Job Skills for High School Students

For high school students thinking ahead to their future careers, now is the ideal time to begin developing foundational job skills. Building and strengthening both technical skills and soft skills prepares students to earn part-time jobs and complete valuable summer internships. Furthermore, it sets them up for long-term success in their careers after school.

Even students who are highly motivated to develop their job skills during high school sometimes face steep hurdles. For instance, students’ lack of work experience, uncertainty about which skills to prioritize, and time limitations due to heavy academic workloads are a few common obstacles that could stand in the way of progress. The goal of this article is to provide a practical starting point to identify essential high school student job skills and to put strategies in place towards building those skills right away.

Why Job Skills Matter in High School

Building job skills in high school is an essential first step towards career preparedness. Students who possess and can clearly demonstrate practical job skills may land their first jobs or internships sooner than others, which can have a lasting positive impact on their long-term careers. Additionally, once they actually find themselves in a workplace, students who already have some skills relevant to their work will feel confident and prepared to achieve professional success in their role, even if they encounter a few speed bumps along the way. 

Job skills are not just useful for students’ first professional experiences; they are fully transferable to academic and professional opportunities during college and beyond. Finally, students can add practical job skills to their résumés, strengthening their profiles when applying for employment, internships, and even admission to selective colleges and universities. This is especially important for high school students with no work experience building their resumes. 

Common Challenges in Building Job Skills

As briefly mentioned above, building job skills is not always as simple as it sounds. Even the most accomplished high school students can face tough challenges when trying to develop and improve employability. In high school, many students lack opportunities to gain real-world experience beyond their education. This could be due, for example, to low numbers of job and internship listings around their homes or schools. It could also be because they don’t have a reliable form of transportation to get to and from opportunities. 

Another challenge students face is not being able to distinguish the most important employability skills from less important ones. Put simply, depending on their career goals, certain skills may matter more than others for their long-term career development. That’s not to say that students don’t gain valuable experience from an employment opportunity that isn’t directly related to their specific goals. However, all jobs and internships prioritize building different competencies, and it comes down to finding the most constructive way to use their time. Speaking of time, high schoolers typically don’t have much of it. High school students frequently balance academic requirements and homework with extracurricular activities, athletic practices, and more — often leaving only a small portion of time open for employability skill building. 

Finally, mentorship is absolutely critical for professional development, yet students often have quite limited access to feedback from experienced mentors. Without input and guidance from an expert, even highly motivated students can unfortunately become discouraged and find it a struggle to progress meaningfully towards their long-term goals.

Essential Job Skills for High School Students

Communication skills for interviews and teamwork

Communication is one of the most valuable soft skills for high school students, and should be developed as early as possible. Verbal communication skills enable students to clearly and eloquently present themselves, their interests, and their accomplishments during interviews and conversations with teachers, professors, mentors, and potential future employers. Furthermore, they empower students to thrive in and lead group-based projects in both academic and professional settings. Remember that verbal communication skills isn’t just about speaking well; it also includes active listening at all times during interviews and meetings.

In addition to verbal communication skills, students with strong written communication skills are able to craft thoughtful and effective emails and cover letters for internships and job applications. They are able to read materials deeply and critically and respond appropriately in their own voice, which is a highly valued skill at all stages of a career.

Time management and organization for balancing commitments

Effective scheduling and time management skills are also key areas for high schoolers to focus on when building valuable professional skills. When it comes to job and internship applications, time management skills are often the largest factor in whether students end up requesting and submitting all of the necessary materials on time. Furthermore, being able to balance multiple commitments at once while maintaining a high standard of excellence across them all demonstrates a high potential for success in many professional roles.

Problem-solving and adaptability in new situations

The flexibility to adapt to new environments and situations is a rare and valuable skill among high school students. It’s also one that can help creative problem solvers stand out from the crowd. Developing this skill during high school prepares students to quickly find a strong rhythm in new professional roles. It also prepares them to navigate the transition to college and beyond.

Collaboration and leadership through group activities

Collaboration and leadership are both strongly tied to well-rounded and effective communication abilities (discussed above). Teamwork skills are also highly valued by colleges and employers. Great leaders are able to rally a team around a shared and unifying objective, maximizing individuals’ potentials while increasing overall productivity throughout the group.

Basic technical skills for modern workplaces

Computer fundamentals are essential for many modern jobs. That includes technological skills like word processing, using spreadsheets, managing emails, and more. Different jobs may use Mac or Windows operating systems, so it’s ideal for high school students to develop some degree of fluency in both.

How to Develop Job Skills in High School

Joining clubs or student organizations

Looking to enhance your student involvement? Participating in student-led clubs and organizations through your school or community is an excellent way to practice and strengthen the employability skills described in the previous section of this article. If you’re interested in joining a particular kind of club, but that group doesn’t exist yet, then start it! Launching new student organizations demonstrates initiative and allows you to secure a leadership position in high school.

Volunteering or participating in community service

Volunteering for local or community-oriented agencies is another effective strategy for identifying and building the job skills that matter for you. Ask around and search online for local organizations related to one or more of your interests and long-term career goals. For example, if you are interested in building skills in healthcare for your career down the road, you could consider volunteering at a local clinic or senior center to gain hands-on experience in healthcare-related environments.

Taking on leadership roles in school projects or sports

If you’re a member of a sports team or school organization, amplify your impact and skill development by taking on leadership responsibilities. You could also consider putting yourself forward for student government positions such as class president or treasurer. These types of roles allow students to build experience working in groups and leading peers towards clear goals.

Exploring part-time jobs, internships, or job shadowing

In addition to the above, students interested in strengthening their job skills should be actively applying for part-time jobs and internships. Alternatively, consider asking a mentor if you would be allowed to “shadow” them (i.e. observe their professional tasks) for a day or a week as they complete their day-to-day responsibilities.

Pursuing independent projects that demonstrate initiative

Finally, students can build skills and demonstrate their independent initiative by designing, structuring, and successfully completing independent projects. These projects should be linked to a personal interest or passion and have a clearly demonstrable outcome that students can showcase afterwards.

Translating Job Skills into Résumés and Applications

Once you’ve gained valuable job skills, it’s time to tell the world about your abilities! Start by updating your résumé to highlight your leadership and collaboration experiences, showcasing the transferable technical and soft skills you’ve acquired. When composing a résumé, remember:

• Summarize your experiences in 2-3 bullet points each

• Start descriptions with action verbs (e.g. “Developed a new…” or “Led a group of…”)

• Quantify achievements where possible

• Don’t add fluff; it’s okay if your résumé isn’t very long during high school

Each time you submit an application to a new opportunity, you’ll want to tailor it to highlight your most relevant skills that clearly respond to the call for applications.

Building Long-Term Professional Skills

To develop and maintain long-term job skills, it’s important to have a strategy. Many students find it valuable to seek mentorship and feedback on their progress from trusted teachers or supervisors. Meeting with these figures on a regular basis can provide structure and help students evaluate and track their skill building. Additionally, it can be useful for students to spend time after a project to reflect independently on their experience. Here are a few prompts for self-reflection:

• What did I learn from this experience?

• Which skills did I strengthen, and which skills would I have liked to strengthen more?

• How has this experience informed or shaped my goals for the future? What progress would I like to make through my next experience?

It’s also essential for students to continue practicing the skills they’ve developed to keep them sharp. If possible, look for opportunities to practice your skills in a variety of contexts and situations. For example, if you’ve significantly developed your communication skills through your role in student government, try transferring them to an internship outside of your school environment. Finally, remember to document your experiences through reports, photos, blogs, etc. These documents can act as a kind of career portfolio that you can continue to build out over the coming years. 

Conclusion: Build Your Employability Skills with Polygence

High school students should begin developing job skills early. These skills can be learned and strengthened through intentional practice, whether or not that practice occurs during formal employment or work experiences. Students who are motivated to build their job skills can work with Polygence to get connected with a perfect mentor match. Through our Research Mentorship Program, they’ll develop valuable skills as communicators, problem solvers, and leaders as they complete an independent project. Our Work Lab program is specifically designed to connect high schoolers with industry mentors at actual companies, where they’ll help solve real-world challenges. Finally, Polygence Pods offer 6-week, beginner-friendly courses for students looking to gain foundational knowledge and explore their interests in cutting-edge subjects.

With Polygence, you’ll build job skills that matter for you and your future career. Apply online.