Best Practices for a High School Student Creating a Job Resume

I'm currently in high school and need to put together a resume for a job application. What are some important sections or details to include when I have little to no work history? Are there specific formats that work best?

When creating a resume with little to no work experience, it's crucial to focus on key sections that will showcase your skills, education, and other relevant experiences. Here are a few guidelines:

1. Headline and Objective: Start with your full name, contact information (email, phone number), and a brief objective that offers a summary of who you are and what you are looking to achieve in the job market.

2. Education: Following the objective, list your high school name and expected graduation year. If you have a strong GPA, it can be beneficial to include it as well.

3. Skills: This section is very important when you have little to no work experience. Include both hard and soft skills. Hard skills might be specific abilities—language fluency, coding, graphic design skills etc. Soft skills show your character/potential to be a good employee, such as teamwork, time management, and communication skills.

4. Volunteer Work and Extracurricular Activities: If you've volunteered in your community or participated in school clubs or sports, list these experiences. You can include the role you had, responsibilities you took on, and any important achievements.

5. Coursework and Certifications: If you have taken relevant coursework or have a certification that is relevant to the job, don't hesitate to include it. This shows your dedication to learning and growth.

6. Awards and Honors: If you've received any awards or honors, be they academic, community-based, or related to extracurricular activities, include them. It will show potential employers your hard work and dedication.

As far as format, keep it professional and easy to read. Use a clean font, have consistent formatting, and use bullet points for easy reading. It's also important to keep the resume to one page, as you are just starting out.

Remember also to tailor your resume to each job you apply for, highlighting the most relevant experiences and skills you have relative to the job description.

Last but not least—proofread. Ensure there are no grammatical mistakes or typos, as those can give the impression of carelessness—something no employer wants.