Whilst at school, you are encouraged to write a CV ready for when you leave to follow your chosen career path, but how do you write a CV with nothing to write about?
Although we may not consider sitting in a classroom or hanging out with friends at break times ‘work experience’, it helps you to develop skills employers actively look for such as communication skills, teamwork and individuality. Maybe you stayed after school for extra support in the lead up to your GCSE’s? That shows your commitment and dedication to your own progression. The way you word certain activities could impact how you are portrayed on your CV.
In terms of work experience, there are often lots of opportunities provided by the school that are there to be taken advantage of such as the Duke of Edinburgh challenge, Ten Tours and other extracurricular activities. There may also be an opportunity for you to volunteer or mentor a fellow pupil. It may be within the school, at a local club or centre or even a shop. Most schools also take part in the work experience programme, allowing students to attend a work placement for up to 2 weeks to gain experience in a setting of their choice.
Here are some CV writing Do’s and Dont’s:
| Do | Don’t |
| Be honest. You may not have reached your target grades, but that’s ok! Companies like us are on hand to provide you with functional skills courses, helping you reach that C or above grade alongside your job role. | Lie! There is no need to lie on your CV. There will always be an opportunity for support and, by lying, you are prolonging the support from helping you and may also break the trust and reliability your employer has in you. |
| Ask someone to read through your CV if you are not 100% sure about how it reads. | Panic! Employers know school leavers are just that, school leavers. They know you won’t have years and years of experience in lots of different job roles. |
| Start your CV with general contact information that includes your name, address, telephone and email | Use an un-professional looking email address, sparklysnail2857_Xo@hotmail.com may give off a false judgment of character. |
| Keep it to the point. There is no need for CV’s to be padded out with lots of irrelevant information. | Don’t worry too much about length — there are no rules on length. The CV should be professional and should include your important data. |
| When in doubt, keep your apprenticeship applications traditional and conservative. | Don’t send in a WordArt-heavy CV for an accountancy or business administration apprenticeship. |
