5 Things Teens Should Never Put on Their First Resume

Entering the job market for the first time can feel daunting. To succeed in your job search, you must master several key skills, from finding the best opportunities to making a strong positive impression in an interview.  Writing your first resume can feel like learning a new language, with a complex set of rules for what to include and how to present your information. Thankfully, help is at hand. 

This guide will help you avoid some of the most common resume mistakes and create an application that impresses managers.

1. Unprofessional email address

The first mistake many first-time resume writers make? Using an unprofessional email address in your contact details. If you created your email address in high school or even middle school, it might contain nicknames, in-jokes or other unprofessional or immature content. Consider creating a new email address based on your name (for example, bridget.henderson@email.com), or use a combination of your name, initials, date of birth or location (for example, O.M.Johnson.Boston@email.com). If you want to keep your original email address, that’s fine — use the new, more professional email address for your job search.

2. Unnecessary personal details

It’s tricky to know which personal details to include on your resume. Generally, most resumes only require your name, email address, phone number, city, and state. You can omit your home address, and you should avoid including your age, gender, nationality, religion, or a personal photo. Recruiters don’t need this information to evaluate your qualifications. To save valuable space, focus on relevant skills and experience instead of personal life stories. Hiring managers don’t need those details to make a decision. 

3. Irrelevant hobbies

If you’re struggling to flesh out your resume, you might be tempted to add details about your hobbies and personal interests. While hobbies can be a valuable substitute for work experience, only include them if they demonstrate skills relevant to the job. To keep your resume focused, omit any hobbies that don’t relate to the job you’re applying for.

4. False or exaggerated information

It’s natural to want to differentiate yourself from other candidates applying for the same position. Resist the temptation to lie or exaggerate on your resume. Falsifying details, such as work experience, completed training, skill levels, or qualifications, can lead to serious problems later. For example, an interviewer could question your claims, or your abilities could be put to the test on the job. 

5. Negative experiences

Avoid including negative experiences like poor grades, struggles with skills, or personal conflicts on your resume. Instead, highlight your strengths, positive achievements, relevant skills, qualifications, and training.  The interview is your chance to discuss your story in more detail and address any negative experiences. Be prepared to show how you’ve learned and grown from them — and keep your resume focused solely on your achievements and positive takeaways.

What should a teen’s first resume look like?

Now that you know which resume mistakes to avoid, let’s review what content to include to give you the best chance of success. For more tools and guides to creating a great resume, check out Jobseeker. As a quick introduction, most resumes contain the following information:

• Contact details: Your name, email address, phone number and location (city/state).
• Resume objective: A short summary paragraph highlighting your skills, experience and goals.
• Work experience: A section listing previous work experience. Include the name of your current/past employers, your job title, and a sentence or two explaining your responsibilities. If this is your first job application or you have little experience, you can omit this section or move it below your skills and education.
• Education: A list of completed qualifications, certifications or training.
• Skills: A list of your key skills, including those directly related to the job, as well as other natural skills and qualities, like teamwork, leadership or problem-solving.

Quick tips for a successful first resume

These quick tips can take your first resume to the next level and help you stand out from the competition:

Tailor your resume for different audiences

Adapt each section of your resume, ensuring all content is relevant to the job description. For example, you might need to leave out your strongest skills if they don’t align with the job. Conversely, you could add hobbies, voluntary work or extracurricular activities, if they showcase skills the employer is seeking.

Focus on the positives

Keep your resume positive and highlight your strengths. If you don’t have relevant work experience, shift your focus to skills and education. For junior roles, managers prioritize candidates with the right skills and qualities to learn quickly and adapt to a new environment.

Use a professional resume template

You can make your application more professional by using resume templates from Jobseeker or another resume builder. These tools help your resume stand out without you needing to create the design from scratch.

Key takeaways to avoid common resume mistakes and make a strong first impression

Following this guide can help you avoid some of the most common pitfalls of a first resume and really stand out from other candidates. 

• Keep your resume professional and focused on the qualities and skills listed in the job description. 
• Avoid exaggeration and don’t list unrelated or negative information; focus on your positive skills and experience, whether from education, extracurricular activities, or work placements. 
• Present it all in a well-designed and formatted package, and you’re one step closer to gaining that first job.