How to write your first CV with no experience

Your first CV, section by section

1. 1

   Contact details

   Name, phone, a sensible email (firstname.surname — make one if yours is a nickname), and your town or postcode area. No full address needed.

2. 2

   Personal statement

   Two or three sentences: what you're studying, what you want, and your availability. This is where 'available every Saturday' goes — the single most useful line on a first CV.

3. 3

   Education

   School name, years attended, subjects and grades (or predicted grades if you're still sitting exams). Put your strongest subjects first.

4. 4

   Skills and achievements

   Anything that shows effort over time: sports teams, clubs, DofE, music grades, coding projects, a gaming channel you edit videos for, helping at a family business. These are your 'experience'.

5. 5

   Any work, however informal

   Babysitting, dog walking, a paper round, car washing, mowing lawns, volunteering at a charity shop or parkrun. Informal work still proves people trusted you with responsibility.

6. 6

   References

   A teacher, coach or family friend who isn't a relative. Ask permission first. 'References available on request' is fine on the CV itself.

The five mistakes that get first CVs binned

• Lying or inflating

  'Assistant manager' of your mum's Etsy shop gets found out in one interview question. Employers at 16 expect honesty, not experience.

• A jokey email address

  xSniperWolfx@ might be the only reason you don't get a call. A free firstname.surname address takes two minutes.

• Typos

  One spelling mistake on a one-page document tells an employer you don't check your work. Ask someone else to read it.

• No availability

  The manager's first question is 'when can they work?'. If your CV doesn't say, it goes to the bottom of the pile.

• Sending the same CV everywhere without the name change

  If you write 'I want to work at Tesco' and send it to Sainsbury's, that's the application over. Check before you hit send.

FAQs

How do you make a CV for your first job?

Keep it to one page with five sections: contact details, a two-line personal statement, education with subjects and grades, skills and achievements, and any experience including volunteering, sport, clubs or helping in a family business. Save it as a PDF named with your full name. Employers hiring for a first job read it in under a minute, so clear headings matter more than design.

What do you put on a CV when you have no experience?

Lead with education: your school, subjects and expected or actual grades. Then add anything that shows reliability and effort — sports teams, clubs, Duke of Edinburgh, volunteering, babysitting, helping in a family business, cadets, a paper round, or personal projects. Employers hiring at 16–17 expect no work history; they hire for attitude.

How long should a CV be at 16?

One page, always. Nobody hiring a 16 year old wants two pages. A tight one-page CV with clear sections beats a padded longer one — padding is obvious and works against you.

Do I need references on my first CV?

Have two referees ready — a teacher, tutor, sports coach or family friend who isn't a relative. You can write 'References available on request' on the CV itself, but ask your referees' permission first so they aren't caught off guard.

Should I put my age or date of birth on my CV?

You don't have to, but at 16–17 it usually helps: employers hiring for weekend roles specifically want under-18s, and it explains the short work history. Never include your National Insurance number or bank details on a CV.

What should a 16 year old's personal statement say?

Two or three sentences: what you're studying, what you're looking for, and when you can work. Example: 'Year 11 student at [school] studying GCSEs including maths and English. Looking for a Saturday job in retail — available all day Saturday and Sunday mornings. Reliable, quick to learn and happy on my feet all day.'

Is it worth making a CV for a supermarket job?

Yes. Even when the application is an online form, it will ask for the same information — having a CV ready means you copy from it instead of inventing answers under pressure. For independent shops and cafés, a printed CV handed to the manager is often the entire application.