Younger Jobseekers: CV Template for School Leavers
As a school leaver, producing a professional CV can feel like a daunting task. You may worry your lack of experience will hold you back, but never fear! Fish4jobs is here, and we have produced the following CV template to help you get started.
If you need further expert advice and guidance, check out our how to write a CV guide that covers all the basics of CV writing.
School leavers CV template
Full Name
Current Permanent Address
Mobile number, landline number
Email address
Tip: Don’t include date of birth, marital status, children, national insurance number, gender or any other personal data that is unrelated to your ability to do the job (unless you’re required to on an application form).
Personal statement
Tip: Brief overview of who you are, your strengths and any work experience and/or temp jobs you’ve had. Include examples of responsibility e.g. 'Team captain of the football team for organisational skills' or 'Member of the school summer fair committee.' Include skills you’ve gained such as time management, customer service, teamwork, computer skills etc. Also state what sort of jobs you’re looking for and why you think you’d be good at it.
Example:
Motivated, hard-working former School Netball captain with eight GCSEs (grades A-C) and good literacy and numerical skills. Practical work experience in a variety of part-time and voluntary retail roles. Looking to build on my skills and experience in a full-time retail role.
Education
Tip: List your education first, starting with your most recent education. Once you have more work experience this section will move to after work experience.
Example:
Hollyoaks College, Chester, Sept 2013 – June 2015
A levels: English (grade C), Maths (grade C) and Biology (grade D)
St Joseph’s School, Chester, Sept 2006 – June 2013
9 GCSEs: Including grades A-C in English, Maths, French, Geography, Science and General Studies
Work experience
Tip: Include any work you have undertaken, whether part-time or voluntary, highlighting your responsibilities and the skills and experience acquired. This helps demonstrate your willingness to work hard, and how the experience helped develop your skills: time management, team work, customer service. Start with your most recent first.
Example:
Volunteer, Help the Needy Charity Shop, Jan 2012 – present
Duties and responsibilities:
- Served customers at the till
- Accepting and sorting customer donations
- Assisted with stock replenishment
Part-time shop assistant, BuyLow Supermarket, June 2011 – Jan 2012
Duties and responsibilities:
- Gained experience in cashiering
- Responsible for the provision of in-store customer service
- Assisted with stock replenishment
Weekend bartender at Premier Sleep Hotel, Dec 2010 – June 2011
Duties and responsibilities:
- Actively involved with order taking and cashiering
- Gained experience mixing and serving drinks at the bar
Additional skills
Tip: Include achievements that are relevant to the job you are applying for and place you in a positive light.
Example:
- IT skills: Fully proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel & PowerPoint), basic HTML
- Customer service: Retail and hospitality
- Admin: Filing, diary management
Hobbies & interests
Tip: Include hobbies that are relevant to the job or highlight a relevant skill.
Example:
- Captain of local hockey team (demonstrates leadership)
- Currently doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award (demonstrates commitment)
References available upon request
Tip: Don’t include names and contact details on a CV (although application forms may ask for this.) Always seek permission from a reference before passing their details on to a recruiter or potential employer.
What’s next?
Set up a job alert with Fish4jobs, and be the very first to hear about hundreds of vacancies in your area!
If you’re a school leaver searching for your ideal first role, be sure to check out our range of resources available to help you with your job search:
How to write a personal statement
