Teen Resume: Examples, Template & Advice for Beginners

Teen resume template [to copy-and-paste]

Do you need to copy and paste the resume sections into Word or a Google Doc? No problem!

Feel free to use the text below to get started on your resume.

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Ann Watson

Randolph, MA 02368 | 555-555-5555 | example@example.com

Objective Summary

To obtain a part-time job and gain experience in the workforce while attending school. A highly-motivated individual with a desire to take on new challenges. Worth solid ethic, adaptability and exceptional interpersonal skills. Adept at working effectively unsupervised and quickly mastering new skills.

Summary of Qualifications

• Strong communication skills developed through volunteering at community events and organizations.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and other computer applications, with experience using technology for school assignments and personal projects.
• Reliable and responsible, with a strong work ethic and commitment to timely completion.

Relevant Skills

Teamwork and Collaboration

• Operated with other 20+ volunteers in packaging, labeling, boxing and stacking fruits, vegetables and cans.
• Helped staff with office work, such as phone calls, filing, surveying, mailing and data entry.
• Assisted with sorting and distributing food donations, provided customer service to clients and maintained a clean and organized facility.

Community Service

• Provided care and support to animals in need, including cleaning cages, walking dogs and socializing with animals to help them find “forever homes.”
• Participated in organizing and executing fundraising events for local charities or community organizations, coordinating logistics and outreach efforts.
• Sorted and distributed over 5,000 pounds of food donations per week, providing essential support to more than 500 local families in need.

Organized and Efficient

• Worked properly with guests and addressed their needs in a quick, friendly and specific manner.
• Adapted to face paced environments on short time notice.
• Gave assistance to over 100 people in need, including serving meals, distributing clothing and supplies and providing information and referrals to other services.

Work Experience

Volunteer
Randolph Community Partnership, Inc.
Randolph, MA | June 2022 – Current

Volunteer
Hilltop Humane Society
Randolph, MA | February 2021 – Current

Education

High School Diploma
Randolph High School
Randolph, MA
Expected in May 2025

Choose an appropriate teen resume template

Picking a template is the fun part of making your resume. I mean, all you have to do is look through a gallery and grab your favorite design, right?

Well, there’s more to it than that. When choosing an appropriate design for a teen resume, here are some points you should keep in mind:

Pick a template that showcases your strong points

Create your resume

Ultimately, we understand the temptation to use fun fonts and colors. However, even though you’re a teen, it’s important to present yourself as mature and capable. Avoid using distracting fonts or colors. Stick with classic colors like black, navy or gray for text, and avoid templates with designs that are over the top.

White space is your friend. Your resume shouldn’t look cluttered, but it also shouldn’t appear lacking. Balance the text with white space to make it more readable.

How to make a resume for teens [step-by-step guide]

Time to get to the main event — how to write a resume. This step-by-step guide is for teens, so you’ll get advice on how to overcome the specific challenges you face at this stage in your life.

First things first — the employer has to know where to reach you to schedule an interview, right? That’s why you need to add your contact info to your header.

Here’s what companies generally expect to find at the top of your resume:

• Email address: Add an email address so employers can reach out online. Make sure you use a professional email address. Your school email is fine if you have one. If you set up your own, use your full name, like jane.doe@gmail.com.
• Phone Number: Include a phone number so employers can reach you. Double-check that your voicemail is professional and clearly states your name so whoever calls knows they reached the right person.
• Location: Depending on the job, you may want to add a location. Local jobs may want to know that you live nearby and could easily get to work. Generally, we recommend only including your city and state.
• LinkedIn: If you have a LinkedIn profile, add the link. While this is more common for college students and professionals, companies will be impressed to see you take the job hunt seriously.
  

Other than LinkedIn, you’ll want to leave off your other social media profiles. The one exception will be if you’re an active user who regularly posts content relevant to the job you’re applying to.

Also, before we move on from the topic, make sure to clean up your social media! Unprofessional posts, even if they aren’t easily publicly accessible, have cost real job opportunities.

One last thing — remember, as a teenager, you should let your parents or a guardian know that you’re sharing your contact information. In fact, they should probably be aware that you’re applying for jobs. Keep them in the loop as much as you can!

Ready to start writing? Let’s start with your resume profile.

There are two types of profiles: resume summaries and resume objectives.

Resume summaries are more common. These are a three- to five-sentence snapshot of the applicant. They usually highlight career achievements, which is why they’re better for job seekers who have experience.

The alternative is a much better option for teens: resume objectives. Objectives tell recruiters who you are and why you want to work for them. They’re less focused on accomplishments and more focused on goals.

For a teen, this is perfect! You may not have much work experience, so it’s a good idea to focus on your soft skills and personal qualities and the goals you’ve set forth for your first job.

Here’s an example of how you can combine enthusiasm and attributes to make a compelling one-paragraph pitch, whether you have no experience or just a little. 

Writing about your skills can be challenging, especially if you’ve never held a job.

But don’t let that hold you back. Any good resume for teens will be packed with skills.

You just have to broaden your thinking. To start making your list of skills, consider what you’ve done over the last couple of years. Did you handle inventory or customer service when you helped with the family business? Did you organize and plan school projects or participate in student council?

Also, what do you excel at? Think about the tasks you’re good at in school and consider the personal traits you’re known for. Researching a topic for a paper, taking detailed notes or solving math problems are all skills. Even having the ability to work through conflicts with your siblings or having friends come to you for help are all traits and experiences that speak to your unique skills.

After you make your list, check to see whether you have a balance of hard skills and soft skills. 

Hard skills are the specific, measurable abilities you have, whether they are computer skills like knowing a software program or technical skills like being able to operate machinery.

Soft skills are the interpersonal abilities that make someone a great employee and co-worker, like having leadership, empathy or impressive communication skills.

Check out these examples to consider adding to your resume.

Considering you’ve spent so much of your life till now in a classroom, your education section is super important.

Start by listing your current (or most recent) level of education. If you’re still in high school, list the name of your school and your expected year of graduation, as well as any other details that might help your case!

Here’s what a good teen resume education section looks like:

Before submitting your resume, there’s one final step that might be the most important of all: proofreading.

Why is proofreading so critical? Well, even a small mistake can make an employer think you’re careless or lack attention to detail.

Imagine turning in a resume on which you’ve spelled your own name wrong. That happens to people all the time!

How do you combat this? We suggest going a step further than just proofreading. Yes, read your resume carefully multiple times, but then give it to your sharpest friend or family member. Getting a second — or even third — set of eyes on your document dramatically lowers the likelihood of a mistake.

Consider additional sections

Volunteer work

Volunteering can be a wonderful addition to your resume. It shows you’re interested in contributing to the community and eager to build skills like teamwork and leadership.

How to showcase volunteering on your resume:

Extracurricular activities

Everything you do outside the classroom can be just as interesting to an employer as what happens inside. Clubs, sports teams, band, drama, student government and any other activities are opportunities to highlight your skills.

How to demonstrate extracurricular activities on your resume:

Honors and awards

If you’ve received any awards or recognition — academic, athletic, artistic or something else — include these. They demonstrate a commitment that will impress employers.

How to highlight awards on your resume:

Certifications and courses

Include these if you’ve completed any relevant certifications or courses, like a first aid course or a coding boot camp. They show a devotion to learning.

How to show employers the certifications you’ve earned or courses you’ve completed:

Languages

If you’re fluent or proficient in languages other than English, this is another fact to include on your resume. Multilingualism is a valuable skill in many workplaces.

How to list the languages you speak on your resume:

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Add a cover letter

Create your cover letter

If you want to take your job search to the next level, make a cover letter. This is an especially valuable opportunity to make your case for why the employer should hire you. Unlike in a resume, you can show your personality and tell the story of the skills and experiences that make you a great addition to their team.

See our guide on how to write a cover letter and browse cover letter examples to overcome your fear of the blank page. Making a letter to accompany your resume is simpler than you might think and can make all the difference in whether you get the interview or not!

Key takeaways for your teen resume