How to build a great high school student resume

As a high school student, there are many reasons why you may need a well-written resume. Whether you are applying for a job or submitting an application to a college or university, it is crucial to know which elements to include for your resume to be effective.

In this guide, we will teach you everything you need to know about writing a resume as a high school student. Keep reading to learn:

• Which resume format is best for high school students?
• How do you write a resume summary as a high school student?
• What skills should a high school student include on a resume?
• How do you describe past work experience as a high school student?
• How should a high school student list their education?

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1. What is the best format for your high school student resume?

In general, the standard resume format is the reverse-chronological resume. This resume focuses on work experience, listing your most recent job first and working chronologically backward from there.

However, unless you have many years of experience working in professional positions, then you will likely not have enough work experience as a high school student for this format. As a result, you may want to consider one of the following alternative formats:

• The Functional Resume: Functional resumes remove the focus from work experience and instead place it on education, skills, and unpaid experience (volunteer work, internships, etc.). This is often the best format for current students, as it allows you to prioritize academic experience and extracurriculars.
• The Hybrid Resume: Hybrid resumes spread the focus of a resume out more evenly between all sections. This type of resume is well-suited for students who have held part-time jobs and have some work experience to showcase alongside their academic experience.

Choose your preferred template and make your resume shine.

2. How to craft an eye-catching high school student resume summary?

A resume summary is a brief introductory statement at the beginning of your resume that helps to show your best attributes to the person reading it.

When writing your summary, it is important to include compelling details such as academic accomplishments or key work experience. This will catch the attention of employers and encourage them to read further into your resume and remember you later on.

To help demonstrate how to write an effective resume summary, here is an example of a weak one followed by a correction and explanation.

Why is this incorrect?

In this example, the student includes great examples of their professional goals and how their in-school experience ties into these goals. However, they should strive to provide more specific and quantifiable details, such as how many years they worked as an office assistant or what clubs they are a part of.

Why is this correct?

In this example, the applicant is far more specific with their experience as an office assistant. Rather than stating they are a “soon-to-be graduate,” the applicant instead says the exact year in school they are (High School Senior). Overall, this example has a lot more detail and specificity that makes it a more compelling summary.

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3. What are the best skills to put on your high school student resume?

When listing skills on your resume, it is important to include a variety of different types of skills to choose from. Most abilities can be divided into two main categories:

• Hard Skills: Hard skills refer to learned abilities, like being able to play a sport or learning a new concept in school. These skills are gained through education and training, showcasing your talents and technical ability.
• Soft Skills: Soft skills are your people skills. These abilities deal with communication and comprehension, often governing how well you work with other people and understand the world around you. Soft skills can be both inherent and learned.

Including both of these types of skills on your resume is essential, as it will show the person reading the document that you know the importance of both. Plus, it will help you to showcase your diverse skillset!

With this in mind, here are 10 examples of both hard and soft skills that are great to include on a high school student’s resume:

4. How to best describe your past work experience as a high school student?

As a high school student, you likely do not have very much work experience just yet.

If you have worked in part-time positions, then these should be included within your work experience section. However, if you have never worked a job, you may need to consider extracurriculars you can describe and sub in for formal jobs in a section simply titled “Experience” or “Hands-On Experience.”

This can include academic positions you have held, such as being a team captain or club president.

No matter what experience you choose to describe on your resume, consider which details will make these examples more compelling. The more specific you can be the better!

5. How to properly list education on your high school student resume?

When you write a resume as a high school student, you will likely still be in the process of completing your education and earning your high school diploma.

It is always necessary to indicate on your resume that your education is ongoing. Additionally, you should list your expected date of graduation, as well as the specific name of the school to give credibility to your educational credentials.

If you have any notable academic achievements – such as membership in an honor society or extracurriculars – these can make good extra details to add to your education section as well.