Need a Job in High School? Resume Examples to Help You Succeed
Overcoming the high school resume hurdle.
Are you a high school student or recent graduate diving into the job market for the first time or looking to land that next opportunity with a bit of experience under your belt? A killer resume is your ticket to success and we’re here to show you the best high school resume examples that’ll get you hired.
A resume is more than a piece of paper; it's a snapshot of who you are and what you bring to the table. Whether you're a sports team captain, a bedroom coding whiz, or the organizer of the best school events, your resume is the place to let it shine.
In the following sections, we’ll guide you through every step of the resume-building process and share high school student resume examples that you can use to inspire your own. From writing a profile summary that grabs attention to choosing the right format for your experiences, at Monster we’ve got you covered.
Writing a Compelling Profile Summary
Let's kick things off with your profile summary. Your profile summary is like the trailer to the movie of your (professional) life. It's the first thing hiring managers see, and you want to make sure it's catchy, bubbly, and screams “You can’t afford to miss out on me!”.
But how do you do that, especially when you're still in high school?
- Think of your highlights. What are you proud of? Captain of the chess club? Raised funds for the local animal shelter? Or maybe you're the go-to tech wizard for everyone's computer disasters.
- Be you. Your summary should reflect your personality. If you're funny, a touch of humor can work wonders. If you're more serious, a straightforward, professional tone is better.
High School Resume Examples: Summaries
These examples give you a taste of how to package your experiences into a neat, attractive summary. Remember, the goal is to make them think, "We've got to meet this person".
For the aspiring leader:
- "Enthusiastic high school junior with strong leadership skills and a passion for community service. As the president of the school's Environmental Club and a dedicated volunteer at the local food bank, I have honed skills in team management and event planning. Eager to bring my dedication and team spirit to a dynamic work environment."
- “As a dedicated Student Council President and founder of our school's debate club, I've enhanced my leadership and public speaking skills. Passionate about community service, I've led various successful charity events. Excited to bring my enthusiasm and can-do attitude to a dynamic team!”
For the part-time prodigy:
- "High school senior with two years of experience in retail and customer service. Known for enhancing customer experiences at [Bookstore Name] with my attention to detail and upbeat attitude. Seeking to leverage my communication and organizational skills in a challenging new role.“
- “A tech enthusiast skilled in solving complex problems. Developer of a winning app at the local hackathon, currently providing tech support for our school’s computer lab. Eager to apply my technical skills and innovative thinking in a challenging environment.“
Recognizing Your Experiences and Skills
If you never had a real job, or if you’ve only had a part-time job or two, that's okay! You've got more experience and skills than you realize, and writing your high school student resume is all about how you spin your story. Every job, project, and activity you've been involved in is a piece of the puzzle that makes up your unique professional identity.
Here are a few ways you can showcase both your professional and non-professional experiences and your skills on your resume:
- Volunteer work. Your time spent volunteering is more than just goodwill; it demonstrates commitment and teamwork. Organized a charity event? Tutoring younger students? These experiences speak volumes about your character, work ethic, and skills like empathy and problem-solving.
- Summer jobs and internships. Even short-term roles are a great way to show you've dipped your toes into the professional world. They prove that you have begun developing workplace skills. Customer service, responsibility, punctuality, and working under pressure are just a few examples of skills you’ll have learnt here that any employer is looking for.
- Club participation and school council. Whether you were a club officer, a team captain, or a member of the student council, these roles highlight your ability to contribute, lead, take initiative, and juggle multiple responsibilities. Leadership, teamwork, strategic thinking, and public speaking are just a few of the skills you can develop here.
- Hobbies and personal projects. Coding, blogging, graphic design, or any other personal passion project can be just as impressive as formal work. They showcase your creativity, dedication, passion, and self-motivation.
- School projects and assignments. Yes, even these count! Group projects, presentations, and even regular class activities are skill-building goldmines. They demonstrate your leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and project management skills.
Talking About Your Experience and Skills
Treat each section of your resume as a personal advertisement, carefully crafting every word to effectively market your most valuable asset: yourself.
Here’s how to talk about your experiences and skills in a way that’ll makes employers notice you:
- Start by listing what you were responsible for in each role. Were you a cashier? Talk about handling transactions and customer interactions. Part of the school yearbook committee? Discuss your role in creating content and coordinating with team members. The trick is to be specific and not superficial. For example, instead of saying "I helped customers," say "I provided personalized assistance to over 30 customers daily, ensuring a positive shopping experience".
- Emphasize your accomplishments and don’t be afraid to brag a bit. Did you increase sales, receive recognition, or lead a successful project? Quantify these achievements where possible. For example, "Boosted the school fundraiser's earnings by 20% through effective social media promotion".
- Reflect on your learnings. Each experience, whether a job, a project, or an extracurricular activity, teaches you something. For example, maybe your part-time job taught you time management and reliability, or your role in the drama club sharpened your public speaking and teamwork skills. Employers love to see that you're not just doing tasks – you're learning from them.
- Use industry-appropriate action verbs. Start your sentences with action verbs like “managed”, “created”, “led”, or “developed”. This makes your resume more dynamic and impactful. Instead of “Was in charge of“, try “Supervised a team of five“.
- Align your experiences with the job you’re applying for. Applying for a retail job? Highlight your customer service skills. Eyeing an internship in a tech company? Focus on your tech-related projects or skills.
- Add your technical skills and don’t underestimate your soft skills. Skills like communication, problem-solving, and adaptability are highly valued. Include examples of how you've demonstrated your hard and soft skills in various settings, from class projects to volunteer work.
- Be honest and stay away from the fake it until you make it attitude. It’s important to be truthful about your experiences. Exaggerating or falsifying information can lead to issues down the line. Plus, honesty reflects your integrity and builds trust with potential employers, setting a strong foundation for your future career.
Apply to Related Jobs
High School Resume Examples: Education and Conditional College Placement
Here's how to effectively present your educational background, including those all-important conditional college placements:
- Start with the basics – your high school’s name and graduation date (or expected graduation date).
- If you've taken classes directly related to the job you're applying for, mention them. For instance, if you're applying to a tech job, that computer science class you aced is worth mentioning.
- If you're rocking a solid GPA (generally 3.5 or above), include it. It's a clear indicator of your academic dedication and prowess.
- Got accepted to college conditionally? Great! Include the college name and your intended major. This shows employers you're ambitious and have a clear direction for your future.
- Were you in the school band, on the soccer team, or part of the drama club? These experiences contribute to your overall profile, showcasing your diverse interests and commitment.
- Did you complete any online courses, or workshops, or earn certifications? These deserve a spot on your resume as they highlight your initiative to learn beyond the classroom.
Choosing the Right Resume Format
Your resume needs to catch the eye of the employer, communicate your value quickly, and leave a lasting impression.
Why? Because in the fast-paced world of recruitment, both technology and human factors play a huge role in whether your resume makes the cut.
- Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to handle the initial screening of resumes. This software scans for specific keywords, phrases, and formats. If your resume isn't ATS-friendly, it might get overlooked, no matter how impressive your qualifications are.
- Recruiters often have stacks of resumes to go through, and they typically spend only a few seconds on each. A concise, well-organized resume helps them quickly find the information they need. If your resume is cluttered or too lengthy, recruiters might pass it over before they even get to the good stuff.
To play it safe, use a clean format, standard headings, bullet points, and a professional font. On top of that, include keywords, experiences, and skills that are relevant to the job description. Your resume should be a highlight reel, not a detailed autobiography.
High School Resume Examples: Common Resume Formats
Here are three common resume formats and high school resume examples. Remember, however, that your resume is your story. Don't be afraid to tweak these templates to suit your unique journey.
1. The Chronological Format
This is the traditional go-to, where you list your experiences in reverse chronological order. It's a great fit if you've had a couple of part-time jobs, internships, or plenty of school-related activities. It neatly lays out your journey, showing a clear progression of your experiences.
Chronological example of a high school resume:
Barbara Millicent
Seattle, Washington | 555-555-5555 | barbaramillicent@email.com | Instagram.com/username
Aspiring assistant photographer with a passion for capturing memorable moments and a keen eye for detail. Experienced in event photography and visual storytelling, seeking to contribute creativity and technical skills to a professional photography team.
Education:
School One | Seattle, Washington | Expected Graduation: June 20XX | GPA: 3.8
Experience:
Freelance Photographer, School One | Seattle, WA | 20XX – Present
- Photographed school events, including sports meets and cultural festivals, for the school newspaper and social media.
- Enhanced photo quality using Adobe Photoshop, resulting in a 40% increase in social media engagement.
- Developed a portfolio of over 200 diverse photographs that capture the essence of school life.
Photography Assistant, Summer Workshop | Seattle, WA | 20XX
- Assisted lead photographers in setting up equipment and lighting.
- Conducted photo editing and retouching, contributing to the production of high-quality workshop materials.
Volunteer Work:
Volunteer Photographer, Community Center | Seattle, WA | 20XX – Present
- Volunteered to photograph community events, including charity fundraisers and local celebrations. Produced a collection of photographs for the community center's promotional materials.
Skills:
- Proficient in digital photography and photo editing (Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom)
- Strong compositional and visual storytelling abilities
- Effective communicator and team collaborator
Extracurricular Activities:
- School Newspaper Photographer | 20XX – Present
- Photography Club Member | 20XX – Present
School Projects:
Documentary Photography Project. Created a documentary photo series showcasing student life, displayed during the school arts festival.
Personal Projects:
Street Photography Blog | 20XX – Present
- Maintain a personal blog featuring street photography, attracting over 800 monthly visitors.
2. The Functional (Skills-Based) Format
This approach is ideal for those with less work experience but lots of skills and extracurricular achievements. Here, you highlight your skills and achievements upfront. It's all about what you can do and what you've learned, rather than where and when you've worked.
Functional example of a high school resume:
Skipper Roberts
San Diego, California | 555-555-5555 | skipperroberts@email.com | Instagram.com/username
Passionate and creative high school junior seeking a part-time position in graphic design or digital media. Adept at visual storytelling and eager to apply artistic skills in a professional environment.
Skills and Achievements:
- Graphic Design: Designed posters and digital flyers for school events, resulting in a 30% increase in event attendance. Proficient in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
- Digital Media: Managed the school's social media accounts, growing the followers by 25% within six months. Created engaging content including graphics and short videos.
- Creativity and Innovation: Winner of the "Young Artist Award" in the local art competition for original digital artwork.
Education:
School One | San Diego, California | Expected Graduation: June 20XX | GPA: 3.9
Experience:
Freelance Graphic Design | San Diego, CA | 20XX – Present
- Worked on various freelance projects, including logo design and social media graphics for local businesses.
Part-time Social Media Coordinator, Company One | San Diego, CA | 20XX – Present
- Curated and posted content for the cafe’s social media, boosting customer engagement.
Extracurricular Activities:
Art Club President | 20XX – Present
- Organized art exhibitions and workshops for students.
Photography Club Member | 20XX – Present
- Participated in club projects and photo walks.
Personal Projects:
Digital Art Portfolio
- Developed an online portfolio showcasing a collection of digital illustrations and designs.
Community Mural Project (August 20XX)
- Led a team in designing and painting a community mural, enhancing local neighborhood aesthetics.
3. Video Resumes for the Digital Age
In our increasingly digital world, a video resume can be a game-changer for certain roles. If you're applying for a position that requires video skills or a strong personal presence, consider creating a short video resume.
This can be an engaging way to introduce yourself and showcase your skills in action. Just remember to keep it professional and concise. Include a link to your video resume in your traditional resume.
Get Your High School Resume Assessed by Monster’s Experts Today!
Use our high school resume examples as a fantastic starting point for creating your own standout resume. But why stop there? Ensure your resume truly shines and catches the eye of your dream employer by taking advantage of Monster's expert resume assessment services. Our team of seasoned professionals can transform your resume from good to exceptional, highlighting your skills and experiences in the best light possible.