How to Write a High School Resume

Summary

This video guide offers high school students a step-by-step tutorial on crafting a resume. It emphasizes the importance of professional contact information, a tailored profile or objective, and showcasing relevant education and extracurricular activities. The transcript advises on how to highlight leadership roles and achievements, tailoring resumes for each job application, and the significance of including volunteer work. It also clarifies that references should not be included and stresses the need for a concise, one-page resume that is employer-centered, not self-centered.

Takeaways

• 📝 Start with contact information, ensuring it's professional and includes a simple email and voicemail greeting.
• 🔍 Include a LinkedIn profile link or a portfolio website if applicable, to showcase your online presence.
• 💼 Write a professional profile or objective that is employer-centered, highlighting how you can add value to the company.
• 🏫 List your education, including GPA if it's 3.0 or above, and highlight any honors, AP courses, or leadership roles in school activities.
• 🏅 Emphasize extracurricular activities and leadership positions, describing them as you would a job to demonstrate your skills and achievements.
• 👩‍💼 If you have work experience, include it—even volunteer work or part-time jobs can show dedication and valuable skills.
• 📈 Use descriptive language and quantify achievements when possible to add credibility to your resume.
• 📑 Keep your resume to one page, making it concise and tailored to each job or school you apply to.
• 🚫 Avoid including 'references on request' as it's outdated; employers will ask for references if needed.
• 🎯 Tailor your resume for each application, adjusting key words and information to align with the job posting.
• 📚 The video offers a chance to win high school resume templates, encouraging engagement and application of the advice given.

Q & A

What should be the first section of a high school resume?

The first section of a high school resume should be the contact information, including your first and last name, email address, phone number, and optionally a LinkedIn profile or a link to an online portfolio if applicable.

What are some tips for creating a professional email address for a high school resume?

A professional email address should be simple, ideally formatted as '[email protected]'. Avoid creative or cutesy names as it is the employer's first impression of you.

How should a high school student's voicemail greeting sound for a professional setting?

A professional voicemail greeting should be clear and concise, such as 'Hi, you've reached [First and Last Name]. I can't answer your call right now, please leave a message and I will return your call as soon as possible.'

What is the purpose of the profile or summary section in a high school resume?

The profile or summary section serves to highlight the student's strengths and how they can add value to the employer or institution, focusing on employer-centered rather than self-centered statements.

Why is it important to tailor the resume for each job application?

Tailoring the resume for each job application ensures that the resume is employer-centered, showcasing the candidate's relevant strengths, experiences, and how they can contribute to the specific job or company.

What should be included in the education section of a high school resume?

The education section should include the high school name, graduation date, GPA if it's 3.0 or above, any honors or AP courses, and any notable achievements such as being on the honor roll or winning a creative writing contest.

How can extracurricular activities be presented in a high school resume?

Extracurricular activities can be presented by listing the club or activity, the role held, and describing the key achievements and skills gained, similar to how one would describe a job.

What is the recommendation for the work experience section if a high school student has no prior work experience?

If a high school student has no prior work experience, they can include volunteer work, part-time jobs, or even activities like babysitting or pet sitting, emphasizing the skills and achievements gained from these experiences.

Why is it beneficial to include volunteer work on a high school resume?

Including volunteer work on a resume shows commitment to the community, the ability to juggle responsibilities, and can speak highly of the candidate's character, which can be appealing to employers.

What should be avoided in the work experience descriptions on a high school resume?

Avoid simply listing job functions; instead, be descriptive and highlight achievements, quantifying results where possible to show how the candidate went above and beyond in their roles.

Why is it not recommended to include references on a high school resume?

Including 'references on request' is outdated and unnecessary. Employers or institutions will ask for references if needed during the later stages of the hiring or application process.

What is the recommended length for a high school resume?

A high school resume should ideally be one page long, as most employers and hiring managers prefer succinct and shorter resumes due to time constraints.

Outlines

00:00

📝 High School Resume Basics

The video begins with an introduction to creating a high school resume, emphasizing the importance of listing contact information at the top. It advises using a simple and professional email address and a voicemail greeting that reflects professionalism. The video also suggests including a LinkedIn profile link if available and tailoring the resume to showcase relevant strengths and values that align with the potential employer's needs.

05:03

🎓 Education and Extracurriculars on a High School Resume

This paragraph delves into the inclusion of educational details on a high school resume, such as GPA, honors courses, and leadership roles in clubs or sports. It highlights the significance of tailoring the resume to emphasize relevant experiences and achievements that align with the job or college application. The video also discusses how to effectively present extracurricular activities, suggesting a detailed description of roles and accomplishments to demonstrate the value the candidate can bring to a potential employer or institution.

10:06

🔑 Work Experience and Volunteering on a Resume

The script addresses the importance of including work experience on a high school resume, even if it's volunteer work or part-time jobs. It stresses the value of such experiences in demonstrating commitment, skills, and the ability to balance multiple responsibilities. The video provides an example of how to list volunteer work effectively, using quantifiable achievements to enhance the resume's credibility. It also advises against including outdated elements like 'references on request' and emphasizes the need to keep the resume concise and tailored to each application.

Keywords

💡Resume

A resume is a document used by individuals to present their skills, experiences, and education to potential employers. In the context of the video, it is the central focus, as the host discusses how to write a high school resume, which is tailored to showcase relevant experiences and skills for job applications or college admissions.

💡Contact Information

Contact information refers to the details one provides to be reached, such as name, email address, phone number, and potentially a LinkedIn profile or personal website. The video emphasizes the importance of professional contact details on a resume, advising against cutesy or unprofessional email addresses and voicemail greetings.

💡Professional Profile

A professional profile, also known as a summary or objective, is a section on a resume that highlights the individual's strengths and how they align with the job or company. The video script illustrates how to create an employer-centered profile that demonstrates value addition rather than focusing on personal gains.

💡Objective Statement

An objective statement is a brief declaration of what the job seeker hopes to achieve in their career. The video advises against making it self-centered, instead recommending that it should reflect how the applicant can contribute to the employer's needs, as seen in the example provided.

💡Education

Education is a section of the resume that lists academic qualifications. The video suggests including GPA if it's 3.0 or above, highlighting honors or AP courses, and showcasing any leadership roles or achievements that demonstrate a strong academic and extracurricular background.

💡Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities refer to pursuits outside of one's academic curriculum, such as clubs, sports, or volunteer work. The video emphasizes the importance of detailing these activities on a resume to demonstrate leadership, teamwork, and other relevant skills, as exemplified by the student activities chair role mentioned.

💡Work Experience

Work experience encompasses any jobs, internships, or volunteer work that an individual has undertaken. The video script advises including even unpaid experiences like babysitting or volunteering, as they show commitment and skills that are valuable to employers.

💡Quantify

To quantify on a resume means to provide specific numbers or metrics that demonstrate one's achievements or responsibilities in previous roles. The video encourages using numbers to add credibility and clarity to the work experience section, such as mentioning the number of animals trained at a shelter.

💡Tailoring

Tailoring a resume involves customizing it to match the specific requirements and keywords of a job posting or college application. The video stresses the importance of tailoring a resume for each application to increase the chances of standing out to the employer or admissions committee.

💡References

References are individuals who can vouch for a job applicant's skills and character. The video mentions that including a 'references available upon request' line is outdated and unnecessary, as employers will ask for references if they are interested in the candidate.

💡One-Page Resume

A one-page resume is a concise document that fits all relevant information within a single page. The video recommends keeping high school resumes to one page to ensure they are easy to read and that the most important information is quickly accessible to employers or admissions officers.

Highlights

Introduction to how to write a high school resume for job applications or college admissions.

Importance of listing basic contact information, including a professional email and phone number.

Suggestion to avoid using creative or cutesy email addresses for a professional impression.

Advice on setting a professional voicemail greeting for potential employers.

Recommendation to include a LinkedIn address if available and relevant online portfolios.

Explanation of how to write a professional profile or summary that is employer-centered.

Tip to tailor resumes to each job application by emphasizing relevant strengths.

Guidance on creating an education section that showcases high school achievements and relevant courses.

Emphasis on listing GPA if it's 3.0 or above and highlighting honors or AP courses.

Importance of detailing extracurricular activities and leadership roles held.

Suggestion to describe extracurricular involvement as if it were a job to highlight skills and achievements.

Advice on including volunteer work and part-time jobs in the work experience section.

Recommendation to be descriptive and quantify achievements in work experience descriptions.

Clarification that references should not be included on resumes as they are outdated.

Insight on keeping resumes to one page for brevity and impact.

Emphasis on tailoring each resume to the specific job or school to which the student is applying.

Conclusion summarizing the key points of writing a high school resume and the importance of customization.

Invitation to subscribe for more career-related content and a chance to win high school resume templates.

Transcripts

hey guys welcome to my channel here at

the career counter where today I will be

talking about how to write a high school

resume if you want to see videos like

this one in the future make sure to hit

that subscribe button stick around until

the end of this video for a chance to

win our high school resumé

[Music]

templates you want to start your high

school resume off by listing your

contact information that's going to go

up right at the top of your resume and

it's pretty basic like you can see from

the example contact uh section on the

screen below me uh first and last name

pretty basic your email address is

always important and I do want to note

that um it your email should just be

simple ideally just like your first and

last name at gmail.com try not to use

any creative or really cutesy like

snuggly kittens at gmail that type of

thing it is this is the employer's first

impression of you so you really want to

show that you are uh professional for

your phone for your phone number that

you list you can list a cell phone

number that's totally fine but um along

the same lines make sure that your

voicemail greeting is professional so

nothing like hey what's up it should

sound something like hi you've reached

first and last name I can't answer your

call please leave me a message and I

will return turn your call as soon as

possible I know it's very boring and

very dry but um when you're in your job

search that's the kind of voicemail

greeting that um that you want employers

to hear other than that you can also

include a LinkedIn uh address if you've

got a LinkedIn profile if you don't yet

in high school um I'm guessing probably

most high schoolers don't so don't worry

about that if you have a website or a

blog or um some some place online where

you showcase um like a portfolio or

something like that if you're if you're

into art or you want some kind of

artistic type of job or you're applying

to art school then you can definitely

include uh a link to that in your um in

your contact information section as well

the second category of your high school

resume can be something called like a

profile a professional profile you can

even call it uh a summary or an

objective if you do use an objective

statement my advice is don't make it

self-centered but make it employer

centered or I'll give you an example

instead of saying I hope to gain

valuable skills in XYZ working at ABC

company you can say I hope to um

utilize strengths of such and such

whatever whatever strengths are needed

in the job you can look in the job

posting and see what they're looking for

and you want to make them know how you

can add value how you can help them

improve Pro maybe a process or um what

what you can bring to the table

basically as an employee so you don't

want to make it all about what you hope

to gain and you don't want to make it

all about you you want to very clearly

let the employer know or the admissions

committee know hey this is how I'm going

to add value to this job based on these

strengths that I have this is how I can

add value to your Campus Community this

is how I plan to

contribute so if you decide to not use

an objective and you go more the profile

route you can see there's an example of

the profile up on the screen this

student is looking for a job in um like

a retail job so what I would recommend

in your profile is you want to list a

few strengths again that relate to the

job you're trying to get look at the job

postings see what what the employer has

listed what are they looking for what do

you specifically have that you're really

good at that you rock at that you can um

that will allow you to help this

employer and add again add value to this

job so you can mention the industry you

want to get into if you don't have like

if you're going to take your resume to a

mall and you're going to just apply to a

lot of different stores you can keep it

kind of general and say uh a retail

position or if there's a company that

you're super excited about you can also

list the company name and you can make

different versions of your resume that

are targeted to each job you are looking

for and that's actually what I recommend

you do you target a different job to

sorry a different resume to every job

you apply for it sounds like a lot of

work but it's actually really not you

just switch out a few key words here and

there and you tailor your job to each

job posting so for again for the profile

you want to make it um employer centered

not self-centered you want to be

specific if you can mention the industry

or the specific company the job title

that you're seeking and then you want to

make a connection between your strengths

your values your goals and the company

that's the key so do some research see

what the company's mission is what their

values are print out that job posting

see what kind of skills they're looking

for and make that connection in your

profile education typically goes next

after your summary or your profile on

your high school resume this is a great

way to Showcase I mentioned in the

beginning of the video you can really

capitalize on your high school

experience expence yes you can

absolutely list this on your resume and

then when you get into college you can

list your college experience and you can

really um Market it like an actual job

so you can see in the example on the

screen I've given you um of a student in

high school you can the student uh

decided to list their GPA I typically as

a career coach and a resumé writer I

recommend for students if you've got a

3.0 or above list your GPA if you don't

then you can just leave your GPA off if

you have any honors or AP courses that

you're enrolled in definitely Market

those that shows that you are a really

um a good student you're a hard worker

you go above and beyond um you notice

that this student is on the honor role

they're listing some sports you can

definitely list any kind of

participation on team sports if you have

any kind of a leadership role that

you've held in any student clubs or

organizations or Sports definitely

highlight that

and then um I already mentioned the uh

AP courses if you have any any AP

courses you don't want to necessarily

list every single course you've taken

you want to again really tailor the

information that you include on your

resume for each specific job or

university if you are uh writing a

resume to get into um into college so

you know for example if you are um

looking to become an English major at a

certain school you'll want to highlight

any AP English class classes or any

literature courses or maybe you've done

like some creative writing courses or

you maybe you entered a creative writing

contest and you won like fifth place I

mean that's that's amazing put that on

your resume another category that can go

on your high school resume is

extracurricular activities you can title

this um different ways it really depends

on what kind of uh experience you're

wanting to highlight but um as I

mentioned in the in the prior um section

when I was talking about education is

you can really highlight any kind of

Club participation extracurricular

activities you've participate or are

participating in you can either list

extracurriculars in your um underneath

your education or you can make it its

own category like this student chose to

do because they really wanted to

highlight that they were um Student

Activities chair so again that that

leadership those leadership positions

and skills you really want to highlight

and this student actually listed this

extracurricular as a like they would a

job and so this is where when I said you

know you really have more to Market on

your resume than you realize this is a

perfect example even though you didn't

get paid um we don't tend to Value

things as much in our society if if

you're not paid and that is that's not

the case for when you're looking for a

job and when you're writing your res

even if you weren't paid this is still

really valuable experience and valuable

skills that you have received and this

is how you can really Market yourself to

a potential um admissions committee or

uh an employer and say Hey you know this

is what I did this is what I achieved

they're not going to be able to tell

that if you just list oh uh Student

Activities chair and then you don't you

don't describe anything underneath

they're going to say oh well okay that's

interesting but it's not really clear to

them exactly what you did the skills

that you gained the achievements that

you that you had so you so this student

went into detail and they actually

described what it is that they did and

then not only that they put key

achievements underneath and really like

spelled out to the employer this is

exactly what I achieved and this is how

so in the employer's mind when they when

they read that they're thinking oh wow

this person is a rock star and they

achieved this in this role so they can

do they can have similar outcomes for us

in this job this is how they're going to

be as an employee for your work

experience section first of all if you

don't have any work experience yet don't

stress you don't have to actually

include a work experience section on

your high school resume but if you do

have anything like volunteer experience

any part-time jobs even babysitting pets

sitting things like that lawnmowing all

that kind of stuff is really valid and

you can definitely and I encourage you

to list it on your resume under your

work experience especially if you've

been a volunteer you should be really

proud of any kind of work where you're

not paid uh an employer if I was an

employer and I saw a resume where um a

candidate is doing or has done volunteer

work I would that speaks so highly to

the fact that you are you know you're

working for free you're you're juggling

your studies and academics and sports

and all that other stuff and you're

volunteering in your community so I

think it really it looks amazing on the

resume definitely include it you can see

an example of the work experience um of

this sample resume on the screen and um

this student chose to list uh their

volunteer experience at a pet shelter so

when you're listing your experience on

your resume or when you're describing

really uh whether it's uh an academic

project or coursework or involvement in

a club or work experience whenever you

are writing phrases on your resume you

always want to be as descriptive as you

can um I know I've said this before it's

and I'm probably like sounding like a

broken record at this point but you want

to highlight your achievements you don't

want to just list your job functions um

you know that's pretty generic you want

to actually tell your story and show how

you have gone above and beyond in your

jobs or in your activities what makes

you shine how will you add value to um

to either a job or to uh an institution

so anytime you can quantify on your

resume or add me metrics for example

instead of just saying helped uh Care

for Animals at a shelter you can say um

taught approximately 100 dogs uh

obedience and Agility and so again add

those numbers in it'll add credibility

to your resume just a couple uh more

things before I wrap up the video one is

um do not include references on request

that is totally outdated you don't need

to do that if an employer wants

references uh they will ask you a little

further along in the hiring process so

you can keep that off your resume your

resume should only be one page um if

you're in high school it doesn't there's

no hard and fast rules with resumé

writing it's not like you're going to

you know it's going to count against you

if you have a two-page resume but most

employers and hiring managers that I've

spoken with over the years really do

appreciate more succinct and shorter

resumés because they don't have time

they just don't have time to read a two

three page resume and they're just going

to start tuning stuff out so definitely

keep it to a page again tailor a

different resume to every job and every

school that you apply to I cannot stress

this enough hopefully this video has

been helpful and kind of broken down um

the process of how to write your first

resume that concludes our video for

today thank you for watching make sure

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[Music]

guys