high school student Archives

July 1, 2021

Seven Things to Include on a High School Resume

High school is a time for new beginnings and new responsibilities. In addition to increased study hours and extra-curricular activities, it is important to keep in mind that internships may be on the horizon for you. Now is the time to have your resume ready to go. A resume gives a potential employer (or college) a brief snapshot of who you are should entice someone to get to know you better. Writing a resume may seem daunting, especially if you don’t have much work experience. So where do you start? Information. Gathering and organizing information is half the battle! Create a Word or Google doc with detailed notes about your schoolwork, activities, and work or internship experience. When you are ready to write your resume, choose a resume template. Use an easy-to-read format using a simple font such as Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri. Avoid templates that use multiple colors or complicated formatting. Limit your resume to one page. Your resume […]

October 7, 2021

The Elevator Pitch in 3 Steps

Think about your last elevator ride. Now imagine you had the duration of the ride to tell someone all about yourself. Could you do it? You could if you had an elevator pitch ready to go. An elevator pitch is a short but meaningful summary of your academic and professional background. The goal? To be memorable! As a high school or college student, your work experience may be limited, so do you need an elevator pitch? Yes! You can use an elevator pitch at a school career fair, networking events, and your professional online profiles (such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or your blog) that might be seen by employers. Since an elevator pitch should be around 30 seconds, it’s important that you include the most important and relevant information. Be sure to include these elements as you craft your pitch. Introduction. If you’re meeting somebody new, state your name and your purpose for the interaction. Do you want an internship? A […]

December 9, 2021

What Does Your Online Presence Say About You?

With summer internships just around the corner, now is the time to evaluate your social media presence. In a digital culture that emphasizes posting your highlight reel on Instagram, it’s a good idea to rethink not only how you want to portray yourself on social media, but also how you want potential colleges and employers to perceive you and your brand. In the current job-search climate, scouring a candidate’s social media pages is considered fair game. In fact, in 2o19, 36% of admissions officers (Kaplan, 2020) and 70% of employers reported visiting potential candidates’ social media pages. In 2020, that 70% jumped to 98% of employers (The Manifest, 2020). So, what can you do to ensure that you’re putting your best digital foot forward? For starters, take inventory of your personal online presence. What social media or discussion platforms do you use? Instagram? Twitter? Facebook? Reddit? Are there any accounts you used years ago that may still be active? Decide […]

January 6, 2022

Thinking about a Summer Internship? Now is the Time to Plan!

With the second half of the school year getting underway and colder temperatures in many parts of the world, it’s hard to imagine planning for summer. Between attending school, studying, participating in extracurricular activities, and fitting in a personal life, thinking about what to do over the summer shouldn’t even be on the radar. Or should it? According to U.S. News & World Report (Sorensen, 2022), “Because competition for summer jobs and internships can be stiff, you should start seeking out such opportunities months in advance.” So now is the perfect time to start thinking about and planning a summer internship. Why An Internship? Getting hands-on experience in a career field is a valuable way to spend time in the summer. For high school and college students, internships are primarily experience-focused, which means they are designed to introduce students to an industry or career area. For some, it confirms a chosen career area; for others it may create an interest […]

February 3, 2022

How to Test Drive Different Careers as a High School Student

As a high school student, trying to figure out what you want to study and perhaps eventually have as a career–while exciting–can be daunting. The process requires time and the space to let yourself grow as you try on different career hats. So what can you do now? High school is the perfect time to research career fields and perhaps “test drive” different careers to find out which field you may one day want to pursue. You may ask yourself, “Well, how can I do that?” Here are a few suggestions and resources you can use to assist you in doing career research. who knows, maybe you’ll discover your passion. Join School Clubs Interested in writing or photography? Join the school newspaper! Are you interested in entrepreneurship or learning more about different areas of business? Find out if your school has its own DECA (Distributive Education Club of America) chapter. This club encourages skill development and the exploration of various […]

April 8, 2022

Email Etiquette in the Workplace

The adage “communication is key” has many applicable uses and is especially true in the workplace. While some companies are adopting communication tools such as Slack, Teams, Trello, and Google Chat as primary communication methods, according to The American Genius, the most common form of workplace communication is email. “There appears to be a general consensus that while social networks are useful to achieve work-related goals, email remains the undisputed communications tool in the enterprise.” And email is an effective tool when it’s used correctly. Have you ever received an email that was confusing? Have you ever sent an email that might have been unclear? These situations are frustrating–especially in the workplace where people are often relying on email to do their jobs. However, email communication can be greatly improved by adhering to some basic email etiquette guidelines–both when sending and replying to emails. Sending Email Correct email format is essential. Keep these five basic rules in mind: Include a […]