How To Write A High School Resume: A Comprehensive Guide to Landing Your First Job

Landing your first job is a huge milestone. For many high school students, the resume is the first hurdle. It’s a document that represents you, your skills, and your potential to a prospective employer. But how do you write a compelling resume when you might not have a ton of work experience? Don’t worry; this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create a standout high school resume that gets you noticed.

Crafting Your High School Resume: Laying the Foundation

Before you start filling in the blanks, think about what you want to highlight. A high school resume is different from a professional one, so the approach needs to be tailored. You’ll likely be focusing on academics, extracurricular activities, and any volunteer work you’ve done. The key is to showcase your skills and potential, even if you lack traditional work experience.

Gathering Your Information: The Brain Dump

First, make a list of everything you’ve done. This includes:

  • Academic Achievements: GPA, relevant coursework, honors, awards, and Dean’s List (if applicable).
  • Extracurricular Activities: Clubs, sports, student government, etc. Be specific about your role and responsibilities.
  • Volunteer Experience: Any volunteer work you’ve completed, including the organization and your duties.
  • Skills: List both hard and soft skills. Hard skills might include proficiency in specific software or languages. Soft skills are more about your personality, like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
  • Awards and Recognition: Any awards, scholarships, or recognitions you’ve received.

Choosing the Right Resume Format: Clean and Concise

The best format for a high school resume is typically a chronological format. This means you list your experiences in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent. Keep it clean, easy to read, and concise. Avoid overly fancy fonts or graphics; focus on clarity. Aim for one page.

Essential Resume Sections for High School Students

Now, let’s dive into the specific sections you’ll need to include on your resume.

Contact Information: Making it Easy to Reach You

This section is straightforward but crucial. Include:

  • Your Full Name
  • Your Phone Number (Make sure your voicemail is set up professionally!)
  • Your Email Address (Use a professional-sounding email address, not something like “partyanimal123@email.com”).
  • Optional: LinkedIn Profile URL (If you have a professional-looking profile).

Education: Highlighting Your Academic Journey

This is arguably the most important section for high school students. Include:

  • Name of High School
  • City, State
  • Expected Graduation Date (Month, Year)
  • GPA (Optional, but include if it’s good. If not, you can omit it.)
  • Relevant Coursework (Mention specific classes that align with the job you’re applying for.)
  • Honors/Awards (Dean’s List, Honor Roll, etc.)

Extracurricular Activities: Showcasing Your Involvement

This is where you can demonstrate your interests and skills. List your activities, the roles you held, and a brief description of your responsibilities. For example:

  • Debate Club, Member (2021-Present): Participated in weekly debates, researched and prepared arguments, and improved public speaking skills.

Volunteer Experience: Demonstrating Your Commitment

Even if you haven’t held a paying job, volunteer work shows initiative and a willingness to contribute. Include the organization’s name, your role, and a description of your duties and accomplishments.

Skills: Highlighting Your Abilities

Create a dedicated section for your skills. Divide them into categories like:

  • Technical Skills: Computer skills, software proficiency, languages.
  • Soft Skills: Communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, time management.
  • Other Skills: Driving, first aid, etc.

Writing Compelling Descriptions: Making Your Experiences Shine

Simply listing your activities isn’t enough. You need to describe them in a way that highlights your contributions and achievements. Use action verbs to start your bullet points and quantify your accomplishments whenever possible.

Using Action Verbs: Bringing Your Resume to Life

Start each bullet point with a strong action verb. Here are some examples:

  • Managed a team of volunteers.
  • Organized fundraising events.
  • Improved website traffic.
  • Collaborated with other students.
  • Presented research findings.
  • Created marketing materials.

Quantifying Your Accomplishments: Showing Impact

Whenever possible, use numbers to demonstrate your impact. For example:

  • “Increased club membership by 20% through targeted outreach campaigns.”
  • “Raised $500 for the local animal shelter.”
  • “Tutored five students in mathematics, resulting in improved grades.”

Formatting and Design: Making Your Resume Visually Appealing

The visual presentation of your resume matters. Even if your experience is limited, a clean and well-formatted resume will make a better impression.

Choosing the Right Font: Readability is Key

Stick to simple, professional fonts like:

  • Arial
  • Times New Roman
  • Calibri
  • Helvetica

Use a font size between 10 and 12 points.

Using White Space: Avoiding Clutter

White space is your friend. It makes your resume easier to read and prevents it from looking cluttered. Use margins of at least one inch on all sides. Use bullet points to separate information within each section.

Proofreading and Editing: The Final Polish

Before you submit your resume, proofread it carefully. Check for:

  • Spelling errors
  • Grammatical errors
  • Typos
  • Consistency in formatting

Have a friend, teacher, or career counselor review your resume as well. A fresh pair of eyes can often catch mistakes you missed.

Tailoring Your Resume: Customizing for Each Application

Don’t send the same resume to every job. Tailor your resume to each specific job you apply for. Review the job description and highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the position. Customize your resume by:

  • Adjusting your skills section to match the job requirements.
  • Rearranging the order of your experiences to emphasize the most relevant ones.
  • Adding a brief objective or summary statement (optional).

Building a Resume When You Have No Work Experience

It’s common for high school students to lack traditional work experience. Don’t let that discourage you. Focus on showcasing your transferable skills.

Highlighting Transferable Skills: Your Secret Weapon

Transferable skills are skills you’ve developed in one area (like school or extracurricular activities) that are valuable in another (like a job). Examples include:

  • Communication: Public speaking, written communication, active listening.
  • Teamwork: Collaboration, conflict resolution, leadership.
  • Time Management: Organizing tasks, meeting deadlines.
  • Problem-Solving: Analyzing situations, finding solutions.
  • Leadership: Motivating others, taking initiative.

Focusing on Relevant Coursework: Showing Your Knowledge

If you lack work experience, highlight relevant coursework. This shows that you have a foundation of knowledge in a particular area.

Including Volunteer Experience: Demonstrating Initiative

Volunteer work is a great way to demonstrate your commitment and willingness to contribute. It also provides opportunities to develop and showcase transferable skills.

Examples of High School Resume Sections

Here are some examples of how to format different sections of your resume:

Education:

  • Lincoln High School, Anytown, USA
    • Expected Graduation: June 2024
    • GPA: 3.8
    • Relevant Coursework: AP English Literature, Pre-Calculus, Computer Science I
    • Awards: Honor Roll (2021-2023)

Extracurricular Activities:

  • Student Council, Secretary (2022-Present): Organized school events, managed meeting minutes, and communicated with students and faculty.
  • Debate Club, Member (2021-2022): Participated in weekly debates, researched and prepared arguments, and improved public speaking skills.

Skills:

  • Computer Skills: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Suite
  • Soft Skills: Communication, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Time Management

Tips for a Winning High School Resume

Here are some additional tips to help you create a winning high school resume:

  • Keep it concise: Aim for one page.
  • Use action verbs: Start each bullet point with a strong action verb.
  • Quantify your accomplishments: Use numbers to demonstrate your impact.
  • Proofread carefully: Check for spelling and grammatical errors.
  • Tailor your resume: Customize your resume for each job you apply for.
  • Get feedback: Have a friend, teacher, or career counselor review your resume.
  • Be honest: Don’t exaggerate or lie about your experience.
  • Focus on your strengths: Highlight your skills and accomplishments.

Frequently Asked Questions About High School Resumes

Let’s address some common questions:

What if I have very little experience? Don’t worry! Focus on highlighting your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and transferable skills. Tailor your resume to the job description, emphasizing skills that align with the role.

Should I include a photo on my resume? It’s generally not recommended to include a photo on your resume in the United States unless specifically requested.

Is it okay to use a template? Using a resume template can be a great way to start, especially if you’re unsure how to format your resume. However, customize the template to reflect your own experiences and skills, and avoid templates that are overly flashy or difficult to read.

How important is a cover letter? A cover letter is often a good idea. It’s your opportunity to introduce yourself and highlight why you’re a good fit for the specific job. Even if a cover letter isn’t required, it can help you stand out.

What file format should I use? Save your resume as a PDF file. This ensures that your formatting will be preserved, regardless of the software the employer uses to open it.

Conclusion: Your Resume – The Gateway to Your Future

Writing a high school resume might seem daunting, but it’s a vital step in your journey to your first job or internship. By following the guidelines in this comprehensive guide, you can create a compelling resume that highlights your skills, experience, and potential. Remember to focus on your strengths, use action verbs, quantify your accomplishments, and tailor your resume to each application. With a well-crafted resume, you’ll be well on your way to landing that first job and gaining valuable experience. Good luck!