Advice on Writing a Resume for High School Graduates Seeking Employment

Recently graduated from high school and looking to enter the workforce. How can I write a compelling resume with limited experience? Should I focus more on my academic achievements or extracurricular activities?

It's entirely possible to create an impressive resume as a high school graduate, and the most effective way to do this is to accurately showcase your skills, accomplishments, and potential to employers. Given your limited work experience, you will indeed need to leverage your academic achievements and extracurricular activities to your advantage.

Begin with a strong objective statement that summarizes what you hope to bring to potential employers, your long-term professional goals, or what you intend to learn from the job you are applying for. For example "Recent high school graduate seeking to apply my organizational and leadership skills in a customer service role." You can also mention & tie it with the job you're applying for or industry you want to get into to show them you have a clear direction.

Highlighting achievements from your academic career is a good idea. Remember to focus not just on grades or course subjects but also on projects, presentations, or research you've done. These experiences can highlight problem-solving and team-work abilities, as well as your dedication and focus on results. If you have relevant coursework, this can be included as well.

Since you're a recent graduate, discussing your extracurricular activities is crucial. They can demonstrate traits that employers value, such as leadership, teamwork, time management, and more. For example, if you were involved in student council, you can include it as a leadership role, mentioning any specific accomplishments, like organizing fundraisers or events. Similarly, being part of a sports team can indicate you're a team player.

If you've done any volunteering, don't forget to add this, as community service can illustrate valuable soft skills, such as empathy, responsibility, and communication. Also, any part-time or summer jobs, internships, or co-curricular activities that relate to the position you’re applying for are useful to include as they can demonstrate tangible work experience.

Skills should be another essential part of your resume. List both hard skills (like proficiency in a foreign language or computer literacy) and soft skills (like communication or problem-solving).

Lastly, remember to keep your resume concise and clearly formatted for readability. Most importantly, always tailor your resume to each job application, emphasising the skills and experiences most relevant to the job description. Good luck in your job hunt!