High School Resume

About This Resume

When you're applying for your first job at sixteen or seventeen, a one-page resume can be the thing that decides whether a manager calls you back or moves on to the next application. And yet plenty of teens skip it, filling in the online form and hoping for the best. A resume shows you took the job seriously before the interview even started. It also gives you something to hand over if you walk in and ask for the manager.

Managers who hire high school students know you have little or no work history. They look for signs you will show up on time and learn fast, like a sport or club you stuck with, babysitting or yard work for neighbors, volunteer hours and good attendance. Put your availability on the page too. It answers the question store and restaurant managers usually ask first.

What to Include

• Your name, city, phone number and an email address you check every day
• The days and hours you can work, including summer and school-break availability
• Your school, expected graduation year, and GPA or honor roll if it helps you
• Sports, clubs, band, theater or scouting, with any role you held, such as captain or treasurer
• Volunteer work and informal jobs like babysitting, mowing lawns, pet sitting or helping at a family business
• Skills a manager can use on day one, such as handling cash, a second language or basic computer skills
• Certificates like CPR, lifeguard or food handler cards, if you have them

High School Resume Sample

Tips for Your High School Resume

• Put your availability near the top or in its own section. A manager building next week's schedule wants to know right away whether you can cover Saturday mornings.
• Count unpaid work. Babysitting for a neighbor, mowing lawns and helping at a family business all show someone trusted you with a job.
• Use a plain email address based on your name. If your current one is a joke or a gamer tag, set up a new one just for applications.
• Ask a teacher, coach or volunteer supervisor before you name them as a reference, and bring their phone numbers on a separate sheet.
• Say what each activity involved. Being team captain means you led warm-ups and kept teammates on schedule, so put that in a short line under the title.
• Keep it to one page and one simple font. A plain layout printed on white paper looks more serious than a colorful template.
• If you are under 18, ask your school counselor whether your state requires a work permit or age certificate before you start. The rules differ from state to state.