resume for 15 year old first job template

How to Write a First Job Resume for Teens

Even with no work experience, teens can still make an effective resume. See a sample teen resume.

How to Write a Resume for Teens

A well-written resume can be a key to success when looking for a first job or applying for a scholarship or competitive academic program. Even with no “real-world” work experience, you can still make an effective resume as a teen. Here are eight tips for writing a first-time resume or a first job resume as a teen. See a sample teen resume below.

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Know the Purpose

Identify the goal of the resume. A resume to get a job as a lifeguard has a different purpose than one for getting a philanthropic academic scholarship. Review the job description or qualifications and make a list of the essential requirements and preferred requirements.

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The essential requirements, or must-haves, are fixed or firm prerequisites such as: “Must have a clean driver’s license” if applying to be a delivery driver; or “Must have a GPA of 3.5” if applying for a specific academic program. These requirements are usually not flexible, and your resume should show that you meet them to be considered.

Preferred or ideal qualifications are nice to have, but may be flexible or could be satisfied a different way. A preferred qualification might be written as “Previous retail experience preferred” or “Applicants with volunteer work in social justice preferred.” If you have the preferred qualifications, be sure to include those qualifications. If you don’t have an exact preferred qualification but something similar, you can include it in your resume.

For example, while you may not have retail experience but have volunteered multiple times at the local thrift clothing store , that work can show you are interested in clothing and have some experience with a retail environment. The addition of similar experience is useful if it helps to make you more qualified than someone else who has no preferred or similar qualifications.

Choose a Simple Document Format

You can start with a blank document or use a resume template on Word or Google, but be sure to select one that is simple, without graphics, tables or other complex formatting styles. Often those templates do not load correctly or clearly into the Applicant Tracking Systems that are used as databases of candidates. Complex templates can also be difficult to update later. Most ATS do best with Word documents when submitted online via a posting portal.

Each resume section except for your contact information and your summary can have a title to separate it. You can use something as simple as: "Education, Experience, Skills" to designate each area. All caps, small caps, bold or just a little color and/or an underline can be effective ways to add some style to the section headings while still having a clean, easy to read appearance. A teen resume should almost always be one page, in 10-11 point font with standard page margins.

If emailing a resume, a PDF version works. If you're bringing it in-person, you can use anything that results in a professional and easy to read format on a clean, unfolded piece of white printer paper.

Professional Contact Information

In the body of the resume – not in a header – include your name as you would want it on a paycheck, your best contact phone number and a professional email address. This is not the time to use [email protected]. Instead, use an email address that is a combination of your first and last name or something else that is simple and professional. Be sure it is an email address that you check multiple times a day – including spam and clutter folders. You do not need to put in your full address, but having your city and state can be helpful if you are applying to a local neighborhood opportunity. For a more competitive or business-related opportunity, you can include a link to your LinkedIn profile, if you have one.

Summary or Objective Statement

Sometimes a resume may become separated from the pile of similar applicants. To ensure that the reader knows your target or goal in submitting a resume, include a statement of purpose. For example: “High school junior targeting a full-time summer job as a lifeguard. Able to start as of June 1 and available to work full time until Aug. 15. Can work part time during the school year.”

For many teenagers, your education is often your most significant accomplishment and qualification so far. List your school, your grade level and include additional information such as relevant classes. For example, you can list having an A in biology if you're applying to a biology program or your three years playing lacrosse if you are applying for a coaching job in your town's parks and recreation department. If you have a 3.0 GPA or above, you can include that too. You can also include any certifications or other training that is important for the role, such as CPR or a lifeguard certification.

Experience – whether it's paid, unpaid, part-time , full-time or on a volunteer basis – can do a lot to add to your credentials. Include any experience that shows you have done similar work, but also include any experience that shows you are reliable, trustworthy, hardworking or interested in the type of business or industry. To an employer, a candidate who has been hired or managed by someone else seems “less risky” than one who has never held responsibilities outside of the home or school. Some examples could be volunteering each week at the church nursery, watching your neighbor’s cats every time they go out of town or helping the drama teacher to set up and clean up after every performance at the high school.

Add Other Relevant Content

Some additional sections you can include are: skills , technology tools, awards/achievements, sports, clubs, hobbies and interests. The key here is to limit these to only things that will add value to your credentials. No need to include that you love playing Minecraft if you are not applying to a video game camp as a group leader, for example.

Review Your Work

Proof and edit online, print it out and proof it again. Then, ask a couple of other people – adults or people who have a vested interest in your resume representing you well – to review it too. You would much rather catch an error with a trusted contact than to miss out on an opportunity because of an autocorrect mistake.

When built correctly from the start, your resume can continue to evolve without much effort as you add more to your qualifications. See a sample teen resume below.

Sample Teen Resume

Robin Student

955.555.5555 | [email protected] | Danville, CA | linkedin.com/in/robinstudent

High school junior targeting a full-time summer job as a lifeguard. Able to start as of June 1 and available to work full time until Aug. 15. Can work part time during the school year.

• Washington High School, Class of 2022
• CPR and Lifeguard certification.

Experience:

• Swim team co-captain.
• Volunteer at Unity Church as a summer camp counselor.
• Babysitter for neighbor's toddlers.
• Can help others learn swimming techniques.
• Helpful and enthusiastic.
• Punctual and follows instructions.
• Girl Scouts.
• Community garden volunteer.

Tags: resumes , Applying , high school , teens , money , personal finance

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

If you are a high school or a college student struggling to make your first teen resume, you're not alone.

Generally, resumes showcase a candidate's professional experiences and skills.

However, as are a teenager applying for their first job, the basics for building a resume are slightly different.

For instance, a teen resume has an objective section instead of a resume summary.

Read on to learn more about teen resumes and related FAQs like the following:

• What is a teen resume?
• What sections should you include in a teen resume?
• How to create the header of a teen resume?
• How to create the objective section of a teen resume?
• What skills should you add to a resume for teens?
• How to write the work experience section in a teen resume?
• How to add education experience on a teen resume?
• How can you add certifications on a teen resume?
• Which additional sections can you add to a teen resume?

What is a Teen Resume?

A teen resume is a page-long document that showcases the best of your academic achievements and skills.

Whether you're applying for your first-part time job or college interviews, and internships, having a resume supports your application as it makes it easier for recruiters to see all your information in one place.

A teen resume is different than a professional resume as it focuses on academic achievements, volunteer work, projects, and extracurricular activities rather than work experiences.

According to the relevance with the job profile you're targetting, you can include the following volunteer work experiences in teen resumes:

• Volunteer work at animal rescue shelters
• Art museums
• National parks
• Political campaigns
• Food pantries
• Retirement homes
• Habitat for humanity
• Organizations like Red Cross
• Local libraries and
• Community blood drives

Also read: How to write a resume with no experience?

What Sections to Include in a Teen Resume?

First things first, you must compile all your information in a single file to streamline the process of building a teen resume.

Once you have all the information in one place, you can pick and choose which information you want to include in your teen resume, based on the job description.

Ensure to present this information in different sections to increase the readability of your resume by giving it a crisp and professional look.

Listed below are the must-have sections in a teen resume:

• Personal Information
• Internship/Volunteer experience (if any)
• Awards and Achievements
• Certifications

Extracurricular Activities

• Additional Information

Also Read: What are the different sections to add to a resume? .

Teenage Resume Header

The header is the topmost part of your resume which is the first thing that the recruiters will see.

Your teen resume header must always be your full name in the largest font size of 14-16 points.

If you have a middle name, you can initialize it like so - Mary J. Blige

Ensure that you don't go with generic resume headers like "CV" or "Resume."

Recruiters already know that the document is a resume. What they don't know is who it belongs to.

Thus, it makes sense to write your name as the header of your teen resume.

Also Read: How to write a perfect resume header in 2022?

Teen Resume Personal Information

Right after the header, you must create a section for your personal information.

This section must include the following details:

A Reachable Phone Number

Ensure that it is a contact number on which you are available at all times.

Write your country's International Subscriber Dialing (ISD) code and a plus sign (+) before the number.

A Professional E-mail Id

E-mail addresses with names like '[email protected]' not only sound unprofessional but can also cost you your chances of getting shortlisted for the job.

So make sure that your e-mail address sounds professional. Preferably, one with your full name like [email protected]

Mention the city and state of your current location - not your hometown (if they are different).

Also, you don't need to provide details like your street address and zip code of your current location.

LinkedIn Profile Link

Provide a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile or an online portfolio if you have one.

In case you don't have a LinkedIn profile, consider making one as it can be beneficial for networking and finding job opportunities.

Profile Title

A profile title in your teen resume is the name of the profile you are applying for.

A few examples of profile titles that you can add to your teen resume are - industrial relations counselor, criminologist, dietician, etc.

Also, your profile title should be the second-largest text in your resume with a font size 12-14 points .

Also Read: How to write the contact information in resume in 2022?

Teen Resume Objective

Although the objective and key skills sections must be placed at the top part of your teen resume, it must be written only after writing the other sections so that you have a clear understanding of what your core skills and objective are.

When writing your objective section, don't write about your expectations from the company and the role.

Instead, write what you can provide to the organization as an ideal candidate.

Your objective statement must show how you could benefit the company with your skills and knowledge.

Highlight the skills that can fulfill the requirements of the role you're targetting and emphasize your proven track record of academic achievements.

Also Read: How to write a resume objective in 2022?

Key Skills for Teen Resume

The skills section of your teen resume must list the core skills that you possess in terms of the job description and requirements.

For instance, if you are applying for the job profile of an assistant, it must showcase skills like:

Remember to always refer to the requirements listed in the job description of the listing to understand which skills you must list in your resume (as long as it stands true to you).

The listed skills must be backed by your academic qualifications, volunteer or internship experiences, or academic projects that you've been a part of.

If you possess technical skills like proficiency in programming languages and familiarity with using specific tools or software, you can create a separate section under your key skills and list them.

Given below is a snapshot of the key skills and technical skills sections in a resume:

The following are some other examples of key skills that you can add to your teen resume according to your qualifications:

Also read: How to write a resume skills section?

Volunteer/Internship Work Section

Instead of a professional work experience section, your teen resume can have a volunteer or internship work experience section.

And depending on the relevance of it, you can either have the education section or this section before the other.

You can list your internship/volunteer experience using the reverse chronological format with the following details:

• Name of the Organization
• Location (city & state)
• Starting & completion dates
• Your designation
• The duties you performed

Also, here are some best practices you must follow to present your work experiences:

• Avoid writing in bulky paragraphs and use bullet points
• Begin your sentences with a power verb like managed, assisted, organized, etc. to create more impact with your one-liners
• Highlight the keywords in your bullet points
• Quantify your achievements and use figures whenever possible
• Use the cause-effect relationship to build your one-liners as shown in the following example:

Scheduled 10+ meetings every week by coordinating with clients and senior management to ensure smooth operations Assisted in making travel arrangements for 15+ clients who were traveling to the city on company business

Also Read: How to craft the perfect internship resume for college students in 2022?

Teen Resume Education Section

You need to leverage your fresh education to show your potential through your teen resume.

This section must present your college and high school qualifications along with some details about the coursework.

Write the name of the school/university, the name of the degree, along with the location and dates of enrollment & graduation.

If your GPA is higher than 3.5, you can mention that as well.

Also Read: How to write the education section of a resume in 2022?

Teen Resume Certifications

If you have taken up extra certification courses or training that is relevant to the job you're applying for, you can list them in this section.

Adding certifications to your teenage resume increases its value and helps you stand out from the crowd of applicants.

Provide the following details while listing your certifications:

• Name of the certification course
• Name of the certifying institution
• Dates of enrollment and graduation

Also Read: How to list certifications on a resume in 2022?

Additional Information for Teen Resume

Furthermore, to provide extra details about your academic experience and qualification, you can include additional sections like the following to your teen resume:

As teens don't have work experience to put on their resumes, you can list academic projects that you've been a part of.

Academic projects include the significant projects that you did in school or college.

To list your projects, use the format given below:

Name of the project | Dates of the project One line description of the project Projects objectives, your role, and the outcome of the project

Also Read: How to showcase projects on a resume in 2022?

Awards & Achievements

The awards and achievements section will include any major awards or certificates you received for exceptional academic performance or for participating in quizzes, sports, projects, etc., at the school or college level.

You can also include awards or recognition that you may have received for your volunteer work or internship.

Follow the given format to list your awards & achivements:

< Name of the Award > | < Reason for getting the award > | < Name of the awarding institution > | < Dates >

This section will mention all the extracurricular activities that you took part in at school or college.

It could be anything from being a part of the basketball team or leading the eco-club or becoming the captain of the soccer team.

Extracurricular activities showcase that you possess teamwork, communication, and leadership skills.

If you speak multiple languages, list them in your teen resume as it can be an asset if you are planning to work in the service, tourism, and sales industries.

Also read: How to write an entry-level resume in 2022?

Key Takeaways

• You should start every point with a power verb in your teen resume internship/volunteer experience section
• Quantify your achievements wherever possible
• Use bullet points instead of bulky paragraphs in your teen resume
• The font size for your teen resume body should be between 10-12 points, as these font sizes are easily readable
• Use professional fonts like Ariel, Helvetica, and Tahoma to write your teen resume
• Ensure that your key skills match your work experience and the profile you're applying for
• Customize your teen resume according to the job description of the role you're applying for
• Write the objective and skills section after writing the other resume sections
• Your objective statement should focus on how you can benefit the organization with your skills and knowledge

If you want to build a stellar teen resume, use Hiration's resume builder which is powered by AI. You can also write to us at [email protected] .

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How to Make a Resume for Teens With Examples

You’ve scoured the job postings, picked the best of the bunch, and now it’s “game on” for getting hired. But before hitting “apply,” the first step is to learn how to make a resume for teens. It’s an ultra-important document that makes the first impression on your employer, and it’s your ticket for putting your best foot forward.

From advice about what to include (or exclude!) to writing a resume with no work experience to resume examples for teens, we’ve got the scoop on how to write a resume.

View our favourite Resume Examples for Teens .

What is a resume?

A resume is a formal written document that outlines your qualifications, such as your education, skills, work experience, and any notable accomplishments.

“The purpose of a resume is to showcase your skills and experience and to convince a prospective employer that it is worth calling you in for a job interview,” says Sabrina McTaggart , a career coach for young adults based in Ottawa, Ontario.

Most employers require a resume to apply for a job and it’s typically two pages maximum. It’s often accompanied by a cover letter—a one-page letter of introduction that summarizes why you’re applying for the job and what makes you an ideal candidate. 

Learn more about Best Summer Jobs for Teens in Canada

What should be on a resume for a teenager?

A resume is your chance to shine to a prospective employer. But avoid listing all things you’ve ever accomplished in your life. Here’s what should make the cut:

1. Your contact information

Your contact information should be front and centre. Specifically, the heading at the top of the first page should contain your name, address, email address, website, LinkedIn URL, and phone number.

Tip: Now is the time to create a professional email address. [email protected] is appropriate for corresponding with your peeps, but not with hiring managers. It doesn’t have to be complicated: you can use your name ([email protected]) or create a generic address ([email protected]). 

2. Summary/objective

Consider this section to be the “Coles Notes” version of your entire resume. Write a bullet-point listicle that rounds up the reasons why you’re the prime candidate for the job: from your educational achievements to your mad computer skills to awards and accolades. For example:

• Entering fourth year of secondary school studies at Pleasantville High School.
• Five years of experience caregiving for children.
• Proficiency in Word, Adobe, and Excel software.
• First Aid and CPR Certified.
• Strong attention to detail, superior organizational and project management skills.
• Familiar with social media.
• Hold a valid Ontario driver’s licence.

3. Relevant experience

This section should be a snapshot of past and present experiences that demonstrate your ability to do the job. 

You should include:

• Job or position title
• Name of employer or organization
• Dates of employment or participation
• A summary of responsibilities and accomplishments (written as a bullet point list is acceptable).

“Briefly outline your relevant work experience and volunteer experience and what skills you developed in that work,” says McTaggart. “You can add any relevant extracurriculars that might make you a more attractive candidate, such as athletic accomplishments or music competitions.”

It’s standard to list your experiences in reverse chronological order (e.g., start with the most recent and work backwards) and only include what’s relevant and recent. A laundry list of everything you’ve ever done is TMI. Instead, highlight unique or noteworthy experiences that demonstrate your ability to handle the job. 

Tip: Show, don’t tell. You may have been elected to the student council (e.g., “Student Council Treasurer 2022-2023”), but it’s more impressive to share what you accomplished in that position (e.g., “Managed the council’s annual budget of $25,000 and fundraised an additional $10,000 to kickstart a Gender and Sexuality Alliance Network at school”).

Learn more: 14 best part-time jobs for teens .

What to put on a resume with no experience

’If you’ve never had a job, think outside the box. Did you house sit for your neighbour? Do you coach your younger sibling’s soccer team? Did you volunteer for a beach clean-up last summer? A hiring manager is looking to see examples of when you’ve acted responsibly, which could translate to on-the-job cred.

“Employers are aware that teens often have little formal work experience when they are hiring for student jobs and entry-level positions,” says McTaggart. “Consider how you might demonstrate that you have some useful skills, such as organizing, planning, writing, communication, and a strong work ethic.” She suggests including skills you learned while doing chores for neighbours and relatives, babysitting, dog-walking, or tutoring peers in school.

4. Education

List any past, current, and future educational achievements in reverse chronological order (most recent first and work backwards). This should be the shortest section on your resume and include: 

• The name of your school(s)
• Any diploma/degree in progress or attained
• Major/field of study
• Enrollment dates
• Expected graduation date
• GPA (if above 3.5)
• Any notable awards

If you’ve just graduated, list your high school, and if applicable, any post-secondary institution that you will attend next year.

If you’re still a student with limited job experience, you can put this section at the top of your resume. But if you’ve graduated and have ample work experience under your belt, your education is slightly less important and can be parked near the bottom.

Tip: “Include details about your education, including any awards such as Honour Roll or Dean’s List,” says McTaggart. Just keep it short and simple: “Graduated third in a class of 200 students, with a GPA of 3.8.”

5. Relevant skills

Showcase personal and professional skills that are relevant to the position and give concrete examples. For instance, if you’re applying to a summer camp, spelling out that you’re “First Aid and CPR certified” may give you a leg up over other candidates. If driving is an essential part of the job, mention that you have a valid driver’s licence (as well as list the licence class and how long you’ve held it). 

This is also the place to park any computer skills; fluency in languages; and certifications, licences, or professional courses that you’ve completed (or are currently completing). 

“Are you proficient with any software?” asks McTaggart. “Be sure to note, for example, if you can use document, spreadsheet or presentation software, and especially if you have any experience coding at any level.” 

Possible skills could include:

• Customer service
• French language
• Basic coding
• Video editing
• Photography
• Social media
• Communication skills
• Microsoft Office
• Fundraising
• Valid drivers licence

To understand what skills to include, study the job description. Does the position require using a computer? Are you handling cash? Will you be communicating with customers? Read between the lines and pick out the most important competencies for the job.

“For example, if you volunteered to help seniors with their technology in a retirement home, you have demonstrated strong communication skills, patience, and reliability,” says McTaggart.

Tip: Resist the urge to embellish your skills. Hiring managers often do background checks to confirm details. They may even request a copy of your purported credentials.

Read more: Job interview questions for teens with sample answers .

6. Awards and achievements

This is your chance to humblebrag about your awesomeness! List any scholarships, bursaries, awards, or achievements. These could be through school, the community, or extracurricular activities. If you’re applying for your first job, these seemingly small achievements can help your resume sparkle above the rest. 

7. References (optional)

While not mandatory, you can list up to three professional contacts who can speak to your character and/or professional experience. Always ask before listing a potential reference on your resume. No one likes surprises, and a courtesy “heads up” gives the person time to think about what to say. 

Learn more about How to prepare for your first job interview . 

Tips for writing a resume for teens

• Stick to one to two pages : If you exceed that length, you risk overloading the hiring manager with information. Less is more!
• Make a professional email address : “Avoid things like hunnybunny@hotmail,” says McTaggart.
• Make your resume visually appealing : “This does not mean getting fancy,” says McTaggart. “It simply means making good use of white space and avoiding dense blocks of text.” Also, be consistent with fonts and formatting.
• Keep it simple: A resume should be eye-catching but not gaudy. “Unless you are applying for a role where a lot of creativity is required, it is advisable to avoid flashy colours and fonts,” says McTaggart. “The key to a good resume is to make it readable and professional.”
• Think about what the employer wants : Then, customize your resume to fit those qualifications. “Put yourself in the shoes of your prospective employer: they want a teen who is reliable, punctual, has a good attitude, can follow instructions and communicate clearly,” says McTaggart.
• Study the job posting : It gives clues about what the employer wants in a job candidate, as well as keywords to include in your resume. It might also give intel on possible interview questions.
• Prove you’re a leader: “Leadership skills are highly regarded by employers,” says McTaggart. “If you have ever been captain of a team, coached the younger members of your basketball club or taken a leadership role in your school play, be sure to highlight this.
• Use “action” words to paint a picture . Use descriptive language to leverage your skills and experience, as well as what you’ve achieved. Instead of simply saying you “did a thing,” consider if you could use these verbs such as led, researched, created, managed, delivered, resolved, founded, developed, tracked, collaborated, grew, or promoted. The thesaurus is your BFF!
• Proofread: Your resume should be squeaky-clean before you hit send. Run a spelling and grammar check—ideally, twice. Read the resume out loud to catch any awkward sentences or to trim length. Get a friend or family member to proofread for typos too.
• Ready your references : “If you have done good work for someone, even if informally like babysitting or snow shovelling, consider asking them for a letter of reference,” says McTaggart. “You can then list these folks under your ‘References’ section.” She also recommends making the request in person and routinely after you finish a job. While few people do this, it’s a good habit that can pay off later.
• Minimize your digital footprint : Hiring managers typically do online searches for job candidates. If you’ve got a digital presence that you’d rather not share with a potential boss, switch your social media settings to private. 

Tip: Include a cover letter with your resume. Learn more about how to write a cover letter for students .

Resume Examples for Teens

Need some help crafting your perfect resume? We’ve got you! Here are some resume template for teens that can help:

Resume with no work experience for teens

A sample resume for a high school student with no job experience:

Resume with work experience for teens

A sample resume for a first-year university student with job experience:

Last word about how to make a resume for teens

If you’ve made it this far, you should be well-equipped to take on the task of creating a resume. Start by studying the job description and brainstorming what skills and experiences might be highly valued by the hiring manager. Using these pro tips, draft a resume that showcases your skills and uses concrete examples that are directly relevant to the position. Remember to have a friend or family member proofread it before you hit send.

One last piece of advice: avoid the pressure to be perfect. At this age and stage, no one expects you to have a jam-packed resume with fancy awards and job experience. Avoid “padding” your resume with complicated or overblown achievements.

“As a teen, you’re not applying for Senior Vice President roles!” says McTaggart. “Keep it simple.”

Download the Mydoh app to help your tweens and teens gain real-life experience managing their money. 

This article offers general information only and is not intended as legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. While the information presented is believed to be factual and current, its accuracy is not guaranteed and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the author(s) as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or its affiliates.

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Home » CV Templates » CV for teenager: free CV template for a 13, 14 or 15 year old with example content

CV for teenager: free CV template for a 13, 14 or 15 year old with example content

CV template details:

• CV ref: #128
• File size: 17kb
• File format: .docx (Microsoft Word)
• File name: CV-template-13-14-15-year-old.docx
• Fonts required: Times New Roman
• Price: Free download

About this CV template:

This basic CV template in Microsoft Word is perfect for a 13, 14 or 15 year old teenager looking for some formal work experience or voluntary work experience. Use the template together with the guide which explains what information to put in each section.

Click here to view a preview of this CV template (PDF)

Click here for our CV editing guide

Don't like this CV template? Find another:

Review this cv template:, text preview of this cv template:.

This is a text-only preview - download the formatted Word file using the link above.

123, The Street, Nottingham NG1 234

07984 182182 ~ [email protected]

Objective statement

I am a 14 year old student looking for part time work at the weekends. I am a determined individual having recently completed my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award which has taught me that achieving goals requires hard work and dedication.

Work experience

NB: These are just examples to help you use non-conventional experience on your CV. Don’t worry if you don’t have quite as much to include!

ABC Accountants (2017)

During the school holidays this year I worked for 2 days each week at my father’s business, an accountancy firm. Tasks included typing, filing and taking post to the post office.

Young Entrepreneur Scheme (2016 – 2017)

I have taken part in my school’s Young Entrepreneur scheme for the last two years. This involves making items from Fimo to sell and running a stall every break time. Each year we have raised over £1,000 for local charities.

St John’s Ambulance, 2016 – 2017

I have been a St John’s Ambulance cadet since I was 13 and I regularly attend the local football team’s matches to provide first aid support alongside the St John’s Ambulance team.

Browns Café, Nottingham Auctions (2014 – 2017)

For the past three years I have helped my mother to run the food and drinks cafe once a month at the local Auctions. This involves serving customers, taking payment and giving change.

ABC Academy,   Nottingham

2013 – 2017

NB: If you do actually have your GCSE grades back, include them here. Alternatively you might include a predicted grade, as long as you make it clear that it is predicted and not final.

123 Primary School, Nottingham

2007 – 2013

• I am able to deal with the public effectively thanks to my experience as a St John’s Ambulance cadet and running a stall with my mother. These experiences also show that I am reliable and trustworthy.
• I am a good communicator and a competent leader – I now teach first aid to other young people, and I also head up our school debating team each Wednesday.
• I have a very good level of numeracy, achieving As for most of my maths assignments.
• I am IT literate with a typing speed of 45wpm and the ability to use most basic software packages to an intermediate level (Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint).

Hobbies and interests

I love football and I play on the local five-a-side team every Thursday evening. I am also a brown belt in Aikido and attend classes on Monday evenings.

Template details:

Here’s a full preview of page one of this CV for teenager job applicants:

And here’s page two:

How to write a CV for teenager job applicants

This guide will help you create a cv for teenager-suited roles..

Whatever role you’re hoping to land, you’ll likely be asked to submit a curriculum vitae (CV) when applying. For teenagers, if you have work experience, your CV layout should be:

Personal details

Personal statement.

• Hobbies & interests

If you DON’T have work experience, the ‘Skills’ section replaces this section so the layout is as follows:

We’ll explain what goes into each of those sections below:

If you apply for a part time job, prospective employers need to know how to contact you. At the top of your CV, you need to include:

• Email address – try to use one that looks reasonably professional. If your email is [email protected], you could get a new one for job applications (e.g. [email protected])
• Phone number
• Age – ordinarily it wouldn’t be necessary to include your age. However, if you’re under 16, it’s important that you tell prospective employers so they can make sure the job is suitable for you. They may also need to check that you are covered by their insurance.

DON’T specify personal data such as: your religion, your nationality or ethnic origin, or your gender. These are not relevant and may lead to discrimination .

This is a brief section (approx. 3 lines) that tells the hiring manager who you are, what you have to offer, and what you are looking for. Here are some examples:

“I am a 13 year old student looking for a part time job on Saturdays. I am friendly, reliable and hard working, and I give my very best in everything I do. I have a keen interest in Maths and Physics, and I achieve exceptional grades for all my assignments. I have also achieved a brown belt in Aikido and a Black Belt in Tae Kwan Do.” “I am a 14 year old student looking for part time work after school and/or at the weekends. I am a determined individual having recently completed my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award which taught me that achieving goals requires hard work and dedication.” “I am a 15 year old hard-working student looking for part time weekend work. I am a very focused individual who works hard and puts a lot of effort into everything I do, as evidenced by my predicted GCSE grades: currently 4 As, 4Bs and a C.”

It’s really important to think about what the employer is looking for and to tailor every CV you send out to the specific job. The personal statement is a great place to tell potential employers in a few lines how you meet the requirements of the job advert. An effective personal statement highlights your skills in relation to a particular job post.

If by chance you have completed any work (including volunteering), you should have a section in your CV entitled ‘Work Experience’. For formal work experience, you need to include:

• Place that you worked
• Dates that you worked there

You then give a short description of your role. For example:

“I volunteered on Saturday mornings at Oxfam which included: working on the till, sorting through stock, putting new stock out, tidying displays.”

If you did more casual / non traditional types of work experience such as babysitting, you don’t need to present this type of experience in a formal way. See our example CV for ideas of what you could write.

When thinking about whether you have any work experience, consider:

• Have you done any voluntary work?
• Do you have your own website?
• Do you regularly bake for a local cause?
• Do you make something to sell?
• Do you help with sports coaching?
• Do you babysit?
• Do you walk anyone’s cats or dogs for money (your own don’t count!)?
• Do you help care for an older person?
• Have you made money washing cars or mowing people’s lawns?

Most people of your age won’t have work experience, so don’t worry if you have nothing to put here – simply leave this section out.

There are two types of skills : hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills

Hard skills are very definable and measurable – such as typing at a certain speed, or the ability to use a certain software package (e.g. Microsoft Word). You can easily test whether someone does or does not have a particular hard skill.

If you can type quite well and it is relevant to the job, take an online typing test to find out your speed. Typing speed is written as ‘WPM’ – words per minute. A speed of 35 – 40 wpm with reasonable accuracy is generally acceptable; while 55 wpm is highly desirable for jobs where typing is central to the role.

IT literacy is relevant to many jobs – even working in a shop. You usually state if you can use Software packages such as Word along with an indication of how accomplished a user you are (basic, intermediate, advanced).

Soft skills

Soft skills are less definable and measurable – they include skills such as good communication or the ability to work well in a group.

If you’re applying to work in a shop or cafe for example, these skills are important to your employer:

• Good customer service – friendly, likeable, going out of the way to help people
• Good communicator – so you can help people who have questions
• Attention to detail – so you can spot when things aren’t right
• Numeracy – as you’ll be handling both money and goods
• Reliability – they want to know you’ll show up for your shifts
• Trustworthiness – as again you’ll be handling both money and goods
• IT literacy – to use any in-store systems

Most of the above skills are SOFT skills with the exception of numeracy which is a HARD skill.

It’s very easy to say you have a certain soft skill – as many people do on their CV – but it’s far more powerful if you can offer proof that you have that skill. You might not be able to offer evidence of everything the employer wants/needs but you should try and cover as many as you can, keeping things brief and to the point. Here is an example of how you could match the above list of skills to evidence that you have a particular skill:

• I am able to deal with the public effectively – I have been a St John’s Ambulance cadet since I was 10 and regularly volunteer providing first aid cover at local football matches.
• I am reliable and trustworthy – I regularly help my Mum when she runs stalls at the local Church to raise funds, serving customers who make purchases.
• I have a very good level of numeracy – I achieve As for most of my maths assignments.
• I am IT literate – I have a typing speed of 45wpm and the ability to use most basic software packages to an intermediate level (Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint).

You can see how much more convincing the above list is than if you simply write ‘Good communicator’ or ‘trustworthy’ in a list.

• You need to provide a list of your schools and the dates you attended. It is not absolutely necessary to include primary schools.
• If you are in year 10 or 11 (or you have started your GCSEs in year 9) it is advisable to give predicted grades, or actual grades if you have taken any exams early.

Hobbies & Interests

• This section is often overlooked (even by adults) but it’s a great opportunity to tell the employer about positive hobbies you have which reflect well on you as a person.
• Fitness, sports and other active hobbies tend to be favoured by employers. They show you are active and healthy.
• Anything that shows an interest in culture or the local community will also look favourable (for example, involvement in a Drama or theatre group).
• Leave off anything which isn’t really of interest to an employer such as your favourite music or the fact you like ‘films’ ‘going to the cinema’ or ‘seeing friends’.

If you are at school, you should give a teacher or tutor as one of your references.

The other reference should be someone who knows you, but not a family member or school friend. A person of professional standing such as someone who runs an activity that you attend would be a good choice.

We hope you’ve found our example CV for teenager job applicants and accompanying guide helpful. Ready to write your own CV? Download a completed CV template above – we’ve included examples of what to put in each section.

You may also find the following CV examples, templates and guides helpful:

Here are some other helpful templates and examples when writing a CV for a work experience placement:

• All student CV templates and guide
• Full guide on writing a CV with little or no experience (lots of examples)
• Apprenticeship CV example
• Example of a CV for a student in university
• School leaver CV template
• Alternative student CV template
• Work experience CV
• Skills based CV
• CV for a part time job (skills based)

Q: Can I get a part time job?

This section explains what the law says about teenagers working and how many hours a teenager can work..

Children aged 13 or older can get a part time job in the UK (the only exception for younger children is for those working in television, theatre or modelling – although a performance licence will be required).

You can’t work full time until you reach minimum school leaving age, at which point you can work up to 40 hours a week. The minimum school leaving age depends on which area of the UK that you live in – click here for more info .

If you’re under 16:

• Unfortunately you won’t be entitled to National Minimum Wage . When you reach 16 you’ll then be entitled to at least £4.55 per hour.
• You won’t pay National Insurance so your employer does not need to pay you through their PAYE scheme, unless your income exceeds your Personal Allowance

In addition there are quite a lot of rules to be aware of if you are under 16:

• You cannot work during school hours
• You cannot work before 7am or after 7pm
• You are not allowed to work for more than one hour before school (unless local bylaws permit it)
• You cannot work for more than 4 hours without taking a minimum 1 hour break
• As you might expect, you cannot work in pubs, betting shops and any other places specified by local bylaws
• You cannot do work that may be harmful to your health, well-being or education
• A maximum of 2 hours on school days and Sundays
• A maximum of 5 hours on Saturdays if you are aged 13 to 14, or 8 hours if you are aged 15 to 16.
• a maximum of 5 hours on weekdays and Saturdays
• a maximum of 2 hours on Sunday
• a maximum of 8 hours on weekdays and Saturdays
• You must have a 2 week break from work during the school holidays every year
• A permit to work may be required by local bylaws – check with your local council

Local bylaws list the jobs that children can’t do. If a job is on this list, a child under the minimum school leaving age can’t do this work.

To check if there are any relevant local bylaws that apply, contact your Local Council’s education or education welfare department.

Originally published 22nd December 2017. 

Jen Wiss-Carline has been a Senior Manager and Consultant for several sizeable companies which included dealing with all aspects of staff management and recruitment. She is also a Solicitor and Chartered Legal Executive, having been admitted as a Fellow in February 2006.

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How to Write Your First Job Resume [For 2024]

So there you are, sitting in front of a screen, staring at a blank Word page for hours, with one task at hand: writing your first job resume.

Where do you even start?

And most importantly: How do you fill those 1-2 pages when you have no work experience?

We feel your struggle and we’re here to help!

In this article, we’re going to guide you through the entire process of creating a first job resume from start to finish.

Let’s dive right in, shall we?

How to Write Your First Job Resume

• Pick the right resume template
• Write down your contact information (correctly)
• Include a resume objective
• List your education (in detail)
• Instead of work experience, focus on…
• Highlight your skills
• Mention optional sections
• Stick to the one-page limit
• Get inspired by a first-job resume example

Don’t worry, we’re going to cover all of the above in detail!

Starting with the first step:

#1. Pick the Right First Job Resume Format and Template

There are 3 main resume formats you can pick from. Each of them highlights a different part of your resume.

• Reverse-Chronological Resume - In this format, your work experiences and education are listed in reverse-chronological order. 
• Functional Resume - Instead of work experience, this format focuses on your skills and achievements.
• Combination (or Hybrid) Resume - This format focuses on both your skills and work experience.

For 99% of job-seekers, we recommend sticking with the reverse-chronological format.

While a functional resume can sometimes help for career changers or recent graduates, it’s still nowhere near as common as the reverse chronological one.

Plus, recruiters world-wide are familiar with the reverse-chronological format, making it a safer bet.

A reverse-chronological resume looks as follows:

Once you’ve picked the format, the next step is to perfect your layout, font, and the like. Here’s what we recommend for that:

• Use a Two-Column Layout. A two-column resume layout allows you to fit a lot more content into your resume.
• Pick a Common Font. We recommend Ubuntu, Overpass, or Roboto.
• Use Bullets to Describe Your Experiences.
• Don’t Go Over One Page. Unless you’re a professional with a decade of work experience, we recommend sticking to the one-page resume limit.

Want to avoid all the hassle of formatting your resume layout? We don’t blame you - if you wanted to build a good-looking resume from scratch, it would take you hours before you could even start filling it in.

Thankfully, there’s an easier way out: using a resume builder.

With Novoresume, all you have to do is pick a template, and fill in the contents. It’s that simple.

And on top of that, Novorésumé resumes are ATS-friendly . Meaning, your resume won’t be swallowed up by an applicant tracking system just because it can’t read it.

Want to get started with Novorésumé? Browse our resume templates .

#2. Write Down Your Contact Information (Correctly)

It’s important for the recruiter to have at least two ways of reaching back to you.

Meaning, you should always provide your contact information in your resume . That includes: 

• First and last name
• Phone number

Apart from these must-haves, you can also provide:

• LinkedIn URL - This is a good way to complement your resume. It also makes the recruiter’s life easier since they usually check your LinkedIn profile anyway. Make sure all information is updated and consistent with your resume, though.
• Relevant social media (like Quora or StackOverflow) - Any social media that is related to the job position and puts you in good light should be included in your resume. In most cases. If you’re a developer, it could be projects on GitHub. Writer? Personal blog.
• Website or blog - Again, this should be something related to the job. It shows your interest and dedication to the industry and how you spend some of your free time.

When it comes to your contact information, the key is to write everything correctly . Double-check you’ve spelled your name and email right, make sure the phone number you’ve listed can be reached, and that the accounts you have linked to are up to date . 

Something else you should know regarding location is how much detail you should be providing. 

The reason recruiters want to know your location is so that they have an idea of whether you’re in the vicinity of the company or not (and if you’ll need to relocate for work). 

That means, providing the city and country where you live will be enough. No need for your full home address. 

#3. Include a Resume Objective

Recruiters spend on average 7 seconds scanning each resume before deciding if it’s worth more consideration or not. 

That means your resume has about 7 seconds to leave a great first impression and convince the recruiter you’re the person they’re looking for.

A good resume objective does that for you. 

A resume objective is a 2-3 sentence snapshot of your skills, achievements, and career goals . Its purpose is to communicate your motivation for getting into the field and your interest in this particular position. 

This makes it ideal for the first job resume of a recent graduate or somebody who’s changing careers. Basically, any resume with no work experience . 

Your resume objective should be tailored to the position you are applying for and highlight skills that will help the company achieve its goal. Use as many facts and numbers as you can to back up any statements or achievements. 

• Creative and motivated recent graduate with a B.A. in Marketing from the University of Michigan. Seeking permanent employment in the field of marketing after completing successful internships in 2 major media companies. Looking to further develop my market analysis skills and contribute to future marketing strategy developments at XY Company.
• I am looking to put my marketing skills into action by initially working for the marketing department of a well-known company until I can finally get to an executive position.

#4. List Your Education (In Detail)

For starters, you should know how to list your education entries correctly in the following format:

• Program Name e.g.: B.A. in Information Systems
• University Name e.g.: University of Chicago
• Years Attended e.g.: 07/2013 - 05/2017
• GPA (only if really high)
• Honors (If applicable) e.g. Cum Laude

Exchange Program (If applicable) e.g. Exchange program in Berlin, Germany

Apart from your skills, your education is the biggest selling point in your first job resume. This is not the place to be humble and play down your achievements!

Write down your GPA (if it’s something impressive), emphasize your honors, and most importantly, highlight your academic achievements by describing them in detail.  

What you can also do is list specific courses that you have taken that are relevant to the position you are applying for. 

Here’s an example of what an entry on the education section should look like:

B.A. in English Literature (Cum Laude)

Boston University

07/2014 - 05/2018

• Courses: Advanced Topics in Literature: Shakespeare’s Work 
• Clubs: Boston University Drama Club
• Exchange program in London, UK

#5. Instead of Work Experience, Focus On This

As a recent graduate, the recruiter knows you don’t have any work experience - and that’s OK. As long as you’re applying for a junior or entry-level position, the experience isn’t something expected from you.

Instead, the recruiter will be looking for other experiences that enrich your profile, like:

• Internships
• Extracurricular Activities

When talking about these experiences, format them just like you’d format your work experience. 

Business Analyst Internship

AAA Company

Milan, Italy

05/2019 - 12/2019

• Ran weekly and monthly analysis on diverse areas of the business
• Created insightful reports of the analysis to present to managers and teams
• Defined strategic KPIs, in order to monitor the efficiency of commercial operations

When possible, try to focus on listing your achievements and not your responsibilities. This will help you stand out from the rest of the applicants.

Haven’t done any internships? Include extracurricular activities.

More often than not, an applicant with extracurricular activities and an average GPA will impress the recruiter much more than a 4.0 GPA student with nothing else to show. When listing your extracurricular activities, each entry should have the following format:

Moot Court Club Member

2017 - 2019

• Participated for two years in a row at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, making it to the finals in 2019
• Researched and prepared written pleadings, called memorials addressing timely issues of public international law
• Helped train the new club members in topics of international law

Finally, you can also list independent projects, if you have any. Think, something you did on the side just for yourself. This can be a personal project, small business or startup, side-gig, blog, etc.

Amy’s Book Club Blog

2018 - Present

• Created my own book club website for reviewing and discussing the latest books.
• Curated a monthly book calendar for my followers to follow, combining trending, relevant, and classic books.
• Created over 40 book review articles.
• On average, received 2000 visitors per month to the blog.

#6. Highlight Your Skills

The two types of skills you can mention on your resume are soft skills and hard skills.

Soft skills are attributes that help you adapt to work environments, work in a team, and apply your hard skills effectively. They are related to your personality, social skills, communication, attitude, etc.

Hard skills refer to technical knowledge and specific tools. They are skills that one learns and applies directly to the job. Some examples of hard skills include:

• Financial accounting
• Adobe Illustrator

Although soft skills are becoming more and more in demand by employers , for your first job resume, we recommend sticking to hard skills. 

Sure, attributes like “teamwork” or “critical thinking” are much appreciated by just about any employer. 

The thing is, though, the recruiter can’t really tell if you actually have critical thinking skills, or just listed it on your resume to fill space.

Hard skills, on the other hand, are very easy to test.

Tailor Skills to the Job Ad

Not sure which skills to mention in your first job resume?

The simplest way to find the essential ones is to check the job ad.

The recruiter themselves mentioned the skills they’re looking for - the only thing you need to do is mention them in your resume (as long as you have them, anyway).

Let’s say you’re applying for a graphic designer position that wants the following qualifications and skills:

• Adobe Creative Suite proficiency, particularly InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Acrobat; XD, Animate and/or After Effects are a plus
• Working knowledge of presentation software (Canva, PowerPoint and/or Keynote)
• Ability to work under pressure, manage work on multiple projects daily, manage a large workload and meet deadlines.
• Detail-oriented, highly organized

Based on that, your skills section should include the following:

• Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat
• After Effects and Cinema4D
• Canva and Keynote
• Time management
• Detail-oriented

If the job ad isn’t too descriptive, you can also check out these 101+ most in-demand skills for 2024 . 

#7. Mention Optional Sections

Still have some space on your resume?

That’s not a bad thing! You can use this space to your advantage and add some other useful sections.

Here are some ideas:

• Volunteering - If you have some volunteering experience, make sure to include it in your first job resume. Such a section shows commitment, dedication, and a sense of purpose, something most recruiters will appreciate.
• Languages - With companies becoming more and more international, additional languages are always appreciated.
• Hobbies - You can show your genuine interest in the industry or field by listing some relevant hobbies/interests.
• Awards & Certifications - Whether it’s an award from an essay competition in college or a certificate from an online course, anything that flatters your profile should be added.

#8. Stick to the One-Page Limit

“ How long should a resume be? ” seems like an eternal dilemma at this point. 

Generally, the answer is: it depends. 

Since you’re making a first job resume, the answer is: definitely one page . 

Unless you have an extensive employment history that can’t fit into one page, there’s no need to go over that limit. 

It’s unlikely that the recruiter will want to look at two pages of extracurriculars and hobbies. 

#9. Get Inspired by This First-Job Resume

Need some inspiration for your resume? Check out the resume examples below.

First Job Resume FAQ 

Still have some questions on how to write a convincing first job resume?

We’ll answer them here.

1. What do I put on my no-experience resume?

There’s plenty of other things you can include in your resume instead of work experience. For starters, you should:

• Focus on your education, making sure the entries are formatted correctly.
• Pick the right skills that match what the employer is looking for.
• Talk about internships, personal projects, or extracurricular activities. Describe your achievements in detail.

If you still have some space left, you could use it to your advantage and add extra sections like volunteer work, languages, awards & certificates, or hobbies.

2. Is a resume necessary for a first job?

Depending on the region, a resume or CV is always necessary for a job application, be it the first or the 20th. 

Before deciding if they should call you for an interview, the recruiters need to have some insight into you and your skills.

3. Do I need work experience to land my first job?

Short answer: You don’t! 

If you’re a recent graduate, it’s a given that you won’t have any work experience. Most employers don’t actually expect years of work experience for an entry-level or junior position. 

Instead, they’ll be looking at your other types of experiences (internships, extracurricular activities, etc.) to decide on whether you’re a good fit for the job or not.

4. How do you write a resume for your first job?

The process is quite similar to the one for writing a regular resume, but with a few tweaks.

The exact steps for creating a first job resume are:

• Instead of work experience, focus on extracurricular activities, internships, projects, etc.

Key Takeaways

Writing your first job resume doesn’t have to be stressful!

Remember the following tips and you’ll do just fine:

• Pick the right format and template to avoid the hassle of formatting your resume. Make sure to pick an ATS-friendly resume template.
• Write a concise and attention-grabbing resume objective. Show the recruiter that you’re relevant for the role and that they should read the rest of your resume.
• Instead of work experience, include information on your internships, projects, and extracurricular activities.

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Teen Resume Examples With Writing Tips

What to Include in Your Resume

• Tips for Writing a Resume for Teens
• Resume Example for a Teenager

More Resume Examples for Teens

If you’re a teenager looking for a part-time job, it’s probably time to write your  first resume . You may not need one to apply, but having a resume can help you get hired. What do you put on a resume when you don't have much, or any, work experience? How do you format a resume for a part-time job?

Due to your limited work experience, you’ll likely need to go beyond your job history, and include related coursework, school activities, and volunteer experience. It’s helpful to look at student and resume examples to get some ideas about what a good one contains. 

Learn about the best information in your resume, the best format to use, review examples, and get a template to use as a starting point for your own resume.

When you are writing a high school resume, it’s important to make sure you include all the pertinent information in an acceptable standard format. At a bare minimum, your resume should include your  contact information  along with your experience  and  education .

Beyond that, most sections are optional—you can include a  skills section  or  objective , but it's not required.  

Highlight academic accomplishments.  As a student, a lot of your experiences are in the classroom. Emphasize achievements like a high GPA or any academic awards.

Success in the classroom is a good indicator of success on the job, and hiring managers know this.

If you have taken courses related to the job you’re applying for, list those as well.

Emphasize extracurricular activities.  Since you likely have limited work experience, emphasize your non-work activities. These might include clubs, sports, babysitting, or volunteer work. All of these activities can show your skills and abilities.

Note any leadership experience.  Have you held a position in a club or student government, or been a captain on a sports team? Be sure to list this experience, as it highlights your leadership ability.

Tips for Writing a Resume for Teenagers

You want your resume to clearly show the employer what kind of employee you’ll be. You don’t want them to have to waste their time deciphering your experiences. Here's how to do that:  

Use a simple format and font.  Use a  resume template  to guide your writing. Looking at examples can help you decide what kind of content you should include, as well as how to format your resume.

Choose a simple, standard format. It should be easy to read and look like a professional document.

A font like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri looks good and will make your information stand out to the hiring manager.

Think about what the employer wants.  Make sure to tailor your resume to fit your own experiences, and the requirements of the position you’re seeking. For example, if you are applying for a job as a camp counselor, highlight any experience you have working with children. If you are applying to be a waiter, emphasize experience in customer service, or working (or playing) on a team.

Use action words.  When describing your achievements, use  action words . Words like  led, researched, tutored,  and  created  emphasize the value of your experiences rather than just listing what you did.

Proofread and edit.  Proofread your resume carefully before submitting it. A clean, error-free resume will show you off as a polished candidate. Ask a friend or family member to read the resume for you as well. It can be tough to spot your own typos and grammatical errors.

Part-Time Job Resume Example for a Teenager

The following is a resume for a teenager seeking a part-time job or internship that involves working with children. Download the resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online).

Part-Time Job Resume (Text Version)

Denise Applicant 777 Walnut Street • Philadelphia, PA 10036 • (444) 555-1212 • denise.applicant@email.com

CHILDCARE WORKER

Building positive learning outcomes and life skills with children and students

Hard-working, responsible student with experience taking care of young children. Key skills include:

• Spanish—intermediate level
• French—beginner level
• First Aid, CPR, AED certifications
• Adobe Photoshop & InDesign
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Experience with children

PROFESSIONAL AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

SMITH HOUSEHOLD,  Philadelphia, PA NANNY  (February 2022—Present) Plan, organize, and implement fun and educational activities for three children younger than 6.

BEACON PROGRAM,  Philadelphia, PA COUNSELOR  (Summer 2021) As co-leader for a group of 10 first-graders, implemented games designed to encourage creative problem-solving in science and engineering. Notable Accomplishment:

• Named “Counselor of the Week” twice for leadership skills.

MAPLE STREET CONVENIENCE STORE,  Philadelphia, PA CASHIER  (Summer 2020) Managed cash register, restocked shelves, and assisted customers with locating items. Notable Accomplishment:

• Awarded for “Best Customer Service,” June 2020.

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

MAIN STREET HIGH SCHOOL , Philadelphia, PA Honor roll each semester, diploma expected 2021

Related Coursework & Activities

Early Childhood Development • Urban Education • Urban Education—Psychology • Urban Education—Instructional Leadership • Modeling Club • Fundraising chair, JROTC Drill Team • Vice president, Drama Club • Cheerleading

• High School Resume Example
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Key Takeaways

• Your resume should include your contact information along with your experience and education.
• It’s fine to include extracurricular activities if you don’t have formal work experience.
• Tailor your resume to fit the requirements of the position you’re seeking.

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Use this sample resume as a basis for your own resume if you:

• Have completed (or are currently completing) VCE 
• Have little or no formal (paid) work experience

For sample resumes designed for other levels of education/work experience, check out our Sample CVs page . 

Download this sample resume template:

• Sample Resume: VCE + No Work Experience - Word (133.87 KB)
• Sample Resume: VCE + No Work Experience - PDF  (123.51 KB)

NOTE: DON'T SUBMIT YOUR RESUME AS A .PDF. Always submit your resume as a .doc, .docx or .rtf. If you have trouble with this sample resume, contact us at [email protected] .

If you've finished or are currently doing VCE (or an equivalent) but you haven't had much - or any - paid work experience, this sample resume can help you focus on the personal attributes you can contribute to the needs of an organisation.

This sample resume has been designed to focus on:

• A marketing statement that highlights your capabilities and demonstrates what you bring to the job
• Personal attributes that will help you to transition into the work environment
• Any achievements, commendations or awards you received at high school that show you are honest and reliable
• Any volunteer placements that demonstrate your willingness to contribute to the community

Other things you can put on your resume include:

• Any sporting or community club participation (if relevant to the job)
• Work placements or work experience that show you know how to work in a professional environment
• Key skills that demonstrate your employability (and examples of their use) 
• Written testimonials provided by supervisors, sporting club coaches, teachers or others involved in volunteer and community clubs
• Any hobbies or interests that are relevant to the job

This sample resume is one page long. A one-page resume is more than acceptable when you're just starting out in the world of work. You may end up with two pages if you include all of the suggested additional information.

If your resume ends up being three pages long, you're probably providing too much information - try cutting some things out and sticking to two pages maximum.

For more about resumes and cover letters, check out these pages:

• Sample Cover Letters
• How to Write a Resume
• How to Write a Cover Letter

Email: [email protected] Mobile: XXXX XXX XXX

VCE graduate seeking casual employment in a dynamic organisation

Personable and astute student with proven time management and collaboration skills developed from sporting and volunteer engagements. Strong interpersonal skills enhanced by taking part in theatre activities to develop confidence and communication abilities. Understanding of general employability skills and the importance of working as part of a team, learning from others and developing as a professional. VCE graduate looking for first-time employment in a position that requires a dedicated, young and enthusiastic employee.

• Customer Service (phone and face-to-face)
• Problem solving
• Cash management
• Sales reconciliations
• Transaction processing
• Sales refunds
• Dispute resolution
• Data processing
• Inventory control
• Store-based security
• Stock receipting
• End-of-day processing
• Sales negotiations
• Product selection

Software Skills: Microsoft Word ~ Microsoft Excel ~ Microsoft Outlook ~ Firefox ~ Internet Explorer

All Saints Anglican College VCE 2013 ATAR: 88.7

Achievements:

• 2013: Class captain (in partnership with one other class representative)
• 2012: Represented school at National Youth Day events
• 2012: Recognition award for contribution to the local community and volunteering

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Effective Communication Skills:  Articulate communicator with appreciation for the different communication styles required when working with other team members or with customers.
• Honest and Reliable:  Strong morals and ethics ensure honesty, reliability and ability to undertake tasks responsibly.
• Flexible:  Understanding of need to remain flexible to support last-minute demands and changes. Comfortable in changing environments and situations, ensuring ability to remain flexible and adaptable at all times.

STUDENT WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENTS

Taylor Smith Partners (2-Week Work Placement - 2013)

Achievements and Contributions

• Customer Service:  Responded to incoming calls. Screened telemarketing and direct sales calls while transferring customer enquiries to appropriate department.
• Administration:  Typed general communication and letters to customers and businesses as directed. Ensured accurate development of communication by providing correspondence to supervisor for approval.
• Records Processing:  Entered customer information into internal records management system. Updated existing customer records while creating new data files as directed.

VOLUNTEER PLACEMENTS

Melton Community Gardens (2011 - current)

Worked in community gardens assisting members of the local community in planting and caring for allocated sections. Assisted with setup and preparation of community garden, including general repair and maintenance works.

St Vincent De Paul (2010-2013)

Provided support during various fundraising activities for local community group. Assisted at events and gatherings including providing suggestions to help meet fundraising targets. Personally attended various events, including spending time with homeless youth in Melbourne CBD.

PROFESSIONAL REFEREES

Joanne Boyle Manager St Vincent De Paul Society Phone XX XXXX XXXX

Allan Blue Maintenance Manager Melton Community Gardens Phone: XX XXXX XXXX

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How to Write Your Teen’s First Resume

• August 21, 2018

Do you have a teen who’s about to apply for their first job? They’re probably feeling excited at the prospect of earning their own money, being a bit more independent, and making new friends. But first thing’s first: if they want to get a job, they’ll need a resume.

Writing a resume for your teen (or helping them write their own) might sound simple… after all, there’s not a lot to write about yet. But in some ways, that’s what makes it more challenging.

I’ve put together some tips and a super basic format to make it as simple as possible to write a resume for your teen. You might be surprised at just how much experience they already have and how impressive their resume can look, even if they’ve never had a job before.

Before we get into it…

What makes a teen’s resume different?

Let’s state the obvious for a sec. It can feel like catch-22 for your teen when it comes to applying for a job. You need a job to get experience. But you need experience to get a job. A well-written resume bridges the gap so that a school-leaver or student who’s never worked before can demonstrate enough experience and value to secure a paid job.

Bridging this gap means writing their resume a little differently than, say, your own… since you’ve probably got a couple of decades of professional experience to talk about! You’ll have to think outside the box about what counts as “work” experience.

To make it super easy for you, I’ve created a basic layout for a teen’s resume below. I’ll walk you through it with instructions on what to write under each heading.

Contact details at the top

The standard resume format includes a clear heading at the top with the applicant’s name. Just under that you’ll include the applicant’s contact details: ● Mobile ● Email ● Location (suburb and state)

Don’t get fancy – make it super easy for the hiring manager to find the information they’re looking for.

Just a note on contact details. If your child has their own email address, make sure it’s something sensible. Ideally, it should resemble their name and not include any words that might give the wrong impression. If not, have them set up a professional email address through a free host like Gmail. And ask them to consider what might happen if they miss a call. Do they have a sensible voicemail message set up? If not, they’ll need to fix that too.

Tip: You don’t need as much contact info on your resume as you used to a few years ago. Date of birth, marital status, fax number, multiple phone numbers, and street numbers aren’t really necessary. Oh and while I’m at it… leave your photo off as well!

Professional profile

Right underneath the contact details, you’ll include the professional profile. Obviously, a professional profile for a teenager’s first resume is going to be very different from someone who’s studied at a higher level or had years of experience in the workplace. Instead of professional skills, you can talk about any soft skills that will support them in the workplace. Things you might mention (if they’re true for your teen) include:

• Communication
• Positive attitude
• Friendly manner
• Problem-solving
• Strong work ethic
• Working in a team
• Independence
• Time management
• Decision making

You could use this opportunity to talk about where they’ve picked up these skills. For example, volunteering with a community group or being involved at school. If your teenager has their own transport, like a car and driver’s licence, this is a great place to mention it as well.

Use the professional profile to give a snapshot of your teen and the attributes that will make them a good candidate for the job. Don’t make it too long – a short paragraph is enough for this section. You’ll get the chance to talk about the specifics in the next couple of sections. We want to make sure this is a smoothly written paragraph. Think along the lines of a blurb on the back of a book, rather than disjointed sentences.

Skills and expertise

This next section can seem a bit tricky at first. After all, it probably looks like your teen is rather short in the skills and expertise department! But once again, I try to bring this back to soft skills backed by any relevant real-life experiences.

But before we do that, let’s take a step back. Think about the kind of job your teenager is applying for. Usually, first jobs will fall under one of four categories: manual labour, retail, hospitality, and care. They’ll probably start out performing very basic tasks on weekends, the occasional afternoon and through the school holidays. These tasks (while they can be challenging at times) don’t require a huge amount of upfront knowledge or technical skills. What your teen really needs to succeed in these roles are soft skills and abilities they’ve already picked up through school, from after-school activities like sports and from other life experiences. If you can demonstrate these skills to the hiring manager, you’ll have a much better chance of landing an interview… and then hopefully a job.

Let me give you some examples of how you might match soft skills and life experiences to the job your teen’s going for.

For example, if I think back far enough, I can remember I used to volunteer at a store around the corner from my mum and dad’s business. It was an op shop with a café attached to it, and they took on volunteers. It was actually a great opportunity to practice some real work skills before I got my first real job – not to mention I got a referee to include on my resume that I WASN’T related to! I learned how to work the coffee machine, do basic food handling and prep and follow hygiene practices. Add to that learning the importance of good communication, putting a smile on my face, and turning up on time. If I was writing a resume for teenage-me, those are absolutely things I’d include under skills and expertise.

Achievements

The next section on their resume is “Achievements”. Once again, since your teenager hasn’t really worked before, you might have to think outside the box a little. So, ask yourself (or ask your teen)… what things have they done so far in life that they’re proud of? What have they done that’s different to most of their peers? Here are a few ideas of achievements that might apply to your teen:

• Sporting achievements – teams, games, commitments, prizes, etc.
• Academic achievements – awards, extracurricular programs, scholarships, grades they’re proud of, etc.
• General life achievements – learning how to drive, climbing a mountain, travelling overseas
• Fundraisers – meeting or exceeding a fundraising target
• Relationships – mentoring younger students, developing leadership skills

While your teen may not have real work experience yet, they probably have some of the above achievements they can talk about. And they’re worth mentioning on their resume because they tell a story about what your teen is like as a person and can perhaps indicate what they’ll be capable of in the workplace.

For example, I helped a young man with his resume recently and he was able to multitask like a CHAMP. We illustrated this by talking about how he’d represented his school at an extremely high level of sport. By demonstrating how he balanced his sporting and schooling commitments (including HSC prep!) we were able to reinforce his maturity, ability to multitask and manage competing priorities.

Work history

Having a “Work History” section for someone who’s never worked before might seem a little odd. But this section is standard for all resumes and there are still plenty of things you can include here. You just need to get creative. I don’t mean making stuff up… I mean interpreting certain activities as work-related even if they weren’t technically paid work.

For example:

• Volunteer work
• Community engagement activities
• Helping out in the canteen with the local footy team
• Coaching kids at netball
• Refereeing hockey games
• Babysitting for friends, family, and neighbours
• Looking after neighbours’ pets, mail, or bins when they’re away
• Any odd jobs

Why are these relevant? Your teen has to turn up at a certain time, they have set tasks to complete, they’re working under others, and engaging as part of the team.

You might also use this section to talk about school. After all, it’s no secret that your teen is still in school or has recently left. So, you might talk about what school they’re at and what year they’re in (or when they graduated). But you don’t need to go into detail on grades and subjects.

Tip : When you write the cover letter, you could potentially talk about grades and subjects a little if it’s relevant. For example, if your teen’s pretty good at maths and they’re applying for a retail job that involves cash handling, it might be worth mentioning.

So, what about the “Hobbies” section? I always advise against including these in a professional resume, even for a teenager, because I just don’t feel like it adds value. If you have enough content elsewhere, I’d strongly recommend leaving this section out.

The only reason you’d keep it might be if their resume is looking a bit empty and you really feel that it would add something. If you do include hobbies, try to keep them relevant, so that there’s some connection to soft skills, life-skills, and the jobs your teen is applying for.

Because at the end of the day, it really depends on the individual and the job they’re applying for. You’re not creating a cookie cutter resume. You’re talking about why your teen is suitable for a role.

That’s it! But before you hit send…

Check your spelling and grammar. If you’ve got the time, set aside the resume for a day and come back to it – you’ll see obvious issues you might’ve missed before. Read each sentence out loud to make sure the sentences flow properly and are easy to read. Or better still, ask someone else to proofread it for you.

Over to you…

I really hope this blog helps you and your teen feel more confident in putting together a first resume. It’s an exciting time… this piece of paper will help them land their first job!   If you’d like to give your teen a leg up, check out our Resume in a Day  course. 

Resume in a Day gives you access to  four guided templates, a suite of video tutorials, the Acing Your Interview ebook, my short course Going Beyond the STAR Method, as well as examples of well done and ‘needs some work’ resume extracts. 

With lifetime course access, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. 

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We respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land upon which we live and work, the Ngunnawal people. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region, and  extend that same respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

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