academic resume template for high school students

Build my resume

• Build a better resume in minutes
• Resume examples
• 2,000+ examples that work in 2024
• Resume templates
• Free templates for all levels
• Cover letters
• Cover letter generator
• It's like magic, we promise
• Cover letter examples
• Free downloads in Word & Docs

16 High School Student Resume Examples + Complete Guide

High School Student Resume

• High School Student Resumes by Experience
• High School Student Resumes by Role

High school is one of the best times of your life, but it can also be one of the most difficult when looking for your first or second job. You’ve got to fill out applications, prep for interviews, and write your resume.

Using ChatGPT for resumes  is a cool idea, but can still feel daunting and overwhelming. We’ve all been there, and what you really need is a free AI resume builder and solid student cover letters to get you on your way.

We’ve analyzed countless high school resumes to discover  what would get students job interviews in 2024 . While you may want to start with a simple  resume outline , keep reading to find 16 high school resume samples (plus writing tips) that are jam-packed with essential techniques and tricks.

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• If you choose to use a template, make sure you adjust the  resume’s formatting  so that your text is big enough to read with one-inch margins on the side.
• However, you should write your bullet points like you would for a job. Highlight any responsibilities and accomplishments relevant to the job you’re applying for now.
• For example, if you’re looking for a job in sales, emphasize your ability to work in groups and create a good customer experience.

High School Student No Experience Resume

• If you don’t have work history, include projects and volunteer work instead. Treat them like a job and write bullet points according to your responsibilities.
• Make sure you start every bullet point with active verbs, and always double-check for typos. You’ve got this!
• Include your unique skills, your desired position, and the company you hope to work for to make your objective stand out from the rest!

First Job High School Student Resume

• To remedy that problem, add a  skills section on your resume  to give hiring managers an important overview of your strengths.
• To really highlight your abilities, incorporate the same skills in your work experience, too. Demonstrate how you used your skills to better your workplace, and you can’t go wrong!
• Adding stylistic elements like color and different fonts can help you show a bit of your personality (and make your resume more fun to read). 

Experienced High School Student Resume

• Remember, your resume is a highlight reel, so you need to include what’s most important (like your achievements and relevant metrics). 
• You can adjust your layout, font sizes, and margins, but keep it easy to read. 
• Use a bit of color and some fun fonts, provided it still looks professional. You’ve got this!

High School Senior Resume

• This statement must align with the potential employer’s needs, proving you understand the job requirements and have gone the extra mile to address doubts about your capabilities. As for experiences that might have prepared you for the job, workshops and volunteering programs you’ve participated in are prominent candidates.

Out of High School Resume

• Leisure activities range from soccer, hiking, drawing and sketching, robotics, and photography to journalism. But how do they fit in the picture? Well, a penchant for drawing and sketching could reflect creativity and an eye for detail, while journalism stints could hint at strong communication and critical thinking.

High School Graduate Resume

• Right from the first line of the career objective, you can see the candidate’s passion and willingness to work in this field. Notice how Serai’s love for photography is clearly backed by a previous project for a school newspaper.
• These details will be perfect when Serai’s ready for the AI cover letter generator to bring her application to perfection.

High School Student Scholarship Resume

• Your high school student scholarship resume should vividly show your positive contributions to noble causes, such as offering ADLs to seniors, and emphasize your impact on society.

High School Student College Application Resume

• Ensure your high school student college application resume shows your practical and classwork achievements that emphasize your grand vision to make a positive contribution to society.

High School Student for College Resume

• Before hitting “submit,” always  check your resume  for typos and other minor errors. It’s amazing what you can miss during your first few reviews.
• A good GPA can demonstrate, at least in part, your willingness to work hard. We’d recommend including your GPA only if it’s above 3.5, but anything above a 3 is a good average.

High School Student for Customer Service Resume

• Including projects, volunteer work, or club memberships is a great way to add value to your resume.
• Your resume should focus on your abilities and other activities you’ve engaged in that will show your value.
• Read the responsibilities and qualifications to look for key skills and tasks. Then, incorporate some of those skills and responsibilities into your high school student customer service resume.

High School Student Internship Resume

• For example, if the job description lists responsibilities like writing and analyzing data, include “written communication” and “data analysis” in your skills section.
• One easy way to customize your resume is by focusing your  resume skills  on things that apply to the internship. 
• Make sure you keep your resume professional and to the point. You don’t want to include anything too personal about your beliefs, religion, politics, or personal information.
• For example, you can list “volunteering at local church,” but avoid saying “fasting every weekend.” It doesn’t show off relevant skills and is a bit too forward for a resume.

High School Student Office Worker Resume

• Good projects include anything that demonstrates your leadership abilities or desire for knowledge. Senior projects, personal blogs, or even being on a sports team are all good examples to include!
• Add work experience directly under your contact information and name, then add any relevant projects if you’re low on space. 
• While there are plenty of  resume writing tips , your resume should be as unique as you. Don’t get so caught up in what you think you “should” do that your resume is bland and cookie-cutter. 

High School Student Sales Resume

• Numbers demonstrate your value, and they’re useful tools for the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) software that hiring managers use to sort through job applicants.
• Trust us, and incorporate metrics into at least 80% of your bullet points!
• For example, you know that different  resume templates  can change your resume’s appearance, but different templates can also stretch or streamline your content. 
• Mess with multiple templates to see what your content will look like—you may find a template that allows for more room, or one that allows you to highlight your skills better.

High School Student Athlete  Resume

• Think of a time you proved you were the MVP on your team—Did you lead your team to a championship? Perhaps you made the game-winning shot in a crucial, nail-biting game?

High School Student Music Resume

• When you include hobbies like songwriting or your interest in classical music in your high school student music resume , it conveys to your recruiter that you’re super dedicated and passionate about your craft.
• You can also include hobbies that are different, too. For example, if you enjoy experimenting with new recipes from around the world, that can show you’re ready to give new genres a whirl or that you understand that music—while art—is still supposed to be fun and adventuresome.

Related resume guides

• Entry Level

10+ Free High School Resume Templates for 2024

Writing your high school resume is already hard as it is - you shouldn’t have to spend hours working on your resume layout and format.

Want to fast-track your resume-creation process?

Use one of these 10+ free high school resume templates!

All you have to do is pick a template that resonates with you and fill in the contents. Zero formatting hassle is required!

10+ Free High School Resume Templates [Pick & Download]

#1. simple resume template.

This timeless layout works for everyone - highschoolers and seasoned professionals alike. 

The understated design and clean look put equal emphasis on all parts of your resume.

#2. Professional Resume Template

The Professional template puts more emphasis on your work experience and skills. Don’t have much work experience? You can always replace it with some other relevant section like extracurricular activities or volunteering experience.

#3. College Resume Template

Created with recent graduates in mind, this template is also suitably structured for any applicant with little to no work experience. 

#4. Creative Resume Template

If you’re looking for a job in the creative industry or want to try something a bit bolder, the Creative template is right for you. It’s guaranteed to stand out in any resume pile with its light on dark header and circle style skill graphs. 

#5. Modern Resume Template

The Modern template is a step up from the more basic designs. It has an organized look featuring brackets and squares.

#6. Functional Resume Template

The Functional Resume template puts more emphasis on your educational background, making it a perfect fit for highschoolers or just about anyone with no work experience.

#7. One Color Resume Template

This template is quite simple and to-the-point. The sections are clearly separated, and the resume objective is located top and center. Bonus points: you can even personalize this high school resume template by customizing the color scheme.

#8. Two-Column Resume Template

The template has a rather unique two-column resume structure . It is easy to skim and pleasant to look at. 

It also has a very compact look, making it perfect for job-seekers with no work experience.

#9. Vertical Header Resume Template

What’s interesting about this template is the vertical layout in the header section. It looks refreshing and straight-up cool. However, it’s a hit or miss kind of situation. The recruiter will either be intrigued by it, or be bothered by having to turn the page to the side. Use at your own risk.

#10. Infographic Resume Template

Infographic resume templates in general use graphs and charts to illustrate the information. This template in particular uses bubbles to portray skills and level of competence, as well as icons to illustrate interests. This makes the resume quick to skim through and the information easy to understand. 

How Long Should a High School Resume Be?

The resume length discussion has been going on for ages and typically, the answer tends to vary depending on industry and years of experience. 

When it comes to a high school resume, however, there’s no room for discussion: your resume should be one-page max. 

It’s justifiable to have a two-page resume in case you have, say 10+ years of experience in the industry (which you don’t).

If your draft resume ends up being longer, revise your content with a critical eye and cut out anything that’s not relevant for the job you’re applying for.

Remember: the recruiter wants to know what your top skills and experiences are, not your entire life story!

What Should I Include In My High School Resume?

In your high school resume, include the following sections:

• Contact Information - This consists of personal and contact information like first and last name, phone number, e-mail address, or links to other profiles. Make sure everything is written correctly so the recruiter can reach you back.
• Resume Objective - This is a 3-4 sentence statement that describes your career goals and aspirations as well as mentions your skills and achievements. It’s used to grab the recruiter’s attention and ensure that they read the rest of your resume.
• Education - You can already guess what this one’s about, right? You should list down your education institution (high school) as well as any academic-related certifications or achievements.
• Extracurricular Activities - This is your resume’s selling point. The equivalent of work experience, if you will. Your extracurriculars are usually participation in high school clubs or various events and they show the recruiter you’re a competent and engaged individual.
• Projects & Gigs - In this section, you’d mention any independent projects you’ve worked on outside of academics. For example, a side-gig or your own blog - anything that shows you’re a self-starter.
• Work Experience (optional) - If you have any, you can list your work experiences. An internship or volunteer work also qualifies for this section.
• Languages - An extra language or two will definitely give you an edge over the other candidates. So, if you’re good at languages, make sure to list a dedicated section for that!
• Hobbies & Interests - Choose a few things that will give the recruiter some insight into your personality. Bonus points if these hobbies and interests are related to the industry where you’re applying - they’ll show you’re passionate and genuinely interested in the job.

And that’s about it!

How to Create a High School Resume With No Work Experience?

You’ve probably heard of the famous trope:

“You need work experience to get a job, but a job to get work experience.”

Fortunately, it’s not actually true.

If you’re applying for an entry-level position in any field, no one’s actually expecting you to have work experience.

Instead, you can focus on the experiences you do have to stand out from the rest of the applicants. Some things you can include in your resume are:

• Extracurricular activities
• Projects & gigs
• Hobbies & interests
• Internships

Key Takeaways

And that’s about it on high school resume templates!

If you want to know more about what to write and how to write it, check out our in-depth guide to writing a high school resume .

Before you go your way, let’s go over the main points of this article one more time:

• Always use a high school resume template instead of working on your resume from scratch - trust us, it’s going to save you a lot of time.
• Stick to the one-page resume limit. The recruiter wants to know about your work experience, not about your entire life story.
• Instead of work experience, focus on alternative sections like extracurricular activities, projects, volunteering experience, and so on.

Discover More Resume Templates

• Word Resume Templates
• Google Docs Resume Templates
• Chronological Resume Templates
• One Page Resume Templates
• Combination Resume Templates
• Creative Resume Templates
• 2 Page Resume Templates
• Minimalistic Resume Templates

To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. Learn how we use them for non-authenticated users.

• ResumeBuild
• Student Resume

Try our high school and college resume builder for free

• Land a job or a spot at school with our library of easy-to-use resume templates
• Make your resume in minutes with simple step-by-step instructions just for students
• Get pre-written examples and use expert tips to make the process a breeze

Level Up Your Student Resume With Professional Templates

Impress hiring managers and schools with a clean-cut, classic resume that makes your strengths and achievements shine.

Professional

Worried that your resume won’t be taken seriously as a high school or college student? This resume template’s sharp format frames you as an up-and-coming professional to watch.

With its compelling icons and thoughtful use of color, the Cool resume template is a top choice for anyone looking to create an attention-grabbing resume.

Charm hiring managers and schools with an ultra-modern student resume that instantly conveys why you’re a candidate worth interviewing.

Contemporary

You want to be a leader of tomorrow, so shouldn't your student resume look equally forward-thinking? The Contemporary’s eye-catching but refined looks can help you prove you’re a trailblazer.

Effortlessly stand out from the crowd with the Awesome resume template’s unique two-column design and easy-to-read format.

How to Write a Resume Objective or Summary for your Student Resume

In order to impress schools and hiring managers from the get-go, your resume needs to have a strong opening section. That’s why we strongly recommend including a resume summary at the top of your resume, underneath your contact information.

In the past, applicants for schools or jobs could choose between writing a resume objective or a resume summary. Now, resume experts generally agree that including a resume objective is no longer in line with best practice. The reason is that a resume objective essentially highlights your goals as a candidate. In contrast, a resume summary conveys how you will be able to support the school or company you’re applying for to meet their goals.

So what exactly is a resume summary, then? A resume summary is the first major section of your resume. It should succinctly present the case for why you’re an ideal candidate for the position or school you’re applying for. 

As it should only be two to four sentences long, you will need to focus only on your most relevant qualities and attributes that make you an attractive candidate or prospective student.

In order to write a strong resume objective or summary, you must make two things crystal clear:

• What the academic or professional position is you are applying for 
• What makes you the best person to fulfill it

Let’s start with the first part. You should clearly state the purpose of your application. For example, you may wish to:

• Study at a particular college or join a particular program/course 
• Be hired for a job at a college fair or internship fair 
• Be hired as an entry-level worker or summer worker

Next, you must summarize some of the standout qualities and attributes that make you worth considering for the given role. The qualities and attributes you highlight should be directly relevant to the role and should be expanded on in the other sections of your resume. You can mention such things as your:

• Educational background
• Academic achievements
• Soft and hard skills
• Work experiences
• Volunteer work
• Any other standout achievements

Try your best to use keywords from the job advertisement or school application to demonstrate that you possess the very qualities and attributes the hiring manager or school is looking for. 

Keywords are words or phrases within a job ad or school application that represent what the hiring manager or school are looking for from their ideal candidate. Keywords can include particular competencies, skills, experiences, attributes, studies, and so on.

How to Write a Work Experience Section for your Student Resume

The work experience section is perhaps the resume section that students dread the most when creating their high school resume or college resume. The reason is that many students don’t know where to begin or may not have held a job before. 

The good news is that writing a compelling work experience section really isn’t as difficult as it seems - even if you’ve never been in the working world before. In either case, the most important thing is to make sure your work experience section sounds as relevant as possible to the given job or educational opportunity you are applying for. 

If you don’t have any work experience at all, don’t stress! You can instead focus on your: 

• Volunteer work 
• School activities
• Side projects

Spend time brainstorming how to present these experiences in a way that makes them as relevant as possible to the job or school you are applying for. 

For example, did you demonstrate any soft or hard skills that will be useful to the role or your studies? Or maybe you achieved something that showcases what an excellent employee or student you will be? Remember, framing is everything when it comes to your resume! You can do this by integrating keywords that apply to your experiences throughout this section. This will help you to work out what professional experiences will capture the hiring manager or school’s attention. 

However, be sure to steer clear of ‘keyword stuffing’! This term is used to describe when people unnaturally add keywords to their resume in order to game the system. Always integrate keywords in a natural-sounding way and only use those that genuinely apply to your skills and experiences. 

It’s also important to think about this section as a way to showcase your very best professional achievements in each past position. That is, instead of just listing what you did, focus on conveying how your actions and skills made a positive difference.

In order to make your achievements shine, you will need to: 

• Start each one with a verb (action word).
• Make them short and snappy: Stick to one sentence each.
• Quantify them using numbers, percentages, and examples where possible.

For each position you include in this section, you will need to state the title you held, the company name, and the dates you worked there.

If you’re unsure of how to format your work experience section, simply use one of our expert-designed resume templates and our resume builder to ensure you get it right. You can also check out the expert tips for writing your work experience section we’ve included within our resume builder .

How to Write a Skills Section for Your Student Resume

Just like your work experience section, your resume’s skills section should be as relevant as possible to the position or educational opportunity you are applying for. 

Analyze the job ad or school application to identify skill-based keywords. You may wish to print out the job ad or school application and physically highlight these words to make it easier for you to work out which keywords to focus on.

Keep in mind that there are two types of skills to look out for:

• Soft skills: Those related to your interpersonal or communication skills.
• Hard skills: Technical, practical skills.

You will need to include a balance of both to show that you’re a well-rounded candidate. Think carefully about which ones are most applicable to your skillset and the job or school at hand, and list 6 to 8 of the most relevant ones in this section. 

Don’t forget you will also need to integrate skills throughout your work experience section too.

If you’re finding it hard to come up with relevant skills to add to your high school or college resume, don’t worry. Our resume builder has hundreds of examples of skills you can simply click and add to your resume.

Again, if you want to see how to effectively format this section, check out one of our many resume templates.

How to Write an Education & Coursework Section for your Student Resume

Your education & coursework section is one of the most important sections in your high school resume or college resume.

Even if an application does not specifically ask you to share your educational background on your resume, it is generally expected that you will. After all, your studies help to paint a picture of your knowledge, skills, interests, and academic abilities. 

As you can see from our library of resume templates, there are a few different ways that you can format your education & coursework section. That said, the general format of this section is as follows: [High School or College Name]

[Dates attended] 

[Subject studied (optional)]

If you want to guarantee you don’t make any formatting errors, just use our resume builder to create your resume! 

How to Write an Awards & Achievements Section for your Student Resume

Want to take your student resume to the next level? Adding an awards & achievements section is an easy way to capture attention. 

Before you say, “But I don’t have any awards or achievements!” take a moment to think back on your studies so far. Chances are that you have much more to highlight than you first realize. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

• Your GPA (If 3.5 or higher)
• Being part of the student body
• Academic awards
• Professional awards
• Valedictorian and Dean’s lists
• Being in the top X% of your class/course
• Professional achievements e.g. selling X amount of products or increasing profits by Y%
• Relevant school/college societies or groups you are part of
• Scholarships
• Any journals you have been published in or research papers you have written
• Relevant non-profit work you have completed (such as volunteering and fundraising)

So how can you correctly format this section of your resume?

You can list each award or achievement, along with the date you received/achieved it and any other specifics that would help the person reading it better understand why the award or achievement is relevant. 

If you are short on space, you can feature your academic awards and achievements in your education & coursework section instead.

Related Student Resume Examples & Samples

Take a look at the following tried-and-tested resume examples and samples for inspiration.

When you’re ready to make your own impressive high school or college resume, our state-of-the-art resume builder will guide you every step of the way.

College Student Resume

High School Student Resume

Internship Resume

ATS Resume Templates

Download an ATS-friendly resume template for free. These templates can be edited in Microsoft Word and can be accurately scanned by an applicant tracking system.

If you’ve made it to this page, then you probably already know more about applicant tracking systems (ATS) than the average job seeker. That gives you an advantage! Why?

Many companies use ATS to manage resumes and applications. In fact, Jobscan research shows that over 97% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS.

If an ATS can’t read or understand the information on your resume, then your application might not be seen when a recruiter searches for candidates with specific skills or experience – even if you have those skills or the experience!

Your resume needs to be ATS-friendly in order to give you the best chance of getting a job interview. That means that you need an ATS resume template.

We’ve designed 15 ATS resume templates that can be downloaded as Microsoft Word files and easily edited. Download one for free or use our free resume builder to get a customized ATS-friendly resume in minutes.

Free ATS Resume Templates

Executive and Management ATS-Friendly Resume Templates

As a leader, you want your experience and accomplishments to shine. These resume templates give you opportunities to show the measurable results you’ve achieved, as well as your hard and soft skills .

Using correct formatting is critical here. The ATS needs to be able to parse all of that vital information and categorize it correctly. You also need your resume to be searchable by an ATS so that when a recruiter filters candidates by skills, your application stays on the list.

Entry-Level ATS-Friendly Resume Templates

You might not think you have a lot to show on your resume, but you do! These templates provide sections where you can highlight your education, internships, volunteer experience , personal accomplishments, and more.

An ATS-friendly resume will help you get found by recruiters and hiring managers. This is important because an entry-level position could have hundreds of applicants! Use these templates to make sure the ATS picks up your skills and experience.

Make your resume faster with our free resume builder

Write your resume the free and easy way with the only resume builder designed specifically with ATS-compliant resume templates.

Jobscan users have been hired by:

ATS Resume Templates - What You Need to Know

How to make the perfect ats resume.

Remember, an ATS is just a computer filing system. It needs to be able to scan and understand the text on your resume in order to correctly parse the information and sort it properly.

An ATS will never auto-reject a resume, but an ATS optimized resume does make it easier for a recruiter to find you among the sea of applicants.

Even more importantly, an ATS-friendly resume naturally follows expert-recommended resume writing standards as well. That means that when the recruiter personally views your resume, it will include the relevant information they’re looking for and will be formatted in a way that makes it easier to read

Follow these tips for making the perfect ATS resume :

1. Tailor your resume to the job you are applying for

Focus on quality over quantity. Each job you apply for is unique, even if they all have the same title. Every company has different needs for that role. The job description will make it clear which hard skills, soft skills, experience, and education the company is looking for. So tailor your resume to show them that you are the perfect candidate.

Tailoring each and every resume can be time consuming, but it’s worth the effort!

You can speed up this process by using a tool like Jobscan’s resume scanner . Powered by AI-technology , this tool analyzes your resume against the job description and provides you with a resume score that tells you how closely your resume matches the job description. It also tells you exactly what you need to do to increase your score.

2. Match your resume keywords to skills found in the job description

Recruiters might use an ATS’ search function to find applicants with specific skills. How do you know what skills they will search for? By examining the job listing. Use a resume scanner to automatically pick out the hard and soft skills the recruiter might search for, and then include those on your resume.

Even if the recruiter doesn’t search applications for those skills, they’ll definitely be looking for mentions of them on each resume they review.

3. Use long-form and acronym versions of keywords

Some ATS will only return resumes with the exact keywords the recruiters would search for. For example, if you included “Search Engine Optimization” in your resume but the recruiter searched for “SEO,” your profile may not appear in the results. Try to include both the acronym and the unabbreviated form of the term.

Use a tool like Jobscan’s resume fixer to make sure your resume doesn’t contain mistakes that will eliminate you from consideration.

4. Use Chronological or Hybrid resume format to write your resume .

Recruiters do not like the functional resume format . Unless you’re making a career change, a functional resume is going to work against you. (And even then, we recommend you steer clear of the format for a career change resume .)

The best format for the ATS is traditional reverse chronological. You can also use chronological and hybrid resume formats as these are familiar to most recruiters.

5. Use an easy-to-read, traditional font

For readability, use a traditional serif or sans serif font. Untraditional or “fancy” fonts can cause parsing errors, which means the full text of your resume won’t be searchable.

6. Use standard resume section headings

Section headers like “Where I’ve Been” in place of “Work Experience” will confuse applicant tracking systems, causing them to organize information incorrectly.

7. Save your file as a .docx if possible

A docx file is most compatible with ATS.

What is the best resume format for ATS?

There are three standard resume formats to choose from in your job search. They shape your first impression and determine the way recruiters and hiring managers view your fit as an applicant.

Your resume formatting can also determine how well your resume is parsed within an applicant tracking system (ATS) and how likely you are to be noticed as a result.

Regardless of the format you use, the most important thing is to use standard section headings like Experience, Skills, and Education. That will make it easier for the ATS to categorize the text.

How to tailor your ATS-friendly resume to a job

Tailoring your resume proves to recruiters that you’re an experienced professional. Most importantly, it shows them that you’re the perfect fit for this role.

Follow these three steps for tailoring your resume to a job description:

1. Examine the specific job description of the position

Go line by line through the job description and ask yourself these questions:

• “Does my resume experience section clearly state that I can do what’s required of this role?”
• “Am I using the same language found in the job description or job posting?”

You might find several different or missing skills and keywords in your generic resume.

2. Match skills and keywords from the job description

Mirroring the language, keywords, and buzzwords found within the job description is the easiest way to demonstrate you’re a better match than the competition.

The best way to show you’re the best fit for the position is to take words from the job posting and strategically put them in your job descriptions and other resume sections. A resume scanner will automatically pull out these keywords in seconds and speed up this process.

3. Write your job title clearly

Recruiters might search for people who have done the job they’re hiring, so list your job titles clearly and match the titles to the one in the job posting when possible. If you haven’t held the job before, list it under your name at the top or as part of your summary section.

What is Applicant Tracking Software (ATS)?

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software used to assist with human resources, recruitment, and hiring. While each system offers a different package of features, applicant tracking systems are primarily used to help hiring companies organize and navigate large numbers of applicants.

For example, an ATS stores job candidate information like resumes, cover letters, references, and other recruitment and hiring data that HR teams can easily access and organize. It will also track job candidates and their application status throughout the hiring pipeline.

Ultimately, an ATS automates time-consuming administrative tasks such as manually screening applicants, reading resumes, scheduling interviews, and sending notifications and emails to job candidates and employees.

Can you add graphics to your resume?

When it comes to creating an ATS-friendly resume , the rule is: The simpler, the better. ATS are improving at scanning different formatting features, but not all of them are good at this.

Adding graphics and images could cause ATS parsing errors , which means the text on your resume won’t be fully searchable or accurately categorized by an ATS. We recommend that job seekers err on the side of caution. Avoid graphics, images, and photos.

Are Google Docs or Microsoft resume templates ATS-friendly?

They can be. We talked about some formatting features to avoid on your resume – fancy graphics and non-traditional fonts. Those features can trip up an ATS, even if they’re on a Word document or Google Docs file.

However, as long as you follow the guidelines on this page, or use one of these ATS resume templates, you’ll be fine.

How to get your cover letter past the ATS?

To increase your cover letter’s chances of passing an ATS, focus on using a clean format without complex formatting, incorporate relevant keywords and phrases from the job description, and ensure that your content is easy for the ATS to parse.

Consider using a tool like Jobscan’s cover letter generator to help you create an ATS-friendly cover letter. If you already have a cover letter, run it through our cover letter checker tool to get personalized feedback on how to improve your cover letter and make it more compelling to employers.

More Resume Resources

Google Docs Resume Templates

Professional Resume Templates

Resume Builder

Resume Writing Guide

Score your resume and start optimizing it to get more job interviews

Virtual Tour

Experience University of Idaho with a virtual tour. Explore now

• Discover a Career
• Find a Major
• Experience U of I Life

More Resources

• Admitted Students
• International Students

Take Action

• Find Financial Aid
• View Deadlines
• Find Your Rep

Helping to ensure U of I is a safe and engaging place for students to learn and be successful. Read about Title IX.

Get Involved

• Clubs & Volunteer Opportunities
• Recreation and Wellbeing
• Student Government
• Student Sustainability Cooperative
• Academic Assistance
• Safety & Security

Career Services

• Health & Wellness Services
• Register for Classes
• Dates & Deadlines
• Financial Aid
• Sustainable Solutions
• U of I Library

• Upcoming Events

Review the events calendar.

Stay Connected

• Vandal Family Newsletter
• Here We Have Idaho Magazine
• Living on Campus
• Campus Safety
• About Moscow

The largest Vandal Family reunion of the year. Check dates.

Benefits and Services

• Vandal Voyagers Program
• Vandal License Plate
• Submit Class Notes
• Make a Gift
• View Events
• Alumni Chapters
• University Magazine
• Alumni Newsletter

U of I's web-based retention and advising tool provides an efficient way to guide and support students on their road to graduation. Login to VandalStar.

Common Tools

• Administrative Procedures Manual (APM)
• Class Schedule
• OIT Tech Support
• Academic Dates & Deadlines
• U of I Retirees Association
• Faculty Senate
• Staff Council

Idaho Student Union Building, Vandal Success Center, 3rd Floor

875 Perimeter Drive MS 2534 Moscow, ID 83844-2534 Fall & Spring Semester Hours: (M-F from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) Fall & Spring Semester Drop-in Hours: (M-F from 11 a.m-1 p.m.) In-Person Drop-ins - Stop by the Vandal Success Center desk to get started (ISUB 3rd Floor) Summer Hours: (M-F from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) No drop-in hours are offered at this time - we encourage appointments For students: to schedule an appointment please visit VandalStar .   For alumni: please call or email the office to schedule an appointment.

Phone: 208-885-6121

Fax: 208-885-2816

Email: [email protected]

Resumes and CVs

Explore our Resume Guide:

• Tips for creating or improving your resume
• Tailor your resume to be a perfect fit for a particular opportunity
• Use our checklist to ensure your resume includes all relevant information

• First Year Student pdf
• College of Agricultural and Life Sciences pdf
• College of Art and Architecture pdf
• College of Business and Economics pdf
• College of Education, Health and Human Sciences pdf
• College of Engineering pdf
• College of Letters Arts and Social Sciences pdf
• College of Natural Resources pdf
• College of Science pdf
• 500+ Resume Action Verbs pdf

CV vs. resume — what's the difference?

Both a resume and CV (curriculum vitae) are documents that outline your education, experience and skills. However, they differ in their purpose and layout.

• When applying to a job in the U.S., a resume is almost always the preferred document.
• In many other countries, a resume is known as a CV. However, the term CV refers to a different document in the U.S.
• In the U.S., CVs are most commonly used in academic environments, such as when applying to graduate school, jobs in academia or research positions.
• CVs are more detailed than resumes and may be many pages long, while resumes are concise, usually only 1-2 pages in length.
• CVs include more details on academic accomplishments including research, publications and teaching, while resumes focus on work experiences, education and skills.

What should I include in a CV?

*Note - for details about what to include in a resume, see our Vandal Resume Guide (PDF) .

Possible categories to include in your CV:

• Education and training
• Research experiences
• Teaching experiences
• Work experiences and internships
• Projects, works, exhibitions and performances
• Certificates, licenses and credentials
• Publications (authored or contributed to)
• Conferences and workshops (attended or presented)
• Fellowships, grants or other funding
• Advising/mentoring
• Skills such as languages, technical, computer
• Service, volunteerism and leadership
• Areas of knowledge, expertise or research interest
• Awards and accomplishments
• Affiliations or memberships

CV Example (PDF)

Download Adobe Reader

High School Teacher Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

• Resume Examples

How To Write a High School Teacher Resume

• Resume Text Examples

An effective high school teacher’s resume must prove to the school board you have the classroom management skills to engage students of all backgrounds. Hiring managers must know you can create a positive and inclusive learning environment through sound teaching methods and subject expertise. This guide will walk you through the resume-building process and equip you with tools to write a document showcasing the most impressive aspects of your teaching career.

• Entry-level
• Senior-level

1. Write a dynamic profile summarizing your high school teacher qualifications

Convince school districts, private schools, and other learning institutions that you’re an excellent educator with a compelling resume profile. Start with your job title, followed by years of experience and three to four outstanding specialties or skills. Establish yourself as a professional dedicated to educating high schoolers through leadership and empathy.

You can shift the focus from tenure to training if you’re an entry-level teacher. Mention your recent education and licensing accomplishments and if you earned any honors. You can also switch up the formatting of your profile by using bullet points instead of a paragraph.

Senior-Level Profile Example:

A senior high school teacher with over 10 years of experience specializing in curriculum design, team leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). A strong history of enhancing curriculum development and leading initiatives to facilitate cultural awareness and understanding across school campuses.

Entry-Level Profile Example:

A certified high school teacher with entry-level experience specializing in curriculum development, student engagement, communication, and classroom management. Adept at building positive relationships with students to drive personal and academic growth.

2. Add your high school teacher experience with compelling examples

Show potential employers you achieve results in the classroom by using bullet points with your accomplishments. If you already have plenty of experience in a high school setting, there’s no need to detail every responsibility you had. Instead, list your achievements, using numbers and metrics to quantify your contributions. For example, if you improved average test scores or grade point averages, include this data in a bullet point.

Beyond what you accomplished alone, speak to your ability to work within a team setting. Schools are run by a collection of educators and support staff working for the good of the students. Demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively with students, parents, faculty, and interdisciplinary teams.

Senior-Level Professional Experience Example:

High School Teacher, Charleston High School, Charleston, SC | September 2016 – present

• Teach history courses to classes of up to 30 high school students, tailor lesson plans to student strengths and weaknesses, and provide tutoring to prepare for SATs
• Partner with teachers and the school administration to implement virtual learning and ensure compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols during the transition back to in-person classroom instruction
• Deliver mentorship and guidance to students to prepare for college applications, including letters of recommendation, tutoring, and academic advising

Entry-Level Professional Experience Example:

High School Teacher, San Diego High, San Diego, CA | August 2021 – present

• Deliver instruction to classes of around 30 high school students in science courses, including chemistry, biology, and environmental science
• Coordinate with department faculty to develop and refine curriculum and tailor lesson plans to student needs, resulting in a 15% increase in test scores for science
• Communicate with parents, teachers, and students during conferences to discuss academic performance, behavior, and learning strategies
• Provide tutoring services to students struggling with course material and deliver support for SAT prep workshops

3. Include high school teacher-related education and certifications

As a teacher, your education and licensing credentials are essential to your resume. First, list your highest degree, where you earned it, and when. Beyond your required post-secondary education, you must show hiring managers that you’re licensed or certified to teach in your specific state. In addition to any required training, include certifications in specific subjects or specializations.

For example, First aid, CPR, and Basic Life Support (BLS) certifications are all excellent additions to your resume. Or, if you’re interested in teaching overseas or working with English as a Second Language (ESL) students, a Teaching English as Foreign Language (TEFL) certification would be beneficial.

• [Degree Name]
• [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Secondary Education
• Boston University, Boston, MA | 2016

Certifications

• [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
• Single Subject Teaching Credential, Science: Chemistry, State of California, 2021
• Single Subject Teaching Credential, Math, State of Massachusetts, 2016

4. List high school teacher-related skills and proficiencies

Stay ahead of applicant tracking systems (ATS) by including appropriate key skills from the job description in your resume. It could get overlooked if your resume lacks the keywords and phrases hiring managers seek. Your skills list, professional experience section, and resume profile are great places to include these terms. Study the list of examples below to get a better idea of what you could include on your high school teacher resume:

How To Pick the Best High School Teacher Resume Template

Set hiring managers up for success with a resume template that’s easy to navigate. Look for a template with a simple structure and an organized layout. Prioritize readability above visual appeal to help readers capture essential information quickly. Although personal style is important, keep colors and graphics to a minimum. The template’s design should highlight your accomplishments and skills, not detract from them.

High School Teacher Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

Alex Santos (123) 456-7890 [email protected] 123 Your Street, San Diego, CA 12345

A certified High School Teacher with entry-level experience specializing in curriculum development, student engagement, communication, and classroom management. Adept at building positive relationships with students to drive personal and academic growth.

Professional Experience

High School Teacher, San Diego High, San Diego, CA August 2021 – Present

• Deliver instruction to classes of up to 30+ high school students in science courses, including chemistry, biology, and environmental science

Student Teaching Internship, Santa Cruz High School, Santa Cruz, CA September 2020 – December 2020

• Taught Chemistry I and Environmental Science courses to high school students in collaboration with a certified high school teacher
• Identified student learning needs and provided academic support to aid them in overcoming challenges and improving grade point average

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Secondary Education University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, September 2016 – December 2020

• Classroom Management
• Curriculum Development
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Student Assessments

Sarah Collins (123) 456-7890 [email protected] 123 Your Street, Boston, MA 12345

A High School Teacher with five years of experience specializing in differentiated instruction, cooperative learning, student assessments, and education technology. A proven track record of coordinating with interdisciplinary teams to enhance curriculum design and drive student success.

High School Teacher, Amherst High School, Boston, MA September 2018 – Present

• Teach high school math to classes of 25 to 35 students, including Algebra I, Algebra II, and Calculus
• Tailor curriculum and lesson plans based on student needs and incorporate differentiated instruction to enhance academic performance, resulting in a 25% increase in GPAs
• Conduct student assessments, perform behavioral analysis and utilize cooperative learning techniques to drive student success and personal growth
• Coordinate with faculty and administration to implement E-learning for students during COVID-19, including delivering training sessions for teachers, parents, and students

High School Teacher, Boston High School, Boston, MA September 2016 – September 2018

• Provided instruction to 20 to 25 high school students for math courses, coordinated with the math department to evaluate curriculum, and created lesson plans
• Attend meetings with students and parents to discuss academic progress, goals, and develop strategies to facilitate academic growth

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Secondary Education Boston University, Boston, MA, September 2012 – May 2016

• Differentiated Instruction
• Curriculum Design
• Lesson Planning
• Education Technology
• Behavioral Analysis

Lisa Hagen (123) 456-7890 [email protected] 123 Your Street, Charleston, SC 12345

A senior high school teacher with 10+ years of experience specializing in curriculum design, team leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). A strong history of enhancing curriculum development and leading initiatives to facilitate cultural awareness and understanding across school campuses.

High School Teacher, Charleston High School, Charleston, SC September 2016 – Present

• Partner with teachers and the school administration to implement virtual learning and ensure compliance with Covid-19 safety protocols during the transition back to in-person classroom instruction

High School Teacher, Burke High School, Charleston, SC September 2011 – September 2016

• Taught a wide range of history courses to five classes per day with 20-35 students, conducted lesson planning, and utilized differentiated instruction to provide an optimized learning experience based on student needs
• Coordinated with students, faculty, and parents to plan events and workshops to raise awareness on issues related to discrimination, inequality, and cyberbullying

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Secondary Education College of Charleston, Charleston, SC September 2007 – May 2011

• Student-Centered Learning
• Academic Advising
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
• Single Subject Teaching Credential, History, State of South Carolina, 2011

Frequently Asked Questions: High School Teacher Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for high school teacher resumes -.

Action verbs are a great word choice for your resume because they keep your writing concise. You can use them to describe job duties, achievements, and responsibilities in your professional experience section. If you run out of words as you write, return to the list below. Use these action verbs to liven up your writing and enhance your high school teacher resume:

How do you align your resume with a high school teacher job description? -

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth for high school teachers is really dependent on state and local government budgets. The BLS does, however, predict a 1% increase in high school teacher employment between 2022 and 2032. Although there will be little to no change over the decade, about 67,000 positions will become available each year as teachers retire or transfer occupations.

Given that most teacher opportunities will come from other people leaving, competition for the best teaching jobs will be stiff. Your resume must align with the job description and the educational institution's needs if you want to stand out.

For example, if a school is looking for a teacher to take over their accelerated science track, you would highlight your proficiency in advanced science curricula and talk about your history of inspiring students to participate in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs.

What is the best high school teacher resume format? -

The reverse chronological format is usually the best choice for teachers. This resume emphasizes a stable and steady career, highlighting your progression over the years. With a natural flow from profile to experience and key skills, the school board will understand what you’ve accomplished and how you did it. A combination resume can also be an effective choice for teachers who would rather highlight their skills and training before their work history.

Craft your perfect resume in minutes

Get 2x more interviews with Resume Builder. Access Pro Plan features for a limited time!

Sending a cover letter with your resume is a great way to improve your chances of landing an interview. Customization is key when it comes to writing a strong letter. Check out our teacher cover letter guide to learn how to tailor your document to the school you’re applying to. See our elementary teacher and special education teacher cover letter guides for more examples.

Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

Check Out Related Examples

School Counselor Resume Examples and Templates

Special Education Teacher Resume Examples and Templates

Daycare Teacher Resume Examples and Templates

Build a Resume to Enhance Your Career

• How To Include Licenses and Certifications on Your Resume Learn More
• The Best Questions To Ask in a Job Interview Learn More
• Why Do You Want To Work Here: Interview Question & Answers Learn More

Essential Guides for Your Job Search

• How to Write a Resume Learn More
• How to Write a Cover Letter Learn More
• Thank You Note Examples Learn More
• Resignation Letter Examples Learn More

• Resume Templates Simple Professional Modern Creative View all
• Resume Examples Nurse Student Internship Teacher Accountant View all
• Resume Builder
• Cover Letter Templates Simple Professional Modern Creative View all
• Cover Letter Examples Nursing Administrative Assistant Internship Graduate Teacher View all
• Cover Letter Builder
• Resume Examples

Teacher resume example & writing guide

Elementary school teacher 

High school teacher, choosing the best resume format for a teacher, make use of a summary, outline your teaching experience: your career syllabus, list the education that elevates your teacher candidacy, choose the right resume layout and design for a teacher resume, what type of salary you can expect in teaching.

With the right approach and a great resume, you can find a teacher position that is the perfect balance of job satisfaction and good pay. Educating the principal on your qualifications with an A+ resume will put you at the head of the interview class. 

Teaching has always been an important and challenging career path. It can also be one of the most rewarding and financially stable professions. Working as a teacher has the potential to be satisfying, as well as emotionally and intellectually engaging. But with the changing landscape of educational practices and technologies, aspiring education professionals need to adapt to the modern world. 

With the right approach and a great resume, you can find a teacher position that is the perfect balance of job satisfaction and good pay. 

Resume guide for a teacher resume

So how do you write an excellent teacher resume? Resume.io’s expert advice guides and resume examples cover over 500 professions, and our resume builder takes the tough job of formatting and leaves the personalization to you.

This resume guide and corresponding car sales resume example will cover the following:

How to write a teacher resume

• Choosing the right resume format for a teacher
• How to add your contact information (and what to omit)
• Using summaries
• Adding your teaching experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right resume design/layout
• What the teacher market looks like and what salary you can expect

When you teach writing, you probably include an outline step. Consider the necessary sections of any resume for a teacher as your outline. Your resume should contain the following elements:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

One key difference among teacher resumes may be a publications section. Those who teach at the university level are much more likely to need to include their professional writing.

A resume is a type of persuasive essay that needs to offer strong evidence for your suitability for the position. The best arguments target the reader directly with points that are sure to hit home. Your teacher application is no different.

Research the school, its demographics and philosophy as well as the open position to understand as clearly as possible what the role entails and how your teaching expertise will enhance the student body, faculty and community as a whole.

What does this mean in practice, for you as a teacher seeking a job?

• Tailor your resume for a specific position and purpose. Start with a general resume but make sure you research the employer and customize your resume to address its needs.
• Analyze the job application/listing for specific requirements that are emphasized or mentioned multiple times.

Honing your resume for the ATS

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are automated software applications used by most medium and large employers to process the hundreds or thousands of resumes before they reach their recruiters or hiring specialists. Most ATS systems work by scanning resumes and ranking them for keywords. 

These keywords may be related to certifications/licenses, specific skills or qualities, job experience or other factors. ATS software is widely used by educational institutions, both in the general variety (services like RecruitCRM, TalentCube, JobItUs and others) and even the specialized variety (ATS specifically developed for schools like eTeach). In fact, many schools use school management software that helps with all operational aspects of education. These programs often have built-in ATS.

HR surveys show that, in general, 75% of resumes (U.S. data) are never seen by human eyes because they fail the ATS test, falling into a resume black hole.

Getting specific is the key to mastering the ATS.

• Instead of “Taught reading”
• Use “Implemented Mathology program and realized 11% jump in standardized test scores.

Naming software and curriculum mentioned in the job listing boosts your chances of beating the ATS and shows the hiring department that you understand the requirements of the job.

Your resume format is vitally important no matter the type of teaching job you are aiming for. Not only does the resume formatting impact ATS filtering of your teacher resume, but the template visuals will affect how much attention your teacher resume receives from recruiters. 

Similar to the use of keywords and your summary description, your resume format presents a dual challenge: pass the ATS filtering and win over the hiring manager. The best format for a teacher resume is reverse chronological order . This puts the information that recruiters seek – mainly your most recent position and your contact information – right where they are expecting to find it. The ATS is also designed to look for this format when it scans your education resume.

Career changers should consider a hybrid or functional style resume since they expand the space for transferable skills, or skills that you used in your previous career that will make you a great teacher.

Include your contact information

How many times have you drilled into your students’ heads that papers with no names on them will receive zero credit? Of course, you wouldn’t do that on your teaching resume, but there are considerations for your header . 

The goal of the header is to provide the best methods to contact you using the most professional presentation. Definitely include the following:

• Full name and title. List your first and last name. If you have earned a doctorate, feel free to use Dr. Also list the title of the role you are pursuing.
• Professional email address. If you don’t have one, create an email address with a format such as [email protected] .
• Phone number. Avoid using your work number and instead choose your cell phone, making sure you check it frequently.
• Address. Your street address should not be included. List only your city and state . If you are applying to positions outside your commutable area, let your prospective employer know that you are willing to move by stating that here.
• LinkedIn. If your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date include it here.

Do not include any personal information such as your social security number, marital status or date of birth. Definitely don’t put a portrait on your header. HR personnel want to avoid any appearance of bias.

Dr. Hannah Jonas

Professor of integral calculus

(415) 612-0045

[email protected]

San Mateo, CA

Willing to relocate

Looking for position as professor of integral calculus

914 24th Street, San Mateo, CA

The summary (or profile) section of your teacher resume is a snapshot of both your personality and your professional qualities. It allows you a bit of leeway (about four sentences) to tell your teaching story and express your classroom style. Give it some energy.

The summary (also known as the profile or the personal statement) is the only place on your teacher resume where you can realistically employ some creative writing skills, adding energy and personality to gain a competitive edge.

Here are two goals for your teacher resume summary:

• Convey the most important hand-picked information about your past career, qualities and achievements.
• Tell your future employer how you can contribute to its school or business as an amazing teacher.

In most cases, the summary is going to be prominently featured at the top of your resume. It’s prime “real estate” on your single page of professional characteristics. Make it count. The idea is to have it describe an actual living person, avoid clichés and provide a window into your professional character as a teacher. Action verbs are great for this. Here are some sample sentences that you may be able to adapt to your own teacher resume summary:

• Established a warm, caring and friendly environment for kids to develop and learn in the classroom.
• Supported parents and children in my class in navigating through early childhood development.
• Employed advanced teaching techniques based on kids’ neurobiology and childhood psychology to make sure my pupils had the best learning environment possible.
• Published paper detailing research results in professional journal.

Don’t include obvious phrases like “able to rise to the challenge” or “can adapt to stressful situations.” Phrases like these are either expected by the employer as a given or make it sound like you have nothing real to say about your professional qualities/achievements.

If you’re feeling a bit lost when trying to come up with your 3- to 4-sentence summary, try looking at your experience, skills and certifications, and cherry-pick the most impressive ones. Additionally, try to evaluate what aspect of your career or professional personality is strongest. Is it your knowledge and education? Is it your skills and qualities? Is it your experience as a teacher? Based on this, you can determine whether your resume summary is one of the following examples:

• Knowledge-oriented: if your strongest professional features are your education, expertise in certain areas, certifications and so on, mention these first and make them prominent.
• Skills-oriented: If you’re a natural or acquired talent in some areas and tasks, proven by your former coworkers, students and students’ parents, highlight these aspects of your career.
• Experience-oriented: If you’re a seasoned veteran, with a wealth of experience in numerous jobs and schools, underline this fact to show how valuable and reliable you would be.

Need inspiration for your summary? Check out our more specific teacher resumes: 

• Early Childhood Educator resume sample
• College Student resume sample
• Student resume sample
• Academic Librarian resume sample
• Health Educator resume sample
• ESL Teacher resume sample
• Tutor resume sample 
• Teacher Assistant resume sample 
• Substitute Teacher resume sample
• Middle School Teacher resume sample
• Elementary School Teacher resume sample
• College Professor resume sample
• Internship resume sample
• High School Teacher resume sample
• Academic Tutor resume sample 
• College Admissions resume sample
• Academic resume sample
• Education resume sample
• Research Assistant resume sample
• Teen resume sample
• School Counselor resume sample
• Instructional Designer resume sample
• Camp Counselor resume sample
• Special Education Teacher resume sample

You can find adaptable teacher resume example summaries below:

Enthusiastic middle school science teacher brimming with ideas and ready for my own classroom. Strong belief that every student is a budding scientist who simply needs inspiration. Experienced in data collection, curriculum differentiation, and consistent communication with parents, guardians, and colleagues.

Dedicated and dynamic certified Childhood Educator with several years of experience working to facilitate the highest level of learning possible. Adept in differentiating curriculum to meet the needs of all students, while ensuring the mastery of specific learning standards. 

Experienced and passionate Teacher with a love for educating today's youth. Adept in creating a comprehensive and well-rounded curriculum that meets education requirements and standards. Able to act as a facilitator of powerful learning experiences, while allowing students to dictate certain lessons and lead with curiosity. Familiar with many renowned educational philosophies aimed at supporting a child academically, emotionally, and socially. Bringing forth dedication, skill, and the desire to positively impact the lives of children.

The employment history section is the core of an experienced teacher resume. It ties everything together by listing and quantifying (when possible) the successes you have already achieved in your teaching career. Make sure it’s the most robust and detailed resume section you have. 

Each of the entries in this section should ideally include the following:

• Position / job title
• Organization / workplace name
• Dates of employment
• Short descriptive examples of the most important duties, achievements, metrics, projects

The best way to show how productive and industrious you are as a teacher is to offer facts, figures, numbers and project names wherever possible. 

Here are ideas for a preschool teacher resume employment section. Note the strong action words and variety of skills demonstrated.

• Served as a passionate and dynamic Lead Teacher for students ages 3-5.
• Created and implemented stimulating curriculum, aimed at supporting the appropriate learning standards.
• Supported the academic, emotional, and social growth of students.
• Maintained positive communication habits with parents and families.
• Collaborated with staff and administrators to enhance programs and remain united in our goals.

And for an elementary school teacher:

• Worked to empower two classes of fourth grade students by motivating them to become lovers of learning.
• Created and implemented lesson plans that supported fourth grade learning standards.
• Developed and implemented cross-curriculum lessons to support multiple academic disciplines simultaneously.
• Communicated with parents and families using an online portal, complete with documentation of class learning experiences, activities, and events.

The best way to show how productive and industrious you are as a teacher is to offer facts, figures, numbers and project names wherever possible. Below you will find a sample teacher resume work experience section.

Early Childhood Teacher at The Seed, Brooklyn September 2015 - Present

• Provide optimal care and academic support to students aged 1-3 years.
• Create and implement lesson plans based on child-led interests and curiosities.
• Encourage students to actively play and explore new things with fellow classmates.
• Maintain organized files for each student containing documents indicative of their progress.
• Facilitate outdoor learning experiences and the involvement of nature as much as possible.
• Follow school policies and regulations regarding safety and school procedures at all times.

Early Childhood Teacher at The Ridge Hill School, New York September 2013 - May 2015

• Developed and implemented a well-rounded curriculum designed for students aged 1-3.
• Encouraged the social development of students by facilitating meaningful opportunities for play.
• Encouraged students to engage in the world by introducing them to interesting and thought-provoking subjects.
• Created and fostered positive relationships with parents and family members of students.
• Provided various hands-on activities to promote critical thinking skills.
• Monitored and recorded the progress of students and created plans for improvement.

Build a snapshot of your key teaching skills 

The skills section is one of the shortest parts of your teacher resume. There isn’t much room to elaborate. Make each item count towards your shining professional teacher toolbox. Recruiters are likely to scan this section first to see if they want to read on.

The skills section is used by recruiters (as well as ATS software) to evaluate how productive and versatile you will be as a teacher in both your day-to-day activities and in challenging situations. Unlike the summary, you don’t have much room to be creative in this resume section. There isn’t much “real estate” here to expand upon, so each skill needs to be carefully evaluated to determine whether it should take up precious space on your resume. 

According to DATA USA, the most highly valued skills by employers of elementary and middle school teachers are related to these general categories: 

• Learning Strategies
• Instructing
• Social Perceptiveness

For preschool teachers, the skill categories are similar but with an additional emphasis on Organizational and Monitoring skills, as young children require constant attention.

You’re likely familiar with the concept of hard and soft skills , but to reiterate the general rule of thumb: hard skills relate to very specific and pragmatic activities, for example: knowledge sets, software, sciences or methodologies. Soft skills mostly relate to personal interaction – examples include emotional intellect and communication. Try to aim for a good balance of both categories in your teacher resume.You’re likely familiar with the concept of hard and soft skills, but to reiterate the general rule of thumb: hard skills relate to very specific and pragmatic activities, for example: knowledge sets, software, sciences or methodologies. Soft skills mostly relate to personal interaction – examples include emotional intellect and communication. Try to aim for a good balance of both categories in your teacher resume.

Teaching skills

The education section of a teacher resume should be crafted with care, as this is your field, but keep it short, listing only your schools and degrees. If you have earned a postsecondary degree, it’s generally considered unnecessary to mention your high school.

Be meticulous in ensuring you have clean formatting in this resume section, clear and concise descriptions and any relevant licenses and educational awards that demonstrate your aptitude as a teacher. Teaching is a profession that places a certain amount of emphasis on certifications and licenses. The most prominent of these should be mentioned in your resume summary, and the rest should go here.

Professional development and publications

All teachers must complete hours of professional development to maintain their certifications. If you are particularly active, have designed and presented at seminars or completely relevant seminars or coursework outside your degree, include a separate Professional Development section.

Postgraduate teachers are often required to publish, but even if you are work at a lower level, any academic or education articles you have published are worthy of highlighting. If you have the space, create a separate Publications section.

Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, Hunter College, New York August 2013 - May 2017

High School Diploma, St. Catherine's High School, New York September 2009 - June 2013

• Graduated with High Honors.

While you want to gain the attention of recruiters, you should also exhibit restraint in the design of your teaching resume, especially if you are teaching at the high school level or above. Elementary and preschool teachers can be a bit more creative.

To optimize the design of your educator resume for recruiters and HR departments, follow these tips: 

• Make sure to include some white space between your resume sections. A resume that is completely covered in text leaves no room for the brain or eyes to rest.
• Make sure the sections of your resume are clean, symmetrical and well-placed. An aesthetically pleasing format will make recruiters more likely to read your resume.
• Use professional resume templates that have been tested and designed by experts. Make sure your template expresses your values and personality as a teacher.

Keep it simple - there is no need for your resume to be creative. Clear and concise is all that is required.

Ensure your resume is spaced out well and that it is clear and easy to read.

Write a resume that is more than two pages long. Recruiters simply don't have the time to read pages and pages.

Use tables and graphs, or any images on your resume. Text only is fine.

Because your resume format is so important in creating a great first impression as a teacher, you're going to want to place a lot of emphasis on its design and style. If you have graphic design experience, you might enjoy designing a CV yourself. If not, professional templates can make putting together your resume a much easier affair. 

Resume.io offers a variety of teacher resume templates for all types of positions: Professional for formal workplaces, simple for new teachers or teaching assistants and modern or creative templates for more forward-thinking employers. 

Choose the resume template that works for you and then edit the sample sentences inside of our convenient resume builder. Our resume templates are designed to provide a foundation – you make them your own!

Teacher job market and outlook

Teachers are one of the most varied and flexible professions out there, both in terms of job experience and the varied backgrounds that teachers come from. According to National Center for Education Statistics data, while the average age of elementary, middle and high school teachers is around 42, the age range is quite wide: from 19 all the way to 86. If you’re just starting out or are making a career change to education from another field, it’s completely acceptable to list marginally related work experience. 

Remember that schools are not the only organizations that hire teachers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , the three runner-up employer categories are: the executive branch of the federal government, educational support services and performing arts companies. If you’re submitting a resume to one of these alternative categories, make sure to tailor it to your potential employer. Do your research.

Let’s start at the beginning and take a look at some sample data from the teacher job market of recent years. Here’s what the ranking of different categories of teachers looks like based on job market growth (according to U.S. Labor Department statistics):

• Elementary school teachers (+1% jobs per year)
• Secondary school teachers (+1% jobs per year)
• Preschool teachers (+3% jobs per year)
• Special education teachers (no change)
• Postsecondary teachers (8% per year)

A teaching resume for a postsecondary professor will look different from that of an elementary school teacher. Keep the environment in which you want to teach at the forefront as you develop your application.

Key takeaways for building a teacher resume

• To land an interview and a great teaching position, tailor your teacher resume for each application. This will greatly increase your chances.
• Pay attention to your teacher resume format and choose the right resume template both for the sake of passing the ATS test and impressing hiring managers.
• Your summary/personal statement is there to convince your potential employer you are a productive, knowledgeable and reliable teacher.
• Craft a robust employment history section by using reverse chronological order and supplying examples of results, facts and achievements.
• In your skills section, try to organically use sample keywords found in the job description.
• Show some love to your education section, as this is your own field as a teacher.

Beautiful ready-to-use resume templates