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Tanya Now that I’ve graduated from college, should I still include jobs or activities from high school on my resume? What is the cut-off point at which you stop including that stuff?
Answered by Torrence, Hiring Expert at ADP, on Tuesday, March 22, 2016
I am strong advocate for making every bullet point, qualification, educational history, etc. count on your resume. That said, I certainly would not limit or diminish the experiences you may had during your high school days. The big question you need to ask yourself is -- will listing this information on my resume enhance my profile and dictate that I am a suitable candidate for this role? I like to craft my resume based on the position I am applying for. I tailor my bullet points with truthful experiences based on the qualifications and responsibilities of the job description. There may be experiences that you have encountered during your high school tenure that you can add to enhance your profile - if that is the case - include it! Hope that helps!
I am strong advocate for making every bullet point, qualification, educational history, etc. count on your resume. That said, I certainly would not limit or diminish the experiences you may had during your high school days. The big question you need to ask yourself is -- will listing this information on my resume enhance my profile and dictate that I am a suitable candidate for this role? I like to craft my resume based on the position I am applying for. I tailor my bullet points with truthful experiences based on the qualifications and responsibilities of the job description. There may be experiences that you have encountered during your high school tenure that you can add to enhance your profile - if that is the case - include it! Hope that helps!
Answered by Rachel, Hiring Expert at Eaton, on Wednesday, March 23, 2016
You should no longer be including your high school activities now that you've graduated from college. You should really not include them past your sophomore year in college and I find that even a stretch sometimes unless you are still active with a sister/parent organization on campus and you have it on there for continuities sake. Keep the focus on the activities that you completed while in college and what you are doing now on your resume.
You should no longer be including your high school activities now that you've graduated from college. You should really not include them past your sophomore year in college and I find that even a stretch sometimes unless you are still active with a sister/parent organization on campus and you have it on there for continuities sake. Keep the focus on the activities that you completed while in college and what you are doing now on your resume.
Answered by Steve, Hiring Expert at Caterpillar Inc., on Thursday, March 24, 2016
In general, you should not include this type of work experience unless it is relevant to the career you are pursuing. Your first resume out of college is tricky. You need to focus your resume not on your work experience, but on the other qualities that you possess that can differentiate you from your talent competition. This can be your leadership experience, community involvement, and education. This type of experience that you may possess, should be featured prominently on your resume, even if it occurred prior to college. List this first on your resume and get the reader interested in finding out more about you.
In general, you should not include this type of work experience unless it is relevant to the career you are pursuing. Your first resume out of college is tricky. You need to focus your resume not on your work experience, but on the other qualities that you possess that can differentiate you from your talent competition. This can be your leadership experience, community involvement, and education. This type of experience that you may possess, should be featured prominently on your resume, even if it occurred prior to college. List this first on your resume and get the reader interested in finding out more about you.
Answered by Stephanie, Hiring Expert at AT&T Inc., on Monday, March 28, 2016
After reading the responses of my fellow recruiters, I wanted to drop a quick note as well. I think there are some great nuggets of truth here...it is a stretch to say that the jobs you held in high school are still relevant to your post college employer. That having been said, I could not agree more with the responder that said you have to set yourself apart from your fellow recruits. What have you done that makes you the more interesting/skilled/well rounded/more varied/uniquely positioned candidate with the most interesting perspective? Did the thing that makes you that unique happen during your high school days? Boom. There's your answer. Include it and weave it into the experience that is going to make you stand out. Are you just adding high school content to fill the space? Leave it out.
Best of luck in your search!
After reading the responses of my fellow recruiters, I wanted to drop a quick note as well. I think there are some great nuggets of truth here...it is a stretch to say that the jobs you held in high school are still relevant to your post college employer. That having been said, I could not agree more with the responder that said you have to set yourself apart from your fellow recruits. What have you done that makes you the more interesting/skilled/well rounded/more varied/uniquely positioned candidate with the most interesting perspective? Did the thing that makes you that unique happen during your high school days? Boom. There's your answer. Include it and weave it into the experience that is going to make you stand out. Are you just adding high school content to fill the space? Leave it out.
Best of luck in your search!
Answered by Traci, Hiring Expert at Accenture, on Friday, April 1, 2016
Now this is coming from just one recruiter, but no, there shouldn’t be information (jobs, clubs/organizations, accolades) from high school on your resume after graduating from college. I would dare say that there shouldn’t be information from high school on your resume while applying to internships and full time positions while still in college, but it very much depends on what it is you want to include and how far along in your undergrad education you are. Think of all of the experiences you gain in your undergrad years as replacing those in high school. As a freshman, it’s still appropriate to include high school, as this is still the vast majority of your most recent background. As you progress through your college years though, you should be replacing more and more of that high school information until you reach a point (maybe around the end of sophomore year) where you no longer need to rely on your high school self.
Now this is coming from just one recruiter, but no, there shouldn’t be information (jobs, clubs/organizations, accolades) from high school on your resume after graduating from college. I would dare say that there shouldn’t be information from high school on your resume while applying to internships and full time positions while still in college, but it very much depends on what it is you want to include and how far along in your undergrad education you are. Think of all of the experiences you gain in your undergrad years as replacing those in high school. As a freshman, it’s still appropriate to include high school, as this is still the vast majority of your most recent background. As you progress through your college years though, you should be replacing more and more of that high school information until you reach a point (maybe around the end of sophomore year) where you no longer need to rely on your high school self.
