If you’re a high school student searching for a job, having a well-crafted resume can help you find potential opportunities. But you may be unsure where to start, especially if you’ve never written your resume. How do you present your education when it’s still underway? And how do you get interviews with little or no work experience?
These concerns shouldn’t keep you from writing a great resume for high school jobs. Chances are, even at a young age, you have done things you can translate into strong resume content. The trick is focusing on the relevant skills like foreign languages, writing, or leading groups you’ve gained through work, educational, and volunteer experiences. Read on for tips and examples that will help focus your high school resume.
“Even without years of experience, high school students can stand out by showing enthusiasm, responsibility, and a willingness to learn. Your resume is about potential — so highlight your initiative, school involvement, and any early wins.”
— Carolyn Kleiman, Resume and Career Advisor
Most Popular High School Resumes
Retail Associate Resume
Why this resume example is strong:
This resume clearly highlights retail experience and job-ready skills such as merchandising and customer service. Including a recognition award adds extra value. For more guidance on building your resume, visit How To Make a Resume.
Veterinary Assistant Resume
Why this resume example is strong:
This resume makes up for limited work experience by showcasing hands-on volunteer work and applicable skills. To learn how to write a standout summary for student resumes, visit Resume Summary Examples.
Child Care Provider Resume
Why this resume example is strong:
The resume blends relevant experience with extracurricular leadership and language skills. It shows how even part-time roles can build strong qualifications. Read more on how to structure resumes like this in Resume Skills.
Tech Support Specialist Resume
Why this resume example is strong:
This resume focuses on technical support experience and certifications while keeping structure clean and easy to scan. Learn how formatting can make a difference by visiting Best Resume Formats.
Editorial Intern Resume
Why this resume example is strong:
It emphasizes accomplishments and relevant coursework for an editorial career. This balance between academics and experience makes it a strong choice. Explore what content belongs on your resume in What To Put on a Resume.
Camp Counselor Resume
Why this resume example is strong:
This resume highlights seasonal roles with responsibilities that emphasize leadership and safety. It’s a great example for teens applying to summer jobs or youth-focused roles. Learn more about listing your past roles effectively in Resume Outline Examples.
Food Service Worker Resume
Why this resume example is strong:
The resume uses real-world food service experience to show responsibility and dependability. It also demonstrates customer service and teamwork — two key traits in the food
Babysitter Resume
Why this resume example is strong:
This resume effectively highlights informal work, proving that experience doesn’t have to come from a formal job to matter. It shows trustworthiness and initiative. Find more advice on listing part-time or informal experience at What To Put on a Resume.
Customer Service Associate Resume
Why this resume example is strong:
This resume demonstrates real-world customer service abilities and attention to detail. It’s a strong foundation for jobs in retail or front-desk roles. Learn how to improve this section with relevant keywords in Customer Service Skills Resume.
Library Assistant Resume
Why this resume example is strong:
This resume balances volunteer work with clerical experience, making it ideal for academic or office-related positions. Want to learn how to list volunteer work the right way? Check out How To Put Volunteer Work on a Resume.
Grocery Store Clerk Resume
Why this resume example is strong:
This resume shows steady retail experience with task-oriented responsibilities, ideal for grocery or retail applicants. To better understand how to structure your resume timeline, visit How Far Back Should a Resume Go?
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High School Student Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
How To Write a High School Resume
1. Write a dynamic profile summarizing your qualifications
In a brief paragraph, your profile summary should describe your top three to five qualifications for your target high school job. You may think this resume section isn’t necessary for young job seekers and entry-level positions. Yet, at every career level, the profile section improves your resume by focusing the hiring manager’s attention on whatever makes you a great fit.
If you’ve worked before, you may want to base your profile points on that job experience. But you could also use your high school experience or other activities. It just depends on what’s relevant to the role you’re pursuing. For instance, maybe you have volunteer experience that overlaps strongly with your target job duties. Or you’ve excelled in an AP class at school that relates to your goal. Maybe you have advanced skills in a foreign language and would like to use those in a work setting. Whatever your top qualifications, feature them in the profile, and you’ll ensure your resume makes a great first impression.
Profile Example 1
High school student with recent volunteer work at a veterinary clinic. Naturally curious and motivated to learn about new health care procedures and equipment. Passionate about supporting the health and well-being of all types of animals.
Profile Example 2
High school student with recent formal experience helping care for toddlers. Dedicated to providing children with fun, educational indoor and outdoor activities. Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish.
2. Add a pertinent experience section
Your resume’s experience section should center on your relevant duties, skills, and highlights. By focusing on your relevant background (whether in or outside high school), you can give hiring managers a clear view of how you fit their needs.
You don’t need directly related work experience (or any experience) to draft a solid high school resume. But you must brainstorm how you’ve applied yourself in other ways and write how those experiences helped prepare you for the job you’re seeking. This may sound tricky, but you can use details about your high school activities, volunteering, or any other area of your life so far.
Below is a list of experience areas you might develop for your high school resume:
- Community service
- High school athletics
- High school clubs and societies
- Hobbies and interests
- Internships
- Leadership experience
- Personal accomplishments
- Research experience
- Summer camps or coursework
- Travel or study abroad experience
- Volunteer experience
- Work experience
For each of the above areas you have experience in, take 10 minutes or so to brainstorm answers to these questions:
1. What were your primary roles, duties, or focus areas?
2. What are you most proud of about this experience?
3. What general skill areas did you develop (e.g., teamwork, efficiency, customer service)?
Next, determine which of your answers overlap with the key skills required for the job you’re now pursuing. Include on your resume anything that overlaps and leave out anything that doesn’t. With this approach, you can show the most relevant aspects of your life and give hiring managers a better sense of the skills you offer. For instance, say you’re applying to be a pizza delivery driver. In citing any high school sports on your resume for this job, you could focus on the relevant skills you gained, such as teamwork or adaptability.
Work Experience Example
Assistant, Paw Plus Pet Shop, Tampa, FL | June 2021 to September 2021
- Gained a strong foundation in customer service, helping visitors find their desired products
- Stocked shelves and maintained inventory
- Worked the cash register and helped other retail associates as needed
Volunteer Experience Example
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 over 150 clients and their pets
- Help maintain an adequate inventory of pet medications
- Refill paper towels and other exam room essentials as needed
High School Athletics Experience Example
Member, Volleyball Team | August 2021 to present
- Won “Most Valuable Player” for Spring 2022 season
- Demonstrated strong teamwork and adaptability in a high-pressure setting
3. Include your high school education and certifications
You may wonder how (or whether) to give education details when you’re still working toward your diploma. It’s actually pretty simple – see below for a template you can use to accurately show your in-progress high school education and a template for any certifications you’d like to add as well. Note that optional template areas appear in [brackets].
Education
Template:
- Candidate: Diploma, High School Name, City, ST | expected graduation date
- [academic awards or distinctions]
Example:
- 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
Certification
Template:
- Certification Name or Title, [Awarding Organization] | [Year]
Example:
- Service Excellence Certificate, VCU Advanced Solutions | 2023
4. List key skills and proficiencies
Include a “key skills” section to help further focus your resume on your relevant background. For many high schoolers (especially those with limited work experience), this section should include “soft skills” like solution-seeking and collaboration. But also feel free to add specific software programs you’ve used or other technical skills you’ll need in your target job. Below are some common key skills for high school resumes:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Adobe Creative Suite | Creative solution-finding |
| Customer service and relations | Data gathering and entry |
| Efficiency improvement | Filing and documentation |
| Independent research | Inventory monitoring |
| Microsoft Office Suite | Office administration |
| Point-of-sale (POS) systems | Product sales and merchandising |
| Reading, writing, and editing | Task prioritization |
| Team collaboration | Time management |
How To Pick the Best High School Student Resume Template
A clear and straightforward resume template is usually best for high school students. Opt for a visual design that lets the hiring manager quickly review your most relevant information. Use a simple resume font, and avoid any template that is overly colorful or elaborate.
Frequently Asked Questions: High School Student Resume Examples and Advice
What should I avoid when writing my High School Student CV to ensure it's professional and impactful?-
To ensure your High School Student CV stands out, avoid using generic terms or vague language. Focus on specific achievements with numbers and data that demonstrate your real-world impact. Also, be cautious of overloading the document with too much text or irrelevant information—keep it focused on your most relevant skills and experience.
What are common action verbs for high school student resumes?-
One of the best ways to enhance your resume is by using a good mix of action verbs in your experience section. The following verbs list will help you brainstorm and capture the various ways you’ve applied yourself so far:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Achieved | Assisted |
| Boosted | Carried out |
| Completed | Contributed to |
| Created | Decreased |
| Developed | Earned |
| Enhanced | Established |
| Exceeded | Garnered |
| Generated | Improved |
| Increased | Integrated |
| Introduced | Managed |
| Mitigated | Overcame |
| Prevented | Produced |
| Proposed | Recommended |
| Reinforced | Streamlined |
| Strengthened | Surpassed |
| Won | |
How do you align your high school student resume with a job posting?-
You can get more interviews for high school jobs if you tailor your resume to each application. Look at the job post text and highlight words or phrases that are repeated, emphasized, or otherwise seem important. Compare these highlighted phrases against the language you’re using in your resume, particularly the profile and key skills sections. Then, look for ways to align your resume language with the job post (while not copying phrases or misrepresenting your background).
For example, if the employer is looking for someone collaborative, you can name that aspect of your experience with a profile line as simple as “Thrive in team-oriented work settings.” Or say the organization has many non-English speaking customers. You could highlight your foreign language skills both in your profile and as a separate section farther down the document. With adjustments like these, you can make your resume more relevant to each new opportunity.
What is the best high school student resume format?-
In nearly all cases, use a Combination (or Hybrid) resume because it’s easiest for hiring managers to learn about your relevant skills and experience. It’s also simplest for you to modify based on your job goals.
With the Combination format, you highlight your most relevant skills and experience in your experience section(s) and an intro section. (This combination of experience and intro content is where the format gets its name.) Your resume intro should usually include a profile summary and key skills section, but you may also include an awards or career highlights section.
What’s the recommended length for a high school student resume?-
The recommended length for a high school student resume is one page, especially for professionals with under 10 years of experience. A two-page resume can work for those with substantial accomplishments or a longer career, but only if it’s concise and highly relevant to the role. Tailoring your resume to the job and highlighting your strongest qualifications are key to success.
Stick to listing work experience from the last 10 to 15 years, as this period is most relevant to employers. Summarize or omit older positions unless they’re crucial for your application. A focused and streamlined resume will help capture the hiring manager’s attention.
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To increase your chances of an interview, write a strong cover letter. The key to an effective letter is customizing it based on each job opening. Read our high school cover letter guide to learn how. For other related examples, see our student and internship cover letter guides.
