Teen Resume Examples, Template & Writing Guide

Getting a job as a teenager is important. The sooner you gain valuable work experience, the better the jobs you’ll be able to secure in the future. But how should you secure the first one?

You may think that school only taught you that mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. But that’s not true. I’ll show you how to leverage your education and write an A-grade teenager resume.

This guide will show you:

• Teen resume examples that get respect.
• How to write a teen resume that lands more interviews.
• Tips for an impressive teenager resume with no work experience.

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Need help with your teenager resume? Check these guides that can help you to enter the job market: 

• College Application Resume
• College Student Resume
• Entry-Level Resume
• High School Graduate Resume
• High School Student Resume
• Internship Resume
• No Experience Resume
• Recent College Graduate Resume
• Scholarship Resume
• Student Resume

Teen Resume Template

Now, I’ll tell you how to write a resume for teenagers that helps you graduate from “student” to “employee.”

1. Apply a Format Appropriate for a Teenager Resume With No Work Experience

You don't need relevant experience on your teen resume to land your first job. Everybody has got to start somewhere, and the recruiters know that.

Here is the structure I suggest you follow for your teen resume:

• Contact information (resume header)
• Resume objective
• Education—break it into sections and responsibilities.
• Experience (if applicable)—work, volunteering, job-shadowing.
• Skills
• Bonus sections—hobbies, honors, groups, languages, etc.

You should also use the right resume format for teenagers. Here are the rules:

• Use a professional resume font, separate each section of the resume with clear headings, and leave white space between lines to improve readability.
• Set one-inch margins on all sides of the resume.
• Keep the resume length to only one page. As a teen with no experience, there is no reason why you should create a two-page resume.
• Use bullet points to list past achievements, awards, and other experiences.
• Save the resume as a PDF rather than DOC, unless the company specified otherwise.

It’s a lot of points to remember, but it’s not as hard as it might seem. Still, if you want to reduce the hassle of formatting to near zero, I suggest you check out our simple resume templates, or pick one from this collection of Word resume templates.

Expert Hint: If you’re writing a resume for teens, you’re already ahead of the curve. Students who receive job offers are less likely to drop out of school.

2. Write a Teenage Resume Objective that Drops Jaws

Here’s the thing. Why would the employer consider you for the job when they have other applicants, including some with work experience?

Everything boils down to how well you sell yourself in the first couple of seconds. If you show dedication, skills, and competence, you might leave even more qualified candidates in the dust.

All you need is a proper resume introduction, which in the case of a teenager resume with no experience, should take the form of a resume objective. If you already have a year or two of work experience, you might opt for a resume summary instead.

Here is how you should write a teen resume objective. Use:

1. One adjective (hard-working, dependable, fast-learning)
2. Job title + (waiter, barista, receptionist)
3. How you’ll help (provide an excellent service experience)
4. Best 1–3 accomplishments and skills (served 100+ diners in a fast-paced soup kitchen, skilled in bussing tables, restocking, and team working)

I created two examples to help you visualize:

Teenager Resume Examples—Objective

Dedicated high school student with a strong work ethic, seeking to provide quality customer service as a waiter at Applebee's. As a volunteer at Fayette County Homeless Shelter, served 100+ diners in a fast-paced soup kitchen twice per month. Skilled in bussing tables, restocking, and team working.

Hard-working teen, looking for a job as a waiter. I haven’t worked any official table-waiting jobs yet but I’m a really fast learner and you can believe I’ll work very hard.

A couple of things here. Using “I” is a big mistake in a resume. Always write without using the first-person pronouns. Also, remember what I said earlier? You need to show confidence. And that second example relays as much confidence as wet toilet paper.

On top of that, always dig deep to find at least one achievement you can showcase. And if it can be quantified, that will make it 10x better.

3. Shine a Spotlight on Your Education

To avoid looking like every other teenager out there, you need something more than just “high school” in your resume education section. You need to polish it up. Let me explain.

When writing a teenager resume with no work experience, education is your strongest asset. To showcase it, think about any possible key achievements or extracurricular activities from your school.

Did you participate in a fundraiser? Are you part of any clubs? Have you won awards or competitions? Participated in other cool extracurricular activities? Don't be shy—brag about them!

See the examples below:

Resume for Teenagers—Education Example

Education

Fairlawn High School

August 2021–May 2024

President of School Yearbook Committee

• Used high-level teamwork skills to drive the team to deliver the yearbook 10 days ahead of schedule, with 15% fewer errors than the previous 10 years.
• With a strong work ethic, finished the layout when the editor left due to health.

Fundraising Officer, Student Council

• Used organization skills to coordinate actions of 15 fundraisers.
• With solid communication skills, raised $2,500 more than the former officer.

Varsity Swim Team Captain

• Boosted team morale before meets.
• Led team stretches 5x per week.
• Participated in rigorous pool practices 5x per week.

Additional School Activities

• Maintained GPA of 3.8.
• Excelled on the debate team.
• Studied abroad in Venezuela, Fall semester, 2023.

Education

Fairlawn High School 

2021–2024

• President of the school yearbook committee
• Fundraising officer
• Varsity swim team captain
• GPA 3.8

As you can see, both of these teen resume education sections are for the same candidate. What makes the two different is the level of detail. The first sample paints the candidate in a great light, showing his dedication to growth and proving valuable skills.

Expert Hint: If you’re still in high school, add an “expected graduation” date. If you took longer to finish your education and want to hide it, say “Graduated In” and write the year when you finished school.

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4. Add Work Experience on Your Resume for Teens

I know that not every teenager has work experience. I did have summer jobs at a post office warehouse, but it didn’t help me secure a job later on. Not even because it wasn’t relevant to the career I pursued, but because I showcased it on my resume badly.

So, I want to show you how to write a teen resume work history section the right way.

First, let me tell you what “work experience” I’m talking about:

• Part-time jobs
• Volunteer work
• Freelance work
• Internships
• Extracurricular Activities

As you can see, I’m not only talking about work for which you got paid. Your first resume can absolutely showcase internships and volunteer work under the general section of “Work Experience.”

The biggest mistakes I made were not utilizing power words, not creating resume achievements, and writing a huge list of irrelevant bullet points.

Relevance is especially important. Although recruiters might forgive you for including irrelevant bullet points (since you’re just a teen), I still recommend you learn how to do it properly. Here’s the simple trick:

• Read the job offer.
• Underline the skills.
• Prove you’ve got them.

And you can prove them by creating the aforementioned resume achievements. I’ll use the examples below to show you the difference between accomplishments and responsibilities, as well as the power behind power words.

Resume for Teenagers—Work Experience Example

Waiter

Fairlawn Golf Club

June 2022–August 2023

• Served food at high-volume banquets, ensuring seamless service for over 200 guests bi-monthly.
• Maintained optimal inventory levels by restocking supplies during all shifts
• Bussed tables quickly and precisely, receiving a 99.7% satisfaction rating.
• Commended 3x by the manager for outstanding efficiency in completing tasks.

Waiter

Fairlawn Golf Club

2022–2023

• Served food 2x per month.
• Restocked inventory.
• Bussed tables.
• Commended for good work.

As long as you’re showing your confidence, like in the first example, you’re doing great. And remember that it’s proven that numbers improve credibility. The more quantified accomplishments you can show, the better. But remember to keep them relevant and true. You don’t want to be caught lying on your resume.

5. List Your Top Skills

Every job requires a particular set of skills, so there is no way I can provide you with a fit-all list. But I can give you a blueprint with which you’ll be able to add the best skills for your teen resume every time.

The rule is simple: read the job description, see what the employer wants, and give it to them.

You want a nice mix of hard skills (specific and teachable technical proficiencies) and soft skills (interpersonal attributes and personal qualities). Aim for 5–10 skills total.

Here are some of the most popular skills for a teenager resume:

• Collaboration
• Problem-Solving
• Communication Skills
• Planning
• Time Management
• Organization
• Data Analysis
• Computer Skills
• Persuasion
• Negotiation
• Leadership Skills
• Social Media Management
• Adaptability
• Working Under Pressure
• Graphic Design
• Video Editing

Expert Hint: Writing your first-ever resume can be tough. If you need extra help, you can always speed things up by using ChatGPT to write your resume. It will likely boost your teen resume. Just ensure you learn how to write an effective resume for your future job search.

6. Hulk Up Your Teenager Resume With Extra Sections

Teenagers have a hard time looking for work. With little to no work experience, it’s difficult to differentiate yourself from the competition. Or so you might think.

The truth is, it’s very easy. All you have to do is add a couple of extra sections to your teenager resume with no experience. Choose from:

• Known Foreign Languages
• Extracurricular Activities
• Clubs & Associations
• Hobbies & Interests
• Received Certifications
• Publications
• Completed Courses
• Awards & Honors
• Known Software Programs
• Volunteering Experience (If you didn’t add it under your work experience)

And here is a sample structure for your teen resume bonus sections:

Resume for Teens—Bonus Sections Sample

Volunteering Experience

Volunteer

Fayette County Homeless Shelter

March 2022–May 2023

• Served 100+ diners in a fast-paced soup kitchen 1x per month.
• Restocked supplies and bussed tables.
• Participated in organizing fundraising events.
• Supplied first-response medical care to a diner who suffered a heart attack.

Additional Activities

• Avid cyclist. Maintains own gear.
• Founded a 7-member gaming club.

Certifications

• CPR and First Aid—American Red Cross

Languages

• Spanish—Bilingual

Additional Activities

• Volunteer dog walker.
• I like riding my bike.

Remember. Even though these are just bonus sections, if you choose to add them to your teen resume, they need to have a purpose. Both of the above examples feature bike riding, but the top one does a much better job at it. This candidate shows skills in their physical stamina and resourcefulness at the same time. The second one only likes to ride his bike, we don’t even know if he actually does it.

Expert Hint: Should you learn how to write a cover letter for teenage resumes? If you want to double your chance of getting hired, then yes! In it, talk up your best accomplishments that fit the job.

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Key Points

Here's how to write the perfect resume for teens:

• Start with the teen resume template up top. It puts skills and achievements in a form that wows employers.
• Pack every bullet point in your resume for teen jobs with accomplishments that match the job offer.
• List special extras that prove you’ll dig in and do the work. Employers live for well-rounded workers.
• Send a teen cover letter. Stuff it with evidence you’ll do this job really well.

Do you have questions about writing a great resume for teen jobs? Not sure what achievements to put on teen resumes with no experience? Leave a comment. I’ll be happy to reply.

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