Should I Include My High School Job Experience on a Resume?

I had a part-time job during high school and I'm unsure if I should put it on my resume now that I'm applying for something new. Does including high school work experience make my resume look better or should I leave it off?

Absolutely, you should include your high school job experience on your resume, especially if you're in the early stages of your career or if the job is relevant to the position you're applying for. Having a job in high school shows that you're capable of managing your time well, balancing work and studies, and it might even demonstrate certain skills that would be valuable in the job you're applying to. For example, if you worked in retail, you've developed customer service skills. If you worked as a tutor, you've shown that you have knowledge in a certain subject and can communicate that knowledge effectively to others.

However, as your career progresses, and you gain more relevant professional experiences, you may want to replace the high school job experience with more recent and relevant experiences. This doesn't reflect negatively on your high school job; it simply means that you have gathered more substantial experiences that are more closely aligned with the direction in which you want your career to move.

In the meantime, do use that experience to showcase your abilities and skills, and remember to tailor your resume to each application, emphasizing the most relevant experiences to the job you're applying for.