Resume Tips for Teenagers

Contact Information

• Begin your resume by listing your contact information. The potential employer must be able to reach you. List your first and last name, then your full address underneath, and then your home phone number and cell phone number, if you have one. Finish off with your email address. Use an email address that does not contain any goofy nicknames, preferably one with your real name.
  
  

Education

• List all the education you have received thus far. If you are a junior in high school, say so. If you get good grades, include that information. For example, you could say, "I currently attend Orange County High School and carry a 3.8 grade point average." After you finish listing your current education, state your education goals. Mention that you are planning to attend college in the fall, if that is the case, and what you plan to major in. The important thing is that you be honest. If you have your GED, do not lie and say you graduated from a particular high school.
  
  

Skills

• Devote a section of your resume to listing your skills and accomplishments. If you ever won a trophy playing soccer or received an award for good grades, say so. Also include any special skills you have, such as playing an instrument, public speaking, or being a computer whiz. Do not be afraid to build yourself up. You want your potential employer to see that you are hard working and goal oriented.
  
  

Job Experience

• You may not have much job experience, but it is important to list any jobs that you have done, including babysitting for family friends or delivering newspapers on your bicycle. Maybe you had a few summer jobs throughout high school. When you list your job experience, include the addresses and names of the employers. You should also list how long you worked at each job.
  
  

References

• Finish your resume by adding two to three references, people who know you and would recommend you for a job. Get permission from the references before listing them so they will be ready if potential employers were to call. Do not use your family as references. Potential employers like to speak with people outside your family, because they are not biased. For each reference, list the person's name, phone number, relationship to you and years he has known you.