What to Include on a Resume as a High School Student Applying for a Job

I'm in high school and applying for my first job. What exactly should I put on my resume to make it look professional and appealing to employers? I'd love any advice or actionable tips!

Sure, I'm happy to provide some guidance. When you're a high schooler applying for your first job, your resume will look different than someone who has years of work experience. It's all about framing your experiences in a way that showcases your transferability of skills.

1. Contact Information: Include your full name, home address, phone number, and a professional-sounding email address.

2. Objective Statement: While optional, this is a great space to establish your focus and sell yourself in a few sentences. Make sure it aligns well with the role you're applying for. For instance, "Motivated high school student with strong leadership skills. Seeking a customer service position to utilize communication and problem-solving abilities."

3. Education: In this section, list your high school and its location (city, state). You might also want to include expected graduation date and GPA (if it's strong).

4. Experience: This section can be broader than just paid jobs. If you've never had a job, consider other types of experiences where you've developed or demonstrated job-related skills. This could include volunteer work, club positions, projects you've completed, or sports that you've participated in where you had responsibilities. For each experience, describe your responsibilities and any exceptional achievements. Don't forget to use action verbs!

5. Skills: List any hard (technical) and soft skills that make you a good candidate for the job. This could include things like leadership, problem solving, organization, computer skills, language proficiencies, or customer service skills. Be sure to only include skills that are relevant to the position you're applying for.

6. Extracurriculars and Awards: Here you can showcase important achievements or leadership roles in clubs, sports, and other activities.

7. References: You can either list references directly on your resume or state "References available upon request." As a high school student, a teacher, coach, or mentor can serve as a reference if you don't have past employers.

Make sure to proofread your resume thoroughly for typos and errors. Also, tailor your resume for each job, focusing on the skills and experience that would be most interesting to the particular employer. Good luck!