High School Graduate Resume Templates: Complete Guide + Free Examples

How to Write Your High School Graduate Resume

Choose a format.

As a new high school graduate, you’re likely to rely more on your skills than your previous work experience. In this case, a functional resume template is the best choice.

Add your skills to your student resume.

If you’re a college or high school graduate, employers want to see the skills you have, and which ones will apply to the position at hand. Even if you don’t have any work history, there are a variety of experiences you’ve had during formal education that can be used to your advantage on your resume, in your cover letter, and during the job interview.

For example, if you were in the band or played a sport, you acquired teamwork skills. If you took extracurricular classes in computers or a foreign language, you could add these skills to your resume. If you were involved in any of these activities and maintained good grades throughout your educational career, you learned how to juggle multiple responsibilities simultaneously.

Some of the top skills employers look for that students can include on a functional resume include communication, the ability to learn quickly, dependability, technology skills and teamwork.

For a functional resume, your skills section is the heart of your document. It’s after the summary statement and is divided into subsections. Scan through the job posting and make a note of the main keywords that pertain to the job description. If possible, use these keywords as subheads and detail how you can fulfill the requirements.

Try to include as many of these job-specific keywords throughout your resume as possible. For a student resume, consider some of the top skills employers look for:

If you have plenty of informal experience and technical skills learned through school and extracurricular activities, a functional resume prioritizes your skills but reduces your work experience section to a brief summary of job-related roles. Instead of jobs, use internships, extracurricular activities or volunteer work to show your determination and successes.

For a college student, both paid and unpaid internships stand in place of jobs. Not only do they show real-world experiences, but they also give a potential employer someone to call as a reference to your previous work. The same goes for any volunteer positions. Whether you’ve donated time to your church youth group or worked alongside the prom committee to organize the event, it’s worth listing in relation to any work you’d be doing at the job at hand.

Because your work experience section isn’t highlighted on a functional resume, it’s OK if it’s succinct.

Fill in your education section.

Your educational experience is listed at the bottom of your resume. It should include the name of the institution, your area of study, and any relevant achievements or diplomas received. If your education isn’t critical to the job, it’s OK to leave this section off, but it might elicit questions by an employer.

Before writing this section, check job boards, the job description, and even the social media page or website of the company to which you’re applying. See if it lists any certifications or educational backgrounds of current employers. This can give you an idea of what the company looks for in its employees. Consider this education section example:

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