High School Graduate Resume Examples for 2024

Graduation cap tossed and diploma in hand, you're ready to conquer the world. But before you can start your journey, you need to impress potential employers with a stellar resume. The job market is competitive, and one misstep could steer you off course.

Fear not! We're here to help you craft a high school graduate resume that lands you that dream job and sets you on the path to success.

In this guide:

• A high school graduate resume template better than most.
• How to write a resume for high school graduates that get interviews.
• What to put in a recent high school grad resume so they can’t ignore you.
• How to format your high school graduate resume perfectly.

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Looking for other advice? Check out our guides:

• College Application Resume
• College Student Resume
• Graduate School Resume
• High School Student Resume
• Internship Resume
• No Experience Resume
• Resume for Teens
• Scholarship Resume
• Student Resume
• Undergraduate College Resume

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Samples.

Sample Resume for a High School Graduate You Can Copy and Use

1. Apply the Best Resume Format for a High School Graduate

Your first impression is precious in a high school graduate resume. Don’t blow it with frazzled resume formatting. Use these tips:

Recent High School Grad Resume Format

• Add one-inch margins and some white space for ease-of-use.
• Use a dedicated resume font like 11–14pt Lato or Book Antiqua.
• Write resume sections for Heading, Objective, Education, and Activities.
• Put your items in reverse-chronological resume order.
• Stick to a resume length of a single page.
• Save it as a PDF resume so they can view it even on mobile.

Expert Hint: Recruiters spend about 7 seconds initially scanning a resume. Make sure yours is formatted in a way that highlights all the important stuff in very little time.

2. Write a High School Graduate Resume Objective

Disaster! The recruiter just deleted your high school graduate resume.

It just seemed a little mediocre for the job. But you can drop jaws instead. Write a high school graduate resume profile in the form of a resume objective.

Include:

1. A powerful adjective (driven, hard-working)
2. Who you are & how you’ll help (High-school graduate with great communication and organizational skills. Eager to join the Aardvark Inc. as a Sales Assistant.)
3. Your best resume accomplishments (helped save the lives of 1,500 animals...)

Picking the right accomplishments right of the bat is difficult, so write it at the end so you don’t struggle with the material.

On a side note, you may have come across the term resume summary as well. Generally, resume summaries serve the same purpose as resume objectives, but are suitable for experienced candidates who have several years of professional experience under the belt.

Now, see these high school graduate resume examples:

High School Graduate Resume Objective

Driven high-school graduate with great communication and organizational skills. Eager to join Aardvark Inc. as a Sales Assistant. As leader of the Furry Angels Fundraising Group, helped save the lives of 1,500 animals, raising $2,000+ annually.

18 year-old high school graduate with good math skills and excellent reading and writing skills. Excelled in science classes and is an extremely hard worker who’s not afraid to make big sacrifices to get the job done.

The second of those samples of resume for a high school grad says, “I can get the job done.” But the first gives proof with a shining fundraising achievement.

And if you think you don't have such accomplishments to put on your high school graduate resume, you don't have to. But, you certainly have other qualities that would fit just as well. I’m about to show you how to find your most attractive features.

3. Don’t Waste Your Precious Education Section

Oh, if only I could go back in time. My high school graduate resume education section was a travesty.

I listed my SAT and GPA scores and my relevant corsework. Plus I said, “Oh yeah, and I was on the swim team.” Not terrible, but not impressive.

I can’t go back and change that now. But I can keep you from making a costly mistake. Take my word for it—

Break your resume education section into sections with accomplishments. Learn from these sample high school graduate resumes:

High School Graduate Resume Example—Education

Education

John Jay High School, Katonah, NY

• GPA 3.8
• Co-captain of school track team

You don’t have to use those exact high school graduate resume examples.But don’t just slap your GPA in there, plus a team sport.

If you’ve got projects, classes, or high school achievements that’ll wow them, show them. And if not? Don’t sweat it. Just fill your high school graduate resume with no work experience with other high-flying moments from your life.

Expert Hint: Include your GPA only if it’s 3.0 or above. Otherwise you might hurt your chances.

4. Add Experience to Your Resume for a High School Graduate

 

Here’s what worries hiring teams: finding applicants who’ll really get the job done. You can prove that’s you by adding relevant experience section to your resume. Think volunteering, internship, freelancing, projects.

Work it like this resume sample for high school graduates:

Sample High School Graduate Resume—Experience 

That entry-level resume for a high school graduate shows a passionate, competent candidate. She probably finishes what she starts, with flying colors.

And don't worry if you have no work experience whatsoever. You're writing a high school grad resume, so no recruiter is going to expect several years of work experience from you. Of course it can help, but if you have never worked a job in your life, put extra emphasis on your education section and your bonus sections (which I'll discuss soon).

Expert Hint: Studies show that employers give preference to candidates with previous work experience. To boost your chance of getting hired, dig deep to find your most impressive moments. Then spotlight them in your resume for a high school graduate.

The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.

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Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now.

5. List Valuable Skills on a Resume for a High School Graduate

What skills should you put on a high school grad resume? Well, it depends. To determine the best skills to add, read the job posting and locate resume keywords. In most cases employers tell you outright that they want a candidate who is a "problem solver," or "teamworker" etc.

But here are the top 10 resume skills you might want to add for most jobs.

High School Graduate Resume—Skills

1. Interpersonal Skills
2. Communication Skills
3. Teamwork
4. Time Management
5. Problem Solving
6. Attention to Detail
7. Leadership Skills
8. Adaptability
9. Organization
10. Computer Skills

Word of caution—Don’t list them all. Only list skills you can prove in your high school graduate resume. And go for about 10 skills total at most.

One more thing. Mix your hard skills with soft skills. This will show you're skilled in both the technical and interpersonal aspects.

6. Show Athletic Accomplishments

Do you need sports in a high school graduate resume? Well, no. But if you’ve rocked the gridiron, court, or pool, let your dedication shine.

Do it like this no work experience resume for high school graduate:

The recruiter won't see a run-of-the-mill job applicant when they read that. They will see a hard-working leader who makes good things happen.

But sport isn't the only extra thing you might consider adding to a high school graduate resume. Take a look at what else you can add.

7. Include Bonus Sections in a Recent High School Graduate Resume

You don’t have to put anything else in your fresh-out-of-high-school resume. But think of it this way—

You’ve got a finite amount of space. This is your chance to impress them. To show what you’ve achieved. Your goal should be to pack your resume for high school graduate with the best and coolest things you’ve done.

List things that show you can:

• Work hard
• Set goals and reach them
• Get along with others
• Overcome adversity
• Care about important things

Choose carefully, but only add your most impressive points.

Pick from:

• Earned Certifications
• Volunteering Experience
• Freelancing
• Personal Projects
• Hobbies & Interests
• Associations or groups you belong to (BSA, 4-H)
• Awards
• Foreign Languages You Speak

See these examples:

High School Graduate Resume Examples—Other Sections

The second of those high school grad resumes is way to vague and underdeveloped. Instead of hiking, it could say, “Hiked 20+ 4,000-foot peaks in 2 years as member of Peak Bagger’s Club.” That would make much more impact.

Expert Hint: Write a cover letter for your high school grad resume. Talk about how much you like the company, why, and how the job fits your goals and passions.

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

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Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

Haven't written your cover letter yet? See:

• Cover Letter for Graduate School Application

Key Points

Here’s how to write a resume for a high school graduate:

• Start with a good high school graduate resume template. Fill it with your best accomplishments.
• Split your resume education section into subsections for classes you excelled in, groups, and other school accomplishments.
• Add interests, hobbies, and athletics that show off your passions.
• Write a high school graduate resume objective for the top that puts your best school moments in a nutshell. (But write it last!)
• Supplement your high school graduate resume with a cover letter. 

If you want to look more into writing a resume, visit this guide: How to Build a Resume.

Got questions on how to write good resumes for high school graduates? Not sure how to choose what to put in your resume objective for high school graduates with little experience? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!

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