According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 18.5% of teenagers are unemployed. But does it mean that teens aren’t looking for work? Or those who have looked can’t land a job?
It’s challenging to pinpoint the root cause because of the pandemic over the last couple of years. However, the best way to separate yourself from other teens is by creating a resume.
You may be thinking, “what if I don’t have experience?”
Don’t worry. We’ll outline some teen resume tips below to help you land your first job.
Start With Your Contact Information
Formatting a resume can be challenging if you’re writing one for the first time. So you can use an online free resume builder to help you get started.
As you begin writing your resume, start with your contact information. It should include:
- Your name
- Phone number
- Email address
If you don’t have an email address, it’s time to set one up! You’ll be sending resumes out to employers in the future, so you want to ensure it’s professional as possible.
The simplest way to create an email is like this:
- first name.last name@email.com
Using your name in the email address will let employers know who you are right away. You can use a platform like Google or Yahoo to create one.
Write an Objective That Stands Out
To create the best resume possible, you need to have a compelling objective. It’s a brief introduction summarizing your skills and specific qualifications you may want to highlight.
The statement doesn’t need to be lengthy; make it concise, about three to four sentences. You want to clearly outline what you hope to gain from applying for that position.
Of course, it’s best to highlight any previous work experience. But if not, use the opportunity to leverage any skills so employers know you can handle the job.
Experience Is Key
Next comes your experience. As previously mentioned using past work experience is always a plus.
But if you don’t have any, you can fill your experience section with items such as:
- Volunteering
- Extracurricular activities
- Job shadowing
- Babysitting
- Interests or hobbies
Your goal is to let employers know that you’re a responsible teenager.
As you identify your experience, start your bullet point and switch decisive action verbs like:
- Improve
- Assisted
- Organized
- Increased
Employers will know what you did by reading. But you can stand out more by telling them how you accomplished or aided the tasks.
Proofreading Is Essential
Lastly, proofread your resume multiple times before submitting it to an employer. Keep an eye out for any grammatical or punctuation mistakes.
Have a family member or friend read over it thoroughly to get another pair of eyes on it. That way, they can identify any mistakes that could cost you an opportunity.
Follow These Teen Resume Tips to Land Your First Job
With these teen resume tips, you can create a resume that will stand out to employers. Make sure to have a clear objective, describe your experience in detail, and proofread before submitting. You’ll land a job in no time.
We hope you’ve enjoyed these resume tips and tricks. For related content, check out our blog.