Everyone's first resume is empty — that's the whole point of a first job. Managers hiring teens aren't looking for experience; they're looking for someone reliable, willing, and easy to train. Here's how to show that on one page.
Dependable, hard-working high school student seeking a part-time role where I can show up on time, learn fast, and give great customer service.
Honor Roll · 3.6 GPA
Here's the mindset shift: a resume isn't a list of past jobs — it's a one-page argument for why someone should hire you. When you have no formal work history, you make that argument with everything else: your reliability, your school effort, the babysitting and lawn-mowing you've already done, the clubs and sports and volunteering that prove you show up.
Managers who hire teens know you're new. What they're actually scanning for is simple: will this person show up on time, be polite to customers, and not quit in two weeks? Your whole resume should answer "yes" to that question.
Build it top to bottom. Steal the examples.
Your name (bigger than everything else), a professional-sounding email, a phone number, and your city. That's it. No home address, no photo, no birthday.
One or two sentences on what you're looking for and what you bring. Tailor it to the job. This replaces the "experience" a new worker doesn't have yet.
Babysitting, dog walking, lawn mowing, helping at a family business, tutoring a sibling — it all counts. Describe what you did and the result, not just the title.
Your school, expected graduation year, and anything that shows effort: GPA if it's solid, honor roll, or relevant classes. School is your track record.
List real skills (languages, software, sports, teamwork) plus clubs, teams, and volunteering. These prove commitment and that you work well with others.
A resume opens the door — it doesn't walk you through it. Once yours is ready, the next moves are applying to the right places, filling out applications carefully, and prepping for the interview (which for a first job usually comes down to being polite, on time, and enthusiastic). Our First Job guide walks through all of that, including where teens actually get hired.
Plenty. Lead with an objective statement that pitches your reliability, then include any informal work (babysitting, yard work, pet sitting), your education and grades, and a skills-and-activities section covering sports, clubs, volunteering, and things like languages or software. All of it proves you're responsible and coachable — which is exactly what first-job employers want.
One page, no exceptions. Managers spend just a few seconds on each resume, so everything important needs to fit on a single, clean page. If you're struggling to fill it, use a slightly larger font and add activities or skills — but never pad it with fluff. A tight, honest one-pager beats a stretched-out two-pager every time.
Include it if it's roughly 3.0 or above — it's a quick signal that you work hard and follow through. If your GPA is lower, leave it off and lean on other strengths instead: perfect attendance, a sport that shows commitment, volunteering, or informal jobs you've held. You control what to highlight, so feature what makes you look dependable.
Keep it to one or two sentences that say what role you want and what you bring. Something like: "Dependable and friendly high school student seeking a part-time position where I can provide great customer service and learn quickly." Swap in the specific job when you can. It should sound like you and make the manager think, "this person will show up and try hard."
You don't have to list them on the resume — "references available on request" is fine, or you can leave the line off entirely. When an employer asks, good references for teens include teachers, coaches, club advisors, or an adult you've done informal work for (like a neighbor you babysat for). Always ask their permission first, and pick people who'll genuinely say you're reliable.