High school graduate skills: Resume and cover letter

List of high school skills

The talents listed below are ones that nearly every high school student possesses and that every company seeks. Additionally, you'll discover associated keyword words that you can utilize in your cover letter and resume.

Communication

The capability to understand and speak to others is referred to as communication skills. Both oral and written communication are included in this competence. Each student has had some training honing their communication abilities. Have you ever given any presentations in front of the class? Afterward, your verbal communication abilities will have enhanced. Have you taken any writing-related classes? Ensure to highlight your communication experiences because businesses are constantly searching for staff members with good verbal and written communication skills. 

• Customer service
• Friendly
• Good listener
• Guest Services
• Presentation
• Reading
• Verbal communication
• Writing

Dependability

Students with maturity and the ability to be relied upon to complete tasks on time are sought after by employers. Promote your sense of responsibility. Have you ever been handed more responsibility at your job, school, or even in sporting events as a result of your dependability? In your application for the job, give instances of them.

• Flexible
• Follow instructions
• Hard-working
• Multitasking
• Organized
• Punctual

Quick learner

Employers sometimes don't anticipate high schoolers to have all the necessary abilities immediately. Though, they will count on you to take up new talents rapidly. Focus on instances in the past when you learned new expertise or technique quickly.

• Accuracy
• Energetic
• Enthusiastic
• Fast worker
• Initiative
• Innovative
• Learn quickly
• Research
• Willing to learn

Teamwork

Functioning as a group is a requirement for several occupations available to high school students, such as being a co-counselor at a summer program or a member of the wait staff at a restaurant. Add samples of times you collaborated effectively with others on your resume, for as when you were a member of a sports team and club group.

• Collaboration
• Courteous
• Helpful
• Interpersonal
• Leadership
• Positive attitude

Technology

Companies hiring workers that are proficient in technology are preferable. Fortunately, a lot of high school students combine those abilities. Add any relevant experience you may have operating on specific computer software or engaging in other technology-relevant activities, whether it be from your academic or co-curricular activities.

1. Computer
2. Math
3. Microsoft Office
4. Social media

Tips for aligning skills to the job

Prepare a list of your accomplishments from all your co-curricular activities and the qualifications you applied or developed for each of these jobs. On your resume, highlight the skills that most closely align with what the employer is seeking. For instance, the employer of a retail business will be curious to learn if you are trustworthy, precise, and have excellent interpersonal and communication capabilities if you are looking for a job there. You must be adaptable and capable of working for hours if you want part-time employment with a variable schedule.

Pointers for listing skills on a resume

The greatest method to highlight your achievements on your resume is to mention your educational, school, and recreational activities. Your resume can mention things other than a paid job. Describe your qualifications in the job category or skills segment at the bottom of your resume. Illustrate your school education, volunteering, internship experience, and other experiences if you're a high school student with no job experience. In other terms, transferrable abilities are crucial for people without a strong professional record. Hard talents and soft skills are the two categories of skills that should be listed on your resume. Whenever you start creating your resume, it's crucial to comprehend the distinctions between each and their respective purposes. Hard skills are qualities that can be taught and acquired in a school setting or a context similar to it. These are abilities that are measurable or quantifiable. Hard skills include things like mastery of Excel or other computing tools and language fluency. Less measurable but no less significant are soft talents. They are the traits that make it possible for someone to communicate with others clearly and cordially. Although soft talents are more difficult to impart than hard abilities, most studies indicate that companies are placing an increasing emphasis on them. Communication, empathy, and dispute management are a few instances of soft talents. Although difficult to measure, these abilities are essential for working on the job. Here are the soft and hard skills to include on a high school student's resume and cover letter;

• Bookkeeping
• Graphic design
• Customer service
• Problem-solving
• Organizational skills
• Inventive 
• Conflict resolution
• Listening
• Detail-oriented
• Collaboration
• Data analysis
• Microsoft Excel
• Public speaking
• Budgeting
• Teaching
• Research
• Microsoft Word
• Scheduling
• Sales
• Project management
• Flexible
• Responsible
• Punctual
• Reliable
• Persistent
• Leadership
• Enthusiastic
• Office management
• Writing
• Editing
• Event planning

You must tailor your CV to the job position each time you apply for a job. It entails reviewing the job description and either incorporating the specified skills or rearranging your skill portion to make the hard and soft skills necessary for the tasks. A manager typically takes six seconds to examine a résumé before choosing whether to schedule an interview with an applicant. Because of this, you should carefully review the job description and ensure that your resume contains the most crucial data. Your resume's fundamental components won't alter from job to job. Here are the tips for writing a skills section for a high school student resume;

• Compile a list of all the talents given in the job requirements after reading the job posting.
• Determine the skills you have
• Incorporate skills and use them as examples in the 'Employment' section by associating them with specific successes or duties.