What To Do When You Dont Have Any Experience
As a teenager, its very likely you do not have any professional experience which is totally okay! You can use other experiences to fill out this section of your resume. Have you had any after-school gigs like babysitting, dog walking, or helping out at a family business? Are you engaged in any extracurricular activities at school? These experiences are excellent things to put on your resume to showcase your leadership, responsibility, and other employability traits. Additionally, a section about your skills can be used in place of an extensive experience section.
High School Resume Skills Examples
A final section I want to talk about are a teens skills.
What are some good examples of high school resume skills?
Your teen can get help finding their own skills by:
- Writing out their skills
- Dividing those skills up into industry/job-specific, and transferable skills
Your teenager can use the list they created from these examples, and scatter them throughout their resume in the summary area, in bullet points, in a Skills Summary section, etc.
Heres more information in these career resources for high school students.
How To Write A Resume For A 15 Year Old
Teenagers always want the latest gadgets — and typically can’t wait until they can buy them without having to ask an adult for money. But before this can happen regularly, a teen needs to secure a job. The Fair Labor Standards Act sets 14 as the golden age for employment. Helping your 15-year-old craft an appropriate, well-thought-out resume — whether its for babysitting, lawn-mowing gigs, computer tutoring or working at a pet store — can make all the difference in capturing that coveted job.
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High School Resume Tips For First Job
Before you check out these tips for how to make a resume for first job high school students, be sure to download one of these free teen resume templates to use.
Thatll really help!
Hint: I devote an entire week to guiding your teen through creating their resume in the Teen Job Lab. Youll definitely want to check that out!
Perfect Work Experience On Resumes For Teens
- A short list of interests
Expert Hint: Should you send a cover letter for teenage resumes? If you want to double your chance of getting hired, yes. Talk up your best accomplishments that fit the job.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Follow our guide on how to write a cover letter with no experience, use our cover letter builder and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? Theres 18 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
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Proofread Your Resume Carefully
After you finish writing your resume, proofread it carefully to catch any spelling or grammar errors. This is especially important if you’re applying for a job that includes office work or written communication with clients or colleagues. A computer program or app for checking spelling and grammar can help you find any mistakes. It’s also a good idea to ask a teacher, counsellor, parent, or mentor to read your resume and provide feedback. That way, you can make sure that your resume is as persuasive as possible.
Read more:7 Steps for Creating a Resume as a Student
Im Amanda Your Money Expedition Leader
It takes a digital village to raise a money-smart kid. I partner with Mama Bears like YOU by sharing tips + tricks that complement our money educational adventures, real money stories from real Moms, and guidance, so that you walk away with confidence + a clear strategy for how to teach your kid about money in the way you wish youd gotten growing up.
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How To Write Your First Resume
So, its time to write your first resume! Youre nervous and excited and probably asking yourself questions like how do I write my first resume?, what do I include on my resume? or even what should a resume look like?
Luckily for you, weve got this ultimate guide to writing your first resume so you can go out and nail your job hunting!
So, what are you waiting for? Lets dive in!
Is My Resume Long Enough
Most hiring staff will not read through pages and pages of information about a candidate’s job history. Having a succinct one-page resume with relevant information is enough. Refraining from submitting overly long resumes can help you ensure you’re providing the best and most relevant information when applying to jobs.
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How To Write Your Teens First Resume
- Adriana Modersitzki
- 10:03 am
Do you have a teen whos about to apply for their first job? Theyre probably feeling excited at the prospect of earning their own money, being a bit more independent, and making new friends. But first things first: if they want to get a job, theyll need a resume.
Writing a resume for your teen might sound simple after all, theres not a lot to write about yet. But in some ways, thats what makes it more challenging.
Ive 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 theyve never had a job before.
Before we get into it
Put Down Your Contact Information
Just like the name suggests, the first thing you add to your header is your personal and contact information.
Its the easiest part to get right, just keep it short and to the point.
In your contact information section, mention the following:
- First and Last Name
- A link to a professional profile or personal webpage
Make sure to use a professional-sounding E-mail.
I.e. something along the lines of
Youre sure to leave a wrong impression if you use an email you created back in preschool .
Pro Tip
Make sure to double-check, triple-check your contact information. After all, the recruiter cant contact you if you have a typo in your phone number.
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Got Nothing Use Classwork In The Experience Section
Perhaps your teen has travelled through the wormhole of their last five or so yearsonly to come up empty on experience.
Okay have them tease out classes and classwork that shows experience that at least vaguely has something to do with a job position.
For example:
- Courses that support the type of job youre going after
- Specific projects completed for a class
- Thesis or Senior Project work
- Academic competitions
- Academic awards
Create A Baseline Summary Arealast
Your high school student will want to tweak and change the summary area for each job/category of job theyre going to apply to.
But they should still put a good bit of thought into their baseline summary. Thats because they can then build off of what they already have, and just tweak it as needed for each new job opportunity they apply to .
Two things:
- Create the Summary Area Last: Have them create this section LAST. After theyve teased out all the other points, accomplishments, projects, etc. throughout their resume. Itll be easier that way.
- Use Different Colored Highlighters: When its time for them to create this section, have them print out a rough draft of their resume. Then they can take a highlighter and highlight all of the adjectives theyve used in one color, the verbs used in another highlighter color, and skills in a third highlighter color.
Once theyve highlighted some great words, they can use them when writing and rewriting their summary statement.
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Dos And Donts In Resume Writing
This is a simple guide on what you do and dont do when it comes to writing resumes.
In writing resumes like in Chef Resume Templates and Banking Resume Templates, aim to show your good side to gain the approval of employers. Thus, it is important to write a resume effectively and honestly so as to create a good image as an applying teenager.
Give Facts Or Figures When Possible
When you’re talking about your achievements, include details about the impact of your work. If your hard work has earned you a great GPA, then mention it. If your work leading the debate team has resulted in an unbroken winning streak, then you can include that as an example of excellent leadership skills.
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Highlighting Your Skills And Activities On Your Resume
Another section for your resume is one titled Skills and Activities.
Lets start with skills. First, think about what things you are good at. Do you get along well with other people and try to help solve problems among your peers? If youre comfortable working with people and feel that is a strength, you can list on your resume that you are customer service oriented. This is particularly beneficial because a lot of jobs that are available for teenagers are in the service industry.
Do you speak Spanish? You can state on your resume that you are bilingual and speak English and Spanish. Consider what it is that you are good at and highlight it in this section.
Focus on skills that are fairly general and would be applicable to a variety of jobs. Stay away from skills that are not related to the position you are applying for. For instance, if you are trying to get a job as a lawn care worker, it doesnt make much sense to mention you are CPR certified.
As far as activities, this is your opportunity to show a potential employer all of the things that you have been involved in, which is a great way to demonstrate commitment. This can include sports, clubs, playing a musical instrument, being a boy/girl scout, etc.
Its great for a potential employer to see that you have been committed to something like an instrument, activity, or sport as it shows that you are consistent and loyal to things that you care about
Common Mistakes For Teen
One of the most common mistakes made by professionals seeking teen-related jobs is sending out carbon copies of the same resume to each potential employer. When you’re applying for a job, it’s important to think of each company as a separate entity that should receive a unique resume.
This doesn’t mean that you need to compose your resume from scratch for each job application, but you should take the time to consider how each accomplishment and skill that you’ve listed applies to the job you want. When you tailor your resume for each job, you’re much more likely to check all of the job listing’s boxes and move on to the next stage of the hiring process.
Along the same lines, don’t neglect to include keywords in your resume and application materials. Since many companies rely on computer software to scan your resume before a person reads it over, it’s important to use words that will get the program’s attention. Be sure to incorporate relevant keywords into your resume naturally to increase your chances of getting noticed.
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Teen Resume Key Sections
The second last thing that you will write in your resume for teens is your skills section. This is because once you are done with the rest of the resume for teens, you can go through it and pick your skills accordingly.
Skills will be written with a bullet before each word. Few skills section resume examples for teens are – * Business Development * KPI management * Data analysis and so on.
Your skills section should not exceed more than three lines. That’s the maximum limit of it. Once you’re done with the skills section, bold the whole section.
This will attract the recruiter directly towards your skills section and as soon as he will read it, he will get a broad idea of your skills and proficiencies.
Also, if you hold some technical skills like R, Linear Regression, Python, etc. Don’t include them in the skills section itself.
Within the skills section make a subsection named ‘TECHNICAL SKILLS’. Under this section include all your technical skills.
This section should not exceed more than two lines. Two lines are the maximum limit of this section.
Once done, bold this section as well and italicize this section. Italicizing this section will separate it from the hard skills section above.
To get a better idea, refer the teen resume example given above.
Fill Out An Experience Section
If you have any work experience, be sure to include it in this section. If you dont, you can fill this section with any other experiences that show employers you possess the right skills for the role.
On a resume for teenagers with no experience, you can fill your work experience with:
If youre writing a college freshman resume, you can also include details about your time in school, such as involvement in clubs and the relevant coursework you completed. For instance, if youre applying for a hotel front desk position, you can mention the skills you developed while studying hospitality in school.
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Complete The Experience Section
If you already have any employment history, mention it here. When you dont have any, you may fill this box with other activities that demonstrate to companies that you have the necessary abilities for the job.
You may complete your working experience on your teenage resume with:
- Extracurricular
- Nannying
- Hobbies
We recommend starting the sentences with strong action verbs that convey what you completed while writing your experience.
Should I Attach My Photo To My Resume
A photo is unnecessary unless the job description specifically asks for it, or it is relevant to the position itself. If you do need to add a photo, make sure it is professional and that you are wearing neat clothes with tidy hair. You can check with the company offering the job to ensure your photo meets their specifications.
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Ways To Make Your Teen Resume More Professional
Unlike the resume of an accomplished adult, a teenager resume will likely be shorter and more academically focused. Nevertheless, that doesnt mean it should be less professional. Here are three ways to make your teen resume more professional.
2. Modern, clean font
Curlz, Comic Sans, and Papyrus might be acceptable fonts for a school project. When it comes to a resume for teens, these fonts should be avoided. Instead, you should opt for a clean, modern font. When designing a resume for a teenager example fonts to use include Monserrat, Raleway, or Helvetica and most teenage resume template designs will come pre-loaded with fonts that will have a professional look and feel.
3. Social media and portfolio links
Adding your social media or portfolio links to your resume is a great way to add a wealth of information about yourself. Some job seekers and applicants find it useful to share a portfolio URL, Instagram handles, or even Youtube channel information. As you share, make sure to only share channels that have content safe for future employers or admissions agents to see.
Tips Preparing Your First Resume
- Don’t lie. No matter how tempting it might be to stretch the truth, lying on your resume is always a bad idea. You might make it through this round of interviews and even get the job, but you won’t be able to deliver on the promises your resume offered. Plus, you’ll probably be caughtand fired.
- Don’t pad. You don’t need to include the line “references upon request,” or personal information beyond your contact information, or a bunch of unrelated hobbies. In fact, there’s a lot of stuff you don’t need to put on your resume, even when it’s your first one.
- Proofread. Nothing is less persuasive than a resume full of typos and inconsistencies. Have a trusted friend or family member proofread your resume before you submit it.
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Teen Cv Skills Example: Youve Got What It Takes
Hiring managers filling entry-level positions dont expect you to have a long list of career-specific skills on your CV. Mostly, what they want to know is whether you are reliable, trustworthy, can follow directions and communicate with others. These are the soft skills that make people good employees.
Certainly, if you have job-specific hard skills and they relate to the position you seek, list them! Our skills resume sample below can help.
Top 5 entry-level skills, according to :
Notice that these are all soft skills that you probably have even if you have not had a formal paying job.