Resume Example for Teenagers: 20+ Samples & Teen Template

Quick answer: A good resume example for a teenager fits on one page and includes a header, a two-to-three sentence objective, your education, any experience (paid, informal, or volunteer), activities, and 5–10 skills. No job history? Babysitting, mowing lawns, school clubs, sports, and volunteering all count. Show you're reliable, friendly, and quick to learn.

Writing your first resume as a teenager feels a bit like being asked to describe your career when you've had a career for zero minutes. The good news: nobody hiring for a cashier, lifeguard, or camp counselor job expects a long work history.

What they want to know is simple. Will you show up on time? Can you talk to customers? Will you learn quickly and follow instructions? A teen resume answers those questions using school, activities, side jobs, and volunteering.

Below you'll find a step-by-step guide, a fill-in teen resume template, and more than a dozen resume examples for teenagers by job type, from a very first resume with no experience to a student with a couple of part-time jobs already.

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Do Teenagers Even Need a Resume?

For many teen jobs, especially at big chains, you'll fill out an online application instead. So why bother?

• Many employers still ask for one, especially local businesses, offices, camps, and summer programs.
• It makes applications faster. Every detail is ready to copy into online forms.
• It helps you stand out when 20 other students apply for the same summer job.
• It's great interview prep. Writing it forces you to think about what you've done and why it matters.
• It's useful beyond jobs: internships, volunteer programs, scholarships, and some school or college applications.

Bring a printed copy when you apply in person or go to an interview. It looks prepared, and it gives the manager something to write notes on.

A quick legal note: in the US, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets 14 as the minimum age for most non-farm jobs, limits the hours minors under 16 can work, and bans hazardous work for anyone under 18. States add their own rules, and some require work permits. Check the US Department of Labor's youth employment page and your state labor department before you apply.

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What to Put on a Resume as a Teenager

A standard teen resume has six sections. Here's what goes in each.

1. Header

• Full name (larger and bold)
• Phone number
• Professional email address
• City and state (no street address needed)
• Optional: availability ("Available weekends and summer"), a driver's license if the job involves driving

About that email: if your current address is something you made up in sixth grade, now is the time for a new one. firstname.lastname@email.com works. xXsoccerqueen2009Xx@email.com does not, no matter how good you were at soccer.

2. Objective or summary

An objective is two or three sentences that say what job you want and what you bring. It's the best choice for most teens. If you already have some work experience, write a short summary that highlights it instead.

Formula: [Adjective] [student/grade] with [skill or experience], seeking [job] at [company] to [what you'll contribute].

Name the company. It shows you wrote the resume for them, not for everyone.

Teen resume objective examples

Borrow one of these and make it yours:

3. Education

When you don't have much work experience, education often goes near the top. Include:

• School name and city
• Expected graduation date ("Expected June 2028")
• GPA, if it's strong (many guides suggest 3.0 or higher, others 3.5)
• Honors: honor roll, awards, scholarships
• Relevant coursework, such as business, computer science, foods, or a language
• Certifications: CPR/First Aid, lifeguard, food handler, Red Cross babysitting course

4. Experience

This is where many teens freeze, but "experience" is broader than you think. You can include:

• Part-time or seasonal jobs
• Informal jobs: babysitting, pet sitting, dog walking, lawn care, snow shoveling, tutoring
• Volunteer work: food banks, animal shelters, church or community events, school fundraisers (see our guide to volunteer work on a resume)
• Helping in a family business
• Internships or job-shadowing

List each one like a job: title, organization (or "Self-employed" / "Neighborhood clients"), dates, and 2–4 bullets. Start each bullet with an action verb and add a number when you can.

• Weak: Watched kids.
• Strong: Cared for 3 children ages 4–10 for two families, two evenings a week, including meals, homework help, and bedtime routines.

Action verbs that work on teen resumes

Starting bullets with a strong verb instantly makes small jobs sound capable. Try: assisted, organized, served, prepared, greeted, cleaned, restocked, scheduled, tutored, coached, led, planned, trained, sold, handled, maintained, supervised, created, volunteered, raised (money), answered, delivered.

5. Activities, clubs, and sports

These show teamwork, commitment, and leadership. Format them like experience if they're substantial:

6. Skills

List 5–10 skills that match the job. Mix soft skills (communication, teamwork, time management, reliability, customer service) with hard skills (cash handling, Microsoft Office or Google Docs, Canva, a second language, typing speed, basic coding). Our guide to skills for resume examples has lists by job type.

Then back up two or three of them in your bullets. "Great communicator" is a claim. "Answered phone calls and took reservations at my aunt's bakery on Saturdays" is proof.

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Teen Resume Template (Fill in the Blanks)

Copy this into Google Docs or Word and replace the brackets.

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Resume Examples for Teenagers (By Experience Level)

First resume for a teenager with no work experience

This is the most common situation, and it's completely fine. Focus on school, activities, and volunteering.

Teenager with informal jobs

Babysitting, yard work, and pet care are real jobs. Treat them that way.

Teenager with a part-time job

Once you have a real job, put Experience above Education, and switch from an objective to a short summary.

High school senior applying for a summer internship

Internships and office roles get more competitive, so a full, polished resume pays off.

If you're going for project-heavy roles, see our guide to projects on a resume.

Recent high school graduate

If you've just finished school and want full-time work or a gap-year job, lead with any experience you have and keep education short.

Student athlete

Coaches' schedules are no joke, and employers know it. Show time management.

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Teen Resume Examples by Job Type

Use these bullet sets to adapt your resume for the job you're actually applying for. Each one shows what that employer cares about most.

Fast food crew member

What they want: speed, reliability, teamwork, and a good attitude during rush hour.

Barista or café worker

What they want: friendliness, memory, multitasking.

Restaurant host

What they want: calm under pressure, organization, a welcoming attitude.

Retail sales associate or cashier

What they want: customer service, cash handling, honesty.

Grocery bagger or stocker

Babysitter

What they want: safety, responsibility, trust.

Camp counselor

Lifeguard

Tutor

Movie theater or amusement park worker

Landscaping or lawn care

Car wash attendant

Food runner or busser

Golf caddy

Daycare or after-school program helper

Delivery driver (16+ with a license, where allowed)

House cleaner or mother's helper

Tour guide or museum volunteer

Office assistant or receptionist (summer job)

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How to Tailor Your Teen Resume in 5 Minutes

You don't need a brand-new resume for every application. Keep one master version, then make these quick changes for each job:

1. Change the objective to name the new job title and company.
2. Reorder your bullets so the most relevant experience comes first. Applying to a daycare? Babysitting goes to the top. Applying to a grocery store? Your cash-handling job does.
3. Swap two or three skills to match words in the job posting, such as "customer service," "food safety," or "cash handling," as long as they're true.
4. Update your availability if the job lists specific shifts.
5. Save a new file with the company name so you send the right version.

That's it. Five minutes of tailoring tells the manager you actually want this job, which already puts you ahead of a lot of applicants.

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Teen Resume Formatting Tips

• One page. Always.
• Simple, clean layout. One column, a readable font like Arial, Calibri, or Georgia, 10–12 pt.
• Clear headings in bold or all caps.
• Bullet points, not paragraphs.
• Reverse-chronological order: newest first within each section.
• Save as PDF unless the application asks for Word. Name the file First-Last-Resume.pdf.
• Fancy designs are optional. A colorful template is fine for a local café, but online applications are often read by software first, and simple layouts are safer.

Where to find a free teen resume template

You have three easy options:

• Google Docs or Microsoft Word: both have built-in resume templates. Pick the simplest one, delete any sections you can't fill (like "Awards" if you have none), and change the colors to something calm. See our roundup of Google Docs resume templates for picks.
• Your school counselor or career center: many schools have a teen resume template and will review your draft for free.
• A resume builder: it handles spacing and formatting so you can focus on the words.

Whichever you choose, check that the final file still looks right when saved as a PDF. Templates have a habit of shifting a heading onto page two at the worst possible moment.

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What NOT to Put on a Teen Resume

• Your photo, age, or birthdate. Not needed in the US.
• Social media links, unless they're professional (a portfolio, a YouTube channel about your coding projects).
• Every hobby you've ever had. Only include hobbies that show a useful skill.
• Exaggerations. Don't call yourself "Head of Operations" for running the lemonade stand. (Even if the lemonade was excellent.)
• "References available upon request." It's assumed. Have a separate list ready instead.
• Typos. Read your resume out loud, then ask a parent, teacher, or school counselor to check it.

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References for Teen Job Seekers

Most employers won't ask for references for a first job, but have two or three ready just in case. Good choices:

• A teacher or school counselor
• A coach or club adviser
• A family you've babysat or pet-sat for
• A volunteer coordinator
• A former manager (if you've had a job)

Avoid parents and relatives. Ask each person first, and give them a copy of your resume. Our guide on how to ask for a reference has ready-made messages.

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What to Do After Your Resume Is Done

• Apply in person at local businesses during quiet hours (mid-afternoon, not lunch rush). Ask for the manager, smile, and hand over your resume.
• Apply online for chains and larger employers. Use your resume to fill in the application.
• Write a short cover letter or email for office jobs, internships, and summer programs. Three short paragraphs is plenty.
• Practice a few interview answers: "Tell me about yourself," "Why do you want to work here?" and "What's your availability?" Short, honest answers beat memorized speeches.
• Follow up a few days later with a polite call or visit.

(Switches to serious face.) Rejection is normal, even for great candidates. Many teen jobs are filled based on availability and timing, not your worth. Keep applying.

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A Short Message to Send With Your Teen Resume

For office jobs, internships, or anything you apply to by email, add a brief note. Keep it to a few sentences:

For more examples, see our sample email for job application.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

Include your education, a short objective, volunteer work, school clubs, sports, and informal jobs like babysitting, pet sitting, or lawn care. Add a skills section with soft skills like reliability and teamwork, plus any hard skills such as computer programs or a second language. Certifications like CPR/First Aid also help.

Does a 15-year-old need a resume?

Not always, since many entry-level employers use online applications. But a simple resume helps you stand out for local businesses, camps, volunteer programs, and internships, and makes filling out applications faster. It's also good practice for future job searches.

How long should a teenager's resume be?

One page. Teens almost never have enough relevant experience to need more, and hiring managers for entry-level jobs prefer short, easy-to-scan resumes.

Should a teen use a resume objective or summary?

Most teens should use an objective: two or three sentences naming the job, the company, and what you bring. If you already have a part-time job or significant experience, a short summary highlighting that experience works better.

Should I put my GPA on my teen resume?

Include it if it's strong, commonly 3.0 or higher (some guides say 3.5). If it's lower, leave it off and highlight relevant courses, honors, or activities instead.

Can I put babysitting or lawn mowing on my resume?

Yes. Informal jobs are real experience and show responsibility, trust, and time management. List them like any other job, with a title, "Self-employed" or "Neighborhood families," dates, and bullet points describing what you did.

What skills should a teenager put on a resume?

Good soft skills for teens include communication, teamwork, reliability, time management, customer service, and willingness to learn. Useful hard skills include cash handling, Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, social media, a second language, typing, and certifications like CPR or food handler.

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Build Your First Resume in Minutes

Your first resume doesn't have to be perfect. It has to be clear, honest, and show that you're someone a manager can count on. Start with what you have today, apply, and update it every time you add a new job, club, certification, or volunteer role. By the time you graduate, your resume will have grown right along with you, and writing the next version will take minutes instead of a whole weekend.

If you want a shortcut, our Resume Builder has simple, one-page templates and AI suggestions that turn "helped at the bake sale" into a bullet point a manager will actually notice.