How a High School Student Should Craft a Resume

Writing a resume in high school is a great idea and way to stand out. It shows dedication and an eagerness to grow. Crafting a resume in high school is a bit tougher than a professional resume, but all it takes is a bit of brain power. Think about how activities show character and personality.

By Ciarra Maraj?

The idea that high school students should focus on going to school creates a fixed mindset. Knowledge is gained through other avenues and can happen at any age. So having a resume in high school is not necessary, but creating one during the junior or senior year is a good idea.?It is when most students find jobs .

“Having a resume in high school gives you a leg up because… most kids don't have them,” said resume writer Virginia Franco .?

Everyone needs a resume, said Robynn Storey , a resume writer.?

“It's not just jobs, right? You might need a resume to apply to college. You might need a resume to apply to a volunteer activity.” Storey said.?

Resumes tell a story about your work ethic in a few words. High school students might have a tougher time creating one due to the lack of professional experience. Nevertheless, high school students can have other experiences. Crafting a resume as a high schooler takes a little brain power to leverage extracurricular activities into a story.

How to Create a Resume?

A high school resume will look different than a professional one but is still one page.

Required sections include:

• Work experience, if applicable.?
• Academic achievements, including advanced placement (AP) courses and awards.?
• Volunteer experience and club affiliations.?

Show personality when crafting a high school resume.

“Everybody knows what a lifeguard does,” Storey said. “They know what the responsibilities of the job are. I'm much more interested in things like, tell me about that time you save somebody from drowning,”?

Do not stress about the lack of experience. Hiring managers want to know what makes you, you.??

“Whatever you can do to highlight something that you learned or something that reflects back on you as a person,” Franco said.

“Things that make you you, are what should be on your resume,” Storey said.

Transferable Skills as a High School Student?

A high school resume may include skills, but note skills developed through activities.

Volunteering is a great way to develop skills and show passion to hiring managers. There are transferable skills in some areas of life.?

A part of a club? That requires communication and working on a team.?

Created graphics for a school event? Note the program used.?

Lead a group project that received an “A”? The follow-through and progress checks are project management skills.?

Enrolled in multiple AP classes at once? This shows an ability to prioritize and multitask.?

Reflect on experiences this way to tell your story.

Franco helped her kids with their resumes. One of her daughters created a pet sitting business for the neighborhood. When writing her daughter’s resume, Franco highlighted the launch was through word of mouth because it said a lot about her child’s persona.?

“So I pulled out that versus talking about the explanation of what the work was day in and day out,” Franco said.

Franco’s other daughter was a Girl Scout and received an award for 50 hours of community service.??

“I spelled out that detail because it conveyed more than just showing up and going to girl scout meetings,” Franco said.?

Write the titles and affiliations. Do not write the descriptions of the titles and affiliations.?

“If you work in a restaurant, I don't wanna hear that you wait on tables,” Storey said. “I want to hear that you're in the top 10%, most requested waiter/waitress at that fancy restaurant, or that you make the most tips out of everybody...I'm looking for things that are unique.”

Crafting a resume should not be too stressful. It is supposed to highlight how amazing a person is.

“Anything that sets you apart is really what our resume is all about. And everyone has some accomplishment, some unique story,” Storey said.”...Your resume is the one thing that you have to give someone that's gonna help them make a determination as to whether or not they're gonna give you a call for an interview, make it count.”

Top Takeaways

Writing a resume in high school

• Do it because no one else is?
• Use your experiences to speak to your personality?
• Hiring managers care about who you are, not what you know
• Do not go to college without a resume?