Writing a CV

A CV (short for Curriculum Vitae) is a document you can use to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and interests to potential employers.

What do I put in a school leaver CV?

Just because you’ve only recently left school doesn’t mean that you don’t already have plenty of things to put in your CV. Make sure you include the following information to help employers easily assess your skills and suitability for the role:

• Personal details (including name, address, phone number & email address)

• Education (where you went to school)

• Qualifications (If you have not received your final exam results, put your predicted results in)

• Skills and personal qualities you can bring to the role (think about why you want the job and why you will be a good match). It’s really worth making little adjustments to this section every time you apply for something, for example, if they want someone who can work in a team you can make a point of highlighting those skills.

• Employment and work experience (if you haven’t worked in a paid job before, you can add information on clubs/activities you have been involved with at school, work experience etc… Include anything you do at home too, such as helping to look after brothers, sisters, grandparents.)

• Interests, hobbies and a personal statement (Your personal statement can include your skills and characteristics, e.g. I am hard-working, dependable, able to work in a team etc…Again, try and adjust this every time, depending on what skills or experience they want.)

Further Information

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This website has a section dedicated to School Leaver CVs and you will also find an Example CV to help get you started.

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