
Retail CV Examples: Template for a Sales Assistant
Write a retail CV that’ll get interviews coming at you like a customer stampede on Black Friday. Here’s how.
There’s a first time for everything. Getting your first job is one of the hardest. But we’ll make it easier with our complete guide to writing a CV for a 16-year-old.
You’re probably reading this because you’re 16 and looking for your first job. I’ve been there and I remember it well. It was confusing, unfamiliar and downright scary at times. I had no idea how to write a CV and even less idea how I could get any job with no experience.
The one thing I didn’t have was a clear and straightforward guide to writing a CV for a 16-year-old. But you’re in luck, because that’s exactly what I’ve created for you here.
Read on and you’ll see a CV example for 16-year-olds you can adjust and make yours. Plus, you’ll learn an easy formula for writing a CV for jobs for 16-year-olds that will land you 10x more interviews than any other CV template for 16-year-olds out there.
Here’s a CV for a 16-year-old made with our builder.
Want to save time and have your CV ready in 5 minutes? Try our CV builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ CV templates and create your CV here.
Sample CV made with our builder—See more CV samples here.
Looking for more detailed advice and guides for specific jobs? Read more:
Oliver Stokes
Ph: 0777 777 7777
Email: olliestokes_zety@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/olliestokes_zety
Mature and hard-working first year A-level student seeks part-time employment in supermarket retail. Enthusiastic, with an appetite for hard work and a team player mindset gained through my passion for sporting pursuits. Looking to gain hands-on experience in a busy retail environment.
Education
A-levels: Chemistry, Mandarin, Economics. September 2019–June 2021 (expected graduation date)
South Haringay Comprehensive, London, UK
9 GCSEs including Mathematics and English, September 2017–June 2019
South Haringay Comprehensive, London, UK
Skills
Hobbies and Interests
Languages
Another thing I remember about writing my first CV is that I didn’t really know what a CV is. In fact, I didn’t even know what CV stood for. So here’s a quick explanation in case you have any doubts.
CV is short for curriculum vitae. Your CV contains information about your education, skills and experience that helps employers judge your suitability for a job.
So when you make a job application, you send off your CV, the employer reads it and uses the info you included to decide whether or not they want to interview you.
So that’s the boring part over, now for what you came for.
Here’s how to write a CV for a 16-year-old:
Interestingly, the number of 16-year-olds in employment today is around half of what it was 20 years ago. And it’s not all down to more people continuing full time education. Most of that fall comes from lower employment levels for 16-year-olds who are at school or college.
That Saturday job is much harder to get than it used to be, so your CV needs to be spot on. Here’s how to make a first impression that’ll get you off on the right foot.
Pro Tip: Check your CV for mistakes after you write it. There’s actually lots of people who search ‘how to right a cv for a 16 year old’, and I’m sure you can see the problem there! Use a built-in spell checker, use a writing app like Grammarly and have someone else check your work. You’ll have the added bonus of instantly proving your writing proficiency, one of the top soft skills employers want.
Your CV header is the very first lines of your CV that contains your contact info. Here’s what to include.
There’s no need to include your home address. It’s irrelevant and uses up page space you could use for more important information.
Read more: What to Include in a CV: Essential CV Sections
Whether it’s your favourite film or a viral video on YouTube or TikTok, they all have one thing in common. An exciting introduction. This grabs the viewer’s attention and holds it, so they’ll keep watching. That’s exactly what your personal statement for a 16-year-old CV does. It acts as the attention-grabbing intro to the rest of your CV.
3–4 sentences is all you’ve got to make the employer take notice. But don’t let that scare you, just use these three simple questions as your formula and you’ll make them hungry for more.
Answer these questions differently depending on whether you have any experience or not. If you’re like most 16-year-olds and you have no work experience, then do this.
If you’ve had some work experience already then do this.
Whether you’ve got experience or not, this section is easier to write if you leave it until last. It’s much faster when you’ve got everything else written and ready to refer to.
Check out this guide for even more tips on how to write your personal profile: How to Write a CV Personal Statement [20+ Examples]
When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your CV here.
When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.
Usually this section would come after your work experience. But on a CV template for a 16-year-old it’s best to put your education first. At this stage of your life it carries more weight than your work history, which is probably pretty thin.
If you have no experience whatsoever then you can just skip this section. However, it’s essential you include any experience you do have. Any sort of work experience at all is a huge plus for a CV for a 16-year-old. Here’s how to do it.
Let me explain that last point in more detail. If you write your bullet points like this it gives them more impact. Take a look at this example.
There’s a challenge, new staff members don’t know what they’re doing without guidance. There’s an action, training and guiding them. Then there’s a result, the new staff members gave excellent customer service.
Pro Tip: If you want to get some experience then be proactive. It doesn’t have to be paid work. There are plenty of ways too. Try volunteering for a local charity. Check if your school or college organises work experience placements or try the Prince’s Trust. Any experience you can get as a 16-year-old will look good on your CV.
Want even more good CV advice? Check out our guide: 20+ CV Tips and Advice for Job Application Success
When writing a CV for a 16-year-old you need to highlight your skills. And not just any skills. This is all about the skills you have that employers will want. Here’s what to do.
These skills would look great on a CV for a 16 year old.
Read More: Best List of Skills to Put on a CV [Top Skills & Examples]
A CV for a 16-year-old can look pretty flimsy if you’re not careful and you risk looking the same as every other job seeker your age. With no career history it can be tough to stand out. But there’s an easy way of adding some weight to your CV and giving more insight into your unique abilities. Add some additional sections. Here’s how.
Read more: Best Hobbies and Interests to Put on a CV
You’re right, almost nobody writes letters these days. But when it comes to applying for a job, writing a cover letter is still important. More than half of employers say they’re a must-have. Writing a professional cover letter to accompany your CV will make your job application stand out even more.
This is how to write a cover letter.
Read more: What to Include in a Cover Letter for a Job [15+ Examples]
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
And one last tip. Follow up your job application. If you don’t get a reply within a week, contact the employer by email or phone about the status of your application. It’s an easy way of improving your chances of getting an interview. In fact, 22% of hiring managers are less likely to hire a candidate who doesn’t follow up.
And that’s it. You’re all set to write a CV for a 16-year-old that’ll help you get your first job.
Thanks for reading. What else would you like to know about writing a first CV for a 16 year old? Are you writing a CV for a 16 year old still at school or have you left school already? Ask me anything at all about what to include in a CV for a 16 year old in the comments section and I’ll be happy to help.
Write a retail CV that’ll get interviews coming at you like a customer stampede on Black Friday. Here’s how.
Don’t settle for a good CV template, get the best CV template in the world. Ten of the best in fact. All expertly chosen to do the job of getting you a job.
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