Resume Examples for Teenagers

Teenagers can write a strong resume even with no formal job history. Lead with a short objective, then let school achievements, volunteer work, clubs, babysitting, and coursework prove you are reliable and ready to learn. Keep it to one page, use a clean single-column layout, and turn each activity into a specific accomplishment with a number wherever you honestly can.

What should a teenager put on a resume with no experience?

Employers hiring teens are not expecting a decade of experience — they are screening for reliability, a good attitude, and proof you can follow through. You build that case with the real things you have already done.

• Lead with an objective, not a summary. Two or three lines naming the role you want, your grade level, and one or two strengths give a manager instant context.
• Count everything that shows responsibility. Babysitting, lawn care, tutoring, church or club volunteering, and school teams are all legitimate experience — describe what you did and the result.
• Quantify what you can. Hours volunteered, kids you watched, funds raised, or shifts covered turn vague claims into believable evidence.
• Mirror the posting’s words. If a job asks for “customer service” or “cash handling,” use those exact terms so an applicant tracking system (ATS) can match you.

Here is what those ideas look like on the page for a high-school student applying for a first part-time job:

Teen resume sections and what goes in each

Header: name, city and state, phone, and a simple professional email — skip your home address, birth date, and photo. Objective: two or three lines on the role and what you bring. Experience: part-time work, babysitting, volunteering, and leadership, each with action-verb bullets. Education: your school, expected graduation year, GPA if it is 3.3+, and relevant coursework. Activities & awards: sports, clubs, and honors that show commitment. Skills & certifications: real credentials like CPR/First Aid or a food handler card. Start from an ATS-ready resume template so a single-column layout parses cleanly, then build it step by step in our resume builder.

Before & after bullet rewrites

Weak bullets name a chore; strong bullets prove an outcome. Three rewrites a teen can adapt:

• Before: Babysat for neighbors. After: Cared for 3 children ages 4–9 for up to 6 hours at a time, managing meals, homework, and bedtime with zero incidents over 18 months.
• Before: Volunteered at school. After: Logged 60+ service hours with Key Club and helped organize a food drive that collected 400+ canned goods.
• Before: Good with money. After: Earned an A in Accounting I and balanced the school store’s cash drawer to the penny across 30+ shifts.

How long should a teenager’s resume be?

One page — and half a page is completely fine for a first resume. Depth on a few real activities beats padding the page with filler. Use a standard font, clear headings, and plenty of white space so it stays easy to skim in the few seconds a manager spends on it.

Common mistakes on teenage resumes

• Leaving it nearly blank because there is no “real” job, instead of counting volunteer work, clubs, and babysitting.
• Writing chores (“babysat,” “helped out”) rather than specific accomplishments with numbers.
• Adding a photo, birth date, or full home address — unnecessary, and a privacy risk for a minor.
• Using a busy two-column or graphic template that ATS parsers scramble.
• Listing a casual email address instead of a simple firstname.lastname one.
• Stretching past one page or copying a generic objective onto every application.

Applying for something specific? Compare our first job, student, and no experience resume examples, then check your draft against a posting with the free ATS resume checker.

Skills and keywords for a teenager’s resume

ATS software ranks resumes by how closely your skills overlap the exact wording in the job posting, so pull terms straight from the listing and only claim what you can back up in an interview.

Hard skills and keywords

Hard skills:

• Cash handling and POS systems
• Microsoft Office and Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
• Typing speed and data entry
• Social media and simple design (Canva, scheduling posts)
• Food handler card, CPR/First Aid, or a lifeguard certification
• A second language
• Basic coding or video editing for tech-leaning roles

Soft skills

Soft skills:

• Reliability and punctuality
• Customer service and a friendly attitude
• Teamwork from sports, clubs, or group projects
• Time management around a school schedule
• Willingness to learn and follow instructions
• Clear communication with customers and coworkers

List the exact terms each posting uses rather than a generic block, then run your draft through our free ATS resume checker to see which keywords you are still missing.

Frequently asked questions