How should I write my resume for a high school senior job?

I'm a high school senior looking to apply for part-time jobs, and I'm struggling with my resume. What should I include to make it stand out given my limited work experience?

It's great you're considering building a resume! This is a crucial step toward demonstrating your skills and accomplishments. While you may not have much formal work experience yet as a high school senior, there are several things to include that can help you stand out to potential employers.

Start with your Personal Information: Begin your resume with a header, this should include your name, contact information (phone, email), and your home city and state.

For your Objective: After the personal information, a brief objective statement serves as an introduction to who you are and what you're looking to gain from a job. It should be clear, concise, and tailored to the job you're applying for.

Include Education: Under this section, specify your current school and anticipated graduation date. If you have a notable GPA, you may choose to include that here. Listing coursework that's relevant to the job you're applying for can also stand as a piece of evidence for your skills and knowledge, such as computer science courses for a tech-related job.

List any Work Experience or Internships: If you had any part-time or summer jobs, volunteering experiences, or internships, this is the section to flaunt them. Specify your role, responsibilities, and what you achieved or learned.

Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Roles: Participation in clubs, sports, or other school/community activities demonstrates team-oriented and leadership skills. If you held a leadership position, make sure to list that to highlight added responsibility.

Skills Section: Compile a list of skills that would be valuable for the job, such as proficiency in a second language, computer programming, or arguing in a debating club. Since you're in high school, soft skills can also be equally valuable—examples might be strong communication, punctuality, responsibility, problem-solving, and more.

Awards and Honors: If you have received any academic or extracurricular awards, they can help validate your abilities or dedication.

It may help to view your resume as a marketing tool, where you're the product. Highlight the aspects of your experience and skills that make you a strong candidate for the job you're applying to. Remember to keep your resume concise (preferably one page) and clean to read, proofread for spelling and grammar mistakes, and use action verbs to describe your experiences. Keep updating your resume as you gain more experience and skills. Good luck!