Resume Building for High School Seniors

Most high school seniors are counting down the months until graduation and making their mark in the real world as adults working for a living. Longing to be less dependent on parents for money, and hoping to land a great job that will afford them the keys to an apartment of their own, this transition marks a leap from needy teenager to adult.

The reality is many won't go to college, and that's not all together a bad thing. There are many successful adults with no college degree or college credits on their resumes. The one thing seniors must keep in mind is that even if they have never held a job, they still need to put together a resume that includes any and all clubs, activities, and sports they participated in during high school.

Sports, Future Farmers of America (FFA), and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) clubs, for example, show potential employers teamwork, active participation, commitment, and ability to take instruction. Actual work experience is a plus, but not necessary considering interviewers will often chalk up a cheerleader, for example, having no job through high school as someone who focused on his or her studies and spent their time away from the books at practices and games - marking a commitment to his or her team. This commitment will tell the employer that this cheerleader is likely someone who will see his or her job through, and represent their company well.

Some high schools have mentoring programs that pair high school seniors with elementary and middle school aged at-risk youth. Programs such as these look excellent on a resume to potential employers. Interviewers and executives will see community involvement and the desire to make a difference in someone else's life. This type of club will be a plus especially on a resume submitted for non-profit charitable organizations that typically pay quite well. For example, I worked as a data entry clerk at a non-profit organization almost 10 years ago and made $9 per hour just keying in contributions into the database.