What Should a High School Resume Look Like? Layout, Sections, and Examples

A high school resume should look clean, simple, organized, and easy to read.

It should not look like a school essay. It should not be crowded with graphics. It should not be two pages of every activity you have ever joined.

Most high school resumes should be one page and include clear sections for contact information, objective, education, skills, experience, activities, and awards or certifications.

This guide shows exactly what a high school resume should look like, including layout, section order, formatting rules, examples, and mistakes to avoid.

For the complete writing guide, read High School Resume Guide. For sample resumes, see High School Resume Examples. For a copy-ready structure, use High School Resume Template.

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Quick Answer

A high school resume should look like a clean one-page document with your name at the top, contact information underneath, and clearly labeled sections. Use simple formatting, bullet points, consistent spacing, and job-relevant details.

Basic layout:

Full Name
City, State | Phone Number | Professional Email

Objective
One sentence explaining the role you want and the skills you bring.

Education
School Name, City, State
Expected High School Diploma, Month Year
Relevant Coursework: Course, Course, Course

Skills
Skill, Skill, Skill, Skill, Skill, Skill

Experience
Role or Activity
Organization Name
Month Year – Present
- Bullet point showing responsibility, skill, or result.
- Bullet point showing communication, teamwork, or reliability.

Activities
Club, sport, leadership role, or volunteer activity

Awards and Certifications
Award or Certification, Year

The resume should be easy to understand in 10 seconds.

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Best High School Resume Layout

Use this order if you have little or no paid experience:

1. Contact Information
2. Objective
3. Education
4. Skills
5. Projects or Volunteer Experience
6. Activities
7. Awards and Certifications

Use this order if you have paid experience:

1. Contact Information
2. Objective
3. Experience
4. Education
5. Skills
6. Activities
7. Awards and Certifications

Harvard Career Services says a resume should be concise, informative, and tailored to the position you are seeking: Harvard Career Services. That means the layout should help your strongest details stand out.

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What Each Section Should Look Like

Contact Information

Maya Thompson
Austin, TX | 555-0148 | maya.thompson@email.com

Include:

• Name
• City and state
• Phone number
• Professional email
• LinkedIn or portfolio only if useful

Do not include:

• Full home address
• Date of birth
• Student ID
• Social Security number
• Personal photo

Objective

Responsible high school student seeking a part-time customer service role where I can use communication, teamwork, and organization skills to support customers and daily operations.

Keep it one sentence if possible.

Education

Education
Austin High School, Austin, TX
Expected High School Diploma, June 2027
GPA: 3.7/4.0
Relevant Coursework: Business Applications, Public Speaking, Personal Finance

Put education near the top if you are still in high school.

If you need more help, read Should You Put High School on Your Resume?.

Skills

Skills
Customer service, teamwork, time management, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, basic math, organization

Use 6 to 10 relevant skills.

For more ideas, read Resume Skills List.

Experience

Volunteer Assistant
Austin Community Food Pantry
September 2026 – Present
- Greet visitors, organize donated items, and help prepare food distribution tables.
- Work with a team of volunteers to serve 80+ families during weekend shifts.
- Maintain a clean and organized supply area during busy service hours.

Use bullet points. Start each bullet with an action verb.

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Complete Visual Example

Maya Thompson
Austin, TX | 555-0148 | maya.thompson@email.com

Objective
Responsible high school student seeking a part-time customer service role where I can use communication, teamwork, and organization skills to support customers and daily operations.

Education
Austin High School, Austin, TX
Expected High School Diploma, June 2027
GPA: 3.7/4.0
Relevant Coursework: Business Applications, Public Speaking, Personal Finance

Skills
Customer service, teamwork, time management, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, basic cash handling, organization

Volunteer Experience
Volunteer Assistant
Austin Community Food Pantry
September 2026 – Present
- Greet visitors, organize donated items, and help prepare food distribution tables.
- Work with a team of volunteers to serve 80+ families during weekend shifts.
- Maintain a clean and organized supply area during busy service hours.

Activities
Student Council Representative
Varsity Volleyball Team

Awards
Honor Roll, 2025–2026

This is what a strong high school resume should look like: simple, specific, and scannable.

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Formatting Rules

Keep It One Page

Most high school resumes should be one page. If your resume is too long, remove weak activities, irrelevant coursework, or repeated skills.

For more, read Resume Length.

Use Clear Headings

Good headings:

Education
Skills
Experience
Volunteer Experience
Activities
Certifications

Avoid:

My Journey
Cool Stuff
Things I Do
School Life

Use Simple Fonts

Use a clean, readable font. Avoid decorative fonts that are hard to read.

For more guidance, link to Resume Fonts.

Use Bullet Points

Bullet points are easier to scan than paragraphs.

Weak:

I volunteered at the food pantry and helped with many different things, including organizing food and helping people.

Better:

- Organized donated food items and helped prepare distribution tables for weekend visitors.

Use Consistent Spacing

Keep spacing consistent between sections. Do not crowd everything together.

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What a High School Resume Should Not Look Like

Avoid resumes that are:

• Too colorful
• Too crowded
• Written in paragraphs
• Full of irrelevant hobbies
• More than one page without reason
• Missing contact information
• Using unprofessional email addresses
• Built entirely as an image
• Filled with icons instead of words
• Not tailored to the job

Yale’s Office of Career Strategy notes that its resume templates are formatted to work with Applicant Tracking Systems: Yale OCS Resume Templates. For students, this is a good reason to keep formatting simple.

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Resume Layout by Situation

For more samples, see Sample High School Resume.

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ATS-Friendly Layout Tips

Applicant Tracking Systems may scan resumes for headings, keywords, education, and skills.

Use:

• Standard headings
• Plain text
• Simple bullets
• Clear dates
• Job-relevant keywords
• PDF or DOCX based on instructions

Avoid:

• Important text inside images
• Complex columns
• Icons replacing section names
• Creative headings
• Overdesigned templates

For more, use ATS Resume Guide and Resume Keywords.

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Common Layout Mistakes

Mistake 1: Making the Resume Look Like a Poster

Design should not distract from the content.

Mistake 2: Using Too Many Sections

Only include sections that help your application.

Mistake 3: Making Education Too Long

Include school, graduation date, GPA if strong, and relevant coursework. Do not list every class.

Mistake 4: Hiding Skills

Your skills section should be easy to find.

Mistake 5: No White Space

A crowded resume is harder to read.

Mistake 6: Not Matching the Job

The layout should highlight the most relevant information first.

For more mistakes, read Resume Mistakes.

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FAQ

What should a high school resume look like?

A high school resume should be a clean one-page document with clear sections for contact information, objective, education, skills, experience, activities, and awards. It should use bullet points, simple formatting, and relevant details.

Should a high school resume be one page?

Yes. Most high school resumes should be one page. A one-page resume is easier to scan and helps you focus on your strongest education, skills, activities, and experience.

Should a high school resume have color?

A small amount of color can be okay, but the resume should remain professional and easy to read. Avoid overly colorful designs that distract from your qualifications or reduce ATS readability.

What sections should a high school resume include?

Most high school resumes include contact information, objective, education, skills, experience, activities, and awards or certifications. Students with no paid experience can include projects and volunteer work.

Can JobFix.ai help with resume layout?

Yes. JobFix.ai can help improve resume structure, ATS readability, keyword alignment, bullet points, and formatting. It can also help tailor your resume to specific jobs.

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Summary

A high school resume should look simple, clean, and easy to scan.

Use one page, clear headings, bullet points, relevant skills, and a layout that puts your strongest information first. Do not overdesign the resume. Do not make it crowded. Do not hide important details.

Related guides:

• High School Resume Guide
• High School Resume Template
• High School Resume Examples
• Sample High School Resume

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Call to Action

Before submitting your resume, check whether the layout helps the employer understand your value quickly.

JobFix.ai can help you improve layout, optimize ATS score, identify missing keywords, tailor your resume, create a cover letter, and prepare for interviews.