Teen Resume Examples, Templates, & Guide
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What to Expect
- The best resume format for teens is generally a functional resume, which highlights skills and abilities over formal work history.
- A teen resume should be one page long and include contact information, an objective, education, relevant skills, and applicable work or volunteer experience.
- Teens with no work experience can highlight school projects, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and personal projects to demonstrate transferable skills.
- A strong teen resume uses concise bullet points, action verbs, and measurable achievements to show employers what you can contribute.
Whether you’re seeking a part-time job, internship, or volunteer opportunity, a strong teen resume can show your skills, initiative, and willingness to learn.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through steps to create a tailored resume as a teen job seeker. Explore our teen resume examples and use our Resume Builder to quickly create a resume that stands out.
Do Teenagers Need a Resume for Their First Job?
Teenagers don’t always need a resume for their first job, but it’s a good idea to have one ready. Some employers hire entry-level workers using a simple application, while others may ask for a resume as part of the hiring process.
A resume helps teens present their skills, education, and extracurricular activities in a clear, professional format. Even without formal work experience, a well-written teen resume shows responsibility, initiative, and readiness for a first job. It also prepares teens for interviews, job fairs, internships, and future academic or career opportunities.
Here’s a closer look at why crafting a strong teen resume is important:
- Gaining a competitive edge: A well-crafted resume helps you stand out when applying for part-time jobs, internships, or academic programs by showcasing your involvement in extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and leadership roles.
- Early career development: Building a resume allows you to reflect on your skills, experiences, and goals, which can inform your decisions about future career paths, education, and job opportunities.
- Showcasing skills beyond work experience: Even without work experience, you can highlight transferable skills such as teamwork, time management, and problem-solving, gained through school projects, sports, or volunteering.
- Preparing for long-term success: Starting a resume early helps you track your growth and achievements over time. It also makes it easier to update it for future opportunities and build your personal brand.
Explore how to write a resume for tips for different experience levels and examples from Certified Professional Resume Writers (CPRW).
Best Format for a Teen Resume
The functional resume format is generally the best choice for teens because it emphasizes skills and abilities over formal work experience.
Even when you don’t have an extensive job history, this resume format allows you to highlight what you’ve learned from extracurricular activities, school projects, or personal interests.
Skills developed through these activities are often transferable to the workplace, such as leadership and organizational skills from captaining a sports team or organizing a school event.
The teen resume templates below will give you a better idea of what a resume looks like, so you can start crafting a well-formatted resume that reflects your unique skills and experiences.
Formatting your resume is about more than aesthetics. Your resume format ensures your experience and skills are easy to read and quickly understood by hiring managers. Clean layouts, consistent fonts, and strategic use of headings and bullet points help your most important accomplishments stand out, making a strong first impression.
— Jasmine Escalera, Career Professional
How Long Should a Teen Resume Be?
A teen resume should be one page long. Since you may have limited work experience, focus on your education, skills, extracurricular activities, and any work or volunteer experience that relates to the job. Include details that show employers your strengths, reliability, and willingness to learn.
Use clear headings, short bullet points, and a simple layout to keep your resume easy to scan. Prioritize your most relevant qualifications, and leave out unrelated details or repetitive information.
A well-organized one-page resume can help employers quickly understand what you bring to the role, even if you’re applying for your first job.
Teen Resume Examples
Teen resume examples show you how to highlight your education, skills, and experience based on your background. Whether you’re applying for your first job or have work or volunteer experience, use these examples to build a resume that showcases your strengths.
No Work Experience
If you’re writing a teenager resume with no experience, focus on your education, skills, school projects, and extracurricular activities. This example shows how to highlight your strengths and potential, even if you haven’t had a formal job yet.
Some Work Experience
If you’ve had a part-time job, babysat, or done occasional paid work, you can use those experiences to show responsibility and practical skills. This teen resume template shows how to organize your work history and clearly describe your contributions.
Volunteer Experience
Volunteer work can help demonstrate valuable skills when you’re building your first resume. This example shows how to highlight community service, school fundraisers, and other unpaid experiences to show initiative, teamwork, and reliability.
Explore our best resume templates for layout options. You can edit and customize your selected template in our Resume Builder.
What Should a Teenager Put on Their Resume?
A teenager’s resume should include contact information, a brief objective statement, education details, relevant skills, and extracurricular activities. Volunteer work, part-time jobs, babysitting, or school projects can also demonstrate responsibility and teamwork.
Focus on transferable skills (like communication and time management) that show readiness for a first job. Explore the key sections of a teen resume in further detail below.
Contact Information
In your resume header, include your full name, phone number, and email address so that employers can contact you for an interview.
Avoid using an outdated or informal email address, which can appear unprofessional. Instead, opt for a polished email address such as firstname.lastname@email.com.
You may also include your home address (city and state) and, if applicable, a link to your professional profile or personal portfolio if relevant to the role.
Resume Objective
Your teen resume should include a resume objective, which is a brief statement highlighting your goals, what you hope to achieve in the role, and how you can contribute to the company.
Including an objective in your teen resume is a powerful way to introduce yourself to potential employers, especially if you have limited work experience.
Unlike a resume summary, which focuses on career highlights, an objective provides a forward-looking statement tailored to entry-level roles.
Here’s a compelling teen resume objective example:
Motivated and responsible high school student seeking a part-time social media marketing position to gain hands-on experience and contribute strong communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Eager to help your team spot trends, create posts that foster engagement, and improve your brand’s social media reach and presence. Brings leadership abilities from school clubs and volunteer work.
Education
Including a strong education section is important for teens, as it often makes up a large part of their qualifications at this stage.
The education section highlights academic achievements, relevant coursework, and school-related activities demonstrating skills or knowledge.
Include your school’s name, expected graduation date, and GPA if they are solid and relevant to the position. You can also list honors, awards, or any advanced or specialized classes related to the job or opportunity you’re seeking. For example:
EDUCATION
Springfield High School | Springfield, IL
- Expected Graduation: June 2026
- GPA: 3.8
- Relevant Coursework: Advanced Placement (AP) English, Algebra II
- Honors: National Honor Society, Student of the Month (March 2024)
Skills
Including a skills section on a resume for teens is a good way to highlight abilities that may come from something other than traditional work experience.
Reflect on skills you have developed through school, extracurricular activities, or volunteer work, paying close attention to those that align with the job description.
Be sure to include a mix of hard skills (such as experience with Microsoft Office, social media, or coding) and soft skills (like communication, time management, teamwork, and leadership).
Organize your skills into groups and provide a brief overview of where you learned and implemented them. Here’s an example resume skills section for a teen resume:
SKILLS
Leadership Skills
- Student Council Vice President: Led and organized school events and managed a team of 10 student representatives.
- Basketball Team Captain: Coordinated team practices and motivated teammates, contributing to a winning season.
Communication Skills
- Debate Club Member: Developed strong public speaking and argumentation skills through participation in regional competitions.
- School Newspaper Editor: Edited articles and collaborated with a team of writers, ensuring timely publication.
Technical Skills
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint): Used regularly for school projects and assignments, including data analysis and presentations.
- Basic Graphic Design: Created posters and event flyers using Canva for school events and volunteer activities.
Work Experience
If applicable, you can include a work history section to demonstrate responsibility, reliability, and real-world skills, even if the jobs are part-time or informal.
Whether it’s babysitting, dog walking, or a summer job at a local store, these roles show you have experience managing tasks, working with others, and providing services.
Be sure to include details about your specific responsibilities and any achievements that reflect transferable abilities, such as time management, communication skills, or problem-solving.
Here’s an example of a work history section for a teen’s resume:
EXPERIENCE
Babysitter
Self-employed | Springfield, IL
May 2024—Present
- Supervised two children (ages 4 and 7) for up to 6 hours per day.
- Organized educational and creative activities to keep children engaged.
- Ensured safety and maintained a clean environment.
- Communicated effectively with parents about children’s needs and schedules.
Part-Time Sales Associate
Old Navy | Springfield, IL
June 2023—September 2023
- Helped with inventory organization and stocking merchandise.
- Assisted customers with product selection and provided excellent customer service.
- Managed the cash register, processed payments, and handled returns.
Optional Sections
You can include optional resume sections on your teen resume, which is especially helpful if you don’t have formal work experience. Here are a few examples:
- Extracurricular activities: Include clubs, sports teams, or school organizations that demonstrate leadership skills, teamwork, or other relevant abilities.
- Volunteer work or community service: Highlight any unpaid work that shows dedication, responsibility, and a willingness to give back.
- Personal projects: Highlight relevant projects, such as creating a blog, coding an app, or organizing a charity event.
- Awards and honors: Showcase academic or extracurricular achievements, such as honor roll, scholarships, or sports awards.
- Certifications: List certifications such as CPR, first aid, or computer skills that add value to your qualifications.
- Languages: Add any foreign languages you speak and your proficiency level (beginner, intermediate, or fluent).
- Hobbies and interests: Mention hobbies relevant to the job, such as photography, writing, or coding, to provide insight into your personality and passions.
Explore our high school resume examples, which demonstrate skills and activities that you can highlight as a teen with limited professional experience.
Take the Next Step in Your Job Search
Tips for Creating a Strong Teen Resume
- Include measurable achievements. To demonstrate impact, quantify your accomplishments with specific numbers or outcomes.
- Showcase any work experience. Include part-time jobs, babysitting, dog walking, or any informal work experience that shows responsibility and time management.
- Use consistent formatting. Use consistent resume fonts, bullet points, and section spacing to ensure your resume is easy to read.
- Tailor the resume to the job. Customize your resume for each job by emphasizing the skills and experiences most relevant to the position or industry you’re applying to.
- Keep it to one page. As a teen, your resume length should typically be one page. Be concise while still detailing your most relevant experiences and accomplishments.
- Use action verbs. Begin bullet points with strong action verbs like “led,” “organized,” or “managed” to make your experience and skills more dynamic and clear.
- Ask for feedback. Have a teacher, mentor, or parent review your resume to provide feedback and ensure everything is clear, concise, and relevant.
How to Tailor Your Teen Resume
Tailor your teen resume by matching your skills, activities, and achievements to the job description. Explore how to customize your resume for various scenarios below.
Part-Time Job
When applying for a part-time position, highlight skills directly related to the job, such as customer service, communication, time management, or specific technical skills.
For example, if you’re applying for a retail job, stress any experience working with people or handling money, and add keywords such as “customer service” and “product knowledge.”
Internship
When writing an internship resume as a teen, emphasize relevant coursework or academic projects related to the field.
For instance, if you’re applying for a marketing internship, mention any marketing-related classes where you built software skills, research skills, or writing abilities.
Volunteer Role
For a volunteer position, tailor your resume to express enthusiasm for the organization’s mission and explain how you hope to contribute.
If you’ve volunteered before, even in informal settings (such as helping at school events), be sure to include this to show that you are familiar with and committed to volunteer work.
Emphasize skills like empathy, teamwork, and communication, which are often highly valued in volunteer roles.
College Application
For college resumes, highlight your academic strengths. Include GPA, relevant coursework, honors, and awards to show your dedication to learning.
Colleges look for well-rounded students, so include any extracurricular involvement, especially leadership roles in clubs, sports, or volunteer groups.
See how to write a high school resume for a college application for guidance and examples from career advice experts.
Teen Resume Mistakes to Avoid
- Using an unprofessional email address. Avoid using a casual or overly creative email address. Instead, opt for a professional email that uses your name.
- Overcrowding your resume. A cluttered resume is difficult for hiring managers to read. Start with a resume outline to organize your document into clear sections.
- Writing a generic resume objective. Customize your objective to the specific position or opportunity, highlighting your enthusiasm and what you bring to the role.
- Typos and grammatical errors. Proofread your resume carefully. You can use our ATS Resume Checker to scan your resume for common errors.
- Using excessive filler words. Avoid using overly wordy phrases like “responsible for” or “helped with.” Be concise and use strong action verbs such as “organized” or “led.”
- Leaving out extracurricular activities. Your involvement in sports, clubs, and volunteer work is valuable, especially when you have limited formal job experience.
Craft a Cover Letter for Your Teen Resume
While your resume lists your skills and experiences, your cover letter allows you to explain why you are applying for the position and how your abilities make you a great fit.
You can use our Cover Letter Generator to create a strong teen cover letter. Use your resume to generate a matching cover letter, or start from scratch with step-by-step guidance and practical tips.
A well-written cover letter also shows professionalism and attention to detail, which can help your application stand out. Here are a few resources to get you started:
Key Takeaways
- Writing a teen resume lets you show your skills, experience, and potential to stand out to employers, find opportunities, and build a foundation for future career success.
- Your teen resume should highlight transferable skills from school, extracurriculars, and any relevant volunteer experience or part-time work.
- Tailor your resume for each job, internship, or college application to match the opportunity and catch the eye of hiring managers or admissions officers.
- Keep your resume clear and concise with a clean, organized layout. Proofread it to make sure it’s free of typos and errors and leaves a professional impression.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I write a simple resume as a teenager?
To write a simple resume as a teenager, start with your contact information, education, and relevant skills. Add any work experience, volunteer activities, school projects, or extracurriculars that show responsibility and teamwork. Use clear headings, short bullet points, and a clean layout to make your resume easy to scan. Focus on your strengths and what you can contribute, even if you have never had a job.
How does a 14-year-old write a resume with no experience?
A 14-year-old can write a resume with no experience by focusing on school achievements, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and personal projects. Emphasize transferable skills like responsibility, teamwork, and communication. Include a brief objective statement and keep the resume clear and one page long. Even without formal work experience, this approach shows initiative and readiness for a first job or volunteer opportunity.
What skills should a teenager put on a resume?
The best skills for a teenager to include on a resume are those that match the job and reflect their abilities. Examples include communication, teamwork, time management, problem-solving, organization, and computer skills. Teenagers can also highlight job-specific skills, such as handling cash, tutoring, or using design software. Choose skills you can demonstrate through schoolwork, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or previous jobs.
Should teenagers include extracurricular activities on a resume?
Yes, teenagers should include extracurricular activities on a resume, especially if they have limited work experience. Activities such as sports, clubs, student government, and school organizations can demonstrate teamwork, leadership, time management, and commitment. Choose activities relevant to the job and describe your responsibilities or accomplishments to show employers how your experience translates to the workplace.
Should you include your GPA on a teen resume?
Yes, you should include your GPA on a teen resume if it’s strong (generally 3.5 or higher) and relevant to the role. Listing your GPA can show academic achievement and responsibility, especially for first jobs or internships. If your GPA is lower, focus instead on relevant skills, accomplishments, and extracurricular activities that highlight your strengths.
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Since 2012, we have helped more than 11 million job seekers. We want to make your career journey accessible and manageable through our services and Career Center’s how-to guides and tips. In our commitment to bring you a transparent process, we present our Editorial Process.
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Teen Resume
Megan is a career industry editor. She is committed to helping job seekers navigate the job market and succeed in their careers.
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