Having a resume isn’t just for adults or college students. Even if you’re still in high school, having a good resume is important.
It can help you stand out when applying for part-time jobs, internships, volunteer roles or summer programs, and it's a good idea to have a built resume so that if a job or internship opportunity comes up, you're not left scrambling to put something together.
At Acceleration Academies, we’re committed to student success in and out of the classroom. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive guide to help you create or fine tune your resume even as a high school student.
What’s a Resume and Why is it Important?
Resumes are a great tool to display what you’ve done so far in your career, and they help you practice presenting yourself professionally (which helps later for college or full-time jobs).
A resume is meant to give a clear, quick snapshot of who you are — your strengths, skills, education and experiences — in a way that helps you stand out. Its main purpose is to share the most important and relevant information about you in a format that’s easy for someone to read and understand.
So, yes, even as a high schooler, you should have one.
Having a resume:
- Helps you stand out for jobs
- Makes applying to colleges smoother
- Shows your skills — not just your grades
- Builds confidence
- Prepares you for the real world
- Keeps you organized
Now, let’s talk about how to build your resume while you’re still in high school.
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How to Build Your High School Resume
Follow our step-by-step guide, with high school-specific details and examples!
Header: Name + Contact Info
This is important so that people reviewing your resume will know how to contact you. This information should go at the very top, so it is the first thing the reviewer will see. You will want to be sure to include:
- Your Full Name
- Your Email Address (be sure to use one that you regularly check)
- Your Phone Number
- Your Location, just your City and State (e.g., Las Vegas, Nevada)
Overall Summary or Objective
Now that you have your contact information, this next section will introduce you and explain your career goals or aspirations to the people reading. Here are a few examples of what this could look like:
- “Motivated high school junior seeking a part-time retail role where I can apply strong customer-service and teamwork skills.”
- “Recent high school graduate pursuing a career in construction, where I can use my problem-solving and decision-making skills.”
- “Hardworking high school student looking for a part-time position to build experience and contribute strong communication and organization skills.”
- “Caring and patient high schooler seeking a babysitting or childcare position where I can use my creativity and leadership skills.”
Skills and Specialties
In this section, list both hard and soft skills. Hard skills are things that you have learned and know how to do. Soft skills are your personal strengths.
Hard Skill Examples:
Google Slides, Microsoft Office, Instagram, TikTok, Photography, Art
Soft Skill Examples:
Time management, Teamwork, Organization, Leadership, Multitasking
Education
You did the work! Now show it off.
- List the name of your school and the city, state that it's located in (e.g., Acceleration Academies, Las Vegas, NV)
- Date (month, year) Started - Date (month, year) Graduated
- If you haven't graduated yet, put the date you are expected to graduate
- [Optional] List your GPA if you're proud of it!
- List any relevant coursework (bonus if what you learned in the course may help with the job you're applying for, e.g., list that you passed Biology, if you're applying for a job in a hospital)
- List any Honors, Awards or Clubs you are a part of
Here is also a great place to list any relevant certifications you have received, like:
- CPR Training (may be helpful if you're applying for Babysitting or Caretaking jobs)
- Personal Training Certification (relevant for jobs in a gym)
- ServSafe Certification (may be helpful for most restaurants and food service roles)
- Cosmetology Certifications (relevant for hair and nail salons, spas, beauty stores)
Experience
This is the section where you will list all of your work, school, volunteer or organization experience. Even if you’ve only done part-time jobs or in-school projects, they count. For each entry, include:
- Job Title and Organization or Company Name (e.g., Hostess, Applebee's Restaurant)
- City, State
- Date (month, year) Started - Date (month, year) Ended
- A few bullet points with action verbs (managed, assisted, organized, led) describing what you did and accomplished during your time at that job: e.g., “Assisted 20+ customers daily” or “Organized weekly meetings for a club of 30 members”.
If you haven't had any job experience yet, don't worry! You can list any organizations, volunteer work or projects you have been involved in, like:
- Student Government Association
- Worked at the local food bank
- Tutoring
- Leading a group project
Final Checks
Once you have all of your information filled in, you should read back over your work and make sure that everything is spelled correctly, the text is the same size throughout and that it is organized and easy to read. Try to keep all of your information to one page.
Tip: Your Graduation Candidate Advocates or mentors are good resources to use and help you proofread!
Use headings like the ones listed here to make it easy for hiring managers to skim and find what relevant information they are looking for.
Make sure you use active language throughout your resume. (Instead of “I do”, use “led”, “assisted”, “created”, see more active verb examples below.)
Lastly, don't forget to regularly update your resume with any new certificates, course completions or achievements as you're moving through your career. As you grow and learn, your resume should too! It's never too early to start. Having a resume ready means that you will be prepared for any upcoming opportunities!
Below you will find our template to use as a guide or example as you are building your resume!
Jane Doe
exampleemail@email.com | (123) 123-1234 | Las Vegas, Nevada
Hardworking high school student looking for a part-time position to build experience and contribute strong communication and organization skills.
Skills:
- Social Media
- Photography
- Google Slides & Docs
- Microsoft Office
- Leadership
- Team Work
- Time Management
Education
- Clark County Acceleration Academies — Las Vegas, Nevada
- August 2023 — Current
- Expected Graduation: May 2026
- GPA: 3.5
- Relevant Courses: Statistics [A+], Calculus [B+], Algebra II [A]
- Clubs: Student Government Association
Experience
- Retail Associate, Forever 21 — Las Vegas, Nevada, (June 2023 - December 2024)
- Greeted and assisted 40+ customers per shift.
- Balanced cash register and handled opening tasks.
- Organized and planned fashion displays weekly to show at the front of the store
- After-School Tutor, YMCA — Las Vegas, Nevada (August 2024 - Current)
- Tutored 15 middle school students in Algebra
- Helped increase grades and homework completion
Certifications
- CPR Certified
- First Aid Certified