A manager hiring a teenager for a store, café or summer job is not expecting work history. They want to know when you can work, whether you will turn up on time, and whether you can follow instructions and talk to customers. A one-page resume that answers those questions beats a longer one that tries to sound older than you are.
The examples below are fictional. Replace every [bracketed] school, activity and date with your own, and keep every detail true.
Put availability and contact details at the top
Part-time jobs are scheduled around school, so availability is often the first thing a manager checks. Put your days and hours in the profile line. Use a simple email address with your name in it, and a phone number you actually answer.
Teen resume format (fictional)
[Your Name] — [Retail / café / summer job applicant]
[Phone] · [Email] · [Town or city]
PROFILE: [Grade or year] student at [school]. Available [weekdays after 4 pm and weekends] from [date]. [One piece of evidence, e.g. volunteered at the school fair for two years].
EDUCATION: [School name] — expected graduation [year].
EXPERIENCE: [Babysitting / lawn care / tutoring / family shop], [dates]. [What you did and for how long].
ACTIVITIES: [Team, club or volunteering] — [your role].
SKILLS: [Cash handling / basic computer use / languages] — only what you can do.
What counts as experience when you have never had a job
- Informal work: babysitting, pet sitting, lawn care, tutoring, helping in a family business.
- School roles: class representative, event helper, library assistant, team captain.
- Volunteering: food drives, religious or community events, charity runs.
- Certificates: first aid, lifeguard or food hygiene, only if you hold them.
Turning activities into resume lines (fictional)
Weak: Babysitting.
Better: Babysat two children every Saturday for [months]; managed meals, homework and bedtime.
Weak: Soccer team.
Better: Played on the school soccer team for [number] seasons; trained three times a week and never missed a match.
Do I need a resume for my first job?
Many shops accept an application form, but a one-page resume makes you look prepared and gives the manager your availability and contact details in one place.
What should a teen put for skills?
Practical things you can do: handling cash, using a till or computer, speaking another language, serving customers. Add examples from school or volunteering rather than personality words.
Should I include references?
Not on the resume. Have a teacher, coach or neighbour ready to give a reference if the employer asks.
Still at college? Use the student resume examples. For a café or restaurant job, the waiter resume example has a no-experience section. Build yours in the resume builder.