How to Write a School Leaver CV [Template & Examples]

You’ve learned a lot at school, but no one showed you how to write a great CV. That’s where we come in. This guide will teach you how to create a school leaver CV that highlights your strengths and catches a recruiter’s eye. No need to stress about limited experience—by using the right strategy, you can still present a professional, impressive application. Keep reading for a proven CV formula and a school leaver CV template you can personalise to boost your chances of landing more interviews, even with no work history.

Here’s a school leaver CV example 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.

Create your CV now

Use this cv template

School-leaver CV made with our builder—See more CV examples here.

Looking for more detailed advice or guides for specific careers? Read more here:

• How to Write a CV [Professional UK Examples]
• Shop Assistant CV Example
• Hospitality CV Example
• Barista CV Example
• Retail CV Example

Sample school leaver CV template

I’ve just told that you need to write a CV if you want a job. But if you’ve never written one before you’re probably wondering what a CV exactly is.

A CV, which is short for curriculum vitae, is a document that contains information about you that tells employers about your education, skills and experience.

You then send your CV to employers when you make a job application, and they read it and use the info you included to decide whether or not they want to interview you for the job.

So now you know what a CV is, it’s time to learn how to write one.

Here’s how to write a school-leaver CV:

1. Use the best format for your school leaver CV

A school-leaver is someone who has recently finished or is about to finish their school education. Your school leaver CV needs to prove you’re a strong candidate, even without much job experience.

With youth unemployment on the rise, standing out is more important than ever. The good news? You can boost your chances by making a great first impression. A well-structured, professional CV layout is the first step to getting noticed and showing employers you’re ready for the world of work. Here’s how to do it.

• Choose the right type of CV format. The best choice for a school leaver CV is the chronological format. It’s the classic format that recruiters are most familiar with and it’s fully compatible with the ATS software that scans your application.
• Use the best settings for your CV layout. Page margins should be set at one inch on each side, text should be left-aligned with no justification and you should double space between each CV section. This creates plenty of white space, which makes your CV easier to read and helps the recruiter find the info they need.
• Choose a professional CV font. Cambria, Arial and Helvetica all look great. 
• Less is more, don’t overdo it. The best CV length is no more than two pages, and for a school-leaver, one page is even better.
• Unless the job advert says otherwise, save your CV as a PDF to keep your formatting intact.
• Don’t attach your photo or include any personal info like your date of birth. 

Pro Tip: Check, check, and check again. Spelling and grammatical mistakes can ruin your chances. Use your word processor’s built-in spell checker, run your CV through a writing app like Grammarly and have a friend check your work. A perfectly presented CV is instant proof of your writing proficiency, one of the top soft skills employers want.

2. Put your contact details in your CV header

Your CV header is the very first lines of text that contain your name and your contact information. Here’s what to include.

• Your full name
• Phone number
• Email address. And make it a professional-looking one based on your name.

You don’t have to include your residential address. It’s not relevant, and it just takes up space you could use for more important information. 

Read more: What to Include in a CV: Essential CV Sections

3. Write a school leaver CV personal statement

Think of your personal statement as the opening paragraph of your CV—it’s your chance to grab the employer’s attention and make them want to learn more. In just 3–4 sentences, you need to highlight who you are, what you bring to the role, and what your career goals are.

If you have no work experience, focus on your education, strengths, and relevant extracurricular activities. Pick 3–4 points that match the job ad and show enthusiasm for the role and the company.

If you’ve had some related experience, list your key skills and achievements, then tailor them to the role by matching them with the employer’s requirements.

Tip: Write this section last—once your skills, experience, and education are clearly laid out, it’ll be much easier to make a strong, tailored intro that’s focused on what you can offer the employer.

Remember: Don’t make it about you, make it about the employer. Applying for a retail job? Don’t just talk about how much you love that particular shop; that’s about you. You’ve also got to mention how you could offer great customer service and improve sales, that’s about the employer.

Check out this guide for even more tips on how to write your personal profile: How to Write a CV Personal Statement [20+ Examples]

Making a CV with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide, use ready-made content tailored to your job and have a CV ready in minutes.

Create my CV now

When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

4. Include an education section

Usually, this section would come after your work experience. But on a CV template for a school leaver, it’s best to put your education first. At this stage of your career, it carries more weight than your work history. 

• List the name of your school, its location, and your dates of attendance.
• Include the subjects and grades for your A-levels.
• For GCSEs, it’s usually enough to list Maths and English, as these are often essential for most roles.
• However, if you’ve taken a GCSE that directly relates to the job you're applying for, be sure to include it to show added relevance.

5. Complete your school leaver work experience section

If you have no experience whatsoever, then feel free to omit this section. However, it’s vital to include any experience you do have. Any work experience at all is a big advantage when you’re writing a school leaver's CV. Here’s how to do it right.

• List your most recent job first, then move backwards chronologically.
• For each role, include your job title, employer’s name, employment dates (write “present” if you still work there), and up to six bullet points describing your role.
• Use strong action verbs like assisted, managed, or created to begin each point.
• Focus on achievements where possible—show not just what you did, but how well you did it.
• Tailor this section to the job advert by highlighting relevant experience that matches the employer’s requirements.
• Use the CAR (Challenge-Action-Result) formula to structure your bullet points. 

Let me explain that last point in more detail. It’s a simple way of adding more impact to your bullet points. A way of showing the hiring manager you’ve got the ability to make a positive contribution. Look at this example:

There’s a challenge, too much money is being spent on office supplies. An action, negotiating a discount. And a result, an impressive monthly saving. It quantifies that saving, too, and that just means saying how much it was by writing the actual number. It’s another important way of showing an employer exactly how you can help

Pro Tip: If you have no experience at all, then be proactive. There are plenty of ways to gain that all-important experience. Try volunteering for a local charity. Check if your school or college organises work experience placements, or contact the Prince’s Trust. Any experience you can get will be a boost to your CV.

Want even more good CV advice? Check out our guide: 20+ CV Tips and Advice for Job Application Success

6. Show off your school leaver CV skills

When writing a CV for a school leaver, showcasing your skills is essential—but focus on the kind that employers want to see, not your personal challenges or party tricks.

• Start by reviewing the job advert and noting the specific skills it mentions.
• Next, create your own skills list. Look at what you've gained through education, work experience, extracurricular activities, or other areas of your life.
• Aim to include 5–10 skills on your CV. Mix job-specific abilities with widely valued traits like teamwork, communication, or time management for a well-rounded profile.
• Aim for a mix of soft skills and hard skills. 

These skills would look great on a school leaver CV.

Skills for a school leaver CV

• IT skills (name the programs you’re familiar with)
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management
• Creativity
• Persuasion
• Team work
• Negotiation
• Decision making
• Adaptability

Read More: Best List of Skills to Put on a CV [Top Skills & Examples]

7. Add additional sections to your school leaver CV

Most school leaver CVs tend to blend together—mainly because they often lack extensive work history. That makes it harder to stand out. The solution? Personalise your CV with extra sections that showcase your individuality and potential. Here's how to do it:

• Can you speak another language? Foreign language skills are needed at all levels of the workforce and are a great choice for a school leavers CV.
• Include hobbies and interests on your CV. They’re a great way of making you more relatable to the recruiter, it’s proven we like people who are like us. It can also demonstrate your abilities. E.g. painting and drawing shows you have a creative mind.
• You could also include projects, achievements, awards and volunteering. Anything that’s relevant to the job and makes you stand out as a good candidate.

Read more: Best Hobbies and Interests to Put on a CV

8. Consider a cover letter

I know what you’re thinking, who actually writes a letter these days? But in the world of recruitment, cover letters are still a pretty big thing. More than half of employers still say they’re a must-have. Writing a cover letter to accompany your school leaver CV is another great way of making your job application stand out.

Here’s how to write a cover letter in no time.

• Use the right cover letter format.
• Put a ‘hook’ in your cover letter opening. Show energy and passion, and include an impressive achievement that’ll make you stand out as a candidate.
• Demonstrate how your skills and experience will help you to excel in the job you’re applying for. Like your CV, tailor your cover letter to each new job you target.
• Put a call to action in your cover letter ending by asking to meet or schedule a phone call to discuss the job further.
• Stick to the right cover letter length.

Read more: What to Include in a Cover Letter for a Job [15+ Examples]

One last tip for you. Follow up your job application. If you haven’t heard back within a week, contact the employer by email or phone about the status of your application. It’s a great way of improving your chances of landing 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 school leaver CV that’ll get your working life off to a great start.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume 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:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Thanks for reading. Have I covered everything you need to know about writing a CV for a school-leaver? Do you need something more specific, like a cv for 16 year old school leaver template? How about more cv examples for a school leaver? If you’d like to know anything at all about how to write your first CV, let me know in the comments section and I’ll be happy to help.

About Zety’s Editorial Process

Our editorial team has thoroughly reviewed this article to ensure it follows Zety’s editorial guidelines. Our dedication lies in sharing our expertise and providing you with actionable career advice that offers you real value. Every year, the quality of our content attracts 40 million readers to our site. But that’s not all – we conduct original research to gain a detailed understanding of the labour market. We take pride in being cited by top universities and leading media outlets in the UK and worldwide.

Sources

• https://csb.uncw.edu/cen/documents/8%20things%20you%20need%20to%20know%20about%20applicant%20tracking%20systems.pdf
• https://u.osu.edu/ehedesigntips/2015/04/06/design-101-white-space/
• https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2018/04/what-are-soft-skills
• https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/challenge_action_result_statements_car_statements_part_3
• https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/about-the-trust
• https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/jobsearchandnetworking/hard-skills-vs-soft-skills/1/
• https://news.ku.edu/2016/02/19/new-study-finds-our-desire-minded-others-hard-wired-controls-friend-and-partner