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what is a good time to start thinking about my resumé ?
im in middle school and i would like to know if now is a good time to start thinking about my resume or should i wait? if it is a good time what should i put on it.If not when should i start thinking about it?
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33 answers
Updated
Lirio’s Answer
What to Start Tracking Now:
- School clubs or activities you join
- Community service or volunteering (like helping at church or a food drive)
- Awards, honors, or competitions (even if they’re small!)
- Leadership roles (like being a team captain or leading a group project)
When to Start an Actual Resume:
You’ll probably need a real resume by high school, especially around 10th or 11th grade, when you might apply for internships, summer programs, or jobs. But starting now helps you be ready and not forget anything important later.
- School clubs or activities you join
- Community service or volunteering (like helping at church or a food drive)
- Awards, honors, or competitions (even if they’re small!)
- Leadership roles (like being a team captain or leading a group project)
When to Start an Actual Resume:
You’ll probably need a real resume by high school, especially around 10th or 11th grade, when you might apply for internships, summer programs, or jobs. But starting now helps you be ready and not forget anything important later.
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Garry’s Answer
That's a fantastic question! In middle school, you can lay the groundwork for a future resume by keeping track of activities where you show leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, or helping others. When it's time to create a resume for something like an academic opportunity, a summer internship, or a job, you'll already have a strong foundation to share your story. You've got this!
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Peter’s Answer
I think that creating and updating a resume should be a lifelong practice as you continue your student and then professional career. If you have begun to gain experience through jobs, volunteering or other avenues it is worth getting into the habit of learning to write those entries and build your resume. As you approach high school you will be thinking I am sure about summer jobs, then internships in college and eventually jobs. Having a base for your resume and being comfortable writing your story are skills you will need throughout your life. I would add there are many online tools and examples of resumes to leverage so you don't have to start completely from scratch.
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Kim’s Answer
Sophia,
I would encourage you, not necessarily to start thinking about your own resume, but rather, to start learning about resumes! You can even play with different layouts to see which visual designs you prefer. I recommend the site gotresumebuilder.com It lets you experiment with the layouts, and even decide what section headings you want to use, such as "education," "volunteer experience," etc.
The two basic types of resumes are reverse chronological and functional. Most people start with the reverse chronological. It's easier to write, and, is what most employers expect to see. It lists work history , education, and accomplishments, starting with the most recent first and working back in time.
The functional focuses on 3-5 skills (leadership, technology, customer service, etc) and highlights your strengths and experiences under each one.
The beauty of technology is you can have one of each type of resume. You can change it up for each job you apply to. In fact, that is encouraged, because, you will want to learn to focus on "keywords." A job announcement tells you what the employer is looking for. You want to use the same terminology, especially since many resumes are first reviewed by a computer. ATS -applicant tracking software. You will need to learn how to make the resume acceptable to that software, such as by not using weird fonts.
There is a certain way of writing to explain your accomplishments. For example, if I am reading a resume, and, I'm not into sports, I might not automatically attribute certain qualities to you simply because you list "volleyball team." But, you will need to call my attention to what might seem obvious - practice/ (a sign of good attendance), mentoring younger team members (leadership), equipment inventory, etc. Writing a short blurb after listing "volleyball team" will help you to realize what this activity did for you, and, will help future employers connect the dots.
As others have pointed out, start "collecting" your material now. It will make it much easier when you need to actually write a resume. you can also start looking at job announcements to see what sort of qualifications an employer is looking for.
One last pointer. There is no one right way to write a resume. So, when you do write it, and give it to a few people to review, be careful not to give it to too many people! They will all have different opinions, and this can be frustrating. So, give it to no more than 3 people - 3 people who you know will be honest with you and give you some constructive criticism.
Best of luck to you!
Kim
I would encourage you, not necessarily to start thinking about your own resume, but rather, to start learning about resumes! You can even play with different layouts to see which visual designs you prefer. I recommend the site gotresumebuilder.com It lets you experiment with the layouts, and even decide what section headings you want to use, such as "education," "volunteer experience," etc.
The two basic types of resumes are reverse chronological and functional. Most people start with the reverse chronological. It's easier to write, and, is what most employers expect to see. It lists work history , education, and accomplishments, starting with the most recent first and working back in time.
The functional focuses on 3-5 skills (leadership, technology, customer service, etc) and highlights your strengths and experiences under each one.
The beauty of technology is you can have one of each type of resume. You can change it up for each job you apply to. In fact, that is encouraged, because, you will want to learn to focus on "keywords." A job announcement tells you what the employer is looking for. You want to use the same terminology, especially since many resumes are first reviewed by a computer. ATS -applicant tracking software. You will need to learn how to make the resume acceptable to that software, such as by not using weird fonts.
There is a certain way of writing to explain your accomplishments. For example, if I am reading a resume, and, I'm not into sports, I might not automatically attribute certain qualities to you simply because you list "volleyball team." But, you will need to call my attention to what might seem obvious - practice/ (a sign of good attendance), mentoring younger team members (leadership), equipment inventory, etc. Writing a short blurb after listing "volleyball team" will help you to realize what this activity did for you, and, will help future employers connect the dots.
As others have pointed out, start "collecting" your material now. It will make it much easier when you need to actually write a resume. you can also start looking at job announcements to see what sort of qualifications an employer is looking for.
One last pointer. There is no one right way to write a resume. So, when you do write it, and give it to a few people to review, be careful not to give it to too many people! They will all have different opinions, and this can be frustrating. So, give it to no more than 3 people - 3 people who you know will be honest with you and give you some constructive criticism.
Best of luck to you!
Kim
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Diana’s Answer
It's great that you're thinking ahead!
Anytime in Jr high or high school is a great time to start, It's actually a perfect time to start working on a resumé. Here are a few reasons why. Early Preparation: Starting early gives you plenty of time to refine your resumé and make it stand out. You can gradually add experiences and skills as you gain them. You can include school projects, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities. These experiences are valuable and show your initiative and skills.
Anytime in Jr high or high school is a great time to start, It's actually a perfect time to start working on a resumé. Here are a few reasons why. Early Preparation: Starting early gives you plenty of time to refine your resumé and make it stand out. You can gradually add experiences and skills as you gain them. You can include school projects, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities. These experiences are valuable and show your initiative and skills.
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Tim’s Answer
Start working on your resume now! It's always a good time to begin and keep your resume up to date. You never know when a job opportunity might come up, and you'll want to be prepared. I make sure to update mine at least every three months.
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Christian’s Answer
As a middle schooler, there's nothing wrong with thinking about your resume, but I don't think you should feel pressured to! It will be helpful for you to stay organized and keep track of your key documents, experiences, and achievements. At the end of the day, you really only need a resume when you're applying for jobs, and it's probably only a few days of effort, so it's not worth investing a ton of time in for a middle schooler unless there's a specific need for it
Thank you so much!
sophia
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Matthew’s Answer
It’s never too early to start working on your resume. I assembled my first resume my freshman year of college to make a base template that I still use today. Even if you don’t have much experience yet its great to build out that base to expand as you grow and can continue to build your personal brand. Its important to keep up with your resume after constructing it to stay current as your experience grows with time and recycle the older experiences for your newer, more relevant experiences to the role you may be pursuing.
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Michael’s Answer
This is a great question! I think middle school is a great time to start building your resume by picking up as many jobs as possible and really showing you are willing to hustle and learn. But I'd only create a formal resume once high school starts!
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Ekua’s Answer
Now is the best time. Your resume doesn’t have to be prepared only when you’ve worked an actual job. If you volunteer or have held any position of leadership in school or in your community, you can present it in a way that is pertinent to the career of your choice.
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Annika’s Answer
Even though it is early, now could be a great time to just tart having it in mind! Even if you’re not applying yet, having a draft helps you track what you’ve done and makes it easier to update later! :)
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Jenisha’s Answer
You can start thinking about your resume now. It is actually a good practice to keep your resume updated regularly. You should think of updating it with new skills, achievements, and experiences so you’re always prepared for new opportunities, and makes it much easier to apply quickly when the right role of interest comes along. Since, you are in middle school, you can start adding things such as: clubs you are part of, any sports you play, volunteer work, summer camps, etc.
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Srilatha’s Answer
It's great that you're already thinking about your resume in middle school. This shows you're planning ahead! You don't need a full professional resume yet, but starting a "starter resume" or brag sheet now is a smart idea. This will help you keep track of your achievements, experiences, and skills, so you won't forget anything important when you apply for internships, jobs, or college.
Why start now?
- You'll develop good habits by tracking your growth early.
- You'll be prepared for opportunities like summer programs, leadership roles, or scholarships.
- It helps you see your progress and find areas to improve.
What to include in a middle school resume or brag sheet:
Even without a job, there are still valuable things to add:
1. Basic Information
- Name
- Contact info (email with your parents’ permission)
- Grade and school
2. Education
- School name and current grade
- GPA (if you know it)
- Honors or advanced classes
3. Extracurricular Activities
- Clubs (like robotics or student council)
- Sports teams
- Music, theater, art
4. Volunteering or Community Service
- Church, school events, food drives, tutoring, etc.
5. Awards and Achievements
- Honor roll
- Competitions (math, science, spelling bee, etc.)
- Recognition from teachers or community
6. Skills
- Computer skills (typing, coding, PowerPoint)
- Communication or teamwork
- Bilingual skills
- Creativity, problem-solving
7. Hobbies or Interests
- Reading, drawing, gaming (if it shows learning or strategy)
- Building things (like Legos or science projects)
When to turn it into a real resume:
Start making it more formal around 8th or 9th grade if you're applying to high school programs, summer internships, or part-time jobs. But even before then, a brag sheet is your foundation.
Why start now?
- You'll develop good habits by tracking your growth early.
- You'll be prepared for opportunities like summer programs, leadership roles, or scholarships.
- It helps you see your progress and find areas to improve.
What to include in a middle school resume or brag sheet:
Even without a job, there are still valuable things to add:
1. Basic Information
- Name
- Contact info (email with your parents’ permission)
- Grade and school
2. Education
- School name and current grade
- GPA (if you know it)
- Honors or advanced classes
3. Extracurricular Activities
- Clubs (like robotics or student council)
- Sports teams
- Music, theater, art
4. Volunteering or Community Service
- Church, school events, food drives, tutoring, etc.
5. Awards and Achievements
- Honor roll
- Competitions (math, science, spelling bee, etc.)
- Recognition from teachers or community
6. Skills
- Computer skills (typing, coding, PowerPoint)
- Communication or teamwork
- Bilingual skills
- Creativity, problem-solving
7. Hobbies or Interests
- Reading, drawing, gaming (if it shows learning or strategy)
- Building things (like Legos or science projects)
When to turn it into a real resume:
Start making it more formal around 8th or 9th grade if you're applying to high school programs, summer internships, or part-time jobs. But even before then, a brag sheet is your foundation.
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Yashasvi’s Answer
The best time to start thinking about your resume is as early as possible—ideally, as soon as you begin college or even in high school. Here’s why:
1. Early Preparation Gives You an Advantage
• Keeps You Organized: Tracking your experiences, skills, and achievements from the start makes it easier to build a strong resume later.
• Identifies Gaps: Early planning helps you spot areas where you might want to gain more experience or skills.
2. Update Regularly
• Add new experiences (jobs, internships, volunteer work, projects, awards) as they happen.
• Regular updates ensure you don’t forget important details.
3. Ready for Opportunities
• Many internships, scholarships, and jobs have deadlines early in the academic year.
• Having a resume ready means you can apply quickly when opportunities arise.
4. Career Services Support
• If you start early, you can get feedback from career advisors, professors, or mentors and make improvements over time.
1. Early Preparation Gives You an Advantage
• Keeps You Organized: Tracking your experiences, skills, and achievements from the start makes it easier to build a strong resume later.
• Identifies Gaps: Early planning helps you spot areas where you might want to gain more experience or skills.
2. Update Regularly
• Add new experiences (jobs, internships, volunteer work, projects, awards) as they happen.
• Regular updates ensure you don’t forget important details.
3. Ready for Opportunities
• Many internships, scholarships, and jobs have deadlines early in the academic year.
• Having a resume ready means you can apply quickly when opportunities arise.
4. Career Services Support
• If you start early, you can get feedback from career advisors, professors, or mentors and make improvements over time.
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Martha’s Answer
What a great question, Sophia! Generally, I would say wait until high school for a more formal resume. It may vary, however, based on the jobs you are looking for. If you are looking for baby-sitting, for example, maybe a flyer (with some references available upon request) would be enough. But if you are looking for an IT-related job, you may want a document listing your previous projects and specific apps/software you know.
You may not have a lot to add, even in high school, but some kind of resume would be handy for college applications and interviews. (Note: not all colleges will ask for - or even accept - resumes but it would be worth it for the ones who do.) The Common App and Naviance (college advising software available through your school; your school may have another one) have templates you could use. See the link below for other suggestions.
Good luck!
Indeed.com - https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/resume-examples-for-teens#:~:text=If%20you're%20a%20teenager,highlight%20your%20most%20relevant%20skills.
You may not have a lot to add, even in high school, but some kind of resume would be handy for college applications and interviews. (Note: not all colleges will ask for - or even accept - resumes but it would be worth it for the ones who do.) The Common App and Naviance (college advising software available through your school; your school may have another one) have templates you could use. See the link below for other suggestions.
Good luck!
Martha recommends the following next steps:
Thank you, Martha!
sophia
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Grace’s Answer
It’s never too early. Most importantly, don’t underestimate your experiences especially if it contributes to the job your seeking or gives insights to your interests, strengths, and purpose. Even if it’s not for a formal resume yet, you should start to make a list of your achievements so you don’t forget, which can include student council officer, community volunteering, summer jobs, Junior Achievement events or awards, school organizations, or helping your parents with their business.
A resume is never "final" - every time I revisit my resume, there's always an edit or tweak or update that I want to add which comes with experience and time or having a colleague review it too.
A resume is never "final" - every time I revisit my resume, there's always an edit or tweak or update that I want to add which comes with experience and time or having a colleague review it too.
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Don’s Answer
Hello Sophia,
It is good that you are thinking ahead when it comes to writing a resume. I think the best time to write a resume is when you start to look for jobs and this is usually in high school for most people or when you are in college. For myself, I didn't have a resume till I was in college because I didn't work in high school. On your resume it should include things like education, job experience, a goal or statement, your name/contact information, skills you have, certifications/licenses, awards/achievements and much more. Your resume should be an overview of your life in a way. Hope everything goes well with your school year!
It is good that you are thinking ahead when it comes to writing a resume. I think the best time to write a resume is when you start to look for jobs and this is usually in high school for most people or when you are in college. For myself, I didn't have a resume till I was in college because I didn't work in high school. On your resume it should include things like education, job experience, a goal or statement, your name/contact information, skills you have, certifications/licenses, awards/achievements and much more. Your resume should be an overview of your life in a way. Hope everything goes well with your school year!
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Nicholas’s Answer
Hi Sophia,
That's a great question! I don't think you have to worry just yet, it can probably wait until high school. But I think it's never too early to start working on things that can eventually be added to your resume. By this, I mean it's never too early to start building your knowledge of things that interest you. It's that interest that will eventually drive you to work on things in the future that will help you build a great resume.
My best advice is to put yourself out there, and really strive to be curious and learn new things. Over time, you'll have experiences that you can add to your resume in the future.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
That's a great question! I don't think you have to worry just yet, it can probably wait until high school. But I think it's never too early to start working on things that can eventually be added to your resume. By this, I mean it's never too early to start building your knowledge of things that interest you. It's that interest that will eventually drive you to work on things in the future that will help you build a great resume.
My best advice is to put yourself out there, and really strive to be curious and learn new things. Over time, you'll have experiences that you can add to your resume in the future.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
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Don’s Answer
Hello Sophia,
You can think about doing your resume at any time of your life whether it be high school or college. I didn't have a resume till I was in college because I didn't work in high school. It really depends on when you want to get a job, what job experience you have and what type of job you are trying to get. I would say that it is the most important in high school and college because this is when you will need it the most. If you want to start right now, I would say speak with people who have made good resumes or look up videos/tips of how to write an effective resume. Hope this advice helps and best of luck in your future!
You can think about doing your resume at any time of your life whether it be high school or college. I didn't have a resume till I was in college because I didn't work in high school. It really depends on when you want to get a job, what job experience you have and what type of job you are trying to get. I would say that it is the most important in high school and college because this is when you will need it the most. If you want to start right now, I would say speak with people who have made good resumes or look up videos/tips of how to write an effective resume. Hope this advice helps and best of luck in your future!
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DJ’s Answer
Resume building and refining usually happens more when you’re actively seeking job or career aspirations. However, employers will get a sense of your values through the activities you naturally participate in without any kind of resume building motive. Said differently, engage in opportunities or lean into activities that align with your values or interest you. At the end of the day, your resume is a professional representation about you, and you want employers to understand how the experiences you’ve learned from during current/previous employment, organizations, volunteer opportunities, etc. has made you more valuable as a professional.
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Martina’s Answer
Hi Sophia, that's a great question. It's never too early to start thinking about your resume. You can create it as soon as you begin your first job.
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Travis’s Answer
Right now! I think what’s important is that there’s no minimum number of experiences or attributes needed in order to compile a resume. Resumes don’t have to be filled with an overflow of work experiences/activities; quality is much more important than quantity. Being able to outline your experiences and skills – whatever those are! – in a manner that will draw interest from future recruiters/employers is a skill that takes time and practice. So start early! Draft a resume, and ask the counselors in your life – whether that be career counselors at school, or family/friends, or coworkers – to take a look through it and give you suggestions on how best to reflect your skills. And don’t be afraid to receive that constructive criticism on your resume! So many people have been in your shoes at this time of their lives 😊.
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Rachel’s Answer
It's never too soon to think about the resume,this is what employers will see. Even if you have no work experience right now starting with the basics like your email and yes make a professional one no biggie smalls98. Look at your social media and have one personal reference because someone can say something nice about you so you can get a job in me say.
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Robert’s Answer
You should always think about your resume. Even if you don’t have work experience start building it out with anything you have done in school. The link below can be a good resource to get started:
http://resume.io
If you don’t always have access to a computer you can write your resume out on a notepad, adding to it until you are able to get on a computer and write out your resume.
Starting a LinkedIn account is also a great way to help setting up a resume. You can also upload your resume into LinkedIn.
http://resume.io
If you don’t always have access to a computer you can write your resume out on a notepad, adding to it until you are able to get on a computer and write out your resume.
Starting a LinkedIn account is also a great way to help setting up a resume. You can also upload your resume into LinkedIn.
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Nikki’s Answer
Sophia -
First of all - kudos to you for already thinking this far ahead.
I think that High School is a great time to start on your resume and you will have a head start. While you may not have paid job experience as yet, you want to list out any after school, extracurricular, and club activities that you take part in. Club Officer positions (President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary) show responsibility. Extracurricular activities show that you are able to balance your schoolwork with additional responsibilities. You can list all of these on your resume to help you obtain your first job and continue to build from there.
First of all - kudos to you for already thinking this far ahead.
I think that High School is a great time to start on your resume and you will have a head start. While you may not have paid job experience as yet, you want to list out any after school, extracurricular, and club activities that you take part in. Club Officer positions (President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary) show responsibility. Extracurricular activities show that you are able to balance your schoolwork with additional responsibilities. You can list all of these on your resume to help you obtain your first job and continue to build from there.
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Suchismita’s Answer
Hi Sophia! That's a great question! I would say that high school is a good time to maybe start building your first resume. You can include things like your contact information, clubs that you're a part of, any part time work or volunteering that you have done. You can also add a career objective on the top of the resume which is a personal goal for you. Having a good resume will really help in landing internships as you go to college. Don't worry if your resume doesn't have a lot on it now, it will grow with time. Good luck!
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Allison’s Answer
I love how you are thinking ahead! High School is a great time to begin crafting your resume. It is important to remember to include any community service that you participate in.
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Julie’s Answer
Hi Sophia! While in middle school, you may not need the resume itself since you can't work for a few more years. However, that doesn't mean that you need to wait to start formulating one! To prepare for making a resume, I highly recommend keeping a record of all your educational accomplishments and extracurricular activities. This would including anything such as making honor roll, any clubs you join, or sports teams you are a part of. Once you create your resume, you can use those accomplishments and activities to fill it out and show yourself as educated and well balanced. You will probably have the majority of these experiences in high school, so it's okay if you feel like you don't have much to write down as of now. Something else important to keep in mind is that employers will be more interested in your education and accomplishments in high school since that is when you will be at working age, so just be ready for that!
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Justin’s Answer
Great question, Sophia! You might get the chance to take a course in high school that teaches you how to build a resume. You can start by adding clubs and activities, even if you don't have work experience yet. Over time, your resume will grow and look even better!
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Wonkeun’s Answer
Start thinking about your resume halfway through high school. This will help you get ready to apply for college, trade school, or a job after graduation.
Thank you, Wonkeun!
sophia
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Sathya’s Answer
Yes, middle school is a great time to start thinking about your resume! Even though you may not have job experience yet, you can include things like school projects, volunteer work, clubs, sports, and any awards you’ve received. This helps you get used to tracking your accomplishments and building confidence. Starting early also means you’ll be ready when opportunities like internships or summer programs come up. If you’re not ready to write a full resume, just keep a list of your activities and achievements for now. By the time you reach high school, you’ll have a strong foundation to build on. Good luck :)
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Alexandra’s Answer
Great question! I wouldn't worry about making a formal resume until you are ready for employment. It's a great idea to keep track of all your accomplishments/clubs that you're in for when that time comes, but you have plenty of time!
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Elayne’s Answer
Even in high school, it’s smart to plan for the future. Think like an employer. Show that you have experience working with people and engaging with the public. This shows you have teamwork, communication, and customer care skills. When listing jobs on your resume, highlight the experience and interpersonal skills you gained in each role.