Resume Examples For Teens
You're a teenager, you're looking to land your first job, and now you're staring at that blank page wondering what in the world you're supposed to put on your resume. Let's be real, it feels ridiculous at first. You’re like, "I don’t have a career yet, what am I even supposed to write?" But listen, even if you’ve never worked a day in your life, you've got stuff to show employers. You just need to know where to look and how to present it.
What counts as experience when you’re a teen?
Here’s the thing. When you’re a teenager, employers aren’t expecting a stacked resume full of corporate achievements or big projects. They know you’re young. What they’re looking for is evidence that you're responsible, can show up on time, follow instructions, and maybe think on your feet a little. Luckily, you can show all of this even if you’ve never had a formal job.
Think about your extracurricular activities. Sports teams, school clubs, volunteer gigs, babysitting, tutoring, even mowing lawns or walking dogs for your neighbors. These are all experiences you can include. It doesn’t have to be paid work to count.
For example, if you’ve volunteered at a local shelter or helped organize a charity event, write it down. Did you take charge of anything or help coordinate? That shows initiative. Or if you’re part of a sports team, mention teamwork and reliability. Employers love seeing that you’ve been committed to something.
How to list your skills
Okay, skills are the part where teens tend to overthink it. You don’t need to list cheesy phrases like "works well under pressure" or "strong communicator" unless you’ve got a specific example to back it up. What you should focus on is stuff you’re actually good at and can reasonably talk about if asked.
For instance, do you know basic computer programs like Word or Excel? Are you comfortable using social media platforms in a creative way? Did you do any organizing, like scheduling or planning events, even on a small scale? Maybe you’re really good with kids or animals, that’s totally valid if you’re applying for babysitting or a pet care role. Just keep it realistic.
Use a simple format
Don’t stress about making your resume look fancy, especially if you don’t have any experience yet. Keep it clean and easy to read. Start with your name and contact info at the top. Then list your education, your high school is fine, and you can include your expected graduation date. Write down any extracurricular activities or volunteer work under a section called "Experience" or "Activities. " After that, you can add a skills section.
Here’s a quick example of how it might look:
**Name and Contact Info**
Email: yourname@email. com
Phone: (XXX)-XXX-XXXX
**Education**
Springfield High School, Expected Graduation: June 2025
**Activities and Experience**
- Volunteer, Community Food Bank (June 2023 - Present): Helped sort donations and assisted families during distribution days
- Captain, JV Soccer Team: Organized practice schedules and motivated teammates during games
**Skills**
- Basic knowledge of Google Docs and Excel
- Strong organizational skills
- Good with kids and pets
The Part Nobody Tells You About
Here’s the thing most people don’t realize. Employers hiring teens aren’t just looking for what you’ve done, they’re looking for who you might be. That means even little details matter. If you turn in a resume that’s neat, organized, and free of typos, you’re already ahead of half the other applicants. It shows you care. And caring is half the battle when you’re just starting out.
You might still feel like your resume looks a little sparse. That’s totally fine. The truth is, employers hiring teens don’t expect long resumes. They just want to know you’re dependable, polite, and willing to learn. If you can show even a hint of that, you’re already on the right track.
So go ahead, put down what you’ve got and start applying. Don’t wait until you think your resume is perfect, it never will be. Sometimes the best way to get better at resumes is to just get your first job and learn from there.