Resume Assignment

As a high school student, you may think that you don't need a resume until you are about to graduate from college and begin your search for a full-time job. However, high school students need resumes just as much as college students do. From getting into college to obtaining a part-time job, a resume is essential because college recruiters and employers alike want to see a brief summary of your abilities, education, and experiences. Any potential employer, admissions counselor, and/or volunteer recruiter should be able to derive three skills and three experiences that would make you unique to the position you are applying for.   

Important TIPS when composing your resume:

• No more than one full page. Your high school resume should never be longer than one page. 
• Customize your objective. An objective lets potential employers know your main goal. For example, your objective may be "To obtain a part-time sales position with Hollister." 
• What if you do not have any work experience? Consider listing volunteer work and/or school related experiences, such as laying out copy for a yearbook, tracking equipment for a sports team, creating programs for a school event or something similar. Anything that might be considered a task associated with the work environment is fine to use on your resume. 
• List your accomplishments. Accomplishments are probably the most important things you can list on a resume because it shows that you worked hard, were involved and got things done.
• Use keywords. (Use this TIP when you’re ready to submit a real resume to a real job posting.) Most companies use applicant-tracking software, which scans resumes for keywords relating to skills, training, degrees, job titles and experience. Make sure your resume gets through this preliminary screening… use the same key words on your resume as the qualifications listed on the company’s job posting. (Remember to use only the qualifications/keywords that you actually possess.)
• Proofread everything to make sure there are NO mistakes. It is highly recommended you have someone else read your resume to look for errors, typos and grammar mistakes.  Any mistakes are usually the first things an employer looks for to eliminate you from the hiring process.
• Never lie on your resume. Any non-truths stated on your resume could result in immediate firing and will ruin your reputation.

Format Instructions:

1. Approved fonts are Times New Roman 12 pt font, Calibri 11 pt font OR Arial 11 pt font.
2. Single space within sections and double space between sections.
3. Headers must be bold.
4. Add name, address, phone number, and email address at the top of the page. Each item should be on its on line and centered horizontally.

Download this document for a sample format: sample high school resume.pdf Download sample high school resume.pdf

Here are two examples of imaginary student resumes:

student resume 1.pdf Download student resume 1.pdf

student resume 2.pdf Download student resume 2.pdf