High School Student Resume Examples (Text Format)
Years of Experience
- #1
- #2
- #3
Brenda Martin
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | 1234 Your Street, Tampa, FL 33601
Profile
Reliable high school student with strong recent sales experience at a major clothing retailer. Committed to providing positive service experiences to new and returning customers. Motivated and adaptable to new work schedules, challenges, and conditions.
Key Skills
- Creative Problem-Solving
- Customer Service & Relations
- Inventory Monitoring & Control
- Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems
- Product Sales & Merchandising
Education
Candidate: Diploma, Tampa High School, Tampa, FL | August 2021 to Present (expected June 2025)
Work Experience
Sales Associate, XYZ Clothing, Tampa, FL | May 2022 to September 2022
- Provide high-quality service to new and repeat customers of this popular clothing store
- Greet and direct store visitors to their desired apparel section
- Assist customers with sizing and product choices
- Efficiently operate cash register to process order payments
- Tag and display incoming merchandise and perform markdowns on previous season styles
- Maintain a clean and tidy work area at all points
Highlight:
- Won “Employee of the Month” in August 2022 for outstanding customer service
Assistant, Paw Plus Pet Shop, Tampa, FL | June 2021 to September 2021
- Gained strong foundation in customer service helping store visitors find their desired products
- Stocked shelves and maintained inventory
- Worked the cash register and helped other retail associates as needed
Michelle Hamilton
(111) 123-4567 | [email protected] | 1234 Your Street, Sacramento, CA 94248
Profile
High school student with recent volunteer work at a veterinary clinic. Naturally curious and motivated to learn about new healthcare procedures and equipment. Passionate about supporting the health and well-being of all types of animals.
Key Skills
- Data Gathering & Entry
- Filing & Documentation
- Microsoft Word, Excel
- Task Prioritization
- Team Collaboration
- Veterinary Procedures & Equipment
Education
Candidate: College Prep Diploma, Sacramento High School, Sacramento, CA | expected June 2024
Volunteer Experience
Sacramento Veterinary Clinic, Sacramento, CA | August 2021 to Present
- Assist veterinarians and staff with various daily tasks such as animal feeding, walking, and cage cleaning
- Facilitate phone, mail, and email communications with pet owners
- File and maintain information on 150+ clients and their pets
- Help maintain adequate inventory of pet medications
- Refill paper towels and other exam room essentials as needed
High School Honors & Activities
Member, Debate Team | August 2022 to Present
- Collaborate closely on a 10-person team to form and organize compelling debate arguments
Attendee, National Honors Society Conference | May 2022
Volunteer Teacher’s Aide | January 2022 to June 2022
Aliya Jackson
(111) 123-4567 | [email protected] | 1234 Your Street, Sacramento, CA 94248
Profile
High school student with recent formal experience helping care for toddler-age children. Dedicated to providing children with fun, educational indoor and outdoor activities.
Education
Candidate: Diploma, Texas Preparatory School, Austin, TX | expected June 2023
- 3.9 GPA and perfect attendance record to date
- Taking advanced core curriculum classes in math, science, and language arts for college credit
- Voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by the student body in 2022
Work Experience
Childcare Provider, Sacramento, CA | January 2021 to August 2022
- Collaborated with parents of 2 children, ages 4 and 6
- Created engaging, educational indoor and outdoor activities for each child
- Organized and cleaned the play area regularly
- Provided meals and snacks and assisted with nap times
High School Athletics
Member, Volleyball Team | August 2021 to Present
- Won “Most Valuable Player” for Spring 2022 season
Tips for Writing a Better High School Resume
Brainstorm things you’re proud of
The foundation for a great resume is your enthusiasm for the things that interest you. To start building that foundation, take 10 minutes to quickly brainstorm and write down your answer to this question: What are you most proud of in your last year’s worth of high school, work, volunteer, or general life experience?
As you jot down your answers, don’t worry about organizing them to fit any resume conventions you already know of. Your goal at this early stage isn’t to write a polished resume. It’s to gain some momentum in the overall writing process and start generating the raw material from which you can then make your best resume.
Once you’re done brainstorming highlights from the past year, you’ll want to repeat this process for the previous four years or so. Date each group of notes (e.g., “December 2021 to December 2022,” “December 2020 to December 2021,” etc.), and save and name the document something like “Resume Brainstorming.”
Filter information based on your goal
Once you’re done with the brainstorming process above, save a copy of your document and then filter your information based on your target job. You can do so by taking it one detail at a time. With each detail, answer the same yes-or-no question: Does this overlap with the types of things you’d be doing in your target job? If your answer is No, delete that detail. If Yes, plan on including that detail in your final resume.
This filtering process reflects the most important thing to know about your resume: It shouldn’t be an overview of your experience, but an overview of your relevant experience. It should take whatever shape is necessary to give the hiring manager a clear view of your background as related to the job at hand.
For an example of this principle in action, see resume #1 above. Brenda is applying to a job at a clothing retailer, similar to her most recent position at XYZ Clothing. See how she’s given plenty of detail on that recent/relevant position, while keeping detail on the previous, less relevant job (Paw Plus Pet Shop) short and focused on the general service skills she gained there.
If you’re applying to several different types of jobs (cashier, library assistant, delivery driver, etc.), you’ll want to filter your information and create that many different versions of your resume. It may sound annoying to have to make and use multiple resumes, but as too many other jobseekers can tell you, it’s far more annoying to send out the same document to countless job postings and never get a response. (Also take heart that if you stay focused on the yes-or-no question above, you can run through your brainstorming notes fairly quickly each time.) With targeted resumes, you can gain traction in your search by showing each hiring manager why you’re a fit for their particular job opening as well as why they should call you promptly for an interview.
Don’t worry about graduation dates
It’s generally suggested that jobseekers leave education dates off their resume to avoid discrimination. But this rule doesn’t apply if you’re seeking a job while in high school. In your case, you can date your education and list your expected graduation year at your discretion. Employers might use these dates to guess your age, but that won’t matter if your age level is inclusive of your current career goals.
Example
Candidate: Diploma, Tampa High School, Tampa, FL | August 2021 to Present (expected June 2025)
Common Key Skills for High School Student Resumes
One of the best ways to improve your resume is to add keywords.
That’s because most employers now use an applicant tracking system (ATS), which scans each submitted resume for keywords relevant to the job opening at hand. When the ATS finds a resume with many relevant keywords, it flags the document for the hiring manager.
To make your resume ATS-friendly, add a keyword-rich “Skills” or “Expertise” section. Here are some common keywords for high school resumes:
| Key Skills & Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | Adobe Creative Suite |
| Creative Problem-Solving | Customer Service & Relations |
| Inventory Monitoring | Microsoft Office Suite |
| Office Administration | Reading, Writing & Editing |
| Filing & Documentation | Task Prioritization |
| Team Collaboration | Time Management |
Common Action Verbs for High School Student Resumes
One of the most frequent resume mistakes is using too few verbs. You may repeat the same generic verb (say, “Manage”) many times or rely on passive phrases like “Responsible for” or “Accountable for.” These tendencies can distract the hiring manager and fail to show the varied nature of your experience. The following list will help you mix up the verbs on your high school resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Achieved | Boosted |
| Created | Decreased |
| Earned | Enhanced |
| Established | Exceeded |
| Garnered | Generated |
| Improved | Increased |
| Integrated | Introduced |
| Produced | Proposed |
| Reinforced | Strengthened |
| Surpassed | Won |
Additional Reading and Resources
Your high school resume is only the first of many writing tasks and formal communications you’ll contend with in your career. Check out the following books and resources for insight on finding your voice and honing your communication style, both in high school and beyond.
- Job Search Resource Center – ResumeBuilder.com
- “Modernize Your Resume: Get Noticed… Get Hired” by Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark
- “Resume & LinkedIn Strategies for New College Graduates” by Louise Kursmark and Jan Melnik
- “Writing with Power” and “Writing Without Teachers” by Peter Elbow
- “Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace” by Joseph M. Williams and Joseph Bizup
- “Conversationally Speaking” by Alan Garner