resume writing for high school seniors

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 what you really need is a free AI resume builder and solid student cover letters to get you on your way.

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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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.  

Related Articles

5 High School Resume Examples for Your 2024 Job Search

High school is a time of exploration and defining your path—much like crafting your first resume. As a high school student, your resume is your personal brand, a snapshot that showcases your achievements, interests, and aspirations. Dive into our guide for standout high school resume examples that will help you make your mark and impress potential employers or admissions officers in 2024.

Resume Examples

Resume guidance.

• High Level Resume Tips
• Must-Have Information
• Why Resume Headlines & Titles are Important
• Writing an Exceptional Resume Summary
• How to Impress with Your Work Experience
• Top Skills & Keywords
• Go Above & Beyond with a Cover Letter
• Resume FAQs
• Related Resumes

Common Responsibilities Listed on High School Resumes:

• Develop and implement lesson plans that meet state and school curriculum standards
• Teach subjects according to the educational needs, abilities, and achievement levels of students
• Grade student assignments and exams, providing feedback to promote learning and improvement
• Maintain accurate and complete records of students' progress and development
• Prepare students for standardized tests and college entrance exams
• Manage classroom behavior and discipline to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment
• Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests
• Communicate with parents or guardians about students' progress and potential issues
• Participate in faculty meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops
• Supervise students outside of the classroom—for example, during lunchtime or detention
• Collaborate with other teachers, staff, and administrators to develop and coordinate educational programs
• Guide and mentor students with their academic and personal development

You can use the examples above as a starting point to help you brainstorm tasks, accomplishments for your work experience section.

High School Resume Example:

• Revamped the science curriculum to incorporate STEM-focused projects, resulting in a 40% increase in students' standardized test scores and a 25% rise in college STEM program enrollments.
• Integrated smart classroom technologies which enhanced interactive learning, leading to a 30% improvement in student engagement as measured by class participation and feedback surveys.
• Developed and led a teacher mentorship program that improved novice teacher retention by 50% and increased the overall teaching quality as evidenced by student academic performance metrics.
• Orchestrated the launch of a school-wide digital literacy initiative, increasing students' proficiency with technology by 45% and enabling the successful adoption of a 1:1 device-to-student ratio.
• Collaborated with local businesses to create a career exploration program that provided internships for 60% of the senior class, enhancing college and career readiness.
• Implemented a comprehensive assessment strategy that reduced grading time by 20% while providing more detailed feedback, contributing to a 15% improvement in student revision and resubmission rates.
• Curriculum Development
• STEM Education Integration
• Classroom Technology Implementation
• Teacher Mentorship and Training
• Student Engagement Strategies
• Digital Literacy Advocacy
• Partnership Development with Local Businesses
• Career and College Readiness Programs
• Assessment and Feedback Optimization
• Project-Based Learning Facilitation
• Behavior Management System Design
• Culturally Responsive Teaching
• Professional Development Leadership
• Data Analysis and Academic Performance Evaluation
• Strategic Planning and Initiative Management

High School Graduate Resume Example:

• Streamlined data entry processes for a local non-profit, enhancing data accuracy by 15% and reducing time spent on data input by 20% through the creation of a custom spreadsheet template.
• Coordinated a community event that attracted over 300 attendees, managing logistics and volunteers, which resulted in a 50% increase in funds raised compared to the previous year.
• Developed and delivered a presentation on community engagement strategies that was adopted by the school's leadership team, leading to a 25% increase in student participation in extracurricular activities.
• Revamped the filing system at a small business office, increasing document retrieval efficiency by 30% and reducing misfiled documents by 90% within the first three months.
• Handled customer service inquiries with a 95% satisfaction rate, resolving issues promptly and improving the company's reputation for excellent customer support.
• Assisted in managing the company's social media accounts, growing the follower count by 40% and enhancing online engagement by creating content that resonated with the target audience.
• Data Entry and Spreadsheet Management
• Event Planning and Coordination
• Community Outreach and Engagement
• Presentation Development and Delivery
• Organizational Systems Improvement
• Customer Service Excellence
• Social Media Management and Content Creation
• Bookkeeping and Financial Processing
• Volunteer Management and Retention
• Digital Tools Proficiency for Team Collaboration
• Time Management and Efficiency Optimization
• Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking
• Leadership and Team Building
• Effective Communication
• Project Management

High School Senior Resume Example:

• Orchestrated a community service project that engaged over 50 student volunteers, resulting in 200+ hours of service and a 15% increase in local park revitalization efforts.
• Secured a competitive internship with a local law firm, contributing to case research that aided in a 10% increase in successful case resolutions over a 3-month period.
• Developed and led a student-run tutoring program that improved participating students' average test scores by 20% across core subjects within one semester.
• Initiated and managed a fundraising campaign for the school's athletic department, raising over $5,000, which funded new equipment and uniforms, increasing team morale and performance by 25%.
• Successfully balanced a part-time job at a retail store with academic responsibilities, achieving a promotion to shift supervisor within 6 months due to exemplary leadership and customer service skills.
• Implemented a peer-mentoring initiative within the National Honor Society, increasing membership retention by 30% and fostering an environment of academic excellence and collaboration.
• Community Engagement
• Research and Analysis
• Program Development
• Fundraising
• Time Management
• Customer Service
• Peer Mentoring
• Academic Tutoring
• Problem-Solving
• Artistic Curation
• Event Planning
• Workshop Facilitation
• Team Building
• Public Speaking
• Collaboration
• Strategic Planning
• Data Interpretation
• Adaptability

High School Student First Job Resume Example:

• Enhanced customer satisfaction by consistently greeting and assisting an average of 50 customers per day, leading to a 10% increase in positive customer feedback within three months.
• Streamlined the checkout process by efficiently operating cash registers and handling financial transactions, contributing to a 15% reduction in average customer wait time.
• Maintained a 98% accuracy rate in financial transactions over a six-month period, demonstrating strong attention to detail and reliability in handling cash and card payments.
• Proactively restocked shelves and managed inventory, resulting in a 5% decrease in out-of-stock incidents and contributing to a smoother shopping experience for customers.
• Implemented a new organization system for the work area, which improved overall store cleanliness and efficiency, leading to a 20% increase in store audit scores.
• Assisted with the launch of a promotional sales campaign that boosted store traffic by 30% and increased sales by 25% during the event period.
• Cash Handling
• Transaction Accuracy
• Inventory Management
• Organizational Skills
• Sales Promotion
• Communication Skills
• Problem Solving
• Attention to Detail
• Professionalism
• Product Knowledge

High School Student with No Experience Resume Example:

• Streamlined the administrative process by organizing over 1,000 student records and documents, resulting in a 30% improvement in retrieval time for the school staff.
• Coordinated and executed setup for 15+ school events, contributing to a 20% increase in student participation and community engagement.
• Implemented a peer tutoring schedule that matched 40 students with tutors, enhancing academic support and contributing to a 10% rise in average test scores.
• Assisted in the school library by cataloging over 500 books and resources, improving the book retrieval system efficiency by 25%.
• Supported the IT team in resolving 100+ student and staff computer issues, increasing the overall technology uptime by 15%.
• Contributed to the school's newsletter with 10+ articles and photographs, leading to a 35% increase in readership among the student body.
• Peer Tutoring and Academic Support
• Library Cataloging and Resource Management
• Technical Support and IT Troubleshooting
• Written Communication and Journalism
• Photography
• Volunteerism and Community Service
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Data Entry and Record Keeping

High Level Resume Tips for High Schools:

Must-have information for a high school resume:.

• Contact Information
• Resume Headline
• Resume Summary or Objective
• Work Experience & Achievements
• Skills & Competencies
• Certifications/Training

Let's start with resume headlines.

Why Resume Headlines & Titles are Important for High Schools:

High school resume headline examples:, strong headlines.

• These headlines are compelling because they immediately convey the candidates' specialized roles within a high school setting and highlight measurable achievements. They reflect a blend of experience, dedication, and innovation that directly aligns with the core objectives of high school education—academic excellence, student guidance, and inspirational teaching. Such headlines are likely to resonate with hiring managers who are looking for professionals with a proven track record of contributing positively to the educational environment.

Weak Headlines

• The provided headlines are generic and lack the distinct details that make a resume stand out. They do not quantify experience or achievements, nor do they specify any unique skills or programs the candidates have implemented or contributed to. Additionally, they fail to mention any accolades or recognitions that could differentiate the candidates from others in the field.

Writing an Exceptional High School Resume Summary:

High school resume summary examples:, strong summaries.

• These summaries are strong because they concisely articulate the professionals' specialized experience, their achievements, and the positive outcomes they have driven in their roles. They provide quantifiable results such as improved test scores, increased college acceptance rates, and scholarship awards, which are key metrics of success in high school education. Additionally, they reflect the candidates' commitment to student development and educational excellence, qualities that are highly valued by employers in the education sector.

Weak Summaries

1. High School educator with years of experience in teaching various subjects, looking to continue fostering a positive learning environment and contributing to student success at a new school. 2. High School professional skilled in classroom management and curriculum development, seeking to utilize my teaching abilities and knowledge to impact students' academic growth. 3. Dedicated High School teacher with a passion for student engagement and educational technology, aiming to bring my expertise to a school that values innovation in teaching methods.

• The provided resume summaries are weak because they are generic and lack specificity. They do not mention any measurable achievements, such as improvements in student test scores or successful program implementations. Additionally, they fail to highlight any unique skills or experiences that set the candidate apart from others in the field, which is crucial for making a strong impression on hiring managers.

Resume Objective Examples for High Schools:

Strong objectives.

• These resume objectives are strong for high school students because they highlight the candidates' academic achievements, leadership qualities, and eagerness to apply their skills in a real-world setting. They also demonstrate a balance between personal development and a desire to contribute to the success of a potential employer, which are key traits hiring managers look for in less-experienced candidates.

Weak Objectives

• These objectives lack specificity and fail to highlight the candidate's unique strengths or interests. They are too broad and do not target any particular industry or job type, which makes it difficult for employers to see the value the student can bring to their organization. Additionally, they do not mention any skills, achievements, or extracurricular activities that might make the candidate stand out from other applicants.

Generate Your Resume Summary with AI

Speed up your resume creation process with the ai resume builder . generate tailored resume summaries in seconds., how to impress with your high school work experience:, best practices for your work experience section:.

• Highlight any part-time jobs, internships, or volunteer work: Even if the experience isn't in a professional setting, emphasize responsibilities and skills learned that are transferable to the workplace, such as customer service, time management, and teamwork.
• Focus on leadership roles and responsibilities: Whether in sports teams, school clubs, or group projects, describe any leadership experience, what you learned, and how you contributed to the group's success.
• Include achievements in academic projects or extracurricular activities: Detail any significant projects or activities where you demonstrated skills relevant to the job you're applying for, such as problem-solving, creativity, or initiative.
• Emphasize soft skills developed: Communication, adaptability, and problem-solving are highly valued by employers. Provide examples of how you've developed and used these skills in various settings.
• Describe any entrepreneurial endeavors: If you've started a small business, a blog, or an online store, discuss what you did, how you managed it, and any successes you had.
• Include certifications or additional training: Mention any relevant courses, workshops, or certifications you've completed that demonstrate your commitment to learning and growth.
• Quantify your impact when possible: Use numbers to illustrate your impact, such as funds raised during a charity event, the number of participants in a club you led, or the growth of a social media page you managed.
• Use action verbs to start bullet points: Words like "organized," "led," "developed," "coordinated," and "managed" can make your experiences sound more dynamic and impactful.
• Proofread for clarity and accuracy: Ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors, and that all information is accurate and up-to-date.

Example Work Experiences for High Schools:

Strong experiences.

• Developed and implemented a comprehensive student success program that increased graduation rates by 15% over three years by providing targeted academic support, career counseling, and mentorship opportunities.
• Orchestrated a school-wide initiative to integrate technology in the classroom, resulting in a 40% increase in student engagement and a 25% improvement in standardized test scores within two academic years.
• Managed the school's annual budget of $5 million, achieving a 10% cost reduction through strategic negotiations with vendors and the optimization of resource allocation, while maintaining high educational standards.
• Revitalized the school's extracurricular program, leading to a 60% increase in student participation and the establishment of 5 new student-led organizations that fostered leadership and community service.
• Collaborated with local businesses and educational partners to secure $500,000 in grants and donations for STEM programs, enhancing the school's curriculum and providing students with hands-on learning experiences.
• Championed a teacher professional development plan that improved instructional practices, evidenced by a 20% increase in teacher retention and a notable rise in student satisfaction and performance.
• Launched a district-wide anti-bullying campaign, reducing reported incidents by 30% and creating a safer, more inclusive school environment as measured by annual student and parent surveys.
• Directed the successful accreditation process for the high school, ensuring compliance with all regional and national standards and securing the institution's academic reputation for the next 10 years.
• Forged partnerships with cultural and academic institutions, enriching the curriculum with diverse programs that led to a 35% increase in student cultural awareness and global perspective.
• These work experiences are impactful because they demonstrate the ability to create positive change within the educational environment, showcase the successful management of resources, and highlight the development of programs that directly benefit student growth. Each example includes quantifiable results, reflecting the professional's effectiveness in addressing key areas such as student engagement, academic performance, and operational efficiency.

Weak Experiences

• Assisted in developing and implementing lesson plans for a variety of subjects, ensuring they align with educational standards.
• Managed classroom behavior by applying standard disciplinary measures, maintaining a controlled and focused learning environment.
• Participated in faculty meetings and contributed to discussions about school policies and student engagement strategies.
• Coordinated with other teachers to organize school events such as science fairs and art exhibitions, overseeing logistics and student participation.
• Monitored student progress through regular assessments and provided feedback to help them improve academically.
• Engaged with parents during parent-teacher conferences to discuss student performance and address any concerns.
• Implemented technology in the classroom by using educational software to enhance student learning experiences.
• Contributed to the school's extracurricular programs by supervising a student club and organizing activities.
• Attended professional development workshops to stay updated on teaching methods and curriculum changes.
• The examples provided are weak because they are vague and do not convey the full scope or impact of the high school professional's responsibilities. They lack measurable achievements, detailed contributions to student success, or the educational environment, and do not highlight the individual's initiative or innovation in their role. To strengthen these bullet points, the high school professional should include specific examples of how they enhanced student learning, improved school programs, or contributed to the school's overall performance, using precise metrics and action verbs to demonstrate their effectiveness and value to the institution.

Top Skills & Keywords for High School Resumes:

Top hard & soft skills for high schools, hard skills.

• Classroom Management
• Lesson Planning
• Educational Technology Integration
• Student Assessment and Evaluation
• Special Education
• Subject Matter Expertise (e.g., Mathematics, Science, English)
• Behavioral Management Techniques
• Instructional Design
• Fluency in Multiple Languages (for language teachers)
• Standardized Test Preparation
• Data-Driven Instruction

Soft Skills

• Classroom Management and Student Engagement
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills
• Patience and Empathy
• Adaptability and Flexibility in Teaching Methods
• Conflict Resolution and Mediation
• Organization and Time Management
• Cultural Competency and Inclusivity
• Mentoring and Coaching
• Teamwork and Collaboration with Faculty
• Creative Problem-Solving
• Active Listening and Responsiveness to Student Needs
• Leadership and Role Modeling

Go Above & Beyond with a High School Cover Letter

High school cover letter example: (based on resume), resume faqs for high schools:, how long should i make my high school resume.

An ideal high school resume should typically be one page in length. This is because high school students generally have less professional experience compared to adults who have been in the workforce for years. A one-page resume encourages students to focus on their most relevant experiences and accomplishments without overwhelming the reader with too much information. Here are a few reasons why a one-page resume is suitable for high school students: 1. Conciseness: High school students are at an early stage in their careers, so they usually have fewer experiences and achievements to list compared to more seasoned professionals. A one-page resume helps them to be concise and to the point. 2. Relevance: It encourages students to only include experiences and skills that are relevant to the position or opportunity they are applying for, such as part-time jobs, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and academic achievements.

What is the best way to format a High School resume?

The best way to format a high school resume is to keep it clear, concise, and organized, with a focus on showcasing the student's achievements, skills, and potential. Here's a breakdown of an ideal high school resume format: 1. Header: At the top, include the student's name, address, phone number, and email address. Make sure the email address is professional. 2. Objective or Summary (optional): A brief statement that outlines the student's goals and interests. This can be helpful for students with specific objectives, but it's not mandatory. 3. Education: Since the student is still in high school, this section should come first. Include the name of the high school, expected graduation date, and GPA (if it's strong). Mention any honors or AP courses if applicable. 4. Experience: This section can include part-time jobs, internships,or any other volunteer work you've done up to this point.

Which High School skills are most important to highlight in a resume?

When high school students are preparing their resumes, it's important to highlight skills that demonstrate their readiness for the workforce or further education. Here are some key skills that high school students should consider featuring on their resumes, along with explanations for each: 1. Academic Competence: Highlighting strong performance in relevant subjects can show potential employers or colleges that a student is prepared for the intellectual demands of a job or higher education. 2. Communication Skills: Both written and verbal communication skills are critical in almost every field. High school students should showcase experiences that demonstrate their ability to express ideas clearly and effectively, such as participation in debate clubs or writing for the school newspaper. 3. Teamwork and Collaboration: Employers and colleges look for individuals who can work well with others. Participation in team sports, group projects, or clubs can illustrate a student's ability to collaborate. 4. Leadership: Experience in leadership roles, such as being a team captain, student council member, or club president, can be very appealing to those reviewing the resume. It shows initiative and the ability to manage and inspire others.

How should you write a resume if you have no experience as a High School?

When high school students are writing a resume and they have no formal work experience, they can focus on their academic achievements, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and any skills they have developed that are relevant to the job or opportunity they are seeking. Here's a guide on how to write a resume under these circumstances: 1. Contact Information: At the top of the resume, include your full name, address, phone number, and email address. Make sure your email address is professional. 2. Objective or Summary Statement: Write a brief statement that outlines your career goals and what you aim to achieve with the resume. This should be tailored to the specific job or opportunity you are applying for. 3. Education: Since you're still in high school, your education is one of your main assets. List your high school name, expected graduation date, and GPA if it's strong. You can also include relevant coursework, honors, or awards.

Compare Your High School Resume to a Job Description:

• Identify opportunities to further tailor your resume to the High School job
• Improve your keyword usage to align your experience and skills with the position
• Uncover and address potential gaps in your resume that may be important to the hiring manager

Related Resumes for High Schools:

High school resume example, high school graduate resume example, high school student first job resume example, high school student with no experience resume example, high school senior resume example, more resume guidance:.

Resumes and Cover Letters for High School Students

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

Today's high school students must market their experiences, skills, achievements, and accolades to set them apart from others when applying to college or for a job. This lesson takes students through the steps of creating an effective resume and cover letter using ReadWriteThink's Resume Generator and Letter Generator.

Featured Resources

• Resume Generator : This ReadWriteThink resource takes students through the process of creating a resume one step at a time.  
• Letter Generator : This ReadWriteThink resource helps students create a professional cover letter.  
• Sample High School Resumes and Cover Letters : These realistic resumes and cover letters help students visualize and generate content for their own documents.

From Theory to Practice

Common core standards.

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

Materials and Technology

• LCD Projector  
• Computers with Internet access
• The 3 Fs of Resume Writing  
• My Resume Ideas: Getting Started  
• Steps to Creating a Cover Letter  
• Sample High School Resumes and Cover Letters  
• Resume / Cover Letter Rubric  
• Visualizing Your Resume: Graphic Organizer  
• Visualizing Your Cover Letter: Graphic Organizer

Preparation

• Prepare copies of the  Sample High School Resumes and Cover Letters printout so that students may review it.  
• Reserve space in a classroom that has access to the Internet, specifically ReadWriteThink’s  Resume Generator and Letter Generator .  
• Prepare copies of the following printouts: The 3 Fs of Resume Writing , My Resume Ideas: Getting Started , Steps to Creating a Cover Letter , Sample High School Resumes and Cover Letters, Visualizing Your Resume: Graphic Organizer , and Visualizing Your Cover Letter: Graphic Organizer .

Student Objectives

Students will

• Understand the function, form, and effectiveness of a resume by examining and discussing sample resumes with their classmates  
• Demonstrate the importance of rhetorical situations by selling themselves to a defined audience  
• Develop a working resume by using the Resume Generator  
• Recognize how a cover letter works in conjunction with a resume by drafting them for a similar purpose  
• Write a cover letter by using the Letter Generator

Lesson 1: What is a Resume?

• Introduce students to resumes as a genre of writing: professional writing. Discuss how this is different from academic genres in that it serves a different purpose and is intended for a different audience. In short, it is a type of writing by an author who is trying to get something. As a result, it is an extremely persuasive style of writing. Share examples of when a person would need a resume, such as applying for a job, a scholarship, or an award, or when creating a portfolio of one’s work.  
• Prepare students to understand the purpose of a resume, including its F unction, F orm, and (e) F fectiveness (the 3 Fs). Take an informal poll of the class, asking who has heard of a resume before this class, who has seen one, and who has one of their own. Based on the results, you may ask students to share their experiences to add to the conversation.  
• Function: The function of a resume is to inform the audience about you in order to accomplish something. What you’re trying to accomplish depends on what you’re trying to do. This might include getting a job, getting into college, winning a scholarship, or being selected for an internship. There are many reasons to show people your resume.  
• Form: Resumes need to look a certain way. This is considered their form. People who read resumes expect them to include specific information, such as your name, address, contact information, education, past jobs, volunteer experience, and special skills. If a resume does not look like a traditional resume, the reader may be confused and think the writer is not educated about writing proper resumes.  
• (e)Ffectiveness: For a resume to be effective, it must demonstrate your knowledge of both function and form. An effective resume - Has a clear purpose that shows why you are writing it - Is visually appropriate and appealing, or easy to read - Includes all the necessary information about the writer - Is grammatically correct with no errors in punctuation or spelling
• Share copies of the resume printout. You might begin discussing these by putting students into small groups first to review. Tell them to identify what they see as the 3 Fs: Function, Form, and (e)Ffectiveness.  
• Return together as a class, and discuss each F and how students determined what it was.

Lesson 2: Developing Content for Your Resume

• Review the  The 3 Fs of Resume Writing from the previous lesson.  
• Discuss the two types of resume: chronological and functional. Ask students which style they think is best for them.  
• Show the sample resumes from the previous lesson. Ask students to identify which one is chronological and which one is functional.  
• Share online resume reference sites such as  College Admissions High School Resume and  High School Students Need a Resume Too with the class to present additional ways of thinking about the construction of resumes. (If you are not in a computer lab or a room with Internet access, tell students to view these sites later on their own.)  
• Have students brainstorm content for their resumes using the printout  My Resume Ideas: Getting Started as a guide.  
• Begin completing the parts of the printout. Move around the room answering questions as students work.  
• Ask students to complete the printout on their own before the next lesson.

Lesson 3: Defining Audience and Purpose

• Have students take out their completed  My Resume Ideas: Getting Started printout. Put them into small groups to share their work with others.  
• What was easy about filling this out? What was difficult?
• What sections contained the most and least information? Why?
• The audience refers to anyone who will review the resume, so we must consider all audiences, both primary and secondary.
• The purpose refers to why the audience is looking at the resume and what they will be looking for, so we must ask ourselves what they want to read.

Lesson 4: Using Resume Builder

• Take students to a computer lab with access to the Internet and  Resume Generator to complete this lesson. Have them log into the Resume Builder site. As they do so, remind them about the time limit for creating their draft in class. They should structure their time accordingly.  
• Using their notes from the  My Resume Ideas: Getting Started printout, ask students to go through the process of entering their information. Show students the features of the tool, from the additional information about resumes on the first page to the audio feature accompanying the site that enables them to hear the information aloud.  
• When they have completed their resumes, have students save them and also print a copy to bring to the next class.

Lesson 5: Peer Review

• Ask students to take out the printed copies of their resumes. Discuss how resumes today can be printed and submitted to the audience, as they have prepared, but they can also be submitted electronically. In that case, the resume writer needs to understand how to save a resume as a .pdf or how to create a resume with very little formatting, with only the basic information listed and no fancy spacing or bullets used. Connect this to their use of Resume Generator , and discuss how this would be similar to or different from what they just did.  
• Put students into small groups to peer review their resumes. Encourage students to review their peers’ resumes for the 3Fs: Function, Form, and (e)Ffectiveness.

Lesson 6: What is a Cover Letter?

• What did you like about using Resume Builder to create your resume?  
• What did you find particularly easy or difficult about the process?  
• What do you like or dislike about your completed resume? d. What would you like to change about it?  
• Function: Cover letters accompany resumes to introduce the reader of the resume to the writer. They personalize the resume, allowing the writer to provide more detail about him- or herself and any relevant experience. Many people think of cover letters as a way for the writer’s true voice to come through.  
• Form: Like resumes, cover letters also have a typical form: that of a business letter. The writer has to know the correct placement of the heading, date, salutation, body paragraphs, closing, and signature. Readers expect a cover letter to have certain features. If they aren’t included, the reader may think the writer is not knowledgeable and, therefore, not ready for whatever he or she is trying to accomplish by submitting the cover letter and resume.  
• Has a clear purpose that shows why you are writing it  
• Is visually appropriate and appealing, or easy to read  
• Includes additional relevant information about the writer  
• Is grammatically correct with no errors in punctuation or spelling  
• Share an online reference about cover letters, such as Sample Cover Letter for High School Students , to support the present discussion, and raise or discuss any questions as a result of it. (If you are not in a computer lab or a room with Internet access, tell students to view this site later on their own.)  
• Show the sample cover letters written by high school students in the  Sample High School Resumes and Cover Letters printout. Discuss these with the students in relation to the 3 Fs: What is the function of the cover letter (its purpose), what is unique about its form (design), and how effective do students think this cover letter will be?

Lesson 7: Developing Your Cover Letter

• Explain to students that they are going to create a rough outline of a cover letter that could accompany their resume. Provide the  Visualizing Your Cover Letter: Graphic Organizer printout to fill out. They may do this individually or in small groups. Move around the room responding to students’ work and offering suggestions.  
• Once students have a good start on this, provide the more detailed  Steps to Creating a Cover Letter printout. Students should use this to create a draft of their cover letters, due at the next class. Remind students that their time in the lab during the next session will be limited, so they need to have a full draft completed.

Lesson 8: Finishing Your Cover Letter

• Once again, have students meet in the computer lab to type their cover letters using the  Steps to Creating a Cover Letter printout and Letter Generator . You may want to remind them about their time constraints and the need to organize their time.  
• Using Letter Generator, have students transform their drafts into finished cover letters.  
• Make sure students save their work and also print a copy.  
• At the end of class, ask students to submit their resumes and cover letters to you for a grade. Use the  Resume / Cover Letter Rubric to assist you in assigning a grade.
• Have students submit first and second drafts of the resume and cover letter to you for comments or an early grade, additional revision, and a new/final grade.  
• Do more detailed work with cover letters, including researching jobs and researching examples of cover letters for specific jobs. Then have students write cover letters tailored to these jobs.  
• Include a discussion of writing essays and personal statements for college applications.  
• Connect discussions of resume and cover letter writing to students’ college aspirations, including their ideas for majors, careers, courses, and activities to become involved in. You may consider reviewing online resources, including ACT .

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Review students’ printouts for The 3 Fs of Resume Writing, My Resume Ideas: Getting Started, Visualizing Your Resume: Graphic Organizer, Visualizing Your Cover Letter: Graphic Organizer, and Steps to Creating a Cover Letter after each lesson in which they are used or collected. Make sure students are correctly identifying the parts and including information as needed. If a pattern of errors or misunderstandings occurs, review them with students at the beginning of the next lesson.  
• Collect typed drafts of students’ resumes and cover letters as created using the Resume Generator and Letter Generator. Review and grade them using the Resume/Cover Letter Rubric. Address the grade and comments when returning the resumes and cover letters to students, especially if students are allowed to revise for a new grade.

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10 Helpful Resume Writing Activities For High School Students

“The challenge of life, I have found, is to build a resume that doesn’t simply tell a story about what you want to be, but it’s a story about who you want to be” . – Oprah Winfrey

As beautifully defined by the above quote, a resume is a story of the stepping stones that you’ve taken so far in order to become who you want to be. Having a compelling resume is a must for every individual to thrive in the competitive landscape, be it a high school student or a working professional. 

Resume writing is a crucial skill that high school students need to develop as this is the time they prepare for their higher education and enter the corporate world. It is not only about enlisting skills and achievements, but it requires thoughtful organizational skills, an ability to present qualifications and a good hold of language skills. 

To quip high school students about the process of resume writing, summarized below are some creative activities aiming to guide them in creating impactful resumes and setting a strong foundation for their careers.

Discover, collaborate & reflect: Engaging resume writing activities for high schoolers

1. resume redesign .

With the availability of a number of templates for resumes, it becomes quite difficult to select the suitable and relevant one on the basis of the unique information to include, especially for high schoolers who are bound to get overwhelmed being their first time for jobs as well as college applications. 

How to do the activity:

• Firstly, educators need to familiarize students with every important element that has to be there in a resume for high school students and the optional ones that are not necessary but can be included as per the need and availability. 
• Now, students need to make a note of their information, and based on that, they have to explore and experiment with different designs for their resumes. 
• Instruct them that they can try different fonts and layouts and design at least 5 resumes for themselves. 
• Fix one day when every student has to come prepared with their designed resumes and every participant will present their designs to the class and the class will rate every design out of 5

Here, feedback and rating play a crucial role in helping students select the most appropriate one for themselves. Also, when they explore and experiment with different designs, they familiarize themselves with different layouts and structures which might be helpful in any other cases of resume designing.

2. Discover yourself

Let’s use an effective strategy of SWOT Analysis which is used for marketing to discover ourselves. Yes, you read that right! SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. In order to build an efficient resume, one must know about themself in terms of what they are good at and what areas need to be worked upon.

How to do the activity:  

• Explain to the class about the strategy and its elements. 
• Now ask them to take a sheet of paper and divide it into 4 sections. Name each section with Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. 
• Set a timer of about 5-10 minutes for each section and ask students to think about themselves and fill in each section. 

Strengths will help them know what they’re good at that can also be referred to as positive points about themselves. The weaknesses section will include the negative points or what they can not do or are not good at which will help them know and narrow down the options to what they can do in the future. 

The opportunities section will include the areas they think they can ace if they work on it which will help them know the areas of improvement. Last, but not least will be threats in which they need to write about any external threats that you can not control but can be reduced by controlling other factors (can be external or internal) causing it.

3. Improvise your Resume

Every job profile is different and that calls for different requirements such as unique skill sets, achievements, and qualifications. 

• Explain to students how customizing the resume for every job or college application they’re applying to is important and not the same single resume works for every application.
• Ask students to search and explore different job openings on job portals or company official websites. 
• Shortlist 3 job openings that they think are suitable for them and go through the details of what is the profile, what are requirements, and what will be the daily responsibilities. 
• Now they’ve to work on their resume and customize it for all the 3 profiles they shortlisted.
• Once done, check their resume and provide feedback. 

One thing that students need to know here is that customizing a resume based on different applications doesn’t mean we’ve to lie and make it exactly what is the requirement, instead, it means presenting your skills and qualifications, experience in such a way that it resonates with the application requirements. This activity can also be done for college applications.

4. Resume Peer Review

Feedback is significant for everything we do. Be it education or resume writing. 

• Start giving numbers 1 to 10 to every student, or can be according to the number of students in a class but make sure only 2 students can have the same number.
• Now, the students with the same number will form a pair. 
• Ask students to exchange their resumes with their pair and they need to check and evaluate each other’s resumes based on what they know about their pair and also set certain criteria for the evaluation. 
• After they are done evaluating, they need to share the insights they find about the resume. Share what they think is missing in the resume, what areas can be improved and what are the good and the positive points about the resume. Teachers can check with every pair and share their insights too. 

This activity will help to get the different perspectives that you might be missing or are not aware of. Additionally, it will help with observation skills as well as help students revisit the resume-building crucial points.

5. Hire for your company

This activity will give students an opportunity to act as HR of different companies and evaluate different resumes. 

• Gather some samples of resumes for different job profiles. Make sure there are enough samples that every student in a class receives 2 samples at least to compare and evaluate. 
• Now give a situation to the students such as “Suppose you’re an HR manager of XYZ company hiring for customer support profile. You’ve got certain resumes and you need to check and evaluate them and see if you want to shortlist them for an interview or not. If yes, then why, and if not, then why not. Observe carefully and provide a proper explanation for the same” 
• Now give 2 resume samples to each student and let them scan them and come to a conclusion. 
• Call each student one by one to present their findings to the class to which classmates and the educator can give feedback and share insights on the observation skills of the student. 

This will let students think from the recruiter’s point of view and they will get clarity about their resume about how to write and present their skills and qualifications.

6. Practice cover letters

Cover letters are what answer “why you should be hired for this role” and in case of college applications, it will be the statement of purpose. Cover letters need to be very straightforward that require good writing skills. For this, high school students can employ creative writing activities to learn and practice the same.

• Students have to create a 1-2 minute elevator pitch for themselves keeping in mind their resume and the job profile they’re applying for. 
• Instruct students that they need to include examples of why they think they’re good at every skill they’ve mentioned. 
• Instruct the students that in this 1-2 minute pitch, you’ve to convince the HR (here students) how you can be an asset to the company.
• Ask the class to share their insights about what points are good and what can be better. 

This activity will help you write an effective cover letter and make a good first impression.

7. Powerful Words Resume Challenge

Word choice is critical when it comes to resumes. It is always said that action words are powerful to describe what you have done to highlight your experience and persuade potential employers and college administrators. 

• Prepare handouts for all the students of the class with all the powerful action words that can be used in a resume and explain how the use of these words can make an impact and make the resume stand out. 
• Discuss every word, the meaning of it, and an example of how it can be used in a resume and under what situations. 
• Now ask students to use the handout and try to incorporate as many words as they can in their resume and then give feedback to each and every student. 

This can also be an improving communication skill activity that will familiarize them with using these words in their daily conversation. 

8. Resume Do’s and Don’ts

This activity is to equip high school students about what to strictly avoid while writing resumes and what to follow to make the resumes more impactful and stand out. 

• Make different slips with resume do’s and don’ts and put them in a bowl or small box in the classroom.
• On the whiteboard or chalkboard, mark a line in the center and make two sections and name one part as “Do’s” and the other as “Don’ts”. 
• Call each student one by one and ask them to pick one chit and determine whether the point he/she discovered will come under do’s or don’ts. 
• Ask them to explain why they think the same and what should be done in that case. 

This activity will familiarize them with the technicalities that need to be taken care of while writing a resume and clear doubts about the whole process and exceptions. You can conduct this activity for both colleges as well as job applications. 

9. Anonymous messages

Who doesn’t like getting anonymous compliments and knowing about themselves? Well, this activity is all about getting insights about ourselves from other’s points of view. 

• Ask every student in the class to write about a minimum of five of their classmates on a slip of ½ size of a4 sheet. They can write for more friends if they want but the minimum is five. 
• They need to write the name of the friend they’re writing about then followed by strengths that they think their friend is good at which can be an asset to land a good job. Then write about the areas where they need to work on that can be added advantage for them while applying for jobs. 
• These chits will be anonymous feedback for the students. 
• Once done, collect all chits, mix them, and put them in a bowl. 
• Pick one chit one by one and read aloud about the student. 

This will encourage them, increase their self-esteem, provide insights that the students are unaware of about themselves, and can use them in their resumes and work on themselves. This self-esteem activity for high school students can work wonders in encouraging students to have belief & faith in themselves and their unique capabilities.

10. Build a Resume from Scratch

Let’s solve a puzzle and build a resume from scratch without having relatable skills, qualifications, and experiences to include. Sounds interesting, right? 

• Have different bowls or small boxes for every component of the resume like skills, qualifications, experience, the position of responsibility, etc. 
• Now, you can ask students or make different slips for every box by yourself. Each slip should have one thing like one slip with graphic designing for the box of skills. Make sure to have enough slips for every box so that every student can get at least 3-4 slips from each box. 
• Now every student has to come and pick 2-3 slips from each box. 
• After everyone is having their own set of slips, they need to design a resume based on the information they’ve got on the slips. They need to think of what qualifications, and skills can go together and how and create a good compelling resume. 

This activity is to equip students to carefully design and present everything in a resume when things are not so good and relatable enough. This activity will also help them in tailoring the resume according to a given job profile or college application.

High school students are at a point of transition to the colleges and workforce. This calls for developing resume writing skills to build compelling resumes. Besides instructing them about the process, engaging them in activities can have a profound impact on their learning.

Activities do not only teach them about the technicalities of resume building but also involve them in critical thinking, self-reflection, and collaboration. In addition to this, high school students can also participate in college readiness activities and transition activities to prepare themselves for their future endeavors.

Having a 10+ years of experience in teaching little budding learners, I am now working as a soft skills and IELTS trainers. Having spent my share of time with high schoolers, I understand their fears about the future. At the same time, my experience has helped me foster plenty of strategies that can make their 4 years of high school blissful. Furthermore, I have worked intensely on helping these young adults bloom into successful adults by training them for their dream colleges. Through my blogs, I intend to help parents, educators and students in making these years joyful and prosperous.

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How To Write A Resume In 7 Steps (With Examples)

• How To Write A Resume
• Resume Skills Section
• Resume Objective Section
• Career Objective Section
• Resume Reference Section
• Resume Summary Section
• Resume Summary Example
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Resumes are still the most important document in your job search . Generating a professional and interesting resume isn’t easy, but there is a standard set of guidelines that you can follow. As hiring managers usually only spend a short time looking over each resume, you want to make sure that yours has a reason for them to keep reading.

If you’re looking to write a resume, rewrite a resume you already have, or are just curious about resume format, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through the steps to writing an excellent resume, as well as offering examples for what sections of the resume should look like.

Key Takeaways:

A resume is a short document that details your professional history in a way that tailors your experience and skill set for the particular job you’re applying for.

Resumes follow a few standard formatting practices, which hiring managers and recruiters expect to see.

Highlighting your work experience, skills, and educational background with relevant keywords can help you get past applicant tracking systems and into more interviews.

How to write a resume

Writing a resume involves using the proper formatting, writing an introduction, and adding your work experience and education. Stuffing your entire professional life into a single page resume can feel overwhelming, but remember that you’re distilling the relevant parts of your professional experience in order to catch the eye of the recruiter .

Formatting your resume. To start, use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google docs. Standard resume formatting calls for:

1 inch margins

10-12 point font

A professional, commonly-used font

Additionally, there are three resume formats that are commonly used. Most people should stick with a chronological resume format , but the combination resume format and functional resume format can be effective for more advanced workers or those who have significant gaps in their resume.

Write a resume header . It doesn’t matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can’t contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information:

Your full name. First and last.

Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly.

Your email address. Nothing inappropriate — [email protected] is a safe choice.

Location. City, State, Zip Code is fine, but you can include your full mailing address if you think it’s appropriate.

Your social media (optional). LinkedIn is the obvious one you’d want to include, but make sure your profile looks good. If you have an online portfolio , either on a personal blog/website or on a site like Journo Portfolio , feel free to include that here as well.

Your job title. Also optional, but can be useful for applicant tracking systems.

Resume introduction. You have four options for your resume introduction: a resume objective, summary statement, resume profile, or qualifications summary. For most job-seekers, a resume summary statement is the best choice. Regardless of which resume introduction you choose, avoid first-person pronouns (I/me/my).

Resume objective. A resume objective is the goal of your resume. Since the objective of every resume is to land a job, this is not the most original or impressive opener you can have.

On the other hand, it’s a good choice for an entry-level applicant or someone who is changing career paths . This should be a 1-3 sentence summary of why you’re motivated to get the position you’re applying for.

Who should use a resume objective: Entry-level applicants, career-changers, and recent college graduates.

Resume summary. This is the best opener for most job-seekers. As the name suggests, a resume summary highlights the most salient aspects of your resume.

It should include your current position, how many years of experience you have, some of your biggest achievements, and possibly your career goals. This should be a 1-3 sentence spiel and should include some quantifiable experiences.

Who should use a resume summary: Most job seekers; anyone with quantifiable accomplishments to emphasize and a broad range of skills.

Qualifications summary. A bullet point list (4-6 points is the sweet spot) of your qualifications for the position. It’s best used by applicants going for jobs that require a fixed skill set. It’s not a great choice for entry-level applicants who lack quantifiable achievements.

You’ll notice that a qualifications summary takes up more space than a resume objective or summary, but it can actually save the hiring manager time if you provide a bunch of valuable information right off the top.

Who should use a qualifications summary: Those applying to a job with requirements for certain skills and job-seekers who have a lot of experience in their industry and/or field.

Resume profile. A resume profile is similar to a resume summary, but goes into more detail about your accomplishments at your current or former job, while also telling the reader about your career goals. Think of a resume profile as a section that pulls all the best parts of your work experience section into one place.

Who should use a resume profile: Anyone with significant accomplishments under their belt, expertise in a niche field, or applying to a job in the same industry that they have lots of experience in.

Resume headline. Resume headlines aren’t necessary, but you can include one alongside any of the four types of resume introduction listed above. A resume headline comes between your contact information and the resume introduction of your choice.

Headlines can be used by entry-level applicants and experienced job-seekers alike. The important point is that your headline should be short and to the point. Additionally, you should use title case when writing your resume headline (capitalize words as you would for a book title).

Who should use a resume headline: Any job-seeker who wants to showcase their experience or unique value right off the bat.

Work experience. Your work experience section is the place to let hiring managers know that you have relevant experience that would allow you to handle the job you’re applying for.

If you’re using the chronological resume format, your work experience section would come after your resume summary/objective. In a funcitonal reumse, it would follow your skills section. Either way, work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order (most recent experience at the top).

When listing your work experience, you should include all of the following information:

Job title. Start by stating the position you held at the company. These are easy cue for the hiring manager to look at and determine whether your past positions would help you succeed at their company.

Company Info. Include the name of the employer, the location where you worked, and perhaps a brief description of the company, if it isn’t a well-known name.

Dates Employed: Use the mm/yyyy format if you want to be sure that most applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick it up. Whatever format you use for dates, be consistent, or your resume will look sloppy.

Job Description. Don’t just list your job’s responsibilities; hiring managers and recruiters already have an idea of your duties based on the job title. Instead, list your most important and impressive responsibilities/achievements at the job with bullet points. Determine which of these are most relevant for your new role based on the job description.

Ideally, each bullet should be no longer than a single line. However, two lines is acceptable, if used sparingly.

Always start with a strong action verb, followed by a quantifiable achievement and a specific duty. For example: “Developed ad campaigns for clients, increasing sales by an average of 27%.” Each job title should include 3-5 bullet points.

The order that you include this information can be changed around, as long as you are consistent throughout your resume. However, the bullet points detailing your job’s achievements should always be the last item for each entry.

It’s important that you tailor your resume’s work experience section to the job you’re applying for. We recommend reading the job description carefully and highlighting the action verbs in one color and the skills, adjectives, and job-specific nouns in a different color.

Educational background. In almost all cases, your education section should come after your professional history. If you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you may choose to put your educational achievements first.

Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don’t need to add any information about your high school experience. If you didn’t finish college, it’s okay to give a list of what credits you did complete.

Each educational experience can be listed in the following format:

Degree/Program Name College/University Name Dates attended

You don’t need to add anything else, especially if your resume is already impressive enough. But if you’re struggling to fill up the page, or you feel that aspects of your educational experience will help make you a standout, you may consider also including:

Minor. If you think it rounds out your not-exactly-relevant-to-the-job major nicely.

GPA. Only if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any favors to include this.

Honors. Dean’s List, Cum Laude, etc.

Achievements. If you wrote a killer thesis/dissertation that showcases intimate knowledge relevant to the job to which you’re applying, you can include its title and a very brief description.

Extracurricular activities. Only include if they’re relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a management position and you were president of your student government.

Certifications/Licenses. If the job you’re applying for requires/likes to see certain certifications or licenses that you have, you may include them in this section as well.

Skills section. Your impressive skills should be scattered logistically throughout your professional history section, but you should also include a section solely dedicated to highlighting your skill set . Skills can be broken down into two categories:

Hard skills are skills you learn through training and indicate expertise with a technical ability or job-specific responsibility.

Soft skills are your personality traits, interpersonal abilities, and intangible qualities that make you more effective at your job.

Your resume should have a healthy mix of hard and soft skills, as both are essential to job performance. However, since soft skills are harder to prove in the context of a resume, we recommend leaning more toward hard skills. Additionally, whenever you list a soft skill, make sure that it has a correlating item in your work experience section.

For example, if you say you are skilled in collaboration, you should mention a time when a team project was a major success somewhere in your work experience section.

Optional sections. If you still have space left or there’s more you want to show off that doesn’t quite fit in any of the above sections, you may consider adding an additional section covering one or more of the below categories:

Language . Being bilingual is always impressive, and can be included on a resume for any company. Highlight this more if your position involves liaising with international distributors and/or clients. Don’t lie about your proficiency level.

It may be best to not mention it if you’re not particularly proficient speaker . Such as if you took courses in school, or haven’t really managed to gain fluency. It can end up looking like an attempt to inflate your credentials, which you want to avoid.

Volunteer experience . Always a good thing to include. It shows you’re a team player who behaves in a way that promotes the greater good, without thought of personal gain. Especially good for entry-level candidates and those applying for jobs at a non-profit. If you have gaps in your work history, you can also consider including volunteer experiences in your work history section instead.

Personal projects. A personal blog, published works, or a portfolio of your past projects are all good things to include. They show you take initiative, enjoy and take pride in your work, and that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, if relevant.

Certifications/licenses. If you didn’t include these in your education section, this is another good place to list relevant certifications or licenses that you have.

Interests . This is largely just a space filler if your resume is light in other areas. However, if your hobbies are directly related to the job that you’re applying for, it’s not a bad idea to include them. And it might draw a recruiter’s attention if you end up sharing some of the same interests as they do.

If you have several seemingly random items that are valuable, but don’t warrant creating a whole separate section for, you can also make a section called “Additional Experience.” Here you can include all of the above categories in one place. Just make sure that each item is clear and easy for readers to understand.

Resume samples

Now that we have a good idea of how to write a resume, let’s take a look at some example resumes:

Jack Pilgrim Washington , DC 14015 – (555) 444-3333 – [email protected] – www.linkedin.com/jpilgrim Resume Summary Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience creating and implementing promotional materials and social media graphics. Worked with sales and marketing teams to increase inbound calls by 23% YoY through compelling digital media. Adept at planning, managing, and prioritizing multiple deadlines at once, and thrives in fast-paced work environment. Work Experience Creative Designs | Washington, DC Lead Graphic Designer | June 2018-Present Worked with sales and marketing teams to create landing pages, sales proposals, and supporting media elements to drive sales by over $250,000 per quarter Trained, managed, and mentored team of 4 junior designers to fulfill 40+ project orders on a weekly basis Conducted UX research through surveys, usability testing, and data analysis to plan content marketing strategy, driving organic search traffic by 12% Presented proposals, results, and status updates to set of 4-7 clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at or above 95% for 3 years straight Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Junior Graphic Designer | July 2016-May 2018 Translated client needs and branding strategies into design and content strategy, increasing client retention by 22% Reduced project turnaround time by 8% by Utilizing web-based ticket system for completing and archiving finalized pieces Posted digital artwork to network IPTV using web interface to produce high-end info-graphics and other materials Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Marketing Intern | September 2015-July 2016 Assisted marketing team with data collection, analysis, and presentation using Google Analytics Drew up storyboards for new marketing campaigns alongside sales team, increasing brand awareness through social media Wrote 500-1000 word articles to pair with graphical elements on page, leading to a 40% boost in engagement on company website Education Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia May 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Skills Adobe Creative Suite Typography HTML/CSS WordPress Collaboration Organization

Allison Neederly Chicago, Illinois , 60007 | (333) 222-1111 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/allison.neederly Resume Summary Dedicated customer service representative with 4+ years experience resolving customers’ needs in-person, online, and over the phone. Top achiever at XYZ Inc. with a 100% customer satisfaction rate for Q1 of 2020. Friendly personable, and knowledgable about company’s products and services. Relevant Skills Customer Service Responded to upwards of 200 customer queries daily with XYZ Inc., reducing the average wait time by 56% and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 13% Ability to resolve conflict and create a positive atmosphere for shopping for both new and existing customers through technical proficiency Expert product knowledge and communication skills, and experience training and mentoring new customer service staff Web Chat and Phone Skilled in 3 web chat platforms for helping online customers resolve their queries quickly and accurately Achieved fastest call resolution rate at XYZ Inc., with an average resolution time of under 5 minutes per customer Performed outbound calls for customer satisfaction surveys, as well as writing web-based surveys for 10,000+ customers Troubleshooting Detailed product knowledge allowed for customer technical issues to be resolved at rate within top 5% of all customer service associates at XYZ Inc. Created manual for step-by-step directions for troubleshooting that was implemented for team of 100+ customer service reps Positive attitude took average tech-related negative response from 1/5 stars to 4/5 stars, increasing trust in brands and services Work Experience XYZ Inc. | Philadelphia, PA Customer Service Associate New Look Global | Burlington, VT Junior Customer Service Representative L.L. Bean | Burlington, VT Sales Associate Education University of Vermont | Burlington, VT May 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Priya Laghari New York, NY | (222) 111-0000 | [email protected] | www.priyabizdev.com Resume Profile Strategy Development: Grew John Deere’s international sales by 13% by tapping into undeserved countries in Southeast Asia Management: Oversaw a team of managers representing marketing, sales, and product teams. Streamlined collaborative, cross-functional communications through agile and scrum management system CRM: Developed, customized, and implemented new customer relationship management database for accounts totaling over $10M in value Work Experience Business Development Manager 01/2015-Present Microsoft | Redmond, WA Developed product strategies and roadmap for Google AdWords, increasing inbound traffic by 26% YoY Reduced time training on new software by 50% for new and existing employees by implement e-learning programs Spearheaded digital marketing campaign worth $1M that saw a return of 200% in first year by qualifying leads earlier in the sales funnel Regional Sales Manager 11/2012-01/2015 Big Things Inc. | St. Louis, MO Managed territory encompassing 29 regional locations with an annual revenue of approx. $55M Worked with C-level executives to plan business strategies, resulting in 20% reduction in overhead costs Increased client retention by 12% in first year by implementing a CRM approach based on account profiling and elevating levels of relationship selling Account Manager 02/2009-11/2012 Solutions Corp. | Chicago, IL Implemented and developed CRM strategic plans, increasing retention of long-term clients by 22% Maintained 50+ accounts totaling over $35M in value Generated leads through one-on-one consultation via phone inquiries, online check-ins, and meeting office walk-ins Relevant Skills CRM: Proficient with Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot; some experience with Keap. Used various CRM software over a decade to successfully manage customer relations and quick to adapt to new software and tools that aid in quality of customer experience. Salesmanship: Negotiated and closed over several deals worth $1M+ and skilled in upselling and cross-selling. Adept at working closely with marketing and product teams to maximize the efficiency of the sales funnel for both inbound and outbound traffic. Presentation: Represented Microsoft Northwest Region at quarterly board meetings, ensuring all stakeholders were kept abreast of new developments and opportunities. Also deliver monthly presentations to big clients and vendors to maintain positive relationship. Data analytics. Expert at integrating data from various analytics platforms, including Google, Microsoft Power BI, and SAP BusinessObjects Education Colgate University | May 2008 MBA Fordham University | May 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Business

For more resume examples and templates:

Resume examples by job

Google docs resume template

Resume templates

Resume builder

Resume Headers Samples:

Tip : Never put your contact info in the header of your document; some applicant tracking systems might miss it.

For more on how to write a resume header:

Resume Header

Resume Titles

Resume introduction examples

Entry-Level Resume Objective.

Recent graduate with a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Virginia seeking an entry-level role in content marketing. Excellent copywriter with 2+ years experience editing content as a member of the UVa Writing Center.

Career Change Resume Objective.

Eager to apply 7+ years of experience with customer success management to make successful outbound B2B calls, deliver customized business solutions to new and existing customers, and provide expert product knowledge in the role of Account Manager for XYZ Inc.

Example Resume Summary Statement.

Accountant with over 8 years of experience in the medical industry. Adept at advising on management of cash deficits, reconciling departmental accounts, and creating new accounts and codes. Coordinated invoice preparation system for ABC that reduced contractor overhead by 19% YoY.

English teacher with a love of language and 6 years of experience teaching high school students. Developed new curriculum that boosted freshman reading comprehension scores by 12% and created after school book club for AP Lit class, resulting in 100% of participating students achieving a 5 on the AP Lit test.

Example Qualifications Summary.

Executive assistant with 5+ years experience helping maintain efficiency in an office of 25 employees Communicated directly with internal and external stakeholders, helping Senior Vice President manage projects worth $5M+ Proactively managed office schedules, identifying and prioritizing changes to ensure client satisfaction Recognized in a company of 500 for “Outstanding Achiever” in May 2019

Example Resume Profile.

Detail-oriented IT Specialist with 4 years of experience overseeing and improving the infrastructure of IT systems. Adept at building and running troubleshooting systems and testing services. Decreased security risk by 47% through continual optimization, while also improving the speed of client portal by 22%. Excellent communicator both internally and for client-facing discussions. Achieved 98%+ customer satisfaction ratings through weekly and monthly check-ins with accounts valued cumulatively at $500,000.

Entry-Level Resume Headline.

Bilingual College Graduate with 80 WPM Typing Speed and Tutoring Experience

Experienced Resume Headline.

Business Development Specialist with 6+ Years Experience Scaling Start-Up Tech Teams

For more on resume introductions:

Resume objective statement

Resume summary statement

Resume summary statement examples

Qualifications summary

Sample resume work experience sections

Work Experience XYZ Industries | Seattle, WA Marketing Associate | May 2019-Present Delivered weekly presentations to client-base to communicate brand messaging, increasing client retention by 11% Served as liaison between marketing and product teams, resulting in projects finishing 2 weeks early, on average Leveraged Excel skills to create and maintain spreadsheet to track consumer insights, emergent trends, and inform decisions of marketing team through competitive analysis Managed team of 5 contractors to juggle multiple priority projects simultaneously, never missing a deadline Initiated an affiliate referral program that PR team went on to turn into a revenue-generating stream valued at $30,000 annually ABC Corp | Seattle, WA Marketing Intern | September 2018-May 2019 Developed, maintained, and processed 20+ digital consent forms and distributor forms Worked collaboratively with a team of 10 marketing professionals, closely aligning our goals with the PR team Provided data analysis using Google Analytics and performed keyword research to increase blog traffic by 56% over six months Answered up to 50 customer queries by phone and email each week

For more on building the perfect resume work experience section:

Resume work experience section

First resume (no experience)

Examples Of Education Resume Sections

Graduated recently from a 4-year program.

Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois May 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Minor in Psychology 3.95 GPA magna cum laude Dean’s List all semesters

Two degrees.

Fordham University | Bronx, New York April 2016 Master of Chemical Engineering Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York April 2014 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Anticipated graduation date (not yet graduated).

DePaul Univeristy | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in History – Degree anticipated May 2021 Current GPA: 3.8

Older job seeker (graduated 10+ years ago).

University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

High school graduate (no college degree).

Johnston High School 2016-2020 Head of Computer Club

More on crafting the perfect resume education section:

Education resume section

GPA on resume

Dean’s list

Magna cum laude

Examples Of Skills For Resume

Examples of hard skills include:

Examples of soft skills include:

Here’s more information on how to incorporate skills into your resume:

Resume skills section

Hard skills

Soft skills

Top skills for professionals

Skills-based resume

Resume writing FAQ

What is a resume?

A resume is a one to two-page document that focuses on professional experience, past achievements, education and certifications, and specific skills tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Almost every job application requires a resume, and hiring managers use them as a first impression in determining which applicants get a shot at an interview.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have 30 years of professional experience, this guide should help craft a resume that stands out from the crowd and get you one step closer to landing your dream job.

What is the format for writing a good resume?

Most people will want to use a chronological or reverse-chronological resume format. This format is compatible with most applicant tracking systems (ATS) and is easy for employers to read. Additionally it helps highlight your experience, which helps prove your qualifications.

How far back should a resume go?

A resume should go back no further than 10 to 15 years. However, it is important that all your information is relevant. Therefore, do not include job experience that is irrelevant to your application, even if it’s fewer than 10 years old. Save that information for later discussions.

Should you personalize your resume for each job?

Yes, you should personalize your resume for each job you apply to. Many recruiters use ATS now, which will search for keywords in a resume and reject those that don’t have them. That means that the skills you choose to highlight as well as your opening, such as your resume summary, should be altered to suit each job you apply to.

You don’t need to rewrite the entire resume for each job, but it does show attention to detail and initiative to make sure that your resume is customized. It also makes it more likely that you’ll get past the first step of the process.

State of New York Department of Labor – Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications

Harvard University – Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter

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Matthew Zane is the lead editor of Zippia's How To Get A Job Guides. He is a teacher, writer, and world-traveler that wants to help people at every stage of the career life cycle. He completed his masters in American Literature from Trinity College Dublin and BA in English from the University of Connecticut.

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60 Senior Project Ideas for High School Students – 2024

May 13, 2024

Many high school students look forward to the exciting moment of choosing a senior project. This makes sense since senior projects provide opportunities for students to direct what they’ve learned into something they care about, and to take their academic interests beyond the classroom. At the same time, deciding what to pursue can be nerve-wracking. After all the anticipation, when it finally comes time to decide on a project, students might ask themselves, now what ? If you find yourself in this dilemma, or if you could just use some further inspiration, continue reading for a list of 60 senior project ideas for high school students. Once you find a senior project idea that catches your eye, you can always put your own spin on it, or use it to inspire projects on topics outside this list.

What is a senior project?

Put simply, a senior project is a semester-long project you take on in your final year of high school. So, what counts as a senior project? This can vary widely. While different schools have different requirements (for example, some high schools expect students to focus specifically on internship experiences), the assignments tend to be pretty flexible. In the senior project ideas listed below, you will find suggestions ranging from assisting a science researcher, to interning at a local museum, to organizing an academic tutoring program, to helping with community voter registration. The final outputs for senior projects may also vary in form, from guidebooks, to plays, to research papers, and apps.

Considerations when choosing a senior project

Because a senior project is often seen as the culmination of your high school experience, you should choose a topic that reflects your passions and interests. At the same time, it’s an opportunity to develop new skills and challenge yourself as you prepare for your next steps after graduation. Whether you have plans to begin a 4-year university program, enroll in a 2-year degree program , take a gap year , or start a new job, a senior project can prepare you with experience that you wouldn’t receive in your high school classes in an ordinary semester.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when thinking of a senior project idea:

• What field or career do you wish to pursue? If you’re not sure, what are 2-3 fields that you could possibly see yourself pursuing at this point in your life?
• What world issues do you care most about? Climate change? LGBTQIA+ rights? Accessible healthcare? If thinking about a particular issue sparks a passion, this could be a great place to start.
• Based on your high school coursework experience, could you see yourself spending extra time on an artistic project? A science-based one? A research paper with a political theme?
• What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Volunteering with kids? Hiking and camping? Dancing? Cooking? Perhaps you can orient your senior project to something that you already know brings you joy.

60 senior project ideas

Below you can find 60 high school senior project ideas, divided into some general categories that might help you focus your search. As you read through, feel free to stick to these exact ideas or use them to inspire other ones.

Business – Senior Project Idea

• Write a printed or virtual guidebook to small local businesses in your area, including descriptions, photographs phone numbers and social media accounts.
• Help a local business with an advertising campaign, through local news outlets and social media.
• Develop a mentorship program to help those who are searching for jobs with resumes, interviews, and cover letters.
• Intern at a start-up based in your area.
• Write a research paper about models for sustainable businesses.
• Organize an after-school program that helps students learn financial literacy.

Community service

• Organize a ride service to bring elderly community members to and from doctor’s appointments, or to provide them with groceries and other needs.
• Volunteer at a local soup kitchen.
• Organize a food drive at your school.
• Create a social media campaign for a local animal shelter to raise awareness.
• Collaborate with a local charity or non-profit with a mission you believe in to organize a fundraiser.
• Collect school supplies and art supplies for families in need.

Creative writing – Senior Project Ideas

• Write and illustrate a children’s book.
• Create a handmade poetry book.
• Intern at a small local publisher or magazine.
• Work to translate a short story or poem to another language.
• Write a screenplay for a short film.
• Start a school literary magazine that accepts student submissions of poems, essays, and short stories. Organize a team so that the magazine can continue after you graduate.
• Organize a peer tutoring program at your school for students who need extra help with writing, languages, or math.
• Construct a free library box in your neighborhood so that more people have access to books.
• Volunteer at a local elementary school to help children with their homework after school.
• Work with a local senior center to teach a foreign language to residents.
• Develop a website or app for students to match with language partners for practicing conversation skills.
• Start a visual or performing arts class for children in your community.

Environmentalism- Senior Project Ideas

• Design and build a sustainable garden.
• Organize a community clean-up day, or a series of community clean-up days, at a local park or waterfront.
• Organize an Earth Day festival at your school. This could involve live music and performance, environmental art displays, local vegetarian food, and sustainable clothing swaps.
• Write a research paper on one thing that contributes to climate change, as well as potential solutions.
• Write a guidebook to local parks and hiking trails so that locals and visitors alike can appreciate these outdoor spots.
• Create a fashion line with all reused materials.
• Research historic sites in your neighborhood or town, and write a printed or online guidebook to these points of local history.
• Record a podcast on the history of one of your hobbies (fashion? sports?) Contact an expert on this history to ask if you can interview them on the podcast.
• Write a research paper on the history of a particular protest movement.
• Write and direct a short play with a contemporary take on a historical event that interests you.
• Create a documentary film on the history of your community (school, town, etc.), and organize a community screening.
• Intern at a local history museum.

Performing Arts – Senior Project Ideas

• Write and record an original song.
• Write, direct, and show a one-act play.
• Organize a community dance performance with student choreographers and performers, featuring a range of different styles.
• Volunteer to help with accessibility needs (theater access, live captioning, etc.) at a local theater.
• Organize a school comedy night or talent show that benefits a charity of your choice.
• Research the history of a film genre, and direct a short film that reflects this genre.
• Intern for a local political newspaper or magazine.
• Volunteer on the campaign of a local candidate.
• Create an online blog to write on a political issue you care about, or write a series of op-eds for a local newspaper.
• Write a research paper on a local problem (housing prices, green space, voting access) that discusses possible solutions to this problem.
• Create a Model UN or Mock Trial team at your school if one doesn’t already exist.
• Help teens and other community members register to vote.

Science and medicine – Senior Project Ideas

• Build a Rube Goldberg machine .
• Work in the lab of a STEM professor at a nearby university who works on a topic you’re interested in.
• Research a community health problem (drug safety, air/water quality, nutritional food access) and develop solutions with the help of local politicians and/or medical experts. Create a research paper, blog, or documentary film on your findings.
• Assist at a doctor’s office or hospital by helping to translate for patients who are non-native English speakers.
• Design an architectural structure (for example, a house or bridge) and build a 3D model.
• Organize a technology support group at your school to make technology more accessible and help with easy tech repairs.

Visual arts

• Design a mural for your school to highlight an aspect of the school culture or commemorate an important moment in its history.
• Intern at a local art museum and learn how to give a tour of its current exhibits.
• Organize the collaborative building of a sculpture at your school made of all reused or found objects.
• Offer to take wedding or senior photographs for those who might not be able to afford a professional photographer.
• Study a famous painter, and then create a series of paintings (or art of another medium) based on, or in response to, their works.
• Create a school-wide photography exhibition, with a theme of your choosing.

Senior Project Ideas – Final thoughts

We hope that this list has sparked inspiration for your high school senior project. Remember that while senior projects are important (and hopefully fun) opportunities to culminate your high school experience, you don’t need to do it all in one project! If you’re inspired by more than one of these project ideas, hold onto them for years to come or pursue them as summer internships .

If you’re interested in more project ideas for high school students, we recommend the following articles:

• 100 Examples of Community Service Projects
• 98 Passion Project Ideas
• 100 Best Clubs to Start in High School
• Persuasive Speech Topics
• High School Success

Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.

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