Developing a High School Resume

A resume presents your story by showing off your skills. It highlights your qualifications for employment or college admission, including education, experience, and any additional relevant information. Admissions officers and interviewers may only spend 30 to 60 seconds reading your resume, so it’s important to be simultaneously descriptive and concise. This is your chance to present yourself as a compelling candidate, and for the reader to understand what skills and experiences you bring to the table. High school resumes typically have five sections:

1. Contact Information

2. Education

3. Extracurriculars and Volunteering

4. Professional Experience

5. Additional Information

This article will walk you through each section so you can create a resume that will help you stand out when applying to college.

1. Contact Information 

Contact Information is the part of your resume that admissions officers and recruiters see first. Therefore, it is crucial to make sure this section meets high standards. After all, if the person reading your resume doesn’t know how to contact you, what good does the resume do?

Typically, resumes will include the following information at the top of the page:

• First and Last Name

• Email Address

• Phone Number

• Home/Mailing Address

• LinkedIn (Optional)

2.     Education

Recruiters and admissions officers use the education portion of a resume to evaluate applicants’ academic performance. They also use this section to understand your career aspirations and goals. Your education section should include your school, your GPA, your standardized test scores (optional), and coursework relevant to the major to which you’re applying. If you’ve attended any academic summer programs, this is the perfect place to show them off. 

In addition to the information above, recruiters and admissions officers look for a love of learning, intellectual promise, and academic curiosity. These qualities can be difficult to convey through a resume, but this is where the rest of your application and your interview come into play.  

3.     Extracurriculars and Volunteering

The purpose of the extracurriculars and volunteering section is to highlight your interests outside of the classroom. Admissions officers and recruiters use this part of your resume to get a better idea of who you are.

The extracurricular and volunteering section should include:

• Club Position/Title

• Responsibilities

• Years of Involvement

4.     Work Experience 

The next section in a resume is the experience section. For recruiters, this section is the heart of your resume. Recruiters look for skills and accomplishments that transfer to your targeted career and that make you a good fit for their organization. Admissions officers look at this section to see how you spend your summers and time after school. 

Recruiters and admissions officers look for:

•  Job/Internship Title

• Dates of Employment

• Relevant, Transferable Skills

• Vivid Examples

• Tangible, Specific Results

Most high school students do not have extensive work experience, which is totally okay! If you don’t have a formal job or internship to list, consider adding volunteer experience, ways you help out at home, or any other responsibilities you have. Maybe you care for an elderly relative or assist your lacrosse coach during practice. 

5.     Additional Information

The final part of a resume provides a better glimpse of who you are beyond your work and education. You can title this section whatever you’d like, since it can include a variety of your interests. Many people call this part of the resume “Interests” or “Skills.”

 As likability plays a role in recruiting, recruiters can use this section as a source for small talk, to become familiar with your interests, and to gauge whether you would be a good fit for the company culture. This is your chance to win over an interviewer with topics you like to discuss. Include unique aspects of your background and activities that are significant to you and that help you “tell your story.” For admissions officers, your skills and interests help your application come to life. 

Some examples of additional information to include are:

• Languages 

• Technical Capabilities

• Professional and Academic Interests 

It is important to note that accurately portraying yourself is important when composing a resume. Be prepared to answer questions about anything you write. If you say you’re proficient in French, be ready to speak French during your interview. Interviewers commonly ask you to explain points from your resume in greater detail, so be prepared to go in-depth about every point. At the end of the day, you don’t want them to catch you in a lie. Misrepresenting yourself on a resume may have consequences, so it’s important to be responsible when putting your resume together.

How Invictus Prep Can Help:

Having a strong resume that follows the above format is a significant advantage in the college admissions and job/internship recruitment processes. Not sure where to start? Students working with Invictus Prep’s College Readiness team have access to a professional career coach with a record of success who has helped create hundreds of resumes. Book a free 30-minute trial call to learn how Invictus Prep helps students present their authentic selves through industry-leading college admissions consulting.