Teen Resume: Examples & Templates

An effective skills section is especially important on a teen resume because you may have limited formal work experience. Include a mix of hard skills, such as computer programs, social media, cash handling, or language skills, and soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, organization, and adaptability. Think about skills you’ve developed through school, extracurricular activities, sports, volunteering, babysitting, or other responsibilities, and choose those that relate to the job you want.

To make your skills section more relevant, review the job description and identify the skills the employer is looking for. Incorporate keywords from the job listing when they genuinely match your abilities. This shows employers you understand the role and have relevant skills, while also making your resume easier for applicant tracking systems (ATS) to identify.

Keep your skills section focused on the job you’re applying for rather than listing every ability you have. For example, a teen applying for a retail position might emphasize customer service, communication, teamwork, and cash-handling skills, while someone applying for a babysitting job could highlight responsibility, patience, problem-solving, and childcare skills.

A strong work experience section should do more than list your responsibilities. Focus on what you accomplished and the skills you used, such as helping customers, completing tasks efficiently, working with a team, or taking on additional responsibilities. When possible, include specific results or numbers to show the impact of your work.

For each job, list your job title, employer, and dates of employment, followed by a few bullet points describing your responsibilities and accomplishments. If you’re a teen with limited formal work experience, don’t worry—you can still build a strong resume. Include relevant experience from babysitting, tutoring, volunteering, school activities, sports, or other responsibilities to demonstrate skills such as reliability, teamwork, communication, and time management.

Embarking on your first job search as a teen may seem daunting, but your education and personal experiences can provide plenty of examples of your skills. Even without formal work experience, classwork and school projects can demonstrate abilities such as teamwork, problem-solving, communication, organization, and time management.

The key is to describe what you did and what skill it demonstrates, rather than simply listing the activity. For example, instead of writing “Worked on a group history project,” you could turn the experience into a resume bullet such as: "Collaborated with four classmates to research and present a history project, dividing responsibilities and completing the presentation ahead of schedule."

This approach shows employers the skills behind the activity—in this case, teamwork, communication, organization, and meeting deadlines. Consider the transferable skills you’ve gained through non-work experiences, too. Volunteering, extracurricular activities, sports, school clubs, and personal projects can all demonstrate qualities employers value.

Think about how you’ve collaborated with others, solved problems, taken responsibility, or completed projects, and describe those experiences in terms of the skills you developed.

The education section of your teen resume can help show employers your academic background, achievements, and relevant interests, especially when you have limited work experience. List your high school first, including the school name, location, and your expected graduation date or graduation date. You can also include academic honors, awards, relevant coursework, or programs that relate to the job you want.

If you’re still in high school, use your current grade level or expected graduation date rather than listing an education end date that hasn’t happened yet. You can also add a few bullet points highlighting accomplishments such as honor roll recognition, advanced courses, academic projects, or school activities that demonstrate relevant skills. There’s generally no need to include elementary or middle school education on your resume.

Your resume profile is often the first section an employer reads, so use it to quickly introduce yourself, highlight your strengths, and show what you’re looking for. As a teen, you may not have enough work experience to write a traditional professional summary. Instead, a resume objective can be a stronger choice because it focuses on your skills, goals, and enthusiasm for the position.

If you do have several years of relevant work experience, a professional summary may be appropriate. For most teen resumes, however, keep your objective brief and tailor it to the specific job. Mention a few relevant skills or experiences—such as customer service, teamwork, leadership, or school activities—and explain what you hope to contribute to the employer.

Including optional sections on your resume can highlight your distinct qualifications for teen positions. These segments allow you to present yourself in a way that goes beyond traditional work experience.

When you share relevant hobbies or volunteer experiences, you give potential employers insight into your values and skills. For example, if you've organized community events or participated in clubs, it shows your teamwork and leadership abilities. This additional information helps paint a fuller picture of who you are and how you might fit into their team.