High School Resume Template

What is a high school resume?

A high school resume is a one-page summary of your education, activities, volunteering, skills and any work experience. Most students do not have formal jobs yet, and employers and programmes know that. What they look for is evidence that you are reliable, willing to learn and good with people: showing up for commitments, taking responsibility in a club, helping in your community or running a small side job. A clear resume puts that evidence in front of them.

When you need one

You can use a high school resume for part-time and summer jobs, internships, volunteering roles, summer programmes, scholarships and some college or university applications. Many local employers, such as shops, cafes, libraries, camps and tutoring centres, appreciate a short resume even when they also ask you to fill in a form.

Sections to include

1. Name, phone, a professional email and city.
2. Objective of one or two lines.
3. Education.
4. Experience, including informal work.
5. Activities and volunteering.
6. Skills, languages and awards.

Writing your objective

Say what you are applying for and give one or two reasons you would do it well. Keep it short and specific to each application.

• Part-time job: "Friendly, reliable student with tutoring experience, looking for weekend work at a local bookstore."
• Summer job: "Energetic student and team sports player seeking a summer camp counsellor role."
• Internship: "Student with AP Computer Science and a robotics club build, seeking a summer tech internship."
• Programme or scholarship: "Honour roll student with 120 volunteer hours, applying for a summer leadership programme."

Education

List your school, city and expected graduation year. Add your grade average if it is strong, along with honours, advanced courses such as AP, IB or A-levels, and any subjects relevant to the job. For a tech internship, coding classes matter; for a shop job, maths or business studies can help.

Experience without a formal job

Informal work counts. Tutoring, babysitting, pet sitting, lawn care, helping in a family business, selling things online or freelance design for neighbours all show responsibility and real skills. List them like jobs, with what you did and any result, such as how many students you tutored or how many regular clients you had.

Activities, clubs and sports

Clubs, teams, school councils, music, drama and competitions show commitment and teamwork. List your role and what you contributed, especially any leadership, such as organising an event, managing a budget or captaining a team. Long-term commitment, such as three seasons of a sport, says a lot about reliability.

Volunteering

Volunteering at libraries, food banks, animal shelters, hospitals, places of worship or community events shows you care and can follow instructions. Give the organisation, dates, what you did and, if you tracked them, your total hours. Hours matter for many scholarships and programmes.

Bullet examples

• "Tutored 4 middle school students in maths each week; all improved by at least one grade."
• "Managed a 2,000 dollar club budget and organised two fundraisers."
• "Helped run weekly reading sessions for 30 children at the public library."
• "Handled orders and customer messages for a family bakery's online shop on weekends."

Skills

Include practical skills employers can use: customer service, cash handling, computer and design tools, typing speed, languages, first aid or a driving licence if relevant. Add a few personal strengths only if your experience backs them up, such as punctual or organised.

References

Teachers, coaches, club advisers, volunteer supervisors and people you have worked for can be references. Ask them first and keep their details ready, but you do not need to list them on the resume unless the employer asks.

Applying for your first job

Bring a printed copy when you ask about openings in person, and send the PDF when applying online. Check your availability, such as evenings and weekends, and be ready to share it. A short, polite message and a clean resume often matter more than experience for first jobs.

Mistakes to avoid

• An unprofessional email address; use your name.
• Spelling mistakes; ask a teacher or parent to proofread.
• Exaggerating skills or experience.
• Going over one page.

Is this template ATS-friendly?

Yes. Large retailers and chains often use online forms with tracking systems, and this template uses one column, real text and standard headings. You can check your file with the ATS resume checker.

Resumes for college and university applications

Some applications and interviews welcome a short activities resume. For these, put more weight on academic achievements, leadership, long-term commitments and community work, and give hours or years where you can. Keep it consistent with what you write in your application forms and essays, and follow each institution's own rules on what to submit.

Summer programmes and internships

For competitive programmes and internships, lead with the subjects and projects that match the programme, such as a science fair entry, a coding project or a school newspaper role. Add any competitions or certificates, and use your objective to say what you hope to learn.

Getting ready for the interview

First interviews are usually short and friendly. Be ready to talk about one thing on your resume you are proud of, your availability and why you want the role. Bring a copy of your resume, arrive a little early and thank the interviewer at the end.

Keep it updated

Add new roles, awards and volunteer hours as they happen. A resume you keep current is ready whenever an opportunity appears, and it becomes the starting point for your college and first graduate resumes.

Applying online

Large stores, restaurants and cinemas usually ask you to apply through their website. Upload your resume as a PDF, copy your details carefully into any form fields and check your email often for replies. Use the same name, phone number and email everywhere so employers can reach you easily. If you hear nothing after a week, a short, polite follow-up message is perfectly fine.

Get started

Open the High School template, add your education, activities and any work you have done, then download a clean PDF. When you start college, the College Student template is the natural next step.