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Reaching that first job can be an important step into a long and fulfilling career. You might be looking for a steady job as a cashier or a server at your favourite cafe, or maybe you’re thinking of tutoring other students. Whatever job you’re going for, there’s a teenager CV template to help you reach that dream job.
To make things easier, we’ve pulled together all the information you’ll need to build a teenager’s CV that gets you on the career ladder – or allows you to take the next step up. That includes advice on the right format, a guide for each section of your CV, and answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Never had a job before? We have plenty of tips, tricks and CV examples to help you write a CV for teenager with no experience too. So, rather than staring at a blank Word document for hours, you can get up and running with your first CV, ready to secure that part-time job or first full-time role.
Here, you will learn how to write a CV with little or no work experience, including:
SEARCH ALL CV EXAMPLES
Sample teenager CV
ANTHONY O’BRIEN
Email: anthony.o’brien@example-example.co.uk
Phone: 07912 345678
Address: 88 Boroughbridge Road,
Birmingham, B2 8SP
SUMMARY
Responsible cashier experienced in managing front-of-store needs in busy environments. Friendly and energetic with strong communication and organizational abilities. Seeking a role of increased responsibility where strengths in service and sales will be valuable.
WORK HISTORY
Cashier | GAP – Birmingham
February 2020 – Present
- Handled monetary and card transactions for customers quickly and efficiently.
- Worked closely with floor staff to solve problems and handle customer concerns.
- Trained as returns specialist and provided backup coverage to offer optimal customer support.
Trainee Barista (summer job) | Perfect Shot – Birmingham
June 2019 – October 2019
- Arranged merchandise in innovative and eye-catching displays.
- Complied with health, safety, and sanitation guidelines.
- Designed and printed menus, recipes, and promotions and offers
SKILLS
- Cash Register Operation
- Excellent Guest Service
- Safe Food Handling Practices
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Effective Time Management
- Strong Communication Skills
EDUCATION
2022
Birmingham Sixth Form, Birmingham
A-Levels: Food Technology, Hospitality, Psychology
2019
City Training College, Birmingham
VRQ Level 2: Barista Skills
Teenager CV template
Starting your career won’t be as tough as you think – especially if you take advantage of CV-building resources. We’ve created a helpful list of tools that you can use to create a winning CV, including CV templates that will give you the head start you need.
Which format is right on a CV for teenage applicants?
When it comes to CV formatting, many CVs utilise the reverse chronological format. This prioritises your work history, starting with the most recent position and working backwards. It gives recruiters an instant overview of the most relevant information, so they can see what you have to offer. In terms of a teenager’s CV, this would work for teens who already have some work history under their belt, including internships and voluntary work.
However, if you need a CV for a teenager with no work experience in the UK, a skills-based CV might be more suitable.
This will focus on your ability, drawing out a more detailed picture of the relevant things you’re adept at. This makes it an ideal CV for a teenager with little to no experience.
How a skills-based CV is usually set out
- Contact details – You’ll need to include your contact details so that recruiters can get in touch with job opportunities.
- Professional summary, also known as personal statement – In a teenager’s CV, this section will include 3-4 sentences summarising your core competencies, achievements and why you’re the dream candidate for the role.
- Skills – This section will be considerably longer than on most CVs. You’ll be able to include categories, then go into more detail about each one. For example, in the ‘communication’ category, you could include details about your good written communication, how you’ve answered phones and taken messages in an internship role, and how you enjoy working in a team.
- Education or academic history – Here you can include your qualifications and any awards you’ve received at school.
- Hobbies and achievements – To flesh out exactly why you’re perfect for the job, you could include details of how your passions relate to the role. You could also include relevant special achievements, including winning a design competition or being a member of a local football team.
How to write a CV for a teenager
Now that we’ve covered some of the basic formatting required for a CV, it’s time to dive into the details of how to write a CV. The best advice for teenagers is to break it down section by section.
In the following sections, you’ll learn:
- What contact details should I include in my teenager CV?
- Developing a teenager CV personal statement
- Teenager CV work experience
- Great skills to add to your teenager CV
- Teenager CV education
What contact details should I include in my teenager CV?
A CV for a teenager will need to include contact details for recruiters to get in touch. This section will usually be at the top of the CV. The details you’ll need to include are:
- Name: This should generally be larger than the other contact details and written in bold, so it stands out against the other text.
- Email: Ensure that this email is up to date and that the address is professional. Unfortunately, “footballfan88@hotmail.com” just won’t cut it.
- Phone number: Recruiters won’t wait around for weeks for you to return their call, so make sure you give an up-to-date number that you regularly use.
- Address: You’ll need to include your address, so you can receive written communication where needed.
Example of contact section for teenager CV
Anna McDonald
195 Crown Street
London, W12 4WB
07912 345 678
a.mcdonald@example-example.co.uk
Developing a teenager CV personal statement
Near the top of a CV for a teenager is the personal statement or professional summary. This should consist of roughly 3-4 sentences that sum up exactly why you’re perfect for the role.
Every CV needs a personal statement – and teenagers are no exception. While you might not have a specialism or career background to draw upon, you can still introduce yourself to recruiters in a positive light.
While it’s good to include the type of work you’re looking for to tailor your CV to the job at hand, it’s also important that your personal statement focuses on what you can offer to an employer.
In the case of a teenager CV, you could either use your personal statement as an opportunity to draw attention to key achievements from your work history or, if you have little experience, focus on the qualities you’ve illustrated at school or through internships, such as:
Example of personal statement for teenager CV
Enthusiastic student eager to learn new skills and information. Studies hard for examinations and always completed accurate, thorough work. Collaborates well on group projects and prepares diligently for assignments.
OR
Dedicated candidate searching for a position to increase professional skills and work experience. Particular skills in group projects, preparation for assignments, essay writing, and IT including adobe software. Quick learner with immediate availability.
Teenager CV work experience
In a CV for a teenager, work experience usually takes a backseat to capabilities and education. But if you’re a proactive teen with some work history behind you, it can really work to your advantage. If you’re looking for some advice on how to write a CV to stand out, here’s how to present your work history to really impress recruiters.
Include the experience you do have
Generally speaking, you’ll need to include the basic details of how long you worked with the company, what type of job it was, the name of the company, and the location of employment. You’ll then need to go into more depth about your responsibilities and achievements in the role. For example, for a waitress CV, you might mention ‘used knowledge of cafe beverages and food to guide customers through the menu, making recommendations where appropriate’.
Avoid anything irrelevant
A CV for a teenager with no experience might look bare at first glance, but you shouldn’t be tempted to pad it out with irrelevant information. Ultimately, deciding what to keep in and leave out will depend on how many positions you’ve had previously and how they relate to the desired job. Try to stick to your last two or three positions, focusing on the most relevant aptitudes and responsibilities in each role – then there’ll be no need to pad out your teenager CV.
Get the details right
Like any CV, a CV for a teenager will need to be set out in a certain way. Ensure that you list out each role with a bullet point, just the same as in your education history. You’ll need to record:
- The date you started and left the position
- Job title, company you worked for, and the location of the role
- Responsibilities and core achievements in the role
Example of work experience for teenager CV
04/22 – Present
Barista | Bean & Gone – Huddersfield
- Maintained regular and consistent attendance and punctuality.
- Ordered, received and stocked supplies and retail products.
- Constantly expanded personal knowledge of coffee styles and varieties, providing knowledgeable customer guidance.
Great skills to add on your teenager CV
Key CV skills are a major feature of any beginner teenage CV sample. In most cases, they’re the main thing recruiters will be looking for on your application.
In a skills-based CV for a teenager, they’re even more integral, as you can flesh them out with more details. For example, where the role requires it, you might dedicate an entire category to your “teamworking” abilities. Similar to recording your responsibilities in previous job roles, you can flesh out specific examples of how you’ve showcased them. For “teamworking”, an example might be “worked as part of a team of six on a term-long science project”.
If you’re looking for a CV template for a teenager with no experience, then choosing a skills-based format is often the best option. However, even if you do choose a traditional CV, you’ll still need to let recruiters know about what you have to offer.
Here are some must-haves and desirables to include:
Essential skills for your teenager CV
- Punctuality
- Attention to detail
- Hardworking
- Clear communication
- Teamwork
- Ability to follow instructions
Desirable aptitudes to set you apart
- Time management
- Multitasking
- Computer literacy
- Mathematical ability
- Good grammar and spelling
- Driving licence
Teenager CV education
In a CV template for teenager, the education or academic history section will be integral to illustrating your ability and knowledge for the job you’re applying to. You’ll need to be selective with the information you include, however. Let’s take a look at how this key part of a teenager CV works.
What should I include?
You’ll need to include relevant qualifications for the role you’re applying to. That could potentially mean making different CVs for each job role you apply to. You can include qualifications obtained through school or college, including your GCSEs and A-Levels. Some employers like to know your GCSE grades – and some jobs particularly like you to have Maths and English GCSEs with a good grade. You can also mention qualifications you’re currently studying towards, as well as any certificates or qualifications you’ve obtained through previous jobs or work training.
Don’t be tempted to include absolutely everything. There’s no need to mention every single school you’ve ever been to – just the most recent, relevant qualifications will be suitable. Additionally, you don’t need to go into detail about what you learned on the courses. Any specific techniques learned can be recorded in the skills section. In some cases, you may be required to specify your grade in your teenager CV, particularly if the job requires a high level of Maths or written English.
How to list qualifications
Your education history should be recorded in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent achievements. You’ll need to record the details in a set order:
- Date the qualification was received
- Level of qualification and subject
- Institution where qualification was studied
Example of education for teenager CV
2023
A Levels – English, Maths & Business Studies
Smiths College, York
Dos and don’ts for your teenager CV
Do
- DO remember to keep your CV job-specific If you’re writing a CV for teenagers with no experience, it’s important that you put some care and attention into the application process. A key part of that is tailoring your CV to the job at hand, to show that you’re putting in a bit more time and effort from the get-go. That starts with your teenager CV personal statement, which can refer specifically to the job you’re applying for, such as waiter or barista. By including key phrases from the job description, you could also boost your chances of passing an ATS check.
- DO remember to show what you can offer When recruiters read a CV for teenagers with no UK work experience, they still want to get an idea of what you can offer. A basic CV for a teenager should focus on personal qualities like punctuality and clear communication, as well as transferable qualities you’ve developed in school or college, such as computer literacy and mathematical ability. Showcasing a genuine passion and dedication to the job role you’re applying for can also help you to stand out – whether that’s through a social media account you manage or an after-school club you’ve taken part in.
Don’t
- DON’T forget to include a cover letter When it comes to writing a teenager’s CV, there’s another key tool you can use to maximise your chances of getting that job – a stellar covering letter. A good cover letter should incorporate a few paragraphs that cover who you are and why you’re perfect for the role. It should be no longer than one page. A covering letter isn’t required for all jobs, but it can help you to stand out from other candidates, especially if you have little to no experience.Your cover letter shouldn’t be a copy-paste of the material in your teenager CV. It needs to be completely original, so make sure you know how to write a cover letter before you start. As well as your contact details, your cover letter will need an introduction, a few paragraphs about your work or school achievements, with a conclusion that sums up why you’re their ideal candidate.
- DON’T forget to consider a skills-based format As above, it’s likely that a CV for teenagers will include little to no experience. With that in mind, it might be better to use a skills-based CV. Put simply, this means including a more detailed skills section above or in place of a work history. This CV format puts a focus on the capabilities and qualities you possess, rather than your experience – or lack of it.
Your teenager CV questions answered
How to make a teenager CV?
The easiest way to make your CV is by using a CV maker for teenagers. This will give you access to UK CV templates for teenagers, as well as providing professionally written content which you can search for and select to fill your CV. Alternatively, you can use a simple Word document to start from scratch, with some CV templates available in the ‘Resumes and Cover Letters’ section.
How to structure a CV for a teenager?
Most jobs available to teenagers will get lots of applications for recruiters to review. With that in mind, it’s best to structure your CV with skim-reading in mind. Use plenty of space to separate sections, add clear headings like ‘work history’ and ‘education’, and use bullet points to keep everything concise and to the point.
What to include in a teenager CV?
Whether it’s a teenager CV for a part-time job, Saturday job or full-time role after leaving school, there are certain elements that all CVs should have. First is a personal statement, along with a skills section, and education or qualifications. You can also add work history if applicable. When writing a CV for teenagers with no experience, a hobbies or interests section can also be a good way to set you apart from other candidates.
Can a 15 year old have a CV?
Absolutely, they can! Whether you’d like to start working as a babysitter or a cafe worker, a CV for a teenager can really help to boost you into the world of work. Your best place to start is with a pre-made CV template for teenagers in the UK. You can then fill this in with details of your abilities and academic history, as well as any work experience you might have.
Create a teenager’s CV to wow recruiters
Writing a CV for a teenager doesn’t have to be daunting. The best advice is to take it section by section using all the advice above, supplemented with some CV examples. Before you know it, you’ll have a teenager CV you can be proud of. If you need a little more help, our online CV maker is ready and waiting with pre-made CV templates and polished content to impress recruiters.
