Resume Objectives for Teenagers

You can help your teenager build his resume by showing him how to structure it, how to display his education, volunteer and work experience, and how to include a resume objective. A resume objective tells the potential employer what your teen wants out his job, so be specific -- it could make all the difference.

Purpose

The objective on a resume tells a potential employer what your teen hopes to get out of his job. Whether it's a summer internship or an after-school position, the objective might be an employer's first impression of your teen. Because it's one of the first components of a resume, your teen's objective should be clear and to the point. If you can't think of a clear objective, it might be best to leave it off the resume altogether to leave room for better information so an employer can make a decisions based on skills and experience instead, according to a 2012 article for "Forbes" magazine 1.

Type of Job

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Because your teen has a limited schedule, an objective can help tell an employer his overall availability before he even comes in for an interview. This allows an employer to screen resumes based on availability and job term. If your teen can only work through the summer or only after school, for instance, a good objective would be "To gain summer employment" or "To work part-time in [a specific field]."

Specific Experience

Your teen can also use the objective as a way to show a potential employer what he hopes to achieve through the job. This tells the employer that your teen doesn't view an after-school job as just a way to earn money, but as a way to improve his skills, gain experience and be a better employee. He could use something along the lines of, "To gain experience in the technology sector through part-time employment," or "To further my passion for the fashion industry through a summer internship."

Exact Position

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If your teen hopes to gain an exact position at a company, he should use his objective to state his intentions at the beginning. If he's applying as a stocking clerk for a grocery store, for instance, his objective might be more specific, such as, "To gain part-time employment as a stocking clerk." While this might limit your teen as far as a general resume, he could take the time to personalize each resume he submits or use the same resume for similar positions at different companies.