What should a resume for high school students include?
HIGH SCHOOL RESUME COMPONENTS
• Basic Information: Name & Contact Information
• Objective or Summary Statement
• Education
• Work Experience
• Extracurricular Activities
• Community Service or Volunteering
• Awards, Honors, Accomplishments, and Leadership Roles
• Special Skills
• References or Letters of Recommendation
BASIC INFORMATION
Most importantly, you should prominently list your personal and contact information at the top of your
resume. This includes your name, address, email, and phone number. People sometimes include their
social media handles or LinkedIn profile, if it is appropriate.
OBJECTIVE OR SUMMARY STATEMENT
This is your brief “elevator pitch” about yourself. Think of it as a personal introduction. It should be a
few sentences describing your unique skills, high-level accomplishments, and what you hope to achieve.
You’ll want to tailor your summary statement for different opportunities. Here are some examples:
Sample Resume Objective: Employment Prospects
• Reliable, mature high school senior looking for a part-time server position where I can use my
excellent people skills to gratify customers.
• High school student seeking a retail sales associate position that uses my exceptional
mathematics and customer service skills to prepare for a future career in customer relations.
Sample Resume Objective: College Admissions Application
Self-motivated, industrious student-athlete seeking admission to a distinguished university to pursue
studies in (degree program).
Sample Resume Objective: Scholarship Application
Ambitious high school student and honor society member with a 3.8 GPA seeking to obtain a four-year
degree at (specify university) in (degree program).
EDUCATION
• Name of your high school
• Your expected graduation date
• Your GPA (if above 3.0)
• Class rank, if applicable
• Specific courses that pertain to your intended major (such as CTE classes), and any dual
enrollment college or AP courses taken
WORK EXPERIENCE
Highlight any work experience you have, such as a summer or part-time, school-year job. If you have
limited work experience, list any babysitting, pet-sitting, or lawn-mowing jobs, etc. Any work experience
shows motivation and responsibility.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Regardless of the purpose of your resume--employment, college admissions, or scholarships-- adding
your extracurricular activities provides a boost. Extracurriculars demonstrate your interests and prove
you can make meaningful contributions, maintain a commitment, and manage your time and priorities.
COMMUNITY SERVICE OR VOLUNTEER ROLES
Don’t forget to include community service and volunteer positions! In many places, high school students
must complete community service hours as part of their graduation requirements. You can use this
volunteer experience or any unpaid endeavors to build up your resume.
When you add volunteer positions to your resume, do it as you would with any other job. List the
organization, your role (volunteer), and your responsibilities. You’ll also want to include how long you
volunteered there (your start date and end date) and a reference, if possible.
AWARDS, HONORS, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND LEADERSHIP ROLES
Your resume is the place to brag! Don’t be shy about adding awards, honors, and accomplishments you
have received or leadership roles you’ve taken on. Honor roll, attendance awards, and sports
achievements are all examples of things you can put on your high school resume.
SPECIAL SKILLS
Think about the things that set you apart from others. For example, strong math or communication skills
are transferable to future opportunities, and you should list them.
REFERENCES OR LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Since this is likely one of your first resumes, you may not have extensive work experience. Add letters of
recommendation or list references from teachers, coaches, mentors, or other adults. As long as a close
family member does not write it, a reference shows that others value what you bring to the table.
