How to Create a Standout High School Resume
Write your First Resume the Right Way!
Your resume shows colleges who you are and what you bring to the table. Make sure you get it right the first time.
The summer before your senior year is the BEST time to get your resume together and ready to send to colleges in the fall.
Free download of this resume template below!
Your resume is one of the most important professional documents you will ever create, so it’s important to start with a base resume or a high school resume that is written the right way. This summer, the summer between your junior and senior years, is the best time to write and update your resume. If you need some information on other things you should be doing this summer to prep for college applications in the fall, read this blog post.
Your resume is a reflection of your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and work experience. It is also a way for you to show potential colleges and employers what you are capable of and what makes you amazing.
8 Key Resume Sections:
Basic Information: Name & Contact Information
Summary Statement
Education
Work Experience
Extracurricular Activities
Community Service or Volunteering
Awards, Honors, Accomplishments, and Leadership Roles
Special Skills
If you want to create a resume that will make you stand out from the competition, you need to show them how amazing you are.
6 Smart Suggestions for All Resumes
Start with a strong summary statement.
Your summary statement is a brief paragraph that introduces you to potential colleges or employers. It should highlight your skills and experience and let them know your educational goals.
Highlight any relevant skills or classes you’ve taken.
This helps colleges or employers see what you’ve already done that is related to what you are pursuing.
Show off your GPA.
As long as your GPA is over a 3.0, you want to show it off! Include it in your education section so that colleges and employers don’t forget!
Showoff your ability to work with others on long-term projects.
You can do this in a few different ways. One of those is if you’ve had a job during your high school career. Make sure they see you can be successful out of the classroom and in the classroom when taking on different tasks.
Demonstrate your interest and passion for your intended major.
Most colleges, including highly competitive colleges, want to see that you know what you’re getting into when it comes to your major. Show them that you’ve got the experience. You can do this a few different ways, either through the classes you take, the projects you work on, the clubs/groups you join, or the work and volunteering you do outside of school.
If you need help figuring out the best major for you, check out this blog post.
Quantify your accomplishments.
The best way to showcase your abilities is by giving them numbers. This can be as simple as grades you’ve earned in challenging courses or as elaborate as how you’ve placed in competitions. Don’t be afraid to show off in your resume, that’s what it’s there for!
7 Essential Tips for Writing Your Resume:
1. Start early in high school.
The sooner you start compiling information about your unique experiences, the less likely you will forget any of your accomplishments, honors, and activities.
2. Keep it simple.
At this point in your life, your resume should only be one page. Then, when you add more experience down the road, you can add a second page.
3. Use an easy-to-read font and make it look professional.
Make sure to use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Your contact information should be at the top of the resume, and each of the resume components mentioned above should be bold and prominent.
4. Use action verbs.
Using action verbs demonstrates that you are a doer. Be sure to match verb tenses throughout your resume.
5. Be consistent and show commitment.
Focus on the activities in which you have consistently participated in high school and best represent who you are.
6. Do not exaggerate.
Be honest and don’t exaggerate your experience or skills. Pretending to be someone you're not, or more qualified than you are, can backfire on you by getting you in over your head.
7. Get feedback.
Having others proofread your resume is essential. A single error can get your resume tossed in the trash.
Ask a few people to review your draft resume. A fresh set of eyes will be able to catch errors you may have missed and give you insight into how others perceive your resume.
If you want to use my resume template, pictured above, feel free to find it here!
I hope you’ve found this helpful and I wish you the best of luck in your writing process. If you are looking for more information, please visit my website- Higher & Hire. If I can be of assistance to you, please reach out to me here.
Many Thanks!
Valerie Palmer
