You are young, motivated and full of energy but struggle to find a job/internship?
Yes, this paradox is something common for high schoolers.
After all, you are nothing more than a lad with big dreams for the recruiters.
But don't get upset! We are here to show you the right path to success. You might have little to no experience, but your approach matters.
Grab your pencil and take notes from this 2022 guide for building a breath-taking high school resume.
What you’ll learn here
- How to describe your education and specific knowledge by providing vital skills, achievements and responsibilities
- How to include your previous experience no matter what it is
- The difference between summary and objective and the steps to write them
- What other resume sections will fit the high school resume and pro tips for building them
How to write a high school resume
You know that amazing feeling when the school year ends knowing that you are lying in bed doing nothing for two months?
Of course, you do! However, this is not the vibe you want to radiate!
After all, you are just a student with almost no life experience! Why do you think employers can trust you?
If you play your cards well, you have the right to be confident in yourself!
The approach when building your high school resume is crucial:
The first thing to do is to tailor it to the job description.
Such action is what separates successful from unsuccessful candidates.
You should use keywords and skills that express confidence and eagerness to achieve goals and learn.
You are a teenager, not a chief manager. You are not expected to have deep expertise but to gain knowledge.
Remember that recruiters want to know how you could contribute to their business.
You should prove to them that you could apply all you’ve learned from schools/training/courses.
Emphasize skills and strengths like communication, self-motivation and time management.
References from your tutors will be a bonus!
Do you know any foreign languages-they are the golden ticket to landing a job as a youngster!
Do not hesitate to add extraordinary talents or achievements that make you different from your peers.
Continue reading the high school resume guide and make their jaw drop when they understand you are just a high school student!
High school resume formats
You have three main options when it comes to resume formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume
- Functional resume
- Hybrid resume
Years of experience and industry expertise are the two key factors that define your choice of a resume format:
- Reverse-chronological resumes will give an advantage to people with some experience in a specific niche.
- Functional resumes are perfect for career changers and job seekers. Nevertheless, this format isn’t popular among employers.
- Hybrid resumes are suitable for all types of professionals-beginners and seniors.
Pay attention to the style and layout! Here are some resume tips:
- Utilize the 12p resume font size
- 10’ resume margins are your optimal choice
- If you have under 10 years of experience-use one-page resume, otherwise-two-page resume
- Pay strict attention to your grammar and spelling
- Use the PDF format
Add References and Languages if you want to increase the chances of landing your first internship/job.
Top resume sections:":
- As a youngster, a coherent Education section makes you stand out
- If you have any experience, you will mesmerize recruiters
- Your summary introduces your goals and intentions for the future
- Listing crucial skills and strengths should be your priority
- References from your teachers prove you are a smart and respectful young person
What recruiters want to see:
- How will you bring value to the recruiter’s business based on your previous experience?
- How can you apply learned from school/training/courses into practice? Do you share your knowledge with others?
- What are your personality traits? How do you see yourself in the big world? What do you want to accomplish?
- Are you a self-motivated and communicative student? How do you act in intense and stressful situations? Do you like working in a team?
High school resume header recruiters keep their eyes on
Your name and contacts are the first things employers see in your resume.
However, do not naively expect recruiters to remember any of them.
Therefore, you should focus on building an attention-grabbing header section.
Here are some tips to secure that you’ve done your job well:
- Write down your first and last name: make sure that they are the same as on your ID card and social profiles
- Be creative with the title: it should show your intentions for the position and your out-of-the-box thinking
- Adding your phone number and email is a must
- A web portfolio address or social media account will provide extensive information about you as a person and go-getter
Read these examples and avoid common mistakes.
2 High School Resume Header Examples
High school resume summary looking professional
The summary is not always the “let’s boast-off” section where you put facts like:
“Graduated from Harvard and became a Vice President at Google!”
We wish you had similar professional results, but you most likely start from zero.
You’ve got no professional accomplishments and a multibillion-dollar company behind your back.
However, the Summary section gives you the opportunity to:
- Introduce yourself as a self-motivated and ambitious youngster ready to learn
- Your intentions for the future and your personal goals
- What you’ve learned from school and our life experience so far
So, don’t lose hope and follow this advice to build a jaw-dropping summary section:
- Emphasize the knowledge you have in a specific subject
- Use quantitative data and action verbs to radiate dedication
- Mention skills that you acquired and how you could apply them in this particular position
- Include achievements and other accomplishments from authoritative institutions and people
- Add a foreign language that you can speak fluently
- Include say what you are looking for in the job you apply for
These tips are so powerful that they could sky-rocket your career.
Therefore, do not lose time and take notes from the examples below before writing your one-of-a-kind high school resume summary:
2 High School Resume Summary Examples
The following candidate made three crucial mistakes:
- The text is not tailored to the job description, and the candidate’s goals look vague
- It offers too general statements that bring no value
- Repetitiveness and starting almost every sentence with “I”
Therefore, you should research before writing your high school resume summary.
This one is way better as it follows all the tips above.
The applicant obviously did what’s expected from them:
- Offered a cohesive introduction that prove value to employers
- Outlines the student’s experience and positive personality traits
Straight to the point resume objective
The alternative of a Summary section is a straight-to-the-point high school resume objective.
It’s brief, contains action verbs and reveals your intentions and goals.
You might include the position of the skills/strengths you want to acquire and excel.
Remember to add experience (if you have) like internships, previous summer jobs, competitions, conferences and similar events you took part in.
It’s vital to mention the exact position you are looking for and the company.
Below you can see a great example of a high school resume objective:
Admirable high school resume experience that leaves positive impression
What is the synonym for the phrase "land a successful career"?
The answer is a deep experience.
So, it's simple to name it but so hard to gain it.
Yes, even as a high school student, your expertise might play a crucial role.
Not only jobs but internships also require some experience.
But it's okay!
With the right approach, you can move mountains.
Follow these steps and start building your high school Experience section:
- Try to use action verbs and quantitative data to support your statements
- Do not hesitate to mention your extraordinary achievements that made a positive impression
- Pay attention to skills you acquired and the way you applied them at work
- Give proof of work in a team and the outcomes from this collaboration
- Add duties and responsibilities that underline your self motivation, communication and organization skills
How did you utilize your communication skills and foreign languages at work?
Are your employers happy with your performance? How did you impress them?
How did you manage to balance school and work?
Did you work in a team, and did you make valuable relationships?
High school resume experience examples
- •Supervised a lot of students
- •Delivered lectures to students
- •Prepared new course material
- •Fostered conversations with parents
You can try to give more detailed information about your work.
This candidate gives a bad example as they had a chaotic approach.
Recruiters do not care about what you did, but how you did it.
If you don't follow the advice and stick to mediocrity, you won't succeed.
- •Supervised 20+ 7–10-year-old students
- •Delivered 15 lectures on empathy and teamwork to 100+ students
- •Assisted in preparing the new course material for 4th-grade students
- •Fostered conversations with 10+ parents and received 98% positive feedback
Pro tip."
It's preferable to mention your age when listing your extraordinary achievements. Recruiters would love to invest in young talents like you.
High school skills that make you look like a pro
Be so good they can’t ignore you.
Steve Martin, American Actor
You should list skills that you are confident you mastered. Just listing several skills won’t impress the recruiters. That’s why it’s a good idea to support and mention them in other sections of your high school resume.
You don’t have a second chance, so consider your skill choice carefully.
7 high school student soft skills:
7 High school student hard skills for your resume
- Foreign Languages
- Basic Computer Skills
- Microsoft Office
- Google Drive
- Customer Service
- Writing
- Public Speaking & PowerPoint Presentations
The Strengths section is an amazing opportunity to stand out from the competition.
Here you could list your talents or the skills that you excelled at.
Then, you can back them up with examples or quantitative data.
Of course, it’s crucial to focus on strengths related to the job description and focus on positive personality traits.
education section in high school resume
Take a deep breath and focus because the Education section will define the outcome of your job applications.
You can look at it as experience, as it:
- Offers proof of your self motivation and attitude toward learning and applying knowledge
- Shows your relationships with other students and feedback from your teachers
- Outlines your interests: employers will bet on candidates whose interests match the job offer
Do you get it now?
High school years are not just 5 years in which you party and drink.
It also shows your perception of the future.
So, to impress recruiters, follow these tips:
- List your favorite subjects and provide evidence for your top performance
- Mention achievements: awards or similar recognitions backed up with quantitative data
- Include extracurricular activities: competitions, conferences, and meetings you participated in. Emphasize teamwork.
- Add GPA (higher 3.6) and references from tutors
High school certifications and courses
There are countless courses to join and certifications to acquire.
However, the vital element here is to mention those that match the job description.
Otherwise, they will be useless.
Here are the most common and respected types of certifications to mention in your high school resume:
Top 4 high school student certificates:
- Foreign Language Certification
- Microsoft 365 Fundamentals
- Google Certification
- First Aid Certification
Day of High School Student’s Life Section
Let us tell you one universal truth:
If you learn how to manage your time early in life, there is a 99% chance you will be successful.
And employers will be impressed by it.
A person who clearly understands the price of time also considers it the most vital asset.
Nevertheless, students make one crucial mistake.
They do not mention how the job/internship they apply for will fit their schedule.
Thus, employers feel uncertain whether you will give 100% attention and energy.
So, look at the example below and carefully consider what to add to the diagram.
Key takeaways
- Focus on communication and self motivation skills: prove you are a go-getter and ready to learn
- Emphasize duties, achievements, awards and responsibilities
- Mention the skills and knowledge you acquired from school and how you apply them in real life
- Add References, Languages, Strengths and similar sections that build trust
Teens resume examples
Explore additional teens resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
By Experience
High School Student No Experience
Experienced High School Student
High School Student Internship
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