You are about to complete your high school education and move on to the next stage of your life, which will include attending college, pursuing a career, and entering the workforce. That indicates that it is time for you to start working on your resume.

Putting together your first resume may be challenging, particularly if you don't have a lot of experience under your belt. But there's no need to panic since we're here to assist you.

In the blog, we will show you the process of writing a high school student resume that will make you stand out.

When writing a high school student's resume, the best and advisable format to use is the chronological format. This will help to keep your resume in the right order.

To begin the process of formatting your high school resume, start by selecting the most appropriate template. There is a wide variety of formats from which to choose, but it is highly recommended to go with the one that is not complicated and looks more professional. By doing so, you will keep your resume from being too crowded, which can make it difficult to read.

Our template gallery has multiple ATS-friendly resume templates for you to choose if you don’t know where to find a good template.

Next, at the very top of the page, you should provide your contact information. Include your full name, your postal and email addresses, as well as your telephone number. You can also include your website or portfolio in your application, especially if you have one.

After that, go to the education section of your resume. Add all the schools you've attended, along with the years. Next, list all your academic honors and accomplishments. Don't forget to add any extracurricular activities you've participated in and any experience you've gained via volunteer work.

The next step is to highlight your abilities and skills. Consider the qualities valued in the most successful businesses and educational institutions, such as the ability to work together, communicate effectively, identify and solve problems, and maintain order.

Lastly, highlight your previous work experience. You may not have any full-time job experience, but that is OK and expected. Provide a list of the jobs you've done, it could be any internships or volunteer experience you've had instead of job experience.

Do not think that hobbies are not worthwhile to be added to your resume. Well, people can see other aspects of you in your hobbies, giving the recruiter a rounded impression of you, how you look at work and after work.

Also, when you get into the interview, your hobbies and interest may become an excellent topic for the informal conversation section. People usually show confidence and excitement when talking about something they are passionate about.

1. Sports

On your resume, you shouldn't bring up your irrelevant hobbies. But if you want to demonstrate your determination, discipline, or ability to collaborate well with others. Jogging, which is an example of an endurance sport, is an activity that demonstrates commitment and self-control. Participating in team sports (such as basketball, football, and others) presents your capacity to work effectively with others. As a result, you are free to list activities on your resume such as basketball, football, marathon running, tennis, and many other sports as your interest.

2. Chess

Chess is a mental sport that can reflect you are someone who has critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and good time management. The game is full of critical thinking and calls for planning moves, analyzing possible outcomes, and adapting to new moves from your opponent. When there isn't enough knowledge to make a good choice, you must rely on your experience and critical decision-making process to help you.

3. Writing

Every organization depends on effective communication. Hence most organizations need someone with these talents. Your writing interests demonstrate that you have a strong command of communication techniques. You can list your blog, peer-reviewed publications, and published novels on your CV under "Writing Interests."

Read More: The Dos and Don’ts of Listing Your Hobbies and Interests on Your Resume

Since your resume is the first opportunity you have to create a favorable impression on a prospective employer, it is essential to ensure that each section in the resume is as effective as possible. The following are some tips that can help you get the most out of each section:

The Contact Information Section: This should include important information about you, such as your name, phone number, and email address.

The Objective: This section should not be too lengthy and should be targeted to the job you are applying for.

The Education Section: You should start by listing your most recent education. You should also describe any relevant courses or projects you completed in school.

The Work Experience Section: Begin with your present or most recent work, and mention any experience related to the job position you are applying for. Be sure to mention any abilities you gained in those jobs and any successes you achieved in those roles. Start your sentence with action verbs are highly recommended.

The Skills Section: You should highlight the most pertinent skills to the position for which you are applying. Always remember to categorize your skills to different categories, which can help recruiter quickly find what they are interested in.

The Honors and Awards Section: If you've been presented with any honors or awards in the past, make sure to include them in this section. This may assist you in standing out from the other potential candidates.

Now that you know the crucial aspect of how to write a high school resume, it's time for the dos and don'ts.

Let's start with the DOs:

1. Use a professional email address.
2. Add your education and work experience.
3. Provide accurate and professional contact information on your high school resume.
4. Tailor your resume to each job you apply for.
5. Proofread your resume before you send it.
6. Use a professional template.
7. Keep your high school resume concise and straightforward.
8. Scan each job description and check out the requirements thoroughly.
9. Write a compelling resume summary statement.
10. Create additional resume sections, such as hobbies, interests, awards, and volunteering experiences.

And now for the DON’Ts:

1. Don't lie about your experience or education. If you have no work experience, it's better to state it there rather than cooking up a fake one. Make you provide accurate details like honors, course, contact information, etc.
2. Don't use fillers. If you choose a template designed for high school students to create your resume, you won't have to worry about including any unnecessary filler.
3. Don't submit a sloppy or unfinished resume. You can hire a professional resume writer to proofread it.

Now that in-depth information on how to write a high school student resume has been highlighted; it's time to get started!

Start by gathering your contact information, education, and work experience. If you have any awards or honors, list them as well.

Once you have all this information ready, it's time to start formatting your resume. Use a simple font and make sure everything is easy to read.

Last but not least, be sure to proofread your resume before sending it off!