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.
