What Is a Teen Resume?

A teen resume is a professional document that summarizes a young applicant’s education, skills, activities, achievements and experience.

It can be used to apply for:

• Part-time jobs
• Summer jobs
• Internships
• Volunteer positions
• Apprenticeships
• School leadership roles
• Scholarships
• Entry-level employment

A teen resume may include paid employment, but it does not have to. Babysitting, tutoring, lawn care, school clubs, sports teams and community service can provide relevant experience.

What Should a Teenager Include on a Resume?

The most useful resume sections depend on your background and the position. Most teen resumes include the following information.

Contact information

Place your contact information at the top of the page. Include:

• Your full name
• Phone number
• Professional email address
• City and state
• Portfolio or relevant profile, if applicable

You generally do not need to include your full home address. Use an email address based on your name rather than a nickname or casual phrase.

Professional summary

A professional summary is a two- or three-sentence introduction describing your strongest qualifications and career goal.

For example:

“Dependable high school junior with strong communication and organizational skills seeking a part-time retail position. Experienced in coordinating school events, assisting community members and working effectively as part of a team.”

Customize the summary for each application instead of using the same general statement for every employer.

Education

When you have limited work experience, place your education near the top of your resume.

You can include:

• School name
• City and state
• Expected graduation date
• Grade level
• Relevant courses
• Academic honors
• GPA, if it strengthens your application

Relevant coursework can be valuable when it relates directly to the position. For example, computer classes may support an application for an office assistant role.

Work experience

Include any formal jobs you have held, even if they were temporary, seasonal or part time.

For each position, list:

• Job title
• Employer or client
• Location
• Employment dates
• Three to five achievement-focused bullet points

Use action verbs such as organized, assisted, created, delivered, maintained, supported or trained.

Informal experience

Informal work can demonstrate many of the same skills as traditional employment. Examples include:

• Babysitting
• Pet sitting
• Lawn care
• Tutoring
• Helping with a family business
• Selling handmade products
• Providing technology assistance
• Organizing neighborhood events

Describe this work professionally and explain the responsibilities involved.

Volunteer experience

Volunteer work can show reliability, teamwork, initiative and community involvement.

Include the organization, your role, the dates and the results of your contributions. For example:

• Organized donated food into categories and prepared weekly packages for 40 local families.
• Assisted event coordinators with registration for a community fundraiser attended by more than 150 people.

Extracurricular activities

Clubs, sports and student organizations can provide evidence of leadership and collaboration.

Relevant activities might include:

• Student government
• Debate club
• Sports teams
• School newspaper
• Theater
• Robotics club
• Music groups
• Academic competitions

Focus on what you accomplished rather than simply naming the activity.

Skills

Choose skills that are relevant to the position and that you can support with examples.

Potential skills include:

• Communication
• Customer service
• Organization
• Time management
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving
• Basic computer skills
• Social media management
• Cash handling
• Writing and editing
• Public speaking
• Bilingual communication

Avoid listing qualities you cannot demonstrate during an interview.

Awards and certifications

You may include academic awards, competition results and relevant certifications, such as:

• Honor roll recognition
• First aid certification
• CPR certification
• Food handler certification
• Microsoft Office certification
• Language proficiency certificates
• School competition awards

How To Write a Resume as a Teenager

1. Study the job description

Read the job advertisement carefully and identify the skills, responsibilities and qualities the employer emphasizes.

For example, a restaurant may value customer service, reliability and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. A tutoring position may emphasize subject knowledge, patience and communication.

Use the job description to decide which experiences to feature.

2. Choose an appropriate format

A reverse-chronological resume works well if you already have relevant jobs. It lists your most recent experience first.

If you have little or no formal work experience, use a combination format that emphasizes education, skills, volunteer work and activities while still presenting your experience clearly.

3. Write a targeted summary

Use your summary to introduce your strongest qualifications. Mention the type of position you want and two or three relevant strengths.

Avoid statements that focus only on what you hope to receive. Explain what you can offer the employer.

4. Turn activities into experience

Think beyond traditional jobs. School projects, family responsibilities and extracurricular activities can provide evidence of workplace skills.

For example:

Instead of: “Member of the school newspaper.”

Write: “Wrote and edited two articles per month for the school newspaper while meeting weekly publication deadlines.”

Instead of: “Helped at a food drive.”

Write: “Sorted donations, prepared supply packages and assisted visitors during a community food drive.”

5. Start bullet points with action verbs

Strong verbs make responsibilities sound clear and purposeful. Useful options include:

• Achieved
• Assisted
• Coordinated
• Created
• Delivered
• Designed
• Improved
• Led
• Maintained
• Managed
• Organized
• Prepared
• Resolved
• Supported
• Trained

6. Add numbers when possible

Numbers make your accomplishments easier to understand.

For example:

• Tutored three middle school students in mathematics twice per week.
• Managed ticket sales for a school event attended by 250 people.
• Increased club participation from 15 to 28 members.
• Cared for two children during weekly five-hour shifts.

Only use numbers that are accurate.

7. Keep the resume focused

A one-page resume is generally sufficient for a teenager. Include information that helps explain why you are qualified for the position.

Remove unrelated details, long paragraphs and outdated activities that do not support your application.

8. Proofread carefully

Check names, dates, punctuation and formatting. Ask a teacher, counselor, parent or trusted adult to review the document.

A resume with errors may suggest that you did not give the application enough attention.

Teen Resume Template

[First Name] [Last Name]

[Phone Number] | [Professional Email Address] | [City, State]

Professional Summary

[Write two or three sentences introducing your grade level, strongest relevant skills, experience and employment goal.]

Education

[School Name], [City, State]

Expected graduation: [Month and Year]

Relevant coursework: [Course], [Course], [Course]

Academic achievements: [Honor, award or GPA if relevant]

Experience

[Role or Job Title]

[Organization, Employer or Client] | [Month Year–Month Year]

• [Action verb] + [responsibility] + [result]
• [Action verb] + [responsibility] + [result]
• [Action verb] + [responsibility] + [result]

Volunteer Experience

[Volunteer Role]

[Organization] | [Month Year–Month Year]

• [Describe a responsibility or contribution]
• [Describe a measurable result]

Activities

[Club, Team or Organization] | [Role]

• [Describe your participation, leadership or achievement]

Skills

• [Relevant skill]
• [Relevant skill]
• [Relevant skill]
• [Relevant skill]

Awards and Certifications

• [Award or certification], [Year]

Teen Resume Example With Work Experience

Jordan Lee

Austin, Texas | 555-014-8276 | jordan.lee@email.com

Professional Summary

Responsible high school senior with customer service experience and strong communication skills seeking a part-time retail position. Comfortable assisting customers, organizing merchandise and managing multiple tasks in busy environments.

Education

Austin Central High School, Austin, Texas

Expected graduation: May 2027

Relevant coursework: Business Foundations, Computer Applications and Marketing

Experience

Customer Service Assistant

Greenway Market, Austin, Texas | June 2025–Present

• Greet customers and help them locate products throughout the store.
• Restock shelves and maintain organized product displays.
• Prepare customer orders accurately during busy weekend shifts.
• Assist team members with closing procedures and inventory checks.
• Received positive feedback from supervisors for punctuality and reliability.

Pet Sitter

Self-employed, Austin, Texas | January 2024–Present

• Provide scheduled care for dogs and cats belonging to five regular clients.
• Follow feeding, exercise and medication instructions provided by owners.
• Communicate daily updates through messages and photographs.
• Manage appointments and payments independently.

Activities

School Environmental Club | Event Volunteer

• Helped organize a community cleanup involving more than 40 students.
• Created digital announcements promoting club events.

Skills

• Customer service
• Verbal communication
• Organization
• Point-of-sale systems
• Time management
• Google Workspace

Teen Resume Example With No Work Experience

Maya Thompson

Columbus, Ohio | 555-017-3942 | maya.thompson@email.com

Professional Summary

Motivated high school sophomore with leadership, teamwork and organizational experience developed through student activities and community volunteering. Seeking a first part-time position where I can contribute a positive attitude and strong attention to detail.

Education

Northview High School, Columbus, Ohio

Expected graduation: June 2028

GPA: 3.8

Relevant coursework: English Composition, Algebra II and Digital Media

Volunteer Experience

Community Event Volunteer

Columbus Neighborhood Center | September 2025–Present

• Welcome visitors and help staff manage event registration.
• Prepare activity materials and organize supplies before weekly programs.
• Assist younger students during reading and arts activities.
• Contributed more than 45 volunteer hours during the academic year.

Activities

Debate Club | Team Member

August 2025–Present

• Research topics and prepare organized arguments for competitions.
• Deliver presentations to students, teachers and competition judges.
• Collaborate with teammates to review evidence and improve speaking strategies.

School Yearbook Committee | Design Assistant

January 2026–Present

• Select photographs and arrange content for student activity pages.
• Review names and captions for accuracy before publication.
• Complete assigned pages according to production deadlines.

Skills

• Written communication
• Public speaking
• Teamwork
• Research
• Canva
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Attention to detail

Additional Resume Writing Tips for Teens

Customize every application

Change your summary, skills and experience bullets to reflect each position. A resume for a restaurant should emphasize different qualities than one for a tutoring role.

Use professional formatting

Choose a readable font and use consistent spacing, headings and bullet styles. Avoid complicated graphics that make the document difficult to scan.

Be honest

Do not invent work experience, achievements or technical skills. Employers may ask follow-up questions during an interview.

Save the file correctly

Unless the employer requests a different format, save your resume as a PDF to preserve its layout. Use a professional filename such as:

Jordan-Lee-Resume.pdf

Prepare examples for interviews

Be ready to explain how you demonstrated the skills listed on your resume. If you list teamwork, prepare a short example of a group project or activity in which you contributed to a shared result.

Turn Your Experience Into a Professional Story With Dokie

A resume summarizes your qualifications, but applications, interviews and school projects may also require you to present your ideas visually. Dokie is an AI presentation maker that can transform notes, documents, URLs and research into structured slides. Teenagers can use it to organize project portfolios, internship presentations, competition proposals and summaries of volunteer work.

Dokie provides customizable templates, professional layouts and editable PowerPoint exports, allowing users to refine every slide before sharing it. It can help students communicate their experience more clearly while developing presentation skills that remain valuable throughout college and future employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a 16-year-old put on a resume?

A 16-year-old can include education, relevant coursework, skills, school activities, volunteer work, informal jobs, awards and certifications. The content should be tailored to the position.

Can a teenager create a resume without work experience?

Yes. School projects, clubs, sports, volunteering, tutoring, babysitting and family responsibilities can all demonstrate transferable skills.

How long should a teen resume be?

Most teen resumes should be one page. Focus on the qualifications that are most relevant to the job instead of trying to fill additional pages.

Should a teenager include a photo on a resume?

Resume conventions vary by country, but applicants in the United States generally do not need to include a photo unless it is specifically requested for a relevant role.