Career stage · Updated October 2026
How to Make a Resume for Your First Job
Short answer
A first job resume is one page with your name and contact details, a one- or two-line objective naming the job, your school and expected graduation date, informal work such as babysitting or lawn care, clubs, sports and volunteering, a few checkable skills like cash handling or Google Sheets, and the days and hours you can work.
Key takeaways
- Many hourly first jobs only require an online application, but a one-page resume makes applications faster and helps when you apply in person.
- Informal work counts: babysitting, pet sitting, mowing lawns, tutoring and helping in a family business all belong under Experience.
- Add an availability line. Under federal law, 14- and 15-year-olds can work at most 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week.
- Type it in Google Docs or Word with a plain template, then save it as a PDF named with your first and last name.
Do you need a resume for your first job?
Not always. Many fast food restaurants, grocery stores and large retailers hire first-time workers through an online application or a paper form, and some never ask for a resume. Having one still helps: it puts all your dates and details in one place when you fill out applications, and you can hand it to a manager when you ask about openings in person.
Some first jobs do expect a resume: office and front desk work, internships, summer programs, camp counselor and lifeguard jobs, and anything you apply to by email. CFNC, North Carolina's college-planning service, points out that even for a first job a resume shows an employer you are responsible and hardworking.
| Section | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Name, phone, email, city and state | Maya Thompson · Columbus, OH · maya.thompson@example.com |
| Objective | The job you want and two strengths | Dependable sophomore seeking a weekend host position |
| Education | School, expected graduation, GPA if 3.0 or higher | Eastview High School, expected June 2029, GPA 3.4 |
| Experience | Paid, informal and volunteer work with bullets | Babysitter, four neighborhood families, 2024 to present |
| Activities | Clubs, teams, music and any role you held | JV soccer, team captain, 2025 season |
| Skills | Skills a manager can check | Cash handling, Google Sheets, Spanish (conversational) |
| Availability | Days, hours and summer changes | Weekdays 4 to 7 p.m., weekends; full time in summer |
What should you include on a first job resume?
Six sections cover almost every first resume. Use them in this order unless one section is clearly your strongest, in which case move it up.
- Contact information: name, phone, email, city and state.
- Objective: one or two lines naming the job and what you offer.
- Education: school, city, expected graduation month and year, and GPA if it is 3.0 or higher.
- Experience: paid, informal and volunteer work, each with a title, who it was for, dates and two or three bullets.
- Activities and skills: clubs, sports, music, certifications, languages and software.
- Availability: the days and hours you can work, and how that changes in summer.
What do you put on a first resume if you have never had a job?
Anything where someone trusted you with responsibility. CFNC tells students that no job, activity or accomplishment is too small and gives babysitting and mowing lawns as examples. List these like jobs: a title ("Babysitter"), who it was for ("Three neighborhood families"), dates and what you did.
Then translate school life into what a shift manager cares about. A team captain shows up early and leads warmups; a club treasurer counts money and keeps records; a yearbook editor meets deadlines. A manager hiring for a first job mostly wants to know three things: will you show up, can you follow instructions, and will you be polite to customers. Each bullet should answer one of them.
What skills should you list for a first job?
List skills a manager can check or use on day one: cash handling, a point-of-sale system you used at a school store or concession stand, Google Docs and Sheets, a tested typing speed, a second language with your level, and certifications such as American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED or Lifeguarding. If your state or county requires a food handler card for restaurant work, getting one before you apply saves the employer a step.
For soft skills, the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy built its youth curriculum, Skills to Pay the Bills, around six: communication, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem solving and critical thinking, and professionalism. Prove them in bullets ("Answered parents' questions at the concession stand during home games") instead of listing the words. MIT's career office gives students the same advice.
What hours can a teenager put on a resume?
Write your real availability, because managers build schedules from it. For 14- and 15-year-olds in non-farm jobs, the Department of Labor sets these federal limits: no more than 3 hours on a school day (Fridays included), 18 hours in a school week, 8 hours on a non-school day and 40 hours in a non-school week, and only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day).
States can set stricter rules, and some require minors to get a work permit, so check your state labor department. On the resume, keep it concrete and within the limits: "Available weekdays 4 to 7 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; full time June to August."
How long should a first job resume be, and what should you leave off?
One page. Leave off a photo, your birth date, your full street address and the line "References available upon request". Keep a separate list of two or three references, such as a teacher, coach or a family you babysat for, ready in case the manager asks, and do not use relatives.
Use an email address you will keep. School accounts can be closed after graduation, and an address like skaterboi2010 sends the wrong signal. A plain firstname.lastname address works for every application.
How to type a resume for your first job in Google Docs or Word
- 1
Open a plain template
In Google Docs, open the template gallery from the Docs home screen and pick a simple resume template. In Word, go to File, then New, and search "resume". Choose a single-column design.
- 2
Set the basics
Use a standard font such as Arial or Calibri at 10 to 12 points, your name at 16 to 20 points, and margins of about one inch.
- 3
Replace every placeholder
Type your header, objective and sections from the table above. Delete template sections you cannot fill, such as Awards, instead of leaving them empty.
- 4
Write two or three bullets per entry
Start each with an action verb such as Cared, Handled, Organized or Trained, and add a number where you can.
- 5
Proofread out loud
Read every line out loud, then ask a teacher, counselor or parent to check it. Confirm your phone number and email are correct.
- 6
Save it as a PDF
In Google Docs choose File, Download, PDF Document; in Word choose File, Save As, PDF. Name it like Maya-Thompson-Resume.pdf, and print two copies on plain white paper for in-person applications.
Sample first job resume (teen, no formal work history)
A sample for a fictional 16-year-old applying for a weekend restaurant job. The numbers are illustrations.
MAYA THOMPSON Columbus, OH · maya.thompson@example.com · (555) 014-2290 OBJECTIVE Dependable high school sophomore with two years of babysitting and concession stand experience, seeking a weekend host or busser position at Riverside Grill. EDUCATION Eastview High School, Columbus, OH · Expected graduation June 2029 · GPA 3.4 EXPERIENCE Babysitter · Four neighborhood families · June 2024 to present - Care for children ages 3 to 10 on weekday evenings and weekends, up to 12 hours a week in summer - Prepare simple meals, handle bedtime routines and follow each family's house rules Concession Stand Volunteer · Eastview Boosters Club · August to November 2025 - Took orders and handled cash and card payments during home football games - Restocked supplies and closed out the register with an adult supervisor ACTIVITIES JV Soccer, team captain (2025 season) · Spanish Club SKILLS Cash handling · Google Docs and Sheets · Spanish (conversational) · American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED AVAILABILITY Weekdays 4 to 7 p.m. · Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. · Full time June to August
First job resume bullets: weak vs strong
Babysat kids.
Cared for two children, ages 4 and 7, three afternoons a week for a year, including school pickup and homework help.
Was on the soccer team.
Captained a 20-player JV soccer team; ran warmups and arrived early to set up equipment before every home game.
Good with money.
Counted and recorded about $400 in cash per bake sale as Spanish Club treasurer, with no shortages all year.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a resume for my first job?
Not always. Many restaurants and retailers hire through an online application alone, but a one-page resume helps when you apply in person, when an application has an optional upload, and for office jobs, internships and summer programs.
How do I make a resume for my first job with no experience?
List informal work (babysitting, pet sitting, lawn care, tutoring), volunteering, clubs and sports as experience, each with dates and two or three action-verb bullets. Add your school, a short objective, checkable skills and your availability, all on one page.
What hours can a 14 or 15 year old work?
Under federal rules for non-farm jobs: no more than 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week, 8 hours on a non-school day and 40 hours in a non-school week, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day). Your state may be stricter.
Can I put babysitting on my resume?
Yes. List it as a job with the title "Babysitter", who it was for, dates and what you did: the children's ages, how often, and duties such as meals, homework help or school pickup.
Should I put references on my first resume?
No. Keep two or three references, such as a teacher, coach or family you babysat for, on a separate page and share it when a manager asks. Ask each person first.
What is the best template for a first resume?
A plain single-column template from Google Docs or Word with standard headings: Objective, Education, Experience, Activities, Skills and Availability. Skip photos, colored sidebars and skill rating bars.
Should I include my GPA on a first job resume?
Include it if it is 3.0 or higher, the same cutoff the College of Southern Nevada recommends for scholarship resumes. Otherwise leave it off and let your activities and informal work speak for you.
Related guides
Sources, checked 27 October 2026
We opened every page below on that date. Pay, rules and requirements change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: YouthRules!: Non-agricultural jobs for workers ages 14 and 15 (federal work-hour limits and permitted jobs for 14- and 15-year-olds)
- College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC): Creating a High School Resume: The Definitive Guide (no job too small, one page, uses for jobs, colleges and scholarships)
- MIT Career Advising & Professional Development: Enhance your resume: A guide for first-year undergraduates (show interpersonal skills in bullets, entry details and dates)
- Rutgers University-Newark Career Development Center: Soft Skills to Pay the Bills (the six soft skills in the U.S. Department of Labor ODEP youth curriculum)
- College of Southern Nevada: Guide to Writing a Scholarship Resume (one page, 10 to 12 point font, GPA only if 3.0 or above)