What should a high school student put on a resume with no experience?

A high school student with no work experience should include: (1) Education — high school name, graduation year, GPA if 3.0+, honors, AP or IB courses. (2) Extracurricular activities — sports, clubs, student government, drama, band. (3) Volunteer work — community service, church groups, charity events. (4) Skills — Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, social media, languages, any technical skills. (5) Awards and achievements — honor roll, academic competitions, scholarships. (6) References — a teacher, coach, or community leader. You do not need paid work experience to build a strong first resume.

How do I write a resume for a high school student applying for a first job?

To write a high school student resume for a first job: start with a brief objective statement (2 sentences) explaining what role you want and what you bring. Put education at the top since that is your strongest credential. Replace a traditional work experience section with activities, volunteer work, and informal jobs like babysitting, tutoring, or lawn care — these all count as experience. List transferable skills and any certifications. Keep the resume to one page. Use a free ATS-friendly template from Resumaly and download your PDF for free with no sign-up required.

What is the best free resume builder for high school students?

Resumaly is the best free resume builder for high school students because it is genuinely 100% free — no sign-up, no payment, and no paywall before downloading. Unlike Zety, Resume.io, and Resumebuilder.com which charge you after you finish your resume, Resumaly lets you build and download a professional PDF resume completely free. Your data is stored only in your browser, so no personal information is ever sent to any server. The student resume template is ATS-friendly and pre-formatted for students with no work experience.

Can a high school student put babysitting or lawn mowing on a resume?

Yes, absolutely. Babysitting, lawn mowing, tutoring, dog walking, and other informal work count as real experience on a high school student resume. List them under a section titled Freelance Work, Independent Work, or Experience. Describe what you did, for how long, and any responsibility involved. These show initiative, reliability, and real-world skill — exactly what a first-time employer wants to see.

Should a high school student include GPA on a resume?

Yes — if your GPA is 3.0 or above, include it on your resume. List it next to your school name in the education section, for example: GPA: 3.6/4.0. If your GPA is below 3.0, leave it out and focus on your achievements, courses, and activities instead. For college applications, include your GPA regardless.

Is Resumaly free for high school students?

Yes. Resumaly is 100% free for high school students — and for everyone. There is no sign-up, no account, no payment at any step, and no paywall before downloading your resume PDF. Your resume data is never sent to any server; it stays in your browser. You can build, edit, and download your resume as many times as you want, always completely free.

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Free Resume for High School Student — No Experience Needed

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Emma Johnson

High School Student · Grade 11 · Oak Ridge High School

Education

Skills

Microsoft Office●●●●○

Customer Service●●●○○

Social Media●●●●●

Activities

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Complete Guide

What to Put on a Resume for a High School Student

No work experience? That's normal — and fixable. A strong high school resume uses activities, achievements, and skills to prove you're ready for your first job. Here's exactly what to include.

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1. Education (Put This First)

Your education section is your strongest asset right now — lead with it. Include:

Full name of your high school
City and state
Expected graduation year
GPA (if 3.0 or above — e.g., GPA: 3.6/4.0)
Honors, AP, or IB courses
Relevant electives (Marketing, Coding, etc.)

💡 Pro tip: If your GPA is below 3.0, leave it out and emphasize achievements instead.

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2. Activities & Extracurriculars

These replace work experience and show character, leadership, and commitment. Include:

Sports teams (mention captain/leadership roles)
Student council or class officer
School clubs (debate, robotics, drama, band)
National Honor Society
Any competitions or tournaments
School newspaper, yearbook, or podcast

💡 Pro tip: Describe activities with numbers where possible — "Led a team of 12 students…"

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3. Volunteer Work & Community Service

Volunteering shows initiative and responsibility — two things every employer values. Include:

Community clean-up events
Church or religious organization service
Animal shelter or food bank volunteering
Tutoring or mentoring younger students
Fundraising or charity events

💡 Pro tip: Even one-time events count. List them with hours if you remember — e.g., "(20 hours)"

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4. Informal Work Experience

Paid or unpaid informal work absolutely belongs on your resume. Examples:

Babysitting (even for neighbors — list it!)
Lawn mowing, snow shoveling, dog walking
Tutoring peers or younger students
Helping at a family business
Social media management for a local business
Selling items online (Etsy, eBay)

💡 Pro tip: Title this section "Freelance Work" or "Independent Experience" — it sounds professional.

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5. Skills Section

List skills genuinely — interviewers may ask about them. Good options for high school students:

Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Google Docs, Sheets, Slides
Social media (Instagram, TikTok, Canva)
Customer service / cashiering
Typing speed (e.g., 65 WPM)
Second language (Spanish, French, etc.)
Basic coding (HTML, Python, Scratch)

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6. Awards & Achievements

Even school-level achievements make a strong impression on entry-level employers. Include:

Honor Roll (mention how many semesters)
Academic competitions or science fairs
Scholarships or grants received
Athletic awards or MVP titles
Art, writing, or music competitions

💡 Pro tip: Place this section near the top if it's strong — it catches the eye fast.

No Work Experience?

How to Write a High School Resume With No Job Experience

The biggest mistake students make is thinking they have nothing to put on a resume. Here's what actually works — versus what you should avoid.

❌ What NOT to do

Leave the resume mostly blank and submit it anyway
Write "No experience" under the work history section
Copy-paste a generic objective statement from Google
List every single minor thing without any description
Use a two-page resume — keep it to one page only
Omit contact info (email, phone, city)
Submit without checking for spelling errors

✅ What TO do instead

Lead with Education — it's your biggest credential right now
Add every extracurricular activity you're part of
Include babysitting, lawn care, tutoring as "Freelance Work"
Write a 2-sentence objective tailored to the specific job
Add volunteer work — even a single event counts
List transferable skills you genuinely have
Ask a teacher or coach to be a reference

📝 Sample Objective Statements for High School Students

For a Retail / Cashier Job

"Motivated high school junior seeking a part-time cashier position at [Store Name]. Reliable, punctual, and experienced in managing responsibilities through two years of varsity sports and student council leadership."

"Enthusiastic Grade 11 student looking for a weekend retail role to develop customer service and professional communication skills while contributing to a team environment."

For an Internship / Office Role

"Detail-oriented high school senior with strong Microsoft Office and organizational skills seeking a summer office internship to build professional experience before college."

"Tech-savvy Grade 12 student with experience in social media content creation and basic coding, seeking an internship to apply digital skills in a professional environment."

Step-by-Step Guide

How to Build Your High School Student Resume in 5 Steps — Free

Resumaly is the only resume builder that is genuinely free from start to download — no paywall, no sign-up. Here's how to go from blank page to job-ready PDF in under 10 minutes.

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Open Resumaly — No Sign-Up

Go to Resumaly's free builder. No email, no account, no password — just open and start. Your data stores in your browser only.

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Select the Student Template

Choose the High School Student template — pre-formatted with the right sections for students: Education first, Activities, Skills, and more.

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Fill In Your Details

Add your school, GPA, activities, skills, and any informal work. Customize fonts, colors, and sections — add or remove anything you need.

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Check Your ATS Score (Free)

Run your resume through our free AI-powered ATS checker. It identifies 16 critical issues and tells you exactly how to fix them — free, no sign-up.

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Download Free PDF

Click download — get a clean, watermark-free PDF instantly. No payment prompt. No upgrade screen. Just your resume, ready to send.

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Free Template

Free High School Student Resume Template — ATS-Friendly

Designed specifically for students with no work experience. Clean, one-page layout that passes ATS scans and impresses human recruiters.

✓ ATS Friendly 📄 One Page 🎨 Fully Customizable

High School Student Resume Template

Pre-formatted for students with no work experience. Education section is placed first. Extracurricular activities, skills, volunteer work, and awards sections are all included. Fully customizable — change colors, fonts, section order, and content to match you. Download a clean PDF with no watermark, no payment required.

Education-First Layout Activities Section No Experience Friendly Customizable Colors Custom Font Styles Add / Remove Sections

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Why Resumaly?

The Only Resume Builder That Is Genuinely Free for Students

Other "free" resume builders let you fill in all your details — then charge you right before the download. As a student, you shouldn't pay for a resume. Resumaly never asks for payment. Ever.

What You Need	Zety, Resume.io, Resumebuilder.com	Resumaly (This Site)
Free to start building	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Free PDF download — no paywall	✗ Payment required at download	✓ Always free
No sign-up or account needed	✗ Account required	✓ Zero sign-up
Your data stored on their servers	✗ Server-stored (privacy risk)	✓ Browser only — total privacy
Watermark-free download	✗ Paid plans only	✓ Always clean
Fully customizable templates	✗ Limited on free tier	✓ All features free
Free AI ATS resume checker	✗ Paid feature	✓ Free — no sign-up
Free AI cover letter generator	✗ Paid feature	✓ Free — matches your resume design

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Every Tool. Completely Free.

Everything a High School Student Needs — All Free, No Tricks

Resumaly was built for people who need a job and cannot afford to pay for job-searching tools. Every feature below is 100% free — no sign-up, no payment, no catch.

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Fully Customizable Resume

Change fonts, colors, section order, and layout. Add a photo or remove any section you don't need. Build a resume that looks like you — not a generic template.

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Free AI ATS Resume Checker

Our AI scans your resume and identifies 16 critical issues — formatting problems, missing keywords, and sections that hurt your chances. Fix them before you apply. Free, no sign-up.

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Free AI Cover Letter Generator

Our AI writes a personalized cover letter that matches your resume design — so both documents look professional and identical. Paste the job description, get your letter instantly. Free.

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Complete Privacy — Data Never Leaves Your Device

Your resume data stays in your browser's localStorage. No server ever receives it. No account means no data breach risk. Total privacy — by design, not by promise.

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Instant PDF — No Watermark

Download your resume as a clean, professional PDF the moment you're done. No payment prompt, no upgrade wall, no Resumaly branding on your document. Just your resume.

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Applying to different jobs? Build a different resume for each one — tailored to each role. Create as many resumes as you want, all 100% free, no limits.

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Your Resume Data Is Yours. Always.

Most resume builders store your personal information, work history, and career details on their servers. Resumaly is different — your data physically never leaves your device. We never built a server to receive it.

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Browser localStorage Only

Your resume data saves in your browser. It stays on your device. Our servers never see it, never receive it, never store it.

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No Account = No Risk

No registration means no email database, no password to breach, no profile to sell. You cannot leak what was never collected.

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Download & Own Your Resume

Download your PDF and it's yours — no platform lock-in, no subscription needed to access your own document later.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions — Resume for High School Students

Everything you need to know about writing a resume as a high school student, answered honestly.

What should a high school student put on a resume with no work experience?

A high school student with no work experience should include: Education (school name, graduation year, GPA if 3.0+, honors, AP courses) — this goes first. Then Extracurricular Activities (sports, clubs, student council), Volunteer Work (community service, charity events), Informal Work (babysitting, tutoring, lawn mowing — these count!), Skills (Microsoft Office, social media, languages), and Awards & Achievements (Honor Roll, competitions). You do not need paid work experience to build a strong first resume.

Should a high school student resume be one page?

Yes — always one page. Employers and college admissions officers reviewing first-time applicants expect a single, concise page. A one-page resume also signals that you can prioritize and communicate efficiently, which is itself a soft skill. Use Resumaly's student template which is already designed for a clean one-page layout.

Can I put babysitting or lawn mowing on a high school resume?

Absolutely yes. Babysitting, lawn mowing, tutoring, dog walking, and other informal work count as real experience. List them under a section titled "Freelance Work" or "Independent Experience." Describe what you did and for how long. These demonstrate reliability, initiative, and real-world responsibility — exactly what a first-time employer wants to see.

Should I include my GPA on my high school resume?

Yes — if your GPA is 3.0 or above. List it in the education section like this: GPA: 3.7/4.0. If your GPA is below 3.0, leave it out and emphasize other achievements, coursework, and activities instead. For college applications specifically, you'll typically include your GPA regardless.

What skills should a high school student list on a resume?

List skills you genuinely have — interviewers may ask about them. Good examples: Technical skills: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Workspace, social media management, Canva, basic coding (HTML, Python), typing speed. Soft skills: Time management, teamwork, communication, customer service, leadership (from sports or clubs). Only list skills you can confidently discuss if asked.

Is Resumaly really free for high school students?

Yes, completely and genuinely free. No sign-up, no payment, no paywall at download. Unlike Zety and Resume.io which let you build your entire resume and then charge you to download it, Resumaly never asks for money — not at the start, not at the end. Your data is stored only in your browser. Build, download, re-edit, and re-download as many times as you want — always free.

How long does it take to make a high school student resume?

Most students complete their resume in under 10 minutes using Resumaly. The step-by-step builder guides you through each section. If you have your school name, GPA, activities, and skills ready beforehand, you can be done in 5–7 minutes and downloading your PDF right after.

What's the difference between a resume for college applications vs. a job resume?

A college application resume emphasizes academics (GPA, courses, awards), leadership (clubs, student council), and community involvement. A job resume focuses more on transferable skills, any informal work experience, and a targeted objective statement for the specific role. Resumaly's student template works for both — just adjust the order and emphasis of sections based on where you're applying.

Your First Resume Shouldn't Cost You Anything.

Join 10,000+ job seekers who built their resume with Resumaly — no sign-up, no payment, no watermark. Get your professional student resume PDF in under 10 minutes, free forever.

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