Crafting a resume as a high school student can feel daunting, but it’s a crucial step in preparing for your future. Whether you’re applying for a part-time job, volunteering opportunities, internships, or even college programs, a well-structured resume showcases your skills, experiences, and potential. This guide provides a comprehensive resume template and expert advice to help you create a standout application.

Why High School Students Need a Resume

Many high schoolers underestimate the power of a resume. It’s not just for seasoned professionals; it’s a valuable tool for:

• Securing Part-Time Jobs: Retail, food service, and tutoring positions often require a resume to demonstrate your responsibility and work ethic.
• Landing Volunteer Opportunities: Non-profit organizations seek dedicated volunteers, and a resume highlights your commitment and relevant skills.
• Applying for Internships: Internships provide invaluable real-world experience. A strong resume increases your chances of getting selected.
• College Applications: While colleges primarily focus on transcripts and essays, a resume can supplement your application, showcasing extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership roles.
• Scholarship Applications: Many scholarships require a resume to assess your achievements and potential.
• Building a Professional Foundation: Creating a resume early helps you develop essential skills like self-assessment, communication, and organization.

Essential Resume Sections for High School Students

Here’s a breakdown of the core sections every high school resume should include:

Contact Information

This is the most straightforward section, but accuracy is paramount. Include:

• Full Name: Use a professional font and a slightly larger size than the body text.
• Phone Number: Use a cell phone number where you can be easily reached.
• Email Address: Create a professional-sounding email address (e.g., jane.doe@email.com) if you don’t already have one. Avoid using nicknames or unprofessional terms.
• Location: City and state are sufficient. You don’t need to include your full street address for privacy reasons.
• Optional: LinkedIn profile (if you have one) or a personal website/portfolio (if applicable).

Summary or Objective (Optional)

This section is a brief statement that highlights your key skills, experiences, and career goals. It’s optional, but it can be particularly helpful if you have limited work experience or are targeting a specific type of role.

Objective: Use an objective statement if you’re looking for a specific position or type of opportunity. Focus on what you can offer the employer.

Example Objective: “Highly motivated high school student seeking a part-time position at [Company Name] to utilize strong customer service and communication skills.”

Summary: Use a summary statement if you have some relevant experience to highlight. Focus on your achievements and skills that align with the desired role.

Example Summary: “Enthusiastic and reliable high school student with experience in customer service and teamwork. Proven ability to learn quickly and adapt to new environments. Seeking a challenging role where I can contribute to a positive team environment.”

Education

This section is crucial for high school students. Include:

• High School Name: Include the full name of your high school.
• Location: City and state of your high school.
• Expected Graduation Date: Month and year you expect to graduate.
• GPA (Optional): Include your GPA if it’s above 3.5. If not, consider omitting it.
• Relevant Coursework: List any relevant courses that align with the jobs or opportunities you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying for a tutoring position, mention courses like Algebra, Geometry, or English.
• Honors and Awards: Include any academic honors, awards, or scholarships you’ve received.

Experience

This section showcases your work history, volunteer experience, and extracurricular activities. Even if you haven’t held a formal job, you can still highlight valuable experiences.

For each experience, include:

• Job Title/Role: Be specific and descriptive.
• Organization/Company Name: Include the full name of the organization.
• Location: City and state.
• Dates of Employment/Involvement: Month and year (e.g., June 2022 – August 2022).
• Responsibilities and Achievements: Use action verbs to describe your duties and accomplishments. Focus on the impact you made. Quantify your achievements whenever possible (e.g., “Increased customer satisfaction by 15%”).

Examples of Experiences to Include:

• Part-Time Jobs: Retail associate, cashier, server, lifeguard, tutor.
• Volunteer Work: Soup kitchen volunteer, animal shelter volunteer, community cleanup volunteer.
• Extracurricular Activities: Club president, sports team captain, debate team member, student government representative.
• Personal Projects: Website development, coding projects, photography projects.
• Babysitting/Lawn Mowing: If you’ve consistently provided these services, you can include them as experience.

Skills

This section lists your relevant skills, both hard skills (technical skills) and soft skills (interpersonal skills). Tailor this section to the specific jobs or opportunities you’re applying for.

Hard Skills Examples:

• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Typing Speed
• Coding Languages (e.g., Python, Java, HTML)
• Data Entry
• Social Media Management
• Customer Service Software

Soft Skills Examples:

• Communication Skills
• Teamwork Skills
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Time Management Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Customer Service Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Adaptability

Awards and Activities (Optional)

If you have significant awards or activities that don’t fit neatly into the “Experience” or “Education” sections, you can create a separate section to highlight them. This could include academic awards, sports achievements, volunteer recognition, or participation in extracurricular activities.

Resume Template for High School Students

Here’s a basic resume template you can adapt to your own experiences and skills:

[Your Full Name]
[Your Phone Number] | [Your Email Address] | [Your City, State] | [Optional: LinkedIn Profile URL]
[Optional: Summary/Objective Statement]
**Education**
[High School Name], [City, State]
Expected Graduation: [Month, Year]
GPA: [Your GPA] (Optional)
Relevant Coursework: [List Relevant Courses]
Honors and Awards: [List Honors and Awards]
**Experience**
[Job Title/Role], [Organization/Company Name], [City, State]
[Dates of Employment/Involvement]
* [Responsibility 1 - Use Action Verbs]
* [Responsibility 2 - Use Action Verbs]
* [Achievement - Quantify if Possible]
[Job Title/Role], [Organization/Company Name], [City, State]
[Dates of Employment/Involvement]
* [Responsibility 1 - Use Action Verbs]
* [Responsibility 2 - Use Action Verbs]
* [Achievement - Quantify if Possible]
**Skills**
Hard Skills: [List Hard Skills]
Soft Skills: [List Soft Skills]
[Optional: Awards and Activities]
[List Awards and Activities]

Resume Example for a High School Student

Here’s an example of how a high school student might fill out the resume template:

Jane Doe
(555) 123-4567 | jane.doe@email.com | Anytown, CA
Highly motivated high school student seeking a part-time position at a local bookstore to utilize strong customer service and reading comprehension skills.
**Education**
Anytown High School, Anytown, CA
Expected Graduation: June 2025
GPA: 3.8
Relevant Coursework: AP English Literature, Creative Writing, AP US History
Honors and Awards: Honor Roll (2022, 2023, 2024), National Honor Society
**Experience**
Volunteer Tutor, Anytown Public Library, Anytown, CA
September 2023 - Present
* Provide tutoring assistance to elementary and middle school students in reading and math.
* Help students improve their understanding of concepts and complete homework assignments.
* Improved students' grades by an average of one letter grade.
Cashier, Anytown Ice Cream Shop, Anytown, CA
June 2023 - August 2023
* Provided excellent customer service to customers in a fast-paced environment.
* Operated cash register and processed transactions accurately.
* Maintained a clean and organized work area.
**Skills**
Hard Skills: Microsoft Office Suite, Typing (60 WPM), Data Entry
Soft Skills: Communication, Teamwork, Customer Service, Problem-Solving, Time Management
**Awards and Activities**
Debate Team Member (2022-Present), Anytown High School
Volunteer at Anytown Animal Shelter (2021-Present)

Tips for Writing a Standout High School Resume

Here are some additional tips to help you create a resume that gets noticed:

• Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume for each job or opportunity you apply for. Highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the specific position.
• Use Action Verbs: Start your bullet points with strong action verbs to describe your responsibilities and achievements (e.g., “Managed,” “Developed,” “Implemented,” “Increased”).
• Quantify Your Achievements: Whenever possible, quantify your achievements to demonstrate the impact you made (e.g., “Increased sales by 10%,” “Reduced costs by 15%”).
• Proofread Carefully: Errors in grammar and spelling can make a negative impression. Proofread your resume carefully before submitting it. Ask a friend, family member, or teacher to review it as well.
• Use a Professional Font: Choose a clear and easy-to-read font such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Use a font size between 10 and 12 points.
• Keep it Concise: Aim for a one-page resume. Focus on the most relevant information and avoid unnecessary details.
• Use White Space: Use white space effectively to make your resume visually appealing and easy to read.
• Save as a PDF: Save your resume as a PDF file to ensure that it displays correctly on different devices and operating systems.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Your school’s guidance counselor or career center can provide valuable feedback on your resume.

Resume Formats

While the chronological format (listing experiences in reverse chronological order) is generally recommended, consider these alternatives if they better suit your situation:

• Functional Resume: Focuses on your skills rather than your work history. This can be useful if you have gaps in your employment history or are changing careers. However, it’s generally not recommended for high school students, as it can make it difficult to showcase your experience.
• Combination Resume: Combines elements of both chronological and functional resumes. This can be a good option if you want to highlight both your skills and your work history.

For most high school students, the chronological format is the most effective and straightforward choice.

Resume Template Table Example

This table demonstrates how you can structure your experience section for clarity and readability.

Final Thoughts: Your Resume is Your Story

Your resume is more than just a list of your accomplishments; it’s a reflection of your potential and your aspirations. Take the time to craft a resume that accurately represents your skills, experiences, and personality. Remember to tailor it to each opportunity and always proofread carefully. By investing in your resume now, you’re setting yourself up for success in the future. Embrace the process, learn from the experience, and use your resume as a powerful tool to unlock new opportunities. You’ve got this!