High School Student First Job Resume Examples

How to Write a High School Student Resume for Your First Job

Landing your first job in high school feels exciting but also overwhelming. You might wonder what you’re supposed to put on a resume if you don’t have much experience.

Employers still expect a resume, even for entry-level roles. Over 80% of hiring managers review resumes before interviewing high school students.

I want to show you how to highlight your strengths, even if you haven’t had a job before. It’s all about showing what makes you a good fit.

Why a Resume Matters for Your First Job

When you apply for your first job, a resume is your way to stand out. Most hiring managers spend less than 10 seconds looking at each resume.

A resume isn’t just for experienced professionals. You use it to show your skills, interests, and what makes you a good fit-even if you haven’t had a job yet.

I find that a strong resume helps you organize your experiences, like school projects or volunteer work. This gives you more confidence when you walk into an interview.

What Employers Look for in High School Resumes

Employers know you might not have tons of work experience. They focus on reliability, communication skills, and willingness to learn. These traits matter more than a long job history.

Highlighting your volunteer work, school projects, or team activities helps. Over 70% of entry-level hiring managers say soft skills like teamwork and attitude make a big difference.

You don't need fancy awards or top grades. Just show you're responsible and motivated. This helps your resume stand out, even if it's your very first job.

Essential Sections to Include in a High School Student Resume

Essential Sections to Include in a High School Student Resume

Contact Information

Resume Objective or Summary

Education

Relevant Skills

Extracurricular Activities and Volunteer Experience

ResumeJudge

When you’re building a resume for your first job, knowing what to include makes a huge difference. Employers usually scan for a few key sections right away.

I always recommend focusing on details that show your experience, even if it’s not paid work. The right structure helps you stand out, even with limited experience.

Let’s break down the essential sections you need to make your high school resume clear and effective.

Contact Information

This is the first thing employers notice on your resume. You want them to know exactly how to reach you, so use your full name, phone number, and a professional email.

I always double-check my contact info for typos. About 30% of hiring managers skip resumes with missing or incorrect contact details. That’s an easy mistake to avoid.

You don’t need your full address-just your city and state work fine. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add that too for extra credibility.

Resume Objective or Summary

This is your quick intro. A resume objective or summary tells employers who you are and what you want. It’s usually two or three sentences at the top.

I use this section to highlight my biggest strengths. You can mention your motivation, one or two top skills, and the type of job you’re after.

There’s data showing that recruiters spend less than 7 seconds on a resume initially. A clear, concise objective helps you stand out right away.

Education

This section is where you show what school you go to and when you expect to graduate. I usually list my high school name, city, and expected graduation year.

You can add details like your GPA (if it’s above 3.0), honors courses, or any relevant classes-think math, science, or computer skills. This helps employers see your strengths.

Keep it simple and clear. I stick to bullet points for dates and any standout achievements. This makes it easy for hiring managers to scan quickly.

Relevant Skills

This is where you show off what you’re actually good at. List practical skills like customer service, cash handling, or Microsoft Office. I always stick to skills I can back up.

You want to mention both hard skills (like typing speed or tech tools) and soft skills (like teamwork or communication). Employers look for both, even in entry-level jobs.

Try adding numbers if you can. For example, “Type 60 words per minute” or “Speak both English and Spanish.” This makes your skills stand out.

Extracurricular Activities and Volunteer Experience

I always add clubs, sports, or volunteer gigs to my resume. These show off teamwork, leadership, and commitment-skills that employers actually care about.

You don’t need a huge list. Even one or two consistent activities, like student council or volunteering 10 hours a month, can make a big difference.

This section helps you stand out, especially when you don’t have much job experience yet. Highlight impact-like organizing an event or raising money for a cause.

Tips for Writing an Impressive First Job Resume

Tips for Writing an Impressive First Job Resume

How to Highlight Transferable Skills

Using Action Words and Quantifiable Achievements

Formatting and Layout Best Practices

Teenager Resume with No Work Experience: Tips and Examples

ResumeJudge

Writing your first resume feels tough, but you’ve got more to offer than you think. I’ve helped hundreds of students land their first jobs with the right approach.

You don’t need years of experience to make an impact. Focus on skills, achievements, and smart formatting. I’ll show you how to make every section count.

How to Highlight Transferable Skills

I know it’s tough landing your first job when you haven’t worked before. That’s why focusing on transferable skills is a game changer on your resume.

Think about what you do in school, sports, or volunteering. Skills like teamwork, communication, and time management count. Employers want these, even if you haven’t been paid for them.

You can pull examples from class projects, clubs, or family responsibilities. Just be specific-say, “organized a fundraiser with 30 classmates,” instead of just “organized events.” This helps you stand out.

Using Action Words and Quantifiable Achievements

To make your resume pop, I always use action words like organized, led, or created. These words show what I actually did, not just what I was responsible for.

Whenever you can, add numbers to your achievements. For example, “Helped raise $300 for the school club” or “Served 50+ customers per day.” This helps employers see your real impact.

There are tons of strong verbs you can choose. Try managed, collaborated, or assisted-they sound way more impressive than just “did” or “helped.”

Formatting and Layout Best Practices

First impressions matter. Stick to a clean, simple layout-I recommend a single page, with plenty of white space and clear section headings.

Pick a readable font like Arial or Calibri, size 10-12. Use bold or italics for emphasis, but don’t overdo it. This helps your resume look professional.

Keep margins at least 0.5 inches. Align everything to the left for easy reading. Recruiters spend just 7 seconds scanning, so make every detail easy to spot.

Teenager Resume with No Work Experience: Tips and Examples

If you’re building a teenager resume with no work experience, focus on what you bring from school and life. I always highlight volunteering, clubs, or sports.

You can use a skills summary instead of a work history section. This helps you show off strengths like time management, teamwork, or leadership-even if they’re from everyday activities.

Check out teenager resume examples online for inspiration. I like to borrow formats that help my achievements stand out. Keep it one page-recruiters spend about 7 seconds per resume.

High School Student First Job Resume Example

Getting your first job as a high school student feels exciting, but writing a resume can seem tough. You might worry you don’t have enough experience yet.

I want to show you how to highlight your skills and activities from school and outside. Even if you haven’t worked before, you have more to show than you think.

You’ll find a sample resume, a downloadable template, and tips for building a strong first resume. Let’s break it down together.

Sample Resume Template

Getting your first job as a high school student is exciting, but writing your resume can feel overwhelming if you’ve never done it before. I get it.

A simple template makes things easier. You just fill in your info, like your education and any activities. This helps you stay organized and confident.

Most first-job resumes for teens fit on one page. I always keep sections clear-contact info, education, skills, and experience-so it’s easy for employers to scan.

Downloadable Resume Example

I’ve pulled together a realistic, ready-to-use high school first job resume. You can grab the template and edit it in Word or Google Docs.

This example includes sections like Education, Activities, and Skills. You don’t need tons of experience-just highlight what you’re already doing well.

Download and tweak the file to fit your own info. A clear, organized format helps you stand out, even if you’re sending your very first application.

How to Make a Resume for Teens: Beginner Teenager Resume Examples

If you’re searching for how to make a resume for teens, you’re not alone. Around 60% of teens apply for their first job before age 18.

Start with the basics-contact info, education, and activities. If you have no work experience, highlight school projects, sports, or volunteering. That stuff really matters.

I always recommend checking out beginner teenager resume teen resume examples. Seeing what others do makes it way easier to structure your own resume and avoid common mistakes.

You don’t need fancy words. Be clear, honest, and keep things short. Employers want to see your attitude, reliability, and willingness to learn over everything else.

Common Mistakes to Avoid on Your First Resume

Common Mistakes to Avoid on Your First Resume

Typos and Grammatical Errors

Including Irrelevant Information

Overly Complex Formatting

ResumeJudge

Starting your first resume can feel overwhelming. I know I made a few simple mistakes at first, and a lot of people do.

You want your resume to stand out, but some errors can hold you back. Basic things like typos, irrelevant details, or weird formatting trip up a lot of students.

According to recent surveys, about 60% of hiring managers reject resumes with easy-to-fix mistakes. Let’s break down what you need to watch out for.

Typos and Grammatical Errors

I see typos and grammar mistakes on a lot of first resumes. They make you seem careless, even if you’re actually pretty detail-oriented.

About 58% of hiring managers say they reject resumes with spelling errors. Double-check everything. Ask a friend or use a free grammar checker.

You want your first impression to show you pay attention. Typos distract from your real skills and experience, so take a few extra minutes to proofread.

Including Irrelevant Information

I see a lot of first resumes packed with random details. You don't need to list every hobby or unrelated club. Keep it focused on skills and experiences employers want.

Recruiters spend about 7 seconds scanning each resume. Irrelevant info just distracts from your real strengths. Highlight school projects, part-time gigs, or volunteer work that shows responsibility and teamwork.

You can leave out your elementary school awards or unrelated courses. This helps your resume look clean and professional, making it easier for employers to spot what matters.

Overly Complex Formatting

I see a lot of people use fancy fonts, colors, and graphics on their first resume. This actually makes it hard to read and can turn off recruiters.

You want a clean, simple layout. Stick to one font, black text, and clear headings. About 60% of employers prefer resumes that are easy to scan quickly.

Most online job systems can’t read tables or images. When you keep your format basic, you make sure your resume gets seen. Simple always works best.

When you avoid complicated formatting, you help recruiters focus on your skills and experience. That’s what really matters. A straightforward approach goes a long way.