CV for a school leaver or 16 year old (UK)

How to write a CV for a 16 year old

1. Open a plain document and put your name at the top as the title, with your phone, email and town on one line underneath.
2. Write a personal statement of two or three lines: what you are, what you want, and one proof. See CV personal statement examples.
3. List your education with the school, the dates and your GCSEs, either achieved or predicted by your teachers.
4. Add the things you have done: a work experience week, volunteering, a Saturday job, a club or a responsibility. Give each one or two lines that say what you did.
5. Finish with a short skills line and a note that references are available. Check it fits one page, and save it as a PDF.

The steps need no work history, only things you have really done.

CV for a school leaver: what to include

Put the strongest evidence of reliability near the top. Employers hiring a 16 or 17 year old are mostly looking for someone who will turn up on time, learn fast and be pleasant with customers or colleagues. A work experience week at a real workplace, a regular volunteer role, a Saturday job, a team sport or a club role all show that. Caring for a relative is real responsibility too, and you can say so in one line. List awards and certificates with the year. Skip hobbies unless they relate to the job.

GCSEs and predicted grades

If you are still in Year 11, write “predicted” beside the grades your teachers expect and label them clearly; once your results are out, replace them with the real ones. List English and maths first, since employers look for them, and then your other subjects in one line. You do not need to list every grade you have ever had. If a grade is low, leave the line of subjects as it is: do not change a grade or round it up, because employers can ask for the certificate.

A first CV with no work experience

Most school leavers have no paid work history, and employers know it. Use what you have: your school, any work experience week, volunteering, clubs, duties such as prefect or peer mentor, and tasks at home such as childcare. Write each as an action and a result, for example “Coach 12 under-9s for an hour every Saturday”. The layout is just the sections above in order, and the two examples above show what that looks like. The guide to a resume with no experience covers the same method for any age.

The National Insurance number question

Do not put your National Insurance number on the CV. An employer asks for it only after offering the job, so they can set up payroll. GOV.UK says you will normally be sent a National Insurance number in the 3 months before your 16th birthday if you live in the UK and a parent or guardian filled in a Child Benefit claim form for you. If you are 16 to 19 and have not received one, check whether you already have one, and if no Child Benefit claim was made, apply online.

The rules on working at 16 (and younger)

Children can work part-time from age 14, and in some council areas from 13, according to GOV.UK. During term time there is a limit of 12 hours a week: for 15 and 16 year olds, no more than 2 hours on a school day or Sunday and 8 hours on a Saturday. In the school holidays a 15 or 16 year old can work up to 35 hours a week, no more than 8 hours a day on weekdays and Saturdays and 2 on Sundays. Some councils require an employment permit. These limits are for children below the school leaving age, so check them when you apply for a job at 14 or 15, and ask your council if you are unsure.

The leaving rules below are for England; the other UK nations have their own. In England you can leave school on the last Friday in June if you will be 16 by the end of the summer holidays, but until you are 18 you must do one of three things, GOV.UK says: stay in full-time education, do an apprenticeship, or work or volunteer for 20 hours or more a week while in part-time education or training. A school leaver CV is often for an apprenticeship or a college place that fits one of these.

A CV template for a 16 year old or school leaver

Name (as the title). Phone · email · town. Personal statement: two lines. Education: school, dates, GCSEs. Experience: each item with a role, the organisation, the dates and one or two lines of what you did. Skills and awards: one line. References: available on request. Keep the font plain, 10 to 12 points, with margins of about 2 to 2.5 cm, and a file named Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf. The UK CV format guide covers the layout in detail.

Mistakes on a school leaver CV

• A second page, or a long list of every subject and club.
• A photo, a date of birth or a full home address.
• “Hardworking and reliable” with nothing to back it.
• Leaving out volunteering or a work experience week because it was unpaid.
• An email address that is not suitable for a job application.

Sources

Checked on 12 October 2026. Employers and portals change what they ask for, so always follow the job advert first.

• GOV.UK: Know when you can leave school (leaving dates; staying in education or training until 18)
• GOV.UK: Child employment (minimum age for part-time work)
• GOV.UK: Restrictions on child employment (hours by age, permits)
• GOV.UK: Apply for a National Insurance number (young people, before the 16th birthday)