may seem like you don’t have much experience, but many high school students underestimate their own skills.

Recommended links:

• Our collection of 500+ professional resume examples .
• Our gallery of 20+ downloadable resume templates .

With these five tips for writing a great high school resume, your resume will be ready in no time.

• Yes, you do have experience

Paid work should of course go on your resume. If you have held entry-level jobs, like bussing tables, stocking shelves, or sweeping floors, these should all be included. Even if they are unrelated to the job you are applying for, they show that you have experience working with people and getting things done.

But the most common concern that high school students have when they write their first resume is that they don’t have enough experience. If you have never had a job before, how could you have a work history?

Fortunately, there are many ways you can gain important skills and experience, even if it isn’t formal paid work. Skills that you developed before you had a “real job” can be appropriate for a high school resume.

Informal work that you do for friends and family is fair game for your first resume. Babysitting, mowing lawns, tutoring, and shovelling snow for your neighbours all show that you can do a job when asked.

Volunteering experience can also be featured on your resume. Any time you did community service or volunteered at an event, you were gaining important skills. Collecting donations, running a bake sale, handing out pamphlets or snacks, checking tickets, running a raffle—these are all important experiences that you can add to your resume in high school.

You should also think about your participation at school, including extracurricular activities. Are you a member of any clubs? Do you do the lighting for the school play? Are you on any sports teams? Yearbook club, theatre production, and the football team can all show that you are involved in your community and a good team player.

Academic experience can also be an asset. If you have taken any classes that seem like they might be relevant to the job, feel free to include them in your resume. Business class, computer class, shop class, and art class can all teach you useful skills for the right role. Consider what skills you will need for your next job, and which classes helped prepare you for it.

And remember, even if you don’t have experience, it’s never too late to get some. You can always join (or start) a club, volunteer, or start raking leaves for your neighbours.

Create your student resume in less than 5 minutes. Try our Student Resume Builder .

• Showcase your skills

You may be young, but you still have skills. Plenty of useful skills are taught in high school. You should have learned time management, Microsoft Word , and written communication. You may have learned food safety in home economics, and tool safety in woodworking class. If you have been in a club or worked on large projects, you may have leadership, communication, and teamwork skills . Think about what clubs you enjoy and what classes you excel in to figure out what skills you have.

• Include your education

If you are writing a resume in high school you probably don’t have any degrees or diplomas to add to your resume, but you are still receiving an education. Your resume can include your GPA if it is higher than 3.0, and should note if you have received any academic awards, such as honour roll or perfect attendance. You can also include any important projects or assignments that are relevant to the job you apply to.

• Remember to customize your resume for the application

It’s important to customize your resume for every application. A resume for a journalism internship will look different from a scholarship application, which will look different from an entry-level job as a dishwasher. Your dishwasher resume should show that you will be a skilled and dedicated employee, but you can save the writing samples for your scholarship application.

• Be sure to give all the right details

Don’t forget to include your contact information in your resume. Your phone number, email address, and city should all be easy for the employer to see.

Make sure to include any other information required by the application as well. Some applications require a writing sample or admission essay, and most jobs will require a cover letter. Double-check the requirements to ensure you aren’t forgetting anything.

If you have any online profiles that will help you get a job, you can include them as well. An impressive Github account, an Instagram profile showing off your design work, or even a well-curated Twitter feed can make you look hireable, as long as it is professional and shows that you are dedicated to the field. For example, if you are interested in computer science or graphic design, your online profiles could show you engaging with that community and sharing relevant articles. Keep in mind, however, that the profile must be entirely professional. Even one party picture or off-colour joke can end your candidacy.

• High school resume template

Your high school resume should be no longer than one page, and should use a professional template that shows that you will take your first job seriously. Here’s an example to help you get started creating your own high school resume:

• High school resume example

Motivated honour role student and team player with a passion for people. Skilled with multitasking and interacting with customers. Dedicated to meeting expectations and deadlines.

• Verbal communication
• Customer Service
• Punctuality
• Problem solving
• Point of Sales systems
• Public Speaking
• Computer skills
• Can-do attitude

Work experience

Clerical intern, north central college.

• Organized, assembled, and aided in the distribution of student ordered transcripts.
• Assembled and organized graduation materials for Winter Graduations.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail when dealing with the student records.
• Maintained highest level of confidentiality with the student information in regards to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations.

Child Care Associate

Public summer schools.

• Participating in activities with the students, as well as conducting parent events.
• Administering Early Learning Programs, which include pre-schoolers.
• Serving as Early Learning Subject Matter associate for pre-school age children
• Preparing reports, correspondence and writing responses to the student's parents.
• Promoting educational learning techniques and positive early learning experiences, to promote learning before transitioning to the Kindergarten.
• Participating in staff meetings and assisting in developing presentations and printed materials for meeting and workshops regarding programs.

Volunteering Experience

Community specialist, animal rights non-profit.

• Assist in managing official Facebook and Twitter pages, in efforts for improvement of student and the University communications.
• Handle basic clerical work (answering phones, basic research, creating Microsoft Word, Publisher and Excel documents).

Student Organizer

Outdoor leadership center.

• Communicating with the students by answering their questions, directing, and reinforcing actions.
• Developed a semester-long strategic marketing campaign to optimize student use of outdoor resources available on the campus.
• Facilitated the Leadership Development workshops, focused on the individual and team building skills.

High School

Concordia secondary school.

• Honour roll

Community Success Manager & CV Writing Expert

Ben is a writer, customer success manager and CV writing expert with over 5 years of experience helping job-seekers create their best careers. He believes in the importance of a great resume summary and the power of coffee.

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High School Resume - How-To Guide for 2024 [11+ Samples]

Whether you’re preparing your college application, applying for an internship, or looking for a part-time job, you’ll notice that every single place is asking for your resume. 

You sit down, work on your resume for an hour, trying to come up with what you can include.

And all you end up with is the name of the high school you’re attending.

“What gives?” you wonder.

“What else can I add to my resume, when I have zero work experience?”

That’s a more than valid concern and it’s exactly what we’re going to discuss in this article! 

We’re going to tell you exactly what to write so that your resume is as convincing as any other (even with zero work experience). 

• What to include in a high school resume
• 4 Free high school templates you can use
• A real-life high school resume example
• FAQ on high school resumes

Let’s start with the question you’ve been repeatedly asking yourself:

What to Include in My High School Resume?

At the end of the day, resumes are about showing an employer that you are the right person for the job. 

You want to show you’re a competent, passionate, and responsible individual, with the right skills to get the job done.

Well, work experience isn’t the only way to convince recruiters of that. 

Instead, you can focus on the following sections:

• #1. Contact Information - This is where you write down your personal and contact information (no surprise there) like first and last name, phone number, e-mail address, or links to other profiles.
• #2. Resume Objective - In 3-4 sentences, you should be able to describe your career goals and aspirations as well as list your skills.
• #3. Education - As you probably guessed, this is where you list your education history and relevant certifications.
• #4. Extracurricular Activities - These include participation in high school clubs, competitive events, and volunteer work.
• #5. Projects & Gigs - You can mention relevant projects you have participated in, as well as any internships.
• #6. Work Experience (optional) - If you don’t have any work experience, you can mention apprenticeships or volunteer work instead.
• #7. Languages - Language skills are always a plus for your application.
• #8. Hobbies & Interests - These offer some insight into your personality and can show that you’re passionate and interested in the industry.

As you can see, there’s a lot that can go into your resume to make up for the missing work experience. 

Now, we’ll dive into each of these sections in detail and teach you how to do each of them right!

So, let’s start with:

#1. Contact Information

The contact information isn’t too hard to pull off.

Here’s what you need to include here:

• First and Last Name
• Phone Number
• Email Address

Make sure to use a professional email address , something like: [email protected]. Using your middle school [email protected] account will not leave the right impression. 

#2. Resume Objective

A resume objective is a 3-4 sentence statement of your skills, achievements, and career goals . 

Think of it as a short summary of why you’re applying for this specific position and why you’d be a good candidate for it.

You should try your best to link this summary to the role you are applying for. 

For example, if you’re applying for a position as a sales associate, you should make a point of your good social skills, proficiency in math, and teamwork skills.

Let’s have a look at a concrete example of a resume objective for this case:

Hard-working, responsible high school student looking to contribute a positive and collaborative attitude in the retail field. Math-oriented individual with good attention to detail.

#3. Education

In a typical resume, this comes after the work experience section. 

For a high school resume, though, you’d want to do it the other way around, since you want to put more focus on your academic achievements.

This section will most probably consist of only one entry: your high school education. 

Here’s how you can format your education section:

• Name of the Degree
• Name of the Institution
• Years Attended
• GPA (if above 3.5)
• Honors (if applicable)
• Relevant Courses

High School Diploma (Honor Roll)

AB High School

09/2015 - 06/2019

• Relevant courses: AP Calculus, Statistics, Leadership

#4. Extracurricular Activities

Now, this section could be one of your biggest selling points. 

Even if you have a not-so-special GPA, extracurriculars can turn your resume around. These activities are typically school-related, like participation in clubs or student societies. 

Involvement in such, especially in leadership positions like club president or team captain, shows you are sociable and active in your pursuits. 

When listing your extracurricular activities, you should format each entry like this:

Student Body Treasurer

Student Government, AB High School

• Managed the student council’s funds and expenses, kept financial records, and worked with the president and vice president to create budgets and allot funds for clubs and events.
• Participated in organizing student activities like dances, spirit weeks, community service, and fundraising movements and assemblies.

#5. Projects & Gigs

Here you can mention (or even link to) any independent projects you’ve worked on - something you’ve done on the side, unrelated to academics. 

This could be a personal project, small business or startup, side-gig, blog, etc.

Such activities add a lot of value to your resume. They show you’re a self-starter and that’s a quality that’s very much appreciated in any role and industry.

Neighborhood Book Club 

2019 - Present

• Founded a local book club, initially for my friends, and later for all the teenagers of my neighborhood.
• Prepared a monthly book calendar for the club, combining trending, relevant, and classic books.
• Organized weekly meetings to discuss the progress on the books and our thoughts upon finishing them.

#6. Work Experience (Optional)

If you have some work experience, awesome! Here’s how you’d format it on your high school resume:

• Company Name
• Dates Employed
• Achievements & Responsibilities

Sandwich Artist

Joe’s Sandwich Emporium

06/2020 - 09/2020

• Prepared several types of sandwiches for customers.
• Promoted new products on the menu directly to customers.
• Worked with the cash register.
• Interacted with dozens of customers on a daily basis.

If you don’t have any work experience, though, worry not! You can always replace it with another “Other” section.

Volunteer work, for example, is another great addition to your resume. If you also have any informal work experiences like babysitting or dog walking, you should include them in the section. 

Even if you didn’t get a paycheck out of that work, such experiences show you are skilled and reliable. 

For example, an entry for volunteering experience can look like this:

Educational Team Member

Save the Children

2018 - Present

• Assisted in giving weekly art history and drawing lessons to children at the local orphanage
• Helped organize visits at local museums and art galleries

#7. Language skills

Are you bilingual or can speak another language apart from your native one?

Make sure to mention it on your high school resume!

Wherever you might be applying, you can rest assured that they’re going to appreciate your language skills.

Even if you’re applying for a job in the service or retail industry, proficiency in an extra language or two is going to give you an advantage over other applicants, especially if you write your CEFR level , and can back up the claim in conversation.

Who knows when some foreign customers will come in and your knowledge will come in handy!

With that scenario in mind:

Be mindful not to exaggerate your skills, as lying on your resume can only get you in trouble.

#8. Hobbies & Interests

It might feel like you’re just filling up some space, but actually, the hobbies and interests you list on a resume can be significant, especially if you don’t have a lot of extracurriculars or work experience.

You need something to hint as to who you are as a person and employee, and listing hobbies and interests will do that for you. 

They also show that you are an engaged individual and well-rounded applicant. 

However, you should be selective with what you mention here. 

Listing 6+ hobbies will end up having the opposite effect - it will look like you’re just throwing in some random words, hoping some of them will be impressive. 

A good strategy is to look for hints on the job ad i.e. if they are looking for a team player, mentioning a team sport as one of your hobbies is a great idea. 

Keep in mind, though, that you should also avoid hobbies that don’t add to your profile as a candidate.

E.g.: your gaming hobby doesn't make you a better candidate for the role of a sales manager.

4 Free High School Resume Templates

So we’re all done with theory at this point. 

There’s one thing left for you to do: sit down and start preparing your resume. 

To help you with that, we’ve gathered 4 free resume templates , perfect for a high school resume. 

All you have to do is pick the ones you like best & get started with your resume!

#1. Simple Resume Template

This versatile template works for all kinds of applicants - from those with plenty to those with zero work experience. 

The neutral colors emphasize information over flashiness and the structure is easy to follow.

#2. Professional Resume Template

This next template is an all-time favorite of ours. 

Unlike the first template, the Professional one is formatted into two columns. It’s simple, yet stands out with its blue accent color (which you can change into any color you like). 

#3. Modern Resume Template

The Modern template adds something more to the traditional resume look. There is a faded design in the background and some of the sections are boxed by large brackets.

It’s a template that stands out without being too loud or wild. 

#4. Creative Resume Template

If you’re applying for a position in a creative field (marketing, design, etc.), this is the template for you. 

It uses accent colors and has a bold header that makes a statement. 

High School Resume Example

As important as picking the right template is, the content of the resume is what’s going to seal the deal. 

Here’s one example of a high school student resume, so you can get a clearer idea of what it should look like!

High School Resume FAQ

If you still have some questions regarding your high school resume, check out the FAQ and our answers below:

1. How can I write a high school resume with no work experience?

As a high school student, it’s more than normal for you to have no work experience. This shouldn’t scare you. 

There’s a lot of activities you can add to your resume that can substitute work experience.

Extracurricular activities, like participation in school clubs, projects, and gigs, are a great indicator of your skills and personality. Any informal work experiences should also be mentioned.

As long as you are showing the recruiter that you are capable of doing the job, your resume will be just fine without a work experience section.

2. How long should a high school resume be?

When it comes to high school resumes, the answer is undebatable: one page. 

A 2018 eye-tracking study showed that recruiters spend about 7 seconds skimming a resume before deciding whether to discard it or not. 

A 2-page resume will be simply excessive. 

Heck, even if you’re a professional with 10 years of work experience, we’d still recommend sticking to 1 page.

For more on resume length best practices, check out our article.

3. What’s the best way to make a high school resume?

An important and time-consuming part of making a resume is getting the formatting right. 

This means meticulously editing a Word or Google doc in order to get the right typeface, font size , line spacing, margins, etc.

What we’re getting at here is, if you’re making your resume manually, it can take you hours…

And then you make a tiny change on your layout, and your resume starts spilling into the second page!

Want to save time and effort?

Just use a resume builder ! The formatting is done for you, and all YOU have to do is fill in the resume!

Key Takeaways

That pretty much covers all you need to know about writing a high school no-experience resume . 

Quite simple and doable, right?

Finally, here’s a recap of what you should keep in mind when writing your high school resume:

• Instead of work experience, talk about extracurriculars like school clubs, personal projects, or gigs.
• Use sections like education, hobbies & interests, and languages to emphasize your skills and give an idea of your personality.
• Grab the recruiter’s attention with a concise resume objective that clearly highlights your top skills and career goals.
• Keep your resume at a maximum of 1 page.

And finally, good luck with your job search!

Related Resume Examples

• No Experience Resume
• Internship Resume
• College Resume
• Research Assistant Resume
• Students and Graduates Resume
• Teacher Resume

Suggested readings:

• The Complete Guide to Remote Work [W/ Tips & Tricks]
• 101+ Achievements to List On Your Resume [In 2024]
• The Ultimate Guide to Job Hunt - Land Your Next Job in 2024

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16 High School Student Resume Examples Created for 2024

High School Student Resume

• High School Student Resumes by Experience
• High School Student Resumes by Role

High school is one of the best times of your life, but it can also be one of the most difficult when looking for your first or second job. You’ve got to fill out applications, prep for interviews, and write your resume.

Using ChatGPT for resumes  is a cool idea, but can still feel daunting and overwhelming. We’ve all been there, and up until now, there hasn’t been a good resource for high schoolers to help  craft compelling resumes or student cover letters .

We’ve analyzed countless high school resumes to discover  what would get students job interviews in 2024 . While you may want to start with a simple  resume outline , keep reading to find 16 high school resume samples (plus writing tips) that are jam-packed with essential techniques and tricks.

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• If you choose to use a template, make sure you adjust the  resume’s formatting  so that your text is big enough to read with one-inch margins on the side.
• However, you should write your bullet points like you would for a job. Highlight any responsibilities and accomplishments relevant to the job you’re applying for now.
• For example, if you’re looking for a job in sales, emphasize your ability to work in groups and create a good customer experience.

High School Student No Experience Resume

• If you don’t have work history, include projects and volunteer work instead. Treat them like a job and write bullet points according to your responsibilities.
• Make sure you start every bullet point with active verbs, and always double-check for typos. You’ve got this!
• Include your unique skills, your desired position, and the company you hope to work for to make your objective stand out from the rest!

First Job High School Student Resume

• To remedy that problem, add a  skills section on your resume  to give hiring managers an important overview of your strengths.
• To really highlight your abilities, incorporate the same skills in your work experience, too. Demonstrate how you used your skills to better your workplace, and you can’t go wrong!
• Adding stylistic elements like color and different fonts can help you show a bit of your personality (and make your resume more fun to read). 

Experienced High School Student Resume

• Remember, your resume is a highlight reel, so you need to include what’s most important (like your achievements and relevant metrics). 
• You can adjust your layout, font sizes, and margins, but keep it easy to read. 
• Use a bit of color and some fun fonts, provided it still looks professional. You’ve got this!

High School Senior Resume

• This statement must align with the potential employer’s needs, proving you understand the job requirements and have gone the extra mile to address doubts about your capabilities. As for experiences that might have prepared you for the job, workshops and volunteering programs you’ve participated in are prominent candidates.

Out of High School Resume

• Leisure activities range from soccer, hiking, drawing and sketching, robotics, and photography to journalism. But how do they fit in the picture? Well, a penchant for drawing and sketching could reflect creativity and an eye for detail, while journalism stints could hint at strong communication and critical thinking.

High School Graduate Resume

• Right from the first line of the career objective, you can see the candidate’s passion and willingness to work in this field. Notice how Serai’s love for photography is clearly backed by a previous project for a school newspaper.
• These details will be perfect when Serai’s ready for the AI cover letter generator to bring her application to perfection.

High School Student Scholarship Resume

• Your high school student scholarship resume should vividly show your positive contributions to noble causes, such as offering ADLs to seniors, and emphasize your impact on society.

High School Student College Application Resume

• Ensure your high school student college application resume shows your practical and classwork achievements that emphasize your grand vision to make a positive contribution to society.

High School Student for College Resume

• Before hitting “submit,” always  check your resume  for typos and other minor errors. It’s amazing what you can miss during your first few reviews.
• A good GPA can demonstrate, at least in part, your willingness to work hard. We’d recommend including your GPA only if it’s above 3.5, but anything above a 3 is a good average.

High School Student for Customer Service Resume

• Including projects, volunteer work, or club memberships is a great way to add value to your resume.
• Your resume should focus on your abilities and other activities you’ve engaged in that will show your value.
• Read the responsibilities and qualifications to look for key skills and tasks. Then, incorporate some of those skills and responsibilities into your high school student customer service resume.

High School Student Internship Resume

• For example, if the job description lists responsibilities like writing and analyzing data, include “written communication” and “data analysis” in your skills section.
• One easy way to customize your resume is by focusing your  resume skills  on things that apply to the internship. 
• Make sure you keep your resume professional and to the point. You don’t want to include anything too personal about your beliefs, religion, politics, or personal information.
• For example, you can list “volunteering at local church,” but avoid saying “fasting every weekend.” It doesn’t show off relevant skills and is a bit too forward for a resume.

High School Student Office Worker Resume

• Good projects include anything that demonstrates your leadership abilities or desire for knowledge. Senior projects, personal blogs, or even being on a sports team are all good examples to include!
• Add work experience directly under your contact information and name, then add any relevant projects if you’re low on space. 
• While there are plenty of  resume writing tips , your resume should be as unique as you. Don’t get so caught up in what you think you “should” do that your resume is bland and cookie-cutter. 

High School Student Sales Resume

• Numbers demonstrate your value, and they’re useful tools for the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) software that hiring managers use to sort through job applicants.
• Trust us, and incorporate metrics into at least 80% of your bullet points!
• For example, you know that different  resume templates  can change your resume’s appearance, but different templates can also stretch or streamline your content. 
• Mess with multiple templates to see what your content will look like—you may find a template that allows for more room, or one that allows you to highlight your skills better.

High School Student Athlete  Resume

• Think of a time you proved you were the MVP on your team—Did you lead your team to a championship? Perhaps you made the game-winning shot in a crucial, nail-biting game?

High School Student Music Resume

• When you include hobbies like songwriting or your interest in classical music in your high school student music resume , it conveys to your recruiter that you’re super dedicated and passionate about your craft.
• You can also include hobbies that are different, too. For example, if you enjoy experimenting with new recipes from around the world, that can show you’re ready to give new genres a whirl or that you understand that music—while art—is still supposed to be fun and adventuresome.

Related resume guides

• Entry Level

The Admissions Strategist

How to write a high school resume: the ultimate guide (multiple templates included).

A high school resume is an organized, professional-looking document. It lists your education, achievements, qualifications, work experience, skills, and awards.

Some colleges require a resume for admissions , but all internships and jobs require at least a resume when applying. You might even submit a resume for scholarships.

• The resume advice in this article can be used for your college applications, internships, and jobs.

If you’re in high school, you should start building your resume right now. This will make it much easier to upgrade your resume over the next few years.

You’re going to use a resume for the rest of your professional life . Make sure to update it with pertinent information and new experiences.

Let’s first start with some frequently answered questions students ask about high school resumes.

How important is a high school resume for college applications?

Your resume usually will not lead to an acceptance or outright rejection.

But, a well-formatted high school resume can help you make your case for an acceptance.

In the same manner, a poorly formatted resume with plenty of grammar mistakes and lies can undermine your chances of an acceptance.

• Why? Admissions officers want to admit students show curiosity for the university. A student submitting a sloppy resume is showing her lack of interest in her application.

Undergraduate business, BS/MD , and honors programs frequently request a high school resume along with the application.

• In this case, the resume is more important than usual, so be sure to take your time and format it correctly (scroll down to find out how to format a resume).

Your application, essays, and transcript are more important to college applications than a resume is. With that said, if you’re submitting a resume or the college asks for one, you must submit a high-quality resume.

Is there an official high school resume template?

No. A high school resume comes in many forms, so you have many choices to choose from.

For high school students applying for college, internships, and jobs, you should embrace the best approaches for high school resumes.

Click above to watch a video on High School Resumes.

What is the best approach to writing a resume?

The best resumes are concise and packed with substantive information .

Remember, admissions officers and hiring managers are busy people, so you need to include pivotal information in your high school resume while wording your accomplishments in a concise and pithy manner.

Last, your resume needs to be formatted correctly. A resume that is formatted properly is easy on the eyes and, thus, will be much more enjoyable to read.

• Admissions officers and hiring managers are more likely to pay attention to resumes that are easy to scan and absorb.

Remember these four things when writing your high school resume:

• The wording must be concise
• All relevant information should be included
• Resume formatting should make for an easy and pleasurable read; anything that looks sloppy will reflect badly on you
• Try to keep the resume as close to one-page long. Over one page is OK for high school resumes, but it’ll be frowned upon later in your career.

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Should i use an online template for my resume.

As a resume expert, I strongly recommend that you avoid copy and pasting online templates.

Why? Each student is different. What might work for someone else won’t work for you.

• Some students have a great record of academic achievements but a sparse record of extracurricular activities.
• Some are business-oriented, while others are liberal arts-oriented.

This means you should format your resume from scratch. Not only will you construct a resume that is customized to your needs, but you’ll also build resume skills that you’ll keep forever. These skills will come in handy in college and beyond.

How do I format my high school resume?

You should follow a few general rules when formatting your resume for college admissions, internships, and jobs.

• Use Times New Roman or Cambria on your resume. These fonts are easy to read.
• Regular font should be size 10-12. Headings should be at least two points larger than your font.
• Separate each section (Contact, education, experience, skills) with a heading that is underlined and/or bolded.
• Keep margins at 1 inch. If you need to shorten the length of the resume, .5 margins are OK. Anything less takes a toll on the eyes.

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

How do I format each section?

You now know what makes a great resume. Now, let’s dive into the specifics.

This is how you format each section.

Your name should be centered at the very top in bold. The font size can match your headings, or your name can be a point or two larger than the headings.

This information will go right underneath your name.

Include the name you used on your college application.

Underneath your name, put your cell phone number and professional email address.

Format your cell phone correctly. That means you have two options:

• There will be parenthesis around your area code and a hyphen after the first three digits of the number. Example – (536) 276-6690
• No parenthesis at all but with hyphens after the area code and first three digits of the number. Example – 536-276-6690

If your current email address [email protected], it’s time to create a new email. Use Gmail, since it’s secure and works with the G Suite platform, which you’ll use extensively in college.

A safe email is one that includes your first name initial, last name, and the last two digits of your birth year. For example:

[email protected]

Last, you can put your home address if you so choose. Including your home address is not mandatory.

The name and contact sections will look like this:

Todd Gurley [email protected] | (536) 276-6690 30 McVay Avenue Los Angeles, CA

You don’t need an objective section. Most objectives are common sense. They are clichés that provide no value to the document.

The education section is easy as long as you know your academic information. Follow these steps.

List your high school, location, and your graduation date:

Black Horn High School, Bastion Ridge, South Carolina (Graduation: June 2021)

Underneath that, put your GPA (unweighted/weighted), and your best test scores:

GPA: 3.45/4.2 | SAT: 1350 | SAT II Math: 710 | SAT II US History: 680

Then, list your honors right under your GPA. Below your honors, write “Coursework:” and input your highest, most prestigious classes. If you’re applying for an internship or industry-specific job opportunity, you can put related coursework.

Coursework: AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP World History , Spanish Honors

If you’re a freshman, sophomore, or junior, you can also add a “Projected Coursework” section, in which you’ll add courses you’re bound to take next year.

Additionally, students of all grade levels should add an “Awards” section. List your awards under “Coursework/Projected Coursework.” Here’s how it’d look:

Awards: AP Scholar, FRC National Champion, National Honors Society, Musk Receipient of Excellence in Robotics, DECA Achievement Award

When you finish this section, this is how it’ll look:

Black Horn High School, Bastion Ridge, South Carolina (Graduation: June 2021) GPA: 3.45/4.2 | SAT: 1350 | SAT II Math: 710 | SAT II US History: 680 Coursework: AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP World History , Spanish Honors Awards: AP Scholar, FRC National Champion, National Honors Society, Musk Receipient of Excellence in Robotics, DECA Achievement Award

Now comes the fun part. The quality of this section will determine the overall strength of your resume. You want to remember several critical tips before you dive into this section.

First, your experience headings need to be evenly formatted.

• Keep necessary elements italicized.
• Don’t bold everything for the sake of emphasis.
• You should have two or more bullet points per qualification.
• When writing the location (“city, state”) of your qualification, make sure it’s formatted the same as your “city, state” in your contact section. As such, if your contact section has “Washington, DC,” then don’t add periods in “DC” in your “Experience” section. In general, watch out for inconsistencies when adding periods in state abbreviations – stick to one version: with or without periods.

Second, your bullet points should be neatly formatted.

• All bullets should be fragments beginning with action verbs . You are not writing in the first person (e.g. “I collaborated”).
• Bullets should not end with periods.
• Choose specific action verbs. Try to avoid using weak action verbs, such as “worked,” “assisted,” and “helped,” among others.
• Action verbs should be in the past tense (e.g. “collaborated” and “managed”) unless you’re describing an experience that you’re a part of right now. In that case, your action verbs should be in the first-person singular tense (e.g. “collaborate” and “manage”).
• The roles you had most recently should be at the top. This means you’re following reverse chronological order.
• If you want to combine similar activities into one bullet point, separate them with a semicolon.

Third, your bullet points can include any of the following:

• Summer jobs
• Volunteer activities
• Community service
• Extracurricular activities
• Internships
• Informal jobs (babysitting)

Fourth, bullet points should be specific. Try to tell a story. Include results.

• Include numbers, figures, percentages, or anything else that will help you demonstrate your ability to procure results.
• If you’re having trouble thinking of details to include, think of the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your job duties.
• Remember, the admissions officer and hiring manager don’t know who you are, so it’s your job to paint a picture of your qualifications.

Here are great examples of bullet points in high school resumes:

Managed four team members during two-hour shifts, resulting in 100% customer-satisfaction rate Collaborated with supervisor to create 100 cards for cancer patients over 30-day span Created sandwiches and addresses customer concerns during lunch rushes five days per week; utilized slicer, Panini press, and cash register to facilitate customer requests Guarded 20 students per swimming session; instructed three students during daily one-on-one swimming classes, resulting in a 100% graduation rate

Hint : You can use these bullet points in the extracurricular activities section on your college application.

Does that make sense? Good. Let’s look at what a properly formatted experience section looks like.

• Write the workplace or club name on the top line.
• Next to it, write the location.
• On the next line, write your position in italics.
• Next to your position, write the date (month year – month year) during which you worked in that position. Writing out the entire month is not important; what matters is sticking to the format for all your experiences.
• The bullet points go under the position and date.

For example:

SM Pediatrics and Healthcare, Portland, OR Intern , September 2018-December 2018

• Coordinated daily appointments and schedule at the front desk for over 50 patients
• Facilitated insurance paperwork and co-pays to guarantee patient satisfaction
• Created new filing system for office staff, resulting in 30 minutes of saved time; integrated Trello into office project management by leading tutorials on the platform

Repeat this several times until you’ve addressed each one of your pertinent activities, work experiences, and engagements.

This section usually focuses on two elements: computer and language.

Next to “Computer:” list the things you can do well using, you guessed it, a computer. This can range from coding to graphic design to PowerPoint to CMS to software.

Under the computer section, you’ll input “Language:” if you know any foreign languages. List them by naming the language and, in brackets, give the level at which you know it. There are four levels to foreign languages:

• Native or bilingual proficiency – You can read and write fluently; you can do business and live in a foreign country with your skills
• Professional working proficiency – You can do business in the language but aren’t aware of every cultural norm
• Limited working proficiency – You can read and write here and there but wouldn’t be able to do business fluently.
• Elementary proficiency – You can barely read or write but can steer a conversation every now and then

All told, the “Skills” section should look like this:

Computer: HTML, SQL, Java, WordPress, Wix, Python, PHP, Adobe Photoshop, MS Office Suite, Wave, Trello, Slack, Quickbooks, MailChimp, Stripe, PayPal Language: Spanish [Professional working proficiency)], French [Elementary proficiency]

Saving and Sending the Resume

Always save your professional documents (cover letter, resume, writing samples transcripts) in PDF. Name the document as [first name]_[last name]_[document type]:

Todd_Gurley_Resume

Underscores are your safest bet when naming a resume. They render your resume easy to organize so admissions officers and hiring managers don’t lose track of them.

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 you’ll 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 you’re updating (or upgrading!) 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 writer’s block.

As an exercise, spend a few minutes every year perusing your notepad, witnessing your professional growth .

Expert Resume Advice

Over time, we’ll add expert resume advice below.

Here’s what Vic Lindsay, director of student life at Sweet Briar College, has to say about your resume:

Our role as educators is to give students the skills they need to be successful in future endeavors. When I make hiring decisions, I’m searching for students who want to be molded and who are looking for more than just a paycheck. When you’re ready to move out into the real employment world, your resume should be focused on skills you obtained and achievements that show leadership and initiative. Don’t tell me what you were, tell me what you’ve done. Show me where previous supervisors have trusted you with significant responsibility and that you lived up to those expectations.

High School Resume Templates: Great Samples

Finally, if you were looking for outstanding samples of high school resumes, I got your back.

As I mentioned before, don’t just copy and paste your items into the resume.

Instead, take the time to scrutinize action verbs and bullet-point formation.

Check to see if the grammar and data make sense.

Here are your templates:

High_School_Resume_Template

High_School_Resume_Template_2

High_School_Resume_Template_3

You can also look at them below. Enjoy!

High School Resume Template 1

High School Resume Template 2

High School Resume Template 3

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How to Write a High School Student Resume

Writing a  high school student resume  when you have limited or no working experience is challenging. You have to sell yourself to a potential employer, and make yourself stand out from the crowd, but  how do you write a resume with no experience?

The good thing is that you probably have more things to add to your  first resume  than you imagine. All experience counts, whether it’s delivering newspapers, babysitting, or mowing lawns.

How do you do this, then?

Tips for writing a high school resume

The trick to writing a resume when you’re just out of high school is to  focus on your strengths . Though you may have limited paid experience, your qualifications, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities can make your  student resume  shine.

We know that  writing your first high school resume  can seem like a daunting task. However, if you take it step-by-step it is very simple. Here are some tips on how to do it.

Where to start with my high school resume

A good way to start is to look at some  entry – level resume examples  to give you an idea of what you should include on your high school resume. It is also highly beneficial to use a  resume writing guide  throughout the process.

What skills can high school students add to their resume?

If you are like many students, you probably feel you’re yet to accrue enough relevant experience to write a convincing resume. Nothing further from the truth. You probably have more  relevant knowledge  than you think.

Take into account your life experience, work experience, academic achievements,  volunteer work , skills, and personality strengths, and  write it all down . This list will come in useful when filling in those sections on your resume.

The  education section  is likely to be a key feature of your high school student resume, so rack your brain for  extracurricular activities . Include  honors and awards  and If you have been a member of a club, association, or sports team, mention it.

Do not be modest. Make it clear If you were captain of a team as it demonstrates  leadership skills . Likewise, if you have helped to run or organize something it shows you are responsible and have  organizational skills .

Focusing on your education and achievements at school will help you to write an attractive  high school student resume with no work experience .

Use a professional template

A resume is more than just a document describing your education and experience. It is a sales presentation. However, in this case, the product being sold is yourself. This means that how you present the information is just as important as the content itself.

Your resume must be  engaging and eye-catching  to maximize your chances of being noticed by employers. Nevertheless, don’t go overboard. Avoid too much color , extravagant designs, or excessively complicated formatting. Keep your resume simple, minimal, and professional.

To ensure the design you use is both  suitable and aesthetically pleasing , it makes sense to use a resume template that has been  professionally designed .

Keep your resume concise and direct

Studies have shown that recruiters only spend an  average of 7 seconds  looking at each resume. This means that overwhelming them with information and large blocks of text will be counterproductive to your success.

When writing your resume:

• Keep it brief and to the point
• Avoid including any extra information that doesn’t directly help your application
• Use bullet points where possible
• Keep the length of the document to one-page max

Scan each job description and identify the requirements

Read through the job description for each job position you are interested in and highlight the core skills and competencies.  Identify the keywords , normally there is a list of requirements and it is important to show you meet all of them.

The  skills section  of your resume needs to incorporate the appropriate  soft skills  (personality traits) which you must be able to demonstrate, such as leadership skills, reliability, and communication skills. As well as the necessary  hard skills  (technical or learnable skills) such as computer skills, foreign languages , and accountancy.

Identifying the key competencies will make it easy to know what  information you should add to your high school resume . This will include both soft and hard skills.

Add your education to your resume

In a high school resume, your  education is more important  than for an older or more experienced candidate. Unless you have a significant amount of work experience already, your high school education should come first.

When writing this section, it’s necessary to also add  all relevant details  in the correct order. Here’s the information you must include to correctly present your education :

• Name of degree
• Name of high school
• Years attended
• Courses that are relevant to the job

Include any work experience you may have

As mentioned previously, as a high school student, it’s 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, it’s always recommended to include them. Due to the fact that you’re still in high school, they will still represent an  enterprising attitude  to employers even if they aren’t 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.

Make sure you provide accurate contact information on your resume

Employers look at an incredibly large number of resumes each day. This means that the easier you make their life, the  better your chances  at landing an interview.

Having inaccurate or hard-to-find contact information can put them off from contacting you, and it may end up with your resume getting discarded. Therefore, it’s important you include your  full name, phone number, e-mail address , and any relevant social media links in a clearly visible position on your resume.

Double-check that all the information is correct, and give as many  contact details  as possible to enable the company to contact you via their preferred method of communication. Make sure to also use a professional email address to avoid giving a bad impression.

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 you’re applying for the position and how you are qualified for the role.

It’s 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.”

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.

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 you’re 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 you’ve undertaken.

What not to do on a high school student resume

There are certain pitfalls you need to avoid when  writing a high school resume . Make sure you avoid the following  common mistakes :

• Do not lie.  Many high school students make this mistake as they feel that they do not have enough experience. It can be very tempting to do so but it is risky.  You can easily get caught . Even if you get away with it and end up getting the job, it could become obvious that you do not have the skills,  qualifications , or experience you claimed to have.
• Do not use fillers . When writing a  high school student resume with no work experience,  the space on the page can seem infinite. There are a number of  things not to include on your resume . Everything you write on your resume should help to sell you in some way. Padding out your resume will not only be a waste of necessary space but it will also distract the employer from the good parts. Using a  high school student resume template  will help you to fill your resume with your strong points, no fillers are needed.
• Proofread your resume multiple times . Making typos and other silly mistakes does not give a positive first impression and it looks amateurish. Proofread your resume numerous times and then  give it to at least one other person to look at . Sometimes it can be hard to spot your own mistakes. Make sure your resume looks like a  professional resume , not a  resume for teens .
• Do not include a photo.  Within the United States, photos are not generally used for almost any type of job application. Unless you’re applying to a role which asks for a professional headshot, there’s no reason for your resume to have a picture of you. In fact, including a photo may lead employers to  automatically dismiss your resume  to avoid the risk of accidentally discriminating. This is because there are laws in the US to ensure companies  do not discriminate against candidates  based on their race, gender, or age.
• Do not use an objective statement.  As mentioned above, a summary statement is a great addition to your resume to show both your value and motivation for the role. However, objective statements tend to be generic and they  do not help recruiters  to understand your qualifications or actual goals. An example of such a sentence is: “Motivated high school student looking for first work experience”. This vague statement  provides no real information  and does not help the candidate to market themselves.

High School Resume Example

Now that you know the fundamentals on how to craft the best possible high school resume, it’s 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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How to Write a High School Student Resume

Once you start high school, you enter the age when you’re legally allowed to have a job. The federal starting working age is 14, but many states and companies have their own policies concerning age limits.

16 is the most common starting point for most entry-level part-time jobs , with regulations limiting possible hours per week, usage of certain equipment, and times of day that you’re allowed to work. These restrictions aside, most high schoolers seek part-time work for a variety of reasons.

From helping to support the family to saving for college, beginning work in high school is a great way to get a head start on your life skills. Plus, having some extra cash can be a confidence booster that also aids independence and teaches you about life in the workforce.

Beyond that, more teens than ever are seeking out jobs due to an increasing amount of financial instability both in the United States and the wider world. For all these reasons, it’s important to have a resume that stands out to potential employers.

But, as most teenagers who have begun their job search have surely noted, there’s a major catch-22 in this process. The vast majority of hiring companies, from retail to food service, have experience required.

Even if they don’t explicitly list it in the job posting, a resume is essential to be taken seriously and hired. This is where many encounter a problem–how are you supposed to gain experience if you don’t have any experience?

How are you supposed to write a resume to get hired and gain experience, when you don’t have any experience that you can list on that resume? Luckily, for your first resume, you don’t have to list job experience.

If you’ve ever acted in a play, or played a sport, or volunteered, or simply did well in school, you can list that. Here’s a rundown of some key non-work items you can put on your resume:

1. Personal information

Don’t forget to put your name, address, email address, and phone number on the top of your resume. This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how often this gets overlooked.

Most importantly, make sure the information is correct and up-to-date! Beyond objective personal information, include the subjective too–what skills do you have? This can be anything from “memorization abilities” to “proficient with Microsoft Excel.” 

2. Academic information

Assuming you’re still in high school, make sure to make an “Education” section that lists your school, start date, and expected graduation date. Taken a lot of honors and AP classes? Don’t be afraid to brag! Add your GPA and any other academic recognitions you may have received.

Even if you’ve never held a job before, by bringing attention to those facts, you’re able to show your dedication, smarts, and hard work in the education department. This highlights and provides proof of qualities that employers are looking for, despite not being a job. After all, school is basically an unpaid job.

3. Extracurriculars and volunteer work

As with academic information, extracurriculars show your dedication to projects that you believe in. Unlike the academic information, extracurriculars help show your true interests and more specific qualities.

For example, if you’re involved in theater, that shows teamwork, memorization or technical abilities, and creativity. If you play a sport, that also shows teamwork, commitment, and the ability to stay cool under pressure.

This field is especially helpful if you have a leadership position , which shows exceptional people and management abilities. Volunteer work is also helpful, since most of it is organized under a command structure similar to most entry level positions in the workforce. That shows you’re good at working hard and following instructions, producing results that better your community.

4. References

References are key! They are people that can vouch for your character. The most common examples for high schoolers who haven’t yet had a job are coaches, guidance counselors, and other forms of advisors.

You write their name, their relationship to you, and some contact information. The hiring manager will then contact them (probably) to get a review of your performance and character. This helps them decide if you’ll be right enough for the position to keep the process moving along to the interview.

Now you know what to put, here are some suggestions on how to arrange your resume to keep it looking sharp. Use a standard, legible font! It’s okay if it’s a little boring–simplicity and clarity are key. A pop of color can help, but keep it limited.

On my resume, I have my name in a nice blue that looks pretty and prints well, but retains legibility. Keep it limited to one page, and don’t forget your name and contact information at the top.

For extra professionalism, I keep mine in a clear plastic folder when I hand it over at the interview. There are many free templates you can download from various websites that already have everything you need arranged. In those cases, all you have to do is replace the filler text. Under each entry for past experience, be sure to list your responsibilities and any specific areas you were trained in.

That is a lot of information to cram on one page! The stakes feel high, and you probably feel like you’re missing something. That’s a normal feeling to have.

The workaround I’ve discovered is that it’s okay to have slightly different resumes for different applications. I keep things like personal information and references the same, but I emphasize different areas of my experience.

Since my work career has started, I’ve gained experience in food service, maintenance, retail, and online work. I pick and choose what I think are the most appropriate examples.

If I were to apply to another retail position, in the food service sections of my job history, I would be sure to touch on how I was also register-trained and assisted customers on top of my food duties.

I would do the opposite if I were applying to a food service position. I would emphasize the cleaning, organization, and attention to detail my retail positions demanded. This helps you save space and cut the excess while also providing an appropriate portrait of your experience.

As you enter the workforce, remember that it is okay to feel scared and overwhelmed. New job jitters are no joke!

A nice, polished resume will help you feel confident in your abilities. Be proud of yourself–even applying to jobs requires bravery and commitment. You’ve got this.

Author: Rebecca Hanson

I'm currently a sophomore English major at Lewis & Clark College in sunny Portland, OR. Alongside my writing for Niche, I also contribute to LC's student newspaper and radio. I'm passionate about writing, playing bass, and taking care of my dog, Howie (not pictured).

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When it comes to extracurricular activities, there’s no set rule concerning how many you should be involved in or how involved you must be.

It may seem like a daunting task, but securing an internship as a high school student is a realistic and possible thing.

Here you’ll find information about how best to be prepared to meet with your college/career counselor so that they can help you achieve your goals. They were really helpful when I was going through the college application process.

Anatomy of a High School Résumé

What is a résumé.

A résumé is a document that summarizes your knowledge, skills, abilities, experiences, and accomplishments. Think of a résumé as an introduction, helping people get to know you. A high school résumé outlines your interests and goals so people know what you enjoy and where you see yourself going.

Do I need a résumé in high school?

Yes! High school is a good time to begin putting your résumé together. Whether you’re thinking about getting a job, going to college , or doing volunteer work, you may be asked to provide a résumé. A common use for a résumé is to screen applicants for potential jobs . Employers can look through a résumé to quickly determine if someone’s skills, experience, and interests match what they’re looking for. In addition to employers, colleges often invite applicants to include a résumé. Therefore, having a résumé that’s detailed, properly formatted, and up to date is important.

Where do I begin?

Résumés have many acceptable résumé templates and formats─including both paper and digital versions. When choosing the format you want to use, think about what the standard is for the job or organization you’re applying to. Many places have preferred formats.  Follow any guidelines provided to improve your chances for success. Look for résumé examples online to see how other people have crafted their résumés, and apply what you like to your résumé. However, keep in mind that format is less important than content. Focus most on what you’re sharing, not on document design.

How do I write my résumé?

Typically, a high school résumé consists of these sections:

• Header: Include your name and contact information.
• Education: List schools you’ve attended, including graduation dates (if you’ve graduated). Include special courses or areas of interest, particularly if they’re related to the job, school, or opportunity you’re applying for. Include academic honors and awards.
• Skills and Experience: List and skills you learned or demonstrated in paid employment or unpaid volunteer work. Put everything in reverse order, adding start and end dates. List relevant extracurricular activities, as well as club or organization leadership roles.  Show the reader your accomplishments, not just responsibilities. Presenting data such as the number of people you served, projects you completed, or awards received can help tell your story.
• Special Skills: List skills that could be a benefit to the school or employer. This could be languages you speak, computer programs you know how to use, or personality traits (e.g., good with kids, comfortable talking on the phone, enjoy public speaking).

Résumé Writing Tips

If you’re new to résumé writing, it can feel overwhelming. Take your time and be patient. Here are some tips to get started writing your résumé in high school:

• Write your résumé in reverse chronological order. Put your most recent experience and schooling at the top. Then work your way backward.
• Make sure that everything you’ve included is relevant and worded concisely. Limit the résumé to one page.
• Don’t worry about making your résumé flashy. It’s better to keep everything simple, clear, and easy to read than to use unique fonts, images, or layouts. 
• Remember to be accurate. Never exaggerate or bend the truth.  
• Make sure to proofread your résumé more than once, looking for typos, misspellings, and incorrect grammar and punctuation. Then have someone else look over it. Mistakes can make the reader feel you’re not as thorough, careful, or detail oriented as they’d like you to be. 
• Add new experiences and skills to your résumé as you gain them. As time passes, delete the oldest and least relevant experiences. It’s okay to revise your résumé as your interests and goals change.  

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How to Write a High School Resume

What resume format to choose for high school resume?

What should you include on your high school resume, tips and tricks.

Every resume has just one purpose.

And that purpose is presenting who you are.

And you would want it to present you in the best possible light.

That being said, sometimes it gets a little tougher to do that.

Especially if you are in or straight out of high school and have limited or no work experience behind you.

It might be intimidating at first, but we’ve got everything you need to perfect your high school resume.

In this article, we are going to explore and answer these questions:

• What Resume Format to Choose for High School Resume?
• What should you include on your high school resume?

And we are going to leave you off with some great tips and tricks and an awesome template to get you going.

Keep reading, and you will surely make your resume stand out .

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Drop your resume here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

Before you go any further, you need to be sure you are using the best resume format for your needs.

And to do so, you first need to know which are the most common ones and what are their differences.

We are going to go through them one by one.

Reverse chronological resume format

The Reverse Chronological Resume Format is the most common out there.

That’s because it is suitable for pretty much every job position.

This format is mostly career-oriented – it lists your work history in order, as the most recent position would be at the top.

It is the ideal format for people with lots of work experience , relevant to the job position they are applying for.

If you feel like this is the Resume Format for you, you should learn more about it here – Reverse Chronological Resume Format .

If not, we have two more for you.

Functional resume format

Your second alternative is pretty much the opposite of the Reverse Chronological Resume Format.

The Functional Resume Format is also called Skill-Based Resume Format.

And yes, you guessed correctly, it focuses mainly on your skills .

It is the perfect choice for you if you are looking for your first job or career change, or if you are trying to steer away the employer’s focus from a gap in your employment history.

The great thing about the functional resume format is that it groups your skills in categories and presents them in a great and easy-to-read format.

If we’ve got what you need with this Resume Format, learn more about it here – Fucntional Resume Format .

If that’s not what you need either, we’ve got one last option for you.

Hybrid resume format

If neither the Reverse Chronological Resume Format, nor the Functional Resume Format feel quite right, we’ve got what you need.

The Hybrid Resume Format is the perfect combination of the two formats listed above.

It takes all the best features from both formats.

It includes both Reverse Chronological Work History, and a highly detailed Skills section.

It’s mostly used for job positions that require expertise in a variety of fields, and you want to show that you are the right person for the job.

Which resume format to choose for high school resume?

Now, on to the main question – which format should you choose?

There is no easy answer to that question.

You have two good options – Reverse Chronological Resume or Functional Resume.

The Functional Resume would bring up your skills, and it is a better option when you have limited or no work experience.

The reason you need to consider the Reverse Chronological Resume is the workload hiring managers have.

They receive hundreds of resumes for every position, and can’t really afford to spend too much time on any.

On average, hiring managers would spend about 6-7 seconds on your resume.

That’s why, if it is not in an easy-to-read format, they might even skip it.

And, as the Reverse Chronological Resume Format is the most common out there, it might be a safer choice than the Functional Resume Format.

No matter which resume format you choose, you need to spend some significant time filling up your resume with information.

It is not an easy task, and you need to know how to do it right.

We’ve got you covered with every section that you might want to list on your resume.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to include all of them.

You wouldn’t want your resume to get too cluttered.

Contact information

The resume section that is most crucial to get right is your contact information .

It is the first the hiring manager sees on your resume, so you would want to make it look professional.

Furthermore, you need to check if it is all mistake-free.

You will never get called for an interview, if you misspelled your phone number.

Your contact information consists of a few important components.

That one is hard to get wrong.

You need to list two names in a font that is easy-to-read.

Make sure you accent your name with the font-size.

The hiring manager should know who your resume introduces.

You can consider adding a subtitle below your name to act as a branding statement.

But that one is entirely up to you.

Listing just your two names is more than enough for now.

This one can often be excluded.

But typically, it might work well for you.

There are some reasons for some employers to prefer local candidates , including:

• Tax purposes
• Travelling time

The safe way to go is to check the job listing first and see if it is required.

A thing to be extra careful about here is what part of your address you include.

If you decide to include any, make sure you only list city and state.

Any more information is too much, and can even be harmful to you, if your resume ends up in the wrong hands.

Email address

This is an absolute must on your resume.

In the modern age that we live in, email is usually the preferred method of communication.

But don’t list just any email that you have got.

An email address that seemed funny in college is not the right email address for the job.

You would want a professional looking email to list on your resume.

Your best option here is to use a provider like Gmail and keep the format [email protected].

Phone number

That is the second must that you should not exclude.

It is just as important a means of communication, as your email address.

Make sure you list your personal cell phone, so that you would be sure that the hiring manager would reach you.

Keep only one phone number on your resume.

Any more than that might come off confusing and would be more difficult to keep track of.

If you don’t have to have a LinkedIn profile it wouldn’t hurt you to make an account.

It can usually serve you really well, as hiring managers would definitely want to learn more about you than you can list on your one-page resume .

So make sure you include your LinkedIn profile in your Contact Information.

And if you don’t have a profile yet, there is no better time to create one.

Blog, website, or portfolio

Do you have some projects that you want to share with your potential employer?

Well, you can always do so.

Just include your blog, personal website, or a portfolio of some great projects you have created.

But be careful.

You need to keep it all relevant.

So check the position you are applying for and then decide if it would work in your favor.

Resume objective

Your Resume Objective is your chance to sell yourself to your potential employer.

And that is exactly what you would want to do.

The resume objective is a 3-4 sentence statement that presents your skills, achievements and career goals.

It should present you in the best possible light and keep the hiring manager intrigued all the way through.

Education section

As you probably have limited or no work experience, the focus of your resume would fall much more on your education section .

That’s where you should list your academic accomplishments.

Typically, every entry in your education section should include:

• Your Degree
• Name of the Academic Institution
• Year of Graduation
• Bullet list with relevant courses

If you think you can show off some more in your entry, you absolutely should.

Other things you can list on any entry in your education section are:

• GPA (make sure it is a good one, nothing below 3.0)
• Awards and Honors
• Class rank (if applicable)

Skills Section

Before starting this section, we need to define the difference between the two main types of skills – soft and hard.

hard skills

Using simple words, a hard skill is one that can be learned, taught, or measured and is not dependent on your industry.

Examples of such skills are any language or computer skills, or ability to operate heavy machinery.

Soft skills

A soft skill is a personality trait that is hard to measure, but that makes you great at your job.

Examples of such skills are being a team player, being driven to succeed, or having a great attitude.

Now, how to list hard and soft skills on your high school resume.

As you probably have limited or no experience, focus would not be on your work experience section.

Instead, it falls on your education section, and on your skillset.

That’s why it is really crucial to get this right.

Don’t worry, we are going to help you go through it.

The first thing you need to do is list all skills that you have.

After you have it ready, you should look through it and think about which of these skills are relevant to the job position you are applying for.

You should also help yourself find the right keywords that your potential employer would be looking for.

You can easily find them by checking out the job listing.

That would also help you beat the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that would scan your resume for specific keywords before it ever has the chance to be seen by the hiring manager.

Extracurricular activities

This section might not seem so important at first, but it can really turn your resume around.

Even if you had nothing so impressive so far, some extracurricular activities can really grab the hiring manager’s attention.

These activities are usually school-related, but are never mandatory.

Taking part in them demonstrates your interests and proves that you can make meaningful contributions.

It can also show that you are a strong team player, as typically they require teamwork.

All in all, extracurricular activities on your resume can really show a much greater skillset than your skills section.

And that can really boost up your chances.

School is not the only place you can do things.

And usually out-of-school projects are even more impressive for hiring managers.

They show that you are a self-starter, and you have the motivation and the skillset to see a project through.

It can be as little as a blog, or as big as a small business or a startup.

Either way, it can really put you one step ahead of other candidates.

Work Experience Section (Optional)

You might not have any work experience at this point, and that is okay.

You can always create a substitute section like “Volunteer Work” where you can list all your volunteering.

Or you can create an unrelated to experience section that would show off your talents in a better way.

But if you have any work experience, you should not miss out on listing it.

What you need for listing each entry is:

• Job position
• Company name
• Dates of employment
• A bullet list of your responsibilities and accomplishments.

Language skills

It might seem redundant, but you need a second skills section, and it is usually an important one.

That one shows your language skills and the levels of knowledge you have in them.

In the modern world, it is crucial to know more languages, as the world is becoming more and more connected.

So, any language skills you have would not remain unnoticed.

Your potential employer would absolutely be happy to see some additional language skills on your resume.

If you have any certification for any language, don’t miss out on listing it.

You can do so either right there in the language skills section, or in a separate Certifications Section .

Hobbies & interests

This section might seem useless at first, but it can play an important role in your job-seeking as well.

Listing your hobbies and interests can give an indirect hint to the hiring manager about some of your great skills.

But also they show you as a person and describe you as a well-rounded individual.

Don’t list too many hobbies, it might look like you were just throwing words around.

Instead, scan the job listing once again.

That’s where you would find what hobby or interest would be perfect for you to list.

If your potential employer is looking for a team player, you would want to emphasize a team sport.

And, as promised, we are not going to let you go without some tips and tricks to help you out.

There are a few simple rules you need to follow.

If you do, your resume will be guaranteed to look its best.

So let’s go through them all and get you good and ready:

• Stick to one-page resume – two-page resumes are only acceptable when a candidate has tons of work experience
• Choose a professional font - examples of such are Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Cambria and Verdana
• Choose the correct font size - it’s best to keep it around 12pt, and it should never fall beneath 10pt
• Make sure you have sufficient white space - you need to make it clear where a section starts and ends. Don’t forget to also add a margin of at least 0.7 inches.
• Choose the right format - unless specified otherwise, always stick to PDF as it is the only format that will preserve your layout and structure no matter what

Making an effective high school resume is all about presenting yourself in the best possible way. Focus on:

• Your soft and hard skills will play a major role in structuring your resume;
• Don’t hesitate to show high-school accomplishments;
• Show your strengths and explain what will make you a great hiree;
• Stick to a single-page resume.

Check out our tips and tricks once again and use our Resume Builder to make your resume get you your next interview in no time.

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