3 Reasons Your Teen Needs a Resume

We all know the obvious reason a person needs a resume: to get a job!

Here are 3 *other* reasons your teen should prepare a resume NOW:

1. Get Exactly the Right Summer Program Recommendation Letter

Resumes are a great way to summarize your interests and accomplishments (and subtly brag) when you need a teacher recommendation letter for a competitive summer program.

A resume is a very clean and simple way of organizing and ordering information. It enables you to quickly show the highlights without getting bogged down in narrative. And, critically, it gives your teacher a great rundown of what you want emphasized in your recommendation letter.

Teachers are busy and appreciate when you do the heavy lifting for them. Your recommender will be grateful for a well-prepared resume (and a carefully worded cover letter) that signposts everything you need to land a spot in a prestigious program.

2. Identify Holes in Your Profile

Writing things down is a great way to spot potential holes in your profile. 

Often, teens are too busy to pause and take stock of what they’ve accomplished and what still needs to be done. Ideally, use a template from a teen with an aspirational (but also realistically achievable) resume. 

Consider what’s there - leadership positions, AP scores, publications, competitions and community projects. Then, consider what’s missing from your own resume and where you can supplement with extracurriculars to create a more complete and compelling profile.

Don’t stress. Even highly motivated teens don’t really kick into gear with this until junior year when they realize that they actually care (and have control). This is an organizational tool and is not intended to make any teen feel judged in a negative light.

3. Feel Better About What You HAVE Accomplished

Teens are great at negative self-talk and are often boosted by an accounting of what they HAVE accomplished. Putting it all down on paper can serve as a really positive exercise. Chances are good that you’ve done a lot more already than you even realize.

Here’s another angle: creating a resume is a great way for an overwhelmed teen to identify a theme (which will be the basis for the story that they tell as part of college admissions). Preparing a resume can also reveal possible thematic intersections in a teen’s profile that could lead to real WOW factor activities. For example:

  • Sports + Math: Moneyball Academy summer program at the Wharton School at U Penn

  • Environmental Science + Art: Storm drain design competition in your community

  • Engineering + Biology: Biomimicry Institute design competition

You’ll be amazed by how the puzzle comes together when you start looking at all the pieces. And, a well-crafted resume can often be transferred directly into a LinkedIn profile - something you’ll need in college and beyond (including to get a job!).

A quick word of caution: teen resumes look different than adult ones. Before you get started, make sure you are working from the right model. With a little bit of effort, this quick organizational exercise can pay big dividends.

Betsy Putnam