Now you’re 16, you’ll be eager to take your first step into the working world. As a 16-year-old, you’ll need a CV to apply for both part-time and full-time jobs. Whether you want to earn a little something extra working weekends in a café, or are applying for an apprenticeship, you’ll need a CV to show the employer what you do best.

But where do you start? And what exactly do you put on your CV? In this guide, we’ll explore how to write a CV for a 16-year-old, as well as provide some useful examples and tips you can use to get started.

How to write a CV for a 16-year-old in 7 simple steps.

Your CV should reflect who you are and the experience you can bring to the table. It needs to be unique and show a little bit of personality. An employer will likely look through a large number of CVs for every job, so you need to make sure your CV stands out.

Here’s how to get started writing a CV for a 16-year-old.

1. Include your name and contact details.

You’ll need to include the following in the header section of your CV:

• Full name
• Mobile number
• Email address
• LinkedIn profile and/or relevant website (like a blog).

2. Create a personal summary.

Your personal summary is your chance to make your mark. Here, you’ll need to catch your prospective employer’s attention with some personal info, experience, skills and hobbies.

When writing your personal summary:

• Start by introducing yourself – what are you currently doing/studying and where?
• List some initial skills and why you think that makes you a good candidate.
• What are your aspirations for the future? Talk about what you want to study and where, and what your career goals are.
• Finally, talk about some relevant experiences and hobbies. Are you the captain of your football team? Have you done any work experience?

3. List your education.

You’ll need to list your grades from most recent to least. Start with your GCSEs or A-Levels – depending on which year you’re in – and make it clear if these are expected grades. Don’t forget to also state where you’re studying.

4. Call out key skills.

This section can be formatted as an organised bullet point list. Pick out some relevant and impressive personal skills and add a bit of an explainer for each one. Where do you use these abilities? Why does this make you a good candidate?

5. Add any hobbies and interests.

Another opportunity for you to show a little bit more of your personality. While CVs for 16-year-olds should be formal, they also need to show an employer what you’re like as a person. Hobbies provide a great insight into this, so make sure to highlight these.

6. Mention your awards and achievements.

If you have any extracurricular or personal achievements, here’s your chance to show them off. Don’t worry about being too modest – your CV is meant to highlight and emphasise the best parts of you. So if you’ve won a few tennis trophies, ran a marathon or got first place in a short story competition, shout about it.

7. Finish with some references (if required).

References are often asked for by an employer when applying for a job. But, as it’s unlikely you’ve had any professional experience yet, these aren’t always necessary for 16-year-olds’ CVs. Instead, you could include the contact details of a teacher or form tutor – but don’t forget to ask for their permission first.

Free and easy-to-edit 16-year-old CV examples.

Example CV for a 16-year-old.

Your CV should include your contact details, any experience you have, your education and your interests. Don’t worry if you don’t have any work experience just yet, you can fill in the gaps with extracurricular activities and personal skills.

Also, when you write your CV, you don’t have to keep this to a basic document Try using a more creative CV template to add some extra flair.

With this in mind, here’s an example CV for a 16-year-old. You can use this as a guide, but also feel free to add anything else that may be relevant to the role you’re applying for.

Jane Doe CV

07123456789 | jane.doe@email.com | linkedin.com/in/janedoe08

Personal Profile

I’m a motivated and enthusiastic student, starting my A-Level studies in English Literature, French and History. I have a real passion for learning and developing my skills, and believe I thrive in environments that motivate me to push myself further. I have excellent communication and organisation skills, and I strive to work to incredibly high standards both as part of a team and individually. With this in mind, I believe I would make a great addition to the team at [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE].

Work experience

Editorial Internship, ABC Publishing, May 2024

• One-week work experience shadowing the Commissioning Editor on the YA Fiction list – supporting with PA duties, proofing and essential admin.
• Attended author meetings and assisted with preparation, note-taking and sending around a summary email to key stakeholders.
• Contributed ideas in the weekly design and marketing meeting for future publications.

Education

A-levels, September 2024 – June 2026 (Expected):

Workington Academy, Cumbria

• English Literature – A*
• History – A
• French – B

10 GCSEs including English and Maths, June 2024

Workington Academy, Cumbria

• 9 – English Literature, English Language, Media Studies
• 8 – History, Art
• 7 – Maths, Chemistry, Biology
• 6 – French, Physics

Skills

• Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel: Proficient in using Outlook applications for document creation, presentations and data analysis.
• Leadership: Demonstrates leadership abilities as Head Editor of Workington Academy’s magazine.
• Communication skills: Effectively communicates to a range of audiences with both the written and spoken word.
• Teamwork: Successfully collaborates with other editors and writers of the magazine, and also with fellow classmates in various group projects.

Hobbies and Interests

• Head Editor of Workington Academy magazine. I enjoy writing, editing and organising different written pieces focused on my local area.
• I write regularly on my own blog in my spare time. This usually covers book and film reviews.
• Regular weekend hiker. I love hiking around Cumbria with my friends and family. One of my favourite spots is Grasmere.

Languages

• English (fluent)
• French (basic)

More editable CV examples for a 16-year-old.

5 tips for writing your own CV at 16.

Now you know what to put on a CV for a 16-year-old, you’re nearly ready to start pulling one together. Before you begin, here are our 5 top tips to remember:

• Tailor your CV to the opportunity. You need to show the employer that you’ve read and taken in the job description, and that you’ve researched the company. Take time to personalise your CV to them, so they don’t think you’re sending out the same one 30 times.
• Focus on transferable skills. Similar to the above, make sure your mentioned skills are relevant to the job. If you’re applying for a customer service role, for example, talk about your communication skills and your ability to work in a team.
• Mention any languages you might know. Knowing any other language other than English is an easy way to stand out from other applicants. These skills can come in useful in sectors like customer service and hospitality.
• Don’t be too modest. Your CV presents an opportunity to really sell yourself. Don’t be afraid to shout about your achievements and the things you’re proud of. There’s no shame in being great at something.
• Add a little bit of personality. You’re speaking to another human being at the end of the day – and they’re looking to hire a human being too. Keep it professional, but not robotic. Don’t be afraid to let a little bit of you shine through

Try Adobe Express for free now

Good to know.

What format should you use for a 16-year-old’s CV?

A 16-year-old’s CV can afford to be a little shorter and more succinct than a regular CV. People won’t expect you to have much work experience yet, so it provides a great opportunity to talk about your education, personal skills and hobbies. A basic CV example for a 16-year-old would be:

• Name & contact details
• Personal summary
• Education
• Skills
• Hobbies and interests
• Awards and achievements.

How do I write a CV before receiving my GCSE results?

Before you receive your GCSE results, your CV can focus on personal skills, current studies, achievements and hobbies. You should still also list your predicted GCSE grades, so people can get a good idea of where you’re at with your studies.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5GB of storage. See our  pricing page for details and to compare plans.