Taking Your First Step Towards Responsibility – How to Write a Resume for High Schoolers?

Whether you’re looking for an afterschool job to save for a car or want to work to prepare for college, there’s no denying that part-time work is a great step towards becoming a responsible adult. But before you start looking for a job, there is one crucial piece that you can’t leave out. And that is your resume.

Some of you might know what it is, while some might not. But having a professional high school resume is crucial. If you’re unaware of what it is and how to write one, well, luck on your side, and you’re at the right place.

For all you young job enthusiasts out there, we’ll talk about resumes and how they work. In addition, we’ll discuss how to write a resume for high schoolers. We’ll uncover the crucial elements that make an effective resume. So, without further ado, let’s learn how to make a resume as exciting as a summer break.

Learning a Bit More on Resume

Look, we get it. Most of you are new to part-time employment, so you don’t have a proper idea of your resume. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. Let’s first talk about what a resume is and why it is crucial.

A resume is a document that presents your professional background to the recruiter. It includes your work experience, educational qualification, achievements you’ve made, as well as skills you’ve learned in the past. Preparing the document is crucial as recruiters or hiring managers first collect resumes for the job and, from them, pick out the appropriate ones for the interview.

Why do you Need One?

Did you know that a recruiter is sent around 250 resumes for any posted job? To cut time, recruiters usually give a resume only seven seconds to evaluate whether the person is a good fit or not. Think of the resume as your first impression of the recruiter. You want to make those few seconds count. To do that, you need a professionally crafted resume. If you want to remove the hassle of creating one yourself, you could opt for expert resume writers.

How to Write a Resume for High Schoolers? – Crucial Elements to Include:

A resume’s role is to present you as a professional, but the question is, “How?” Let’s explore the crucial pieces of a resume you should know how to write:

1.      List your Contact Info:

The first thing that your resume needs to make your own is your contact info. This includes your first and last name, mailing address, email address, phone number, LinkedIn URL and other social media links (optional).

This is by far the easiest section to work on, as it doesn’t require any specific rule to write. However, place this section at the top of your resume. It will make it convenient for the recruiter to find all the information and quickly get back to you.

2.      Write a Resume Headline:

Next up we have is the resume headline. Just like how headlines in a news story capture the essence of the story, the resume headline does the same. It is a short statement that provides an overview regarding your skills, experience and achievements. To create a powerful headline, keep it short and sweet and focus on your skills or achievements. For instance:

“Recipient of International Mathematical Olympiad for Outstanding Academic Achievement”

Keep it not more than two sentences long, or ideally, try to complete it in a phrase. Place the resume headline under your resume section.

3.      Talk about your Resume Objective:

You should follow the resume headline with a clear and concise resume objective. It is a statement that clearly explains your goals and the positions you’re hoping to achieve. And for that, you’ll need to communicate how your skills can prove you as an asset to the employer.

Your objectives should be verifiable through claims and should be directed to the employer.

4.      Highlight Any Work Experience:

The next section that you should add is your work experience. Although you might not have done any proper jobs by now, you shouldn’t shy away from adding any volunteer work or extracurricular activities you did in the past. These experiences can help prove your ability, skills and work ethic. Talk about transferable skills and achievements you had.

To create an effective work experience section, first review the job you’re applying for to pick out keywords. Next, you need to use a reverse chronological format while discussing different work experiences you’ve had in the past. First, mention the organization you worked for (volunteer) and follow it along with the years you worked for them. Next, use 2-3 bullet points to indicate your responsibilities and achievements. Integrate your keyword here. And continue the pattern with the previous role.

5.      Invest in Your Education Section:

As a high school student, this is the section you need to explore in detail. Your participation in school activities, academic performance and interest in sports can make an impact on your potential employer. Through it, they can gauge you as an employee. 

In this section, be sure to mention the educational institution you studied from and the year you graduated. If you’ve got an impressive grade point average, be sure to include it. If you were also a club member, make sure to list them down as well.

6.      List Down Your Awards and Achievements:

You could use achievements and awards to really make an impression on your potential employer. These achievements help you stand out above other candidates. If you have a number of awards or achievements under your name, be sure to list them down.

7.      Discuss your Hard and Soft Skills:

And finally, you need to discuss the relevant skills you bring to the table. Employers are looking for relevant hard and soft skills in any employee. Hard skills refer to those skills specific to the job, while soft skills are those attributes that you can put for any position. Hard skills are often learned through experience. For example, here are some hard skills for a part-time chef position:

• Cooking Skills
• Kitchen Process
• Food Knowledge
• Safety Knowledge

While soft skills for the position can include:

• Communication skills
• Customer Service
• Stress Management
• Problem-Solving

Final Words

In conclusion, to take your first step towards your professional career, having a resume is crucial. A resume is a document through which you highlight your skills, experience and qualifications to make an impression on the recruiter. To create a professional high school resume, be sure to include contact info, resume headline, objective, work experience, educational background, achievement and skill section in your resume. By learning how to write a resume for a high schooler, you’re well on your way to finding your first job.

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