Creating a resume is a great way to showcase your skills, accomplishments, and passions to future employers and colleges. Although you may have limited opportunities to use your resume in high school, now is the perfect time to create one. By doing so, you’ll learn how to craft a resume, and you’ll be prepared for any opportunities that may come your way. If you’re not sure what you would put on a resume, we’ve got you covered! Below are eight ideas for ways to make your resume stand out.

Get A Job or Internship

One of the most common experiences on a resume is a job or internship. Check with local businesses, your school’s guidance office, and your friends to find out what opportunities may exist in your area. Jobs provide the benefit of pay, which can help you save for college, a car, or outings with friends. Internships typically provide work that is more related to a career or major that you’re interested in but are less likely to pay. Either experience will indicate to future employers and colleges that you are hard-working and will provide you with real-world work experience.

Pick a Cause

Find a cause that you’re passionate about, such as voter registration, helping those who are food insecure, or working with animals in shelters, and find ways to get involved. You could volunteer with local organizations, spread information at school, write an article for your school newspaper, or come up with other creative ways to get involved. Showing dedication to something you believe in is a great way to demonstrate both your work ethic and what you’re passionate about on your resume.

Get Involved with a Club

Whether you’re starting your own club or taking on a position of responsibility within an existing one, clubs are a great way to showcase your strengths on a resume. Being involved in a club can demonstrate leadership, commitment, and your ability to work with others – all essential skills for both college and the workforce. You can also incorporate other strategies on this list into your club such as volunteering for a local cause – bonus points if you can spend a significant amount of time with the same club, which can demonstrate consistency.

Academic Achievement

Challenging yourself at school can also be a great way to enhance your resume. Take challenging courses or, if available at your school, unique classes that pertain to your interests such as music theory or marine biology. The things you learn in these classes make great additions to the “Skills” section on your resume. You probably have experience in things like Microsoft Office, public speaking, lab technique, or social media. See what other skills you’ve gained from school that you could add to your resume!

Create Online Content

Do you have a passion for or knowledge in a cool topic? Do you travel to new places, have a special hobby, or enjoy learning about a particular social issue? Consider creating online content to showcase your skills. This could be a blog, social media page, or YouTube channel dedicated to what makes you unique. Creating content showcases your abilities in communication and technology, and provides a dynamic and interactive component to your resume. Just remember – if you’ll be talking about this content on your resume, make sure it is appropriate to share with potential employers or colleges.

Start A Business

Do you have an entrepreneurial mindset, or an idea of a product or service you could offer? Start a business! Even if you’re doing something tried-and-true like mowing the lawn for a neighbor or babysitting, working on your own demonstrates a lot of important skills. You’ll build your communication, marketing and networking skills, as well as showcase your work ethic, responsibility, ability to work independently, and your resourcefulness – all of which are great to showcase on a resume!

Try Something New

Starting a new hobby could lead to unique skills for your resume – such as playing an instrument – or opportunities to start a job, volunteer, or join a club. For example, if you start playing an instrument, you could give lessons to younger kids or join a music group at your school. Starting a fitness class such as dance, boxing, or rock-climbing could lead to a job teaching those classes yourself. Learning a craft like knitting could provide opportunities to make your craft as a donation to those in need. Artistic endeavors like makeup application, fashion, or writing can translate well into starting your own YouTube channel or blog. Trying something new can increase your opportunities to have fun, de-stress, and potentially lead to more experiences to put on your resume.

Get Involved in Research

Although research is typically thought of as something that college students do, if you’re interested in pursuing research in the future, you may be able to start now. There are a variety of different programs across the country for students interested in the sciences to start learning what laboratory experience is like. These programs allow you to gain skills that will look impressive on your resume and will give you a better idea of what types of careers you may be interested in.

There are many ways to stand out on your resume. The important thing is to pick something that interests you, and start as soon as you can! If you’re looking for other ways to stand out or prepare for college, check our blog for more stellar tips.

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