How to Write a High School Resume: With Template & FAQs

Writing a high school resume can feel like preparing for your first big step into the real world. You're eager to start, but unsure what to include without much work experience. The truth is, you already have more to offer than you realize.

Your skills, education, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities can all show employers or college admissions officers what you're capable of. With the right approach, you can turn these experiences into a resume that stands out.

In this guide, you'll learn how to highlight your strengths, showcase your achievements, and create a high school resume that helps you take the next step toward your goals.

What is a high school resume?

A high school resume is a document that showcases a student's education, key skills, academic achievements, and extracurricular activities. Its main purpose is to showcase the student's strengths and experiences when applying for opportunities such as:

• College admissions
• Scholarships
• Internships
• Part-time or summer jobs

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What do you put in a high school resume template?

Whether in high school or recently graduated and looking for a job, internship, or scholarship, a clear resume can help you stand out. Here are the important sections to include in a high school resume template:

• Contact information: Include your full name, phone number, email address, and location. Make sure your email sounds professional.
• Resume objective or summary: Write a short statement about your goals and what you hope to achieve through the opportunity you are applying for.
• Education: List your school name, expected graduation date, and any honors or relevant coursework.
• Skills: Highlight both soft and technical skills, such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, or computer skills.
• Extracurricular activities: Mention clubs, sports, or school organizations that show leadership, teamwork, or commitment.
• Volunteer work or community service: Include volunteer roles that show responsibility, compassion, and initiative.
• Work experience (if any): List part-time jobs, internships, or projects that help you gain useful experience or skills.
• Awards and achievements: Add any certificates, honors, or recognitions that show dedication and accomplishment.

How to write a high school resume

Remember that creating a high school student resume helps highlight strengths, valuable experiences, and achievements, even with little to no formal work experience. Here are the steps to write one effectively:

1. Start with gathering information: The first thing to do is gather all the details you need before writing your resume. Think about your education, skills, activities, volunteer work, and any part-time jobs. Being organized makes writing easier and ensures nothing important is missed.
2. Write your contact information and resume objective: Place your full name, phone number, email, and location at the top. Write a short objective that explains your goals and interests. Harvard University recommends using action words such as Accomplished, Addressed, and Assembled to make your high school resume more dynamic.
3. List your education: Include your school's name, location, expected graduation date, and GPA if it's strong. Add coursework, honors, or awards that show your strengths and dedication to learning. Be honest in this section, as many experts recommend.
4. Highlight your skills and experiences: Mention hard skills like computer use or writing and soft skills like teamwork or communication skills. Add activities, volunteer work, and part-time jobs. Explain what you did and learned to show initiative and responsibility.
5. Format and review your resume: Keep the layout simple and easy to read. Use bullet points, clear headings, and consistent fonts. Limit it to one page and check for errors. A clean, well-organized high school student resume shows professionalism. Experts recommend keeping the format and spacing consistent and using enough white space for easy reading.

Tips for writing a high school resume

These are the tips that experts recommend for creating an effective high school student resume.

Tip #1: Begin sentences with a positive power verb

Start each bullet point with a strong action verb to show your skills and achievements. This makes your high school resume clear and professional.

For example:

• Instead of: "I did fundraising for the school event"
• Write: "Organized a school fundraising event that raised $1,000."

Other action verbs to use in a high school student resume include Led, Coordinated, Assisted, Developed, Created, Organized, Facilitated, Improved, Presented, Implemented.

Tip #2: Remember the 7 second rule in resume

Hiring managers look at resumes very quickly, so make yours easy to read. Use headings, bullet points, and short sentences. Put your best achievements at the top. Skip long paragraphs and extra details, and focus on results you can show.

Tip #3: Be consistent in format and content

Remember that being consistent makes your resume look professional and easy to read. Use the same font, size, and style throughout. Keep bullet points, dates, and headings the same. For skills or activities, use the same structure (like action verb + task + result).

Tip #4: Be honest and accurate

Being accurate makes employers or schools trust you. Don't exaggerate your tasks or achievements. Only include skills and experiences you really have. Being honest avoids problems in interviews and shows you are trustworthy.

Tip #5: Get feedback and proofread carefully

Even small mistakes can make a bad impression. Ask a teacher, parent, or mentor to check your resume. They can find unclear points, grammar errors, or formatting problems. Checking carefully helps your resume look neat and professional.

The best high school resume template

This template should be your starting point for creating a professional and organized resume. Customize it to showcase achievements, skills, and experiences for college, scholarships, internships, or jobs.

[Full Name]

[Address] | [City, State, ZIP] | [Phone Number] | [Email Address] | [LinkedIn or Portfolio Link]

Objective / Summary

Motivated and dedicated high school student seeking opportunities in [college admission / scholarship / internship / part-time work] to leverage strong skills in [specific areas, e.g., leadership, communication, STEM, arts] and contribute positively to [organization or program].

Education

[High School Name] - [City, State]

Expected Graduation: [Month, Year]

• GPA: [X.XX/4.0] (if above 3.0)
• Relevant coursework: [Advanced Placement, Honors, STEM, Arts, etc.]
• Awards: [Honor Roll, Academic Awards, Scholarships]

Relevant Skills

• Technical: [Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Programming languages, Graphic Design, etc.]
• Communication: [Public speaking, Writing, Collaboration]
• Leadership: [Teamwork, Club leadership, Event coordination]
• Other: [Languages, Problem-solving, Time management]

Extracurricular Activities

[Club / Organization Name] - [Position, if any]

[Month Year - Month Year]

• [Responsibility or achievement, e.g., organized events, led projects, improved participation by X%]

[Sports / Arts / Volunteer Organization]

[Month Year - Month Year]

• [Responsibility or achievement, e.g., won a regional competition, performed in X events, raised funds]

Volunteer Experience

[Organization Name] - [Role]

[Month Year - Month Year]

• [Description of duties and accomplishments, e.g., helped 50+ community members, coordinated events, tutored students]

Work Experience / Internships

[Company / Organization Name] - [Position]

[Month Year - Month Year]

• [Key responsibilities and achievements, e.g., customer service, managed inventory, completed a project]
• [Include quantifiable results if possible]

Awards & Honors

[Name of Award] - [Month Year]

[Scholarship Name] - [Month Year]

[Recognition for academic, extracurricular, or community achievements]

Projects / Special Achievements (Optional, for scholarships or internships)

[Project Name] - [Month Year]

• [Brief description of project, role, and outcome]

FAQs

Here are some common questions related to the topic:

What are the 3 F's of resume writing?

According to the University of Pennsylvania, the 3 F's of resume writing include Form, Formatting, and Fun. This means that a resume should have the right structure (Form), look clean and consistent (Formatting), and reflect personality or creativity (Fun).

What should a teenager put on their first resume?

A teenager's first resume should list education, skills, extracurriculars, volunteer work, and any part-time jobs or projects, with achievements and skills like teamwork and communication.

Should I include hobbies on my resume?

Yes, experts suggest including hobbies on your resume if they show value or personality, especially with limited work experience. Focus on hobbies that highlight transferable skills or traits relevant to the job and place them at the bottom, so they support your resume without overshadowing education, work history, or skills.