The Resume Race Is Starting Too Early

For many teenagers, activities no longer feel like activities. A club becomes a future bullet point. A service project becomes evidence. A hobby becomes useful only if it can be explained in an application.

Ambition is not the enemy. Students should learn to work hard, lead projects, and explore interests seriously. The problem begins when young people are taught to treat every afternoon as a branding opportunity. Curiosity becomes less important than how impressive it sounds.

The result is a strange kind of exhaustion. Students collect experiences but may not have enough time to be changed by them. They learn to describe leadership before they learn to follow through quietly, fail honestly, or enjoy being beginners.

Schools and parents can help by asking better questions. Instead of asking how an activity will look, they can ask what the student noticed, struggled with, or wants to understand next. A strong resume should be the record of a life being lived, not a substitute for one.