Student Resume Examples
Whether you are a high school student searching how to create a college admissions resume or a college student trying to land an internship or a summer job, you may be thinking you don’t have enough experience to adequately write a resume. Believe it or not, the experiences you have had so far are enough to help you get into a college, or to land a job or internship—it’s all about how you showcase them. College admissions and HR departments typically look over many different resumes for mere seconds at a time, so we’ve compiled some key tips to help you highlight your volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and work experiences to help you get noticed.
Resume for high school student
A resume can be beneficial as you complete college applications. Some colleges may specifically ask for an application resume to be included. You may also want to have a high school resume handy for college interviews or when you are asking a teacher or mentor for a letter of recommendation. A resume can give others a clear and concise snapshot of what kind of student and person you are.
NOTE: if the school specifically asks that you DO NOT include other documentation other than what is listed, follow their directions. A stellar resume will not help you if college admissions deny your application for not following directions.
What to include on a college admissions resume
1. Heading with relevant information: This should include your name, your address, your phone number, and your email address.
Kayla Jackson 123 Fremont St. San Diego, CA 98765 (222) 333-4444 [email protected] |
2. Personal Statement: Your personal statement is your resume objective. It’s short and sweet and answers the questions “Who are you?” and “What is important to you?” Research what values you share with the college you are applying for and make sure to highlight those.
Create a list of achievements or meaningful events, both in and out of the classroom, that you have participated in or led. This list can help populate your achievements section as well!
Think about how you spend your time, what passion projects you are involved in, or what classes you are inspired by. Use this sample list to help inspire your personal statement.
- Planned and executed multiple-day events for 300 local church youth
- Organized service project for 40 youth to help feed the homeless in downtown San Diego
- Avid multi-sport athlete who participated in tennis, water polo, volleyball, and synchronized swimming
- Co-wrote a holiday story and published it for friends and family
- Reported, wrote, and edited bi-weekly for a school newsletter
- Crafted a political platform and ran for class secretary
- Traveled to Hawaii and gained a respect for nature and the native life on the islands
- Led the National Honor Society as Vice President and volunteered over 40 hours tutoring and assisting at community events
- Attended summer camp every year from ages 11-18; ended up as a youth leader to assist in teaching classes, promoting safety, and befriending younger campers
- Advocated for Native American youth to receive equal access to education
- Active member of the school orchestra
- Took third place in the school talent show with a string quartet
- Wrote and photographed original content for school yearbook for three years
- Designed completely original layouts for award-winning yearbook
- Editor-in-Chief of the school yearbook
After looking over your list of achievements and accomplishments, you may start to see some patterns. Those patterns usually indicate a passion or interest that you may want to capitalize on in your personal statement.
Creative advocate desiring to assist others in their quest for higher knowledge. Animated planner and organizer who desires to invigorate State University with out of the box thinking and vision. Talented and published designer, writer, photographer who can manage deadlines and maintain an A average in English, history, and math. |
3. Education Section: Include the name of your high school and the date you graduated (or intend to graduate). You want your resume to put you in the best possible light, so include your GPA or class ranking ONLY if you believe it will make you a stronger applicant (a GPA 3.5 or above is acceptable). If there are specific courses you have received high marks in (and specifically if they relate to the major or department you’re looking to be accepted in) include that information as well. If you took the ACT or SAT, you may want to include your highest score. This is also a good place to include any awards you’ve received.
Central Valley High School, CA
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4. Activities Section: Remember the list you made earlier? Your list can be a springboard to highlight all the awesome things you do! Don’t limit yourself just to school-based activities. Use the following list to help you organize the activities you’re involved in:
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While your resume is all about showcasing you, this is the section to really brag about yourself. There is the version of you presented in the classroom and that may (or may not) always be the person you are. The focus you have as a competitive chess player, or the enthusiasm you have as a hip-hop dancer needs to be showcased. Don’t just tell the admissions committee you’re tenacious, rather show them by who you are and what you do.
When you describe your activities, also try to include as many specific details as possible. This may include volunteer hours, amount of money raised, number of views or followers of a social media channel, or any other measurable variable. Once you write your list, it may require a bit of editing. Some college applications or other places where you may need to offer your resume, may limit the length. The great thing about doing this work now, you can always modify your resume based on what you want to highlight to a specific school or organization.
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5. Work History: If you have a part-time job or have worked during the summers, include them in your resume. This could also include any internships, job-shadowing, or study abroad programs you have participated in. These experiences may provide valuable insights into your willingness to work and your overall work ethic.
List your work history beginning with your most recent job and work backward. Use impactful verbs to start each sentence. If your work is current, write in present tense (i.e., manages, balances, completes). If you no longer work at that particular place of employment, modify your verbs to be in the past tense (i.e., maintained, paid, served). Include specific amounts or details when applicable. This is a great habit to get into as you will likely be updating work resumes for your entire career.
6. Skills Section: There are skills you have cultivated over the years. Include them! You may be CPR certified, multilingual, know how to code in HTML or CSS, or know how to cook a gourmet meal. Not only are hard skills important but include soft skills as well. Soft skills are your interpersonal skills and character traits, such as your ability to be a good listener, being timely, having strong writing skills, or being able to resolve conflict.
College Student Resume
Traditional resumes focus more on employment history whereas college application resumes have a greater focus on academics, volunteerism, hobbies, and extracurricular activities. While you may not have a lot of employment experience, highlight points of your experience that could be beneficial to the company. There will most likely be a job description that explains what the company is looking for in an applying candidate. Use the same verbiage you find and tailor your resume with those words and phrases. Think about the relevant coursework you completed during your college career and find how they can fit into your resume.
Resume Formatting Tips
- Avoid using “I”. Resumes are written without a subject. Your name is at the top of the page, so it is implied that all other details are about you.
- Solidify your personal statement as that will be the first thing that recruiters see.
- Keep your resume simple. Use bullet points when appropriate.
- It’s suggested that you save and upload your resume as a PDF. (Some colleges may ask for a .doc, so always read and follow the directions given.)
- Use only one or two fonts.
- Clearly mark the different sections of your resume.
- Your resume should be no longer than a single-sided page.
- Use whitespace. The page doesn’t need to be filled with words, but rather make each work count.
A resume is about helping you get your foot in the door. It’s an introduction of yourself and showcasing why you would be a good addition to the company or campus.