Should You Bother With A High School Resume?

Yes.

(Okay, I admit that I kinda just want to stop with that and have my first one word post here but I will resist the urge!)

In the last two weeks I have been looking for a job. And you know what? It’s HARD. I’ve been writing about all of the things you should do to get a great part time job for almost two years now and I’m just now putting all of it into practice. It really is hard.

Apparently people don’t just hand out jobs because you dress well, fill out the application completely, and research their company before you go in for an interview…

Anyways! As I was preparing to go job hunting my mom suggested that I come up with a high school resume. Lots of teens don’t think about having one, particularly if they have never had a job before. They think they don’t really have much to put on a resume so there’s no need to bother. Not true! There are so many things you can include on your resume as a high school student that will help you stand out from the crowd when you apply for a job or submit college applications!

Here are some things you can include:

Academic Record: Make sure you put something on the resume about your grades or even your SAT score if you did well! Being a decent student shows that you will probably make a good employee. Obviously this is required for college applications!

Extra-Curricular Activities: Being involved in sports or clubs at school demonstrates that you are well rounded person who likes to be involved in a variety of activities. Colleges and potential employers really like to see this in a high school student.

Volunteer Hours: There are so many reasons to volunteer in your community, not the least of which is being a decent human being! Beyond that employers and colleges will want to hire or admit someone who cares about their community. (It’s also important to remember that many scholarships require a certain number of volunteer hours.)

Awards/Recognition: This is the one time that it isn’t rude to brag a little bit. You need to let them know about your accomplishments and awards so they will know that you are a person who strives for excellence. You need to impress them with what you are capable of doing.

One of the things I have loved about having a resume is that I have something to leave with a manager or owner as I’m out looking for a job and can even attach it to the application I’m turning in. I think it helps get their attention and that can’t hurt when so many other people are looking for a part time job as well!

If you do a quick google search you can find all kinds of examples on how to format a resume along with tips on writing out the specifics. Generally speaking it should be no more than one page and organized in a way that makes it easy to see the most important information. There are so many examples out there and they show all the ways you can format a resume to make it look really professional.

However, you might feel like you need extra help like I did. Fortunately my brother has a friend who writes resumes professionally and is really good at it. He normally works with students just out of college but agreed to help me put together my resume and I am so pleased with it! His name is David Frye. Because of the amazing job he did I have already gotten some call backs and am hoping to get a job nailed down very soon.

If you want to contact David for help his email is fryecreative (at) gmail.com. Just add in the @ sign like normal and let him know that I recommended him!

Well, I don’t have a job yet but I will keep everyone updated. Good luck with your resume!