SimpleResume

Free guide · For high-school & college students

Write your first resume. We'll show you how.

A plain-English guide to what goes on a resume, what to leave off, and how to describe things you've done — even if you've never had a job.

Start the lesson Try the practice builder
  • Free for students and schools
  • No sign-up, no ads
Practice builder Runs in your browser · nothing is saved or sent Practice mode

Type your own details below and watch the resume update. When you close this tab, it's gone — this is just for practice.

Tip: use a simple email address with your name in it — save the funny one for friends.

Jordan Rivera

High-school senior · Future nursing student

jordan.rivera@example.comWestbrook, OR(555) 010-0000

Summary

Reliable, friendly student with two years of weekend work at a busy bakery and 60+ hours volunteering at an animal shelter. Looking for a part-time role in patient care.

Education

Westbrook High SchoolClass of 2027

GPA 3.6 · Relevant courses: Anatomy & Physiology, AP Biology, Health Careers

Experience

Counter Assistant, Maple Street Bakery2024 – Present
  • Serve customers during weekend rush and handle cash and card payments.
  • Trained two new team members on opening and closing checklists.
Volunteer, Riverside Animal Shelter2023 – Present
  • Care for dogs and cats, and help visitors during adoption hours.

Skills

Customer service, CPR & First Aid certified, Spanish (conversational)

Activities

Health Occupations Club, member · Varsity cross-country

The phone number and email above are placeholders. Jordan is a made-up student.

What goes on a resume

Six sections. That's the whole anatomy.

Almost every student resume is built from the same six parts. Here's what each one is for, and what to put in it.

  1. Contact information

    Your name (largest text on the page), a professional email, phone number, and city. No full street address needed, and no photo, age, or birthday.

  2. Summary

    Two or three sentences: who you are, one or two strengths, and what you're looking for. Optional, but helpful when you don't have much work history yet.

  3. Education

    Your school, expected graduation year, and anything that helps: a GPA of 3.0 or higher, relevant classes, or academic honors. For students, this usually goes near the top.

  4. Experience

    Jobs count — so do babysitting, volunteering, family business work, and school projects. List the most recent first, with two or three bullet points each.

  5. Skills

    Specific, checkable things: languages, software, certifications like CPR. "Hard-working" belongs in your bullet points, shown through examples.

  6. Activities

    Clubs, sports, music, faith or community groups. Mention any role you held, like captain, treasurer, or section leader.

Student examples

Three situations, three example resumes.

Every person and place here is made up, but the choices are the kind you'll face. Pick the one closest to where you are now.

Sam Okafor

sam.okafor@example.com(555) 010-0000Fairview, OH

Summary

Dependable sophomore with experience helping at community events. Available weekends and two weekday evenings for a stocking or cashier position.

Education

Fairview High SchoolExpected 2029

Relevant classes: Business Math, Intro to Marketing

Experience

Volunteer, Fairview Community Food Pantry2025 – Present
  • Sort and shelve donations every other Saturday, keeping aisles stocked and labeled.
  • Greet families at check-in and help carry groceries to cars.
Yard Work, Neighborhood clientsSummers 2024 – 2025
  • Mowed and raked for four regular households; scheduled jobs and collected payment.

Skills

Cash handling (from school store), punctual, comfortable lifting 30 lb, Yoruba (conversational)

Availability

Saturdays and Sundays, Tuesday and Thursday after 4 pm

Priya Nair

Computer Science student

priya.nair@example.edu(555) 010-0000github.com/priya-example

Education

B.S. Computer Science, Northgate State UniversityExpected 2028

GPA 3.5 · Coursework: Data Structures, Databases, Web Development

Projects

Campus Study-Room FinderSpring 2026
  • Built a small web app with a team of three that shows which library rooms are free.
  • Wrote the search page and ran feedback sessions with 12 classmates.

Experience

Student Help Desk Assistant, Northgate IT Services2025 – Present
  • Answer walk-in and email questions about Wi-Fi, passwords, and printing.
  • Rewrote three how-to guides, which cut repeat questions at the desk.

Skills

Python, JavaScript, HTML & CSS, SQL, Git · Malayalam (fluent)

Lucas Moreau

Activities resume · High-school senior

lucas.moreau@example.comBrookside, VT

Academics

Brookside Regional High SchoolClass of 2027

GPA 3.8 · AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, AP English Language

Leadership & activities

President, Environmental ClubGrades 10–12
  • Organized a school-wide composting program with the cafeteria staff.
  • Grew weekly meeting attendance from 8 to 25 students.
Trumpet, Brookside Jazz EnsembleGrades 9–12
  • Perform at four school concerts a year; lead section warm-ups.

Work & service

Trail Crew Volunteer, Brookside Town ParksSummers 2025 – 2026
  • Maintained two miles of hiking trail with a crew of six, about 80 hours total.

Honors

Honor Roll, all semesters · Regional science fair, 2nd place (2026)

The lesson

Your first resume in six steps.

Work through these in order. A solid first draft usually fits into one or two class periods — then polish it over a week.

  1. Brainstorm everything

    Before writing anything formal, list every job, chore-for-pay, volunteer shift, club, sport, class project, award, and skill from the last three or four years. Don't judge yet — just collect.

    Try it: Set a 10-minute timer and aim for at least 15 items.

  2. Pick your sections

    Group your list into the six sections from the anatomy above. If one group is big — projects, say — give it its own heading. If one is empty, leave it out.

    Try it: Circle the three items you're proudest of. They should end up near the top.

  3. Write your header and summary

    Put your name, email, phone, and city at the top. Then write two or three sentences about who you are and what you're looking for.

    Try it: Use the practice builder at the top of this page to see how it looks.

  4. Turn duties into achievements

    For each experience, write two or three bullet points. Start each with an action verb, say what you did, and add a result or number when you honestly can.

    Try it: Rewrite one bullet using a verb from the verb bank below.

  5. Format for one clean page

    Use one readable font at 10–12 pt, consistent dates on the right, and simple section headings. Skip tables, text boxes, and graphics — application software often can't read them.

    Try it: Squint at your page. Can you still see the sections clearly?

  6. Proofread, get feedback, save as PDF

    Read it out loud, backwards line by line, then ask a teacher, counselor, or family member to read it. Save as a PDF named like firstname-lastname-resume.pdf.

    Try it: Run through the self-check before you send it anywhere.

Action-verb bank

Start every bullet with a strong verb.

Strong verbs make ordinary tasks sound as capable as they really were. Click any word to copy it.

Before

Was responsible for the bake sale.

After

Organized a two-day bake sale with 12 volunteers, raising $640 for the band trip.

Leading

Helping & serving

Communicating

Creating

Organizing

Improving & researching

Common mistakes

Small fixes that make a big difference.

These are the things teachers and hiring managers notice first. Each one takes a minute to fix.

Don't: Use xXgamerXx@example.com as your contact email.
Do: Use a simple address like firstname.lastname@…
Don't: Write "Responsible for" or "Duties included" at the start of bullets.
Do: Start with an action verb: "Trained," "Served," "Organized."
Don't: Stretch to two pages with large fonts and big margins.
Do: Keep it to one page. Cut older or weaker items first.
Don't: Add a photo, your age, or your full home address.
Do: Name, email, phone, and city are enough in the US, UK, and Canada.
Don't: Exaggerate — "managed the store" when you ran the register.
Do: Be accurate. You may be asked about every line in an interview.
Don't: Send Resume_FINAL_v3 (2).docx.
Do: Send a PDF named firstname-lastname-resume.pdf.

After the resume

Cover letters and interviews, in brief.

Your resume gets you noticed. These two help you get the yes.

A cover letter in three short paragraphs

Not every job asks for one, but when they do, keep it under a page and specific to that job.

Dear Ms. Alvarez,

1 · Why you're writingI'm applying for the weekend library aide position I saw on the Lakeview Library website.

2 · Why you fitAs a Reading Buddy last year, I helped second graders find books they enjoyed, and I've kept my school's classroom library organized for two years.

3 · Thank them, next stepThank you for considering me. I'd be glad to talk about how I could help on Saturdays.

Sincerely,
Aisha Bello

Getting ready for an interview

Practice out loud with a friend or family member. Answer with a short story using STAR:

  1. Situation — where were you?
  2. Task — what needed to happen?
  3. Action — what did you do?
  4. Result — how did it turn out?

Questions to practice

  • "Tell me about yourself."
  • "Why do you want to work here?"
  • "Tell me about a time you worked on a team."
  • "What would you do if a customer was upset?"
  • "Do you have any questions for us?" — always have one ready.

Self-check

Ready to send? Check it off.

Go through your own resume line by line. Your ticks stay on this page only and disappear when you reload.

0 of 10

Start with the first item — you've got this.

Resume self-check

For teachers & counselors

Free to use in your classroom.

SimpleResume is free for schools, libraries, and youth programs. Print it, project it, or link to it. Students don't need accounts or email addresses, and nothing they type leaves their device.

Send us classroom feedback

Suggested 45-minute lesson

  1. 5 minLook at the anatomy together and name the six sections.
  2. 10 minStudents brainstorm everything they've done (lesson step 1).
  3. 10 minCompare the three examples in small groups.
  4. 15 minDraft header, summary, and one experience in the practice builder.
  5. 5 minPartner review with the self-check.

You're welcome to adapt, print, and share it for teaching. Please don't resell it.

FAQ

Questions students ask.

Still stuck? Ask a teacher or school counselor — they'd love to help. You can also write to us.

I've never had a job. What do I put?

Plenty. Volunteering, babysitting, helping in a family business, school projects, clubs, sports, and caring for younger siblings all show responsibility. Put Education first, then a section called "Experience" or "Activities & Service."

How long should my resume be?

One page. Almost every student and recent graduate should stick to a single page, and employers expect it.

Should I include a photo?

In the US, UK, and Canada, no — it's not expected and many employers prefer you leave it off. Some other countries do expect one, so check local advice if you're applying elsewhere.

Do I need references on my resume?

No. Leave them off the page, but have two or three ready on a separate sheet — a teacher, coach, or supervisor who knows you well. Always ask before listing someone.

What is an ATS?

An applicant tracking system is software many employers use to collect and search resumes. It reads text best from simple layouts: one column, standard headings, and no text inside images or tables.

Does the practice builder save what I type?

No. It runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere, and it resets when you reload the page. To keep your resume, write it in your school's word processor.

Can my teacher use this in class?

Yes — that's what it's for. See the section for teachers and counselors for a suggested lesson plan.

Spotted a mistake, or have an idea?

We read every message. Teachers, counselors, and students are all welcome to write — corrections, suggestions for new examples, and classroom stories are especially helpful. Please don't send your resume or personal details.

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