Do I need work experience to apply for my first job?

No. Most employers who hire school leavers expect a CV built around education, activities and potential rather than paid work history.

Should I include all of my GCSE grades?

You can list them all, or group lower grades together as 'and X other GCSEs' if you want to keep the section shorter, as long as you are not misrepresenting your results.

How long should a school leaver CV be?

One page is normally sufficient at this stage, since you are unlikely to have enough experience to justify a second page.

Should I mention if I am still waiting for exam results?

Yes, list them as expected or pending, with the date you expect to receive them, rather than leaving the section blank.

School Leaver CV: Writing Your First CV

A school leaver CV should put education first, followed by any part-time work, volunteering or school activities, then a short list of relevant skills. Keep it to one page, be specific about what you have done, and choose a clean, simple layout.

CV help · Updated 27 September 2026 · How we write our guides

Keep it to one page

At this stage of your working life, one page is normally enough. A short, well-organised CV reads better than a long one padded out with filler, and it shows you can be selective about what matters most.

If you find you have too much to fit on one page, that is a good sign; focus on trimming down to your strongest, most relevant examples rather than stretching everything onto a second page.

A one-page CV also tends to force better editing decisions, since you have to choose your strongest examples rather than including everything you can think of.

Lead with education

List your school, the qualifications you are taking or have completed, and your grades where they help your application. Include GCSEs, and A levels, BTECs or other qualifications if you have started them.

If a specific subject relates directly to the job, such as food technology for a catering role, or maths for a role involving cash handling, mention it briefly to show a direct connection.

Add activities and responsibilities

School and college life gives you more to draw on than you might think: being a form representative, helping run a club, playing in a school team, taking part in Duke of Edinburgh, or organising a fundraiser.

Describe what you actually did in each, not just that you were a member. 'Organised weekly training sessions for the school football team' says far more than 'Member of the football team'.

If you took part in work experience placements during school, even a short one-week placement, include it as its own short entry, describing what you did and what you took away from it.

Any part-time or holiday work, including informal jobs like babysitting or a paper round
Positions of responsibility such as prefect, team captain or form representative
Clubs, societies or volunteering
Awards such as Duke of Edinburgh or subject prizes

Write a short personal statement

Two or three sentences are enough. Say what you are looking for, mention a couple of genuine strengths, and keep the tone confident rather than apologetic.

Avoid trying to sound overly formal or use words that do not sound like you; a clear, honest sentence is more effective than one that reads as though it was copied from somewhere else.

It can help to draft a few versions and read them back, choosing the one that sounds most like a natural, honest description of yourself rather than the one that uses the most impressive-sounding words.

List a handful of relevant skills

Pick skills that suit the job you are applying for. For a customer-facing role that might be communication and reliability; for an office role it might include basic IT skills and attention to detail.

Where possible, link a skill to something specific you have done, even briefly, so a reader can see it is grounded in real experience rather than just a claim.

Choosing where to apply

Many school leavers apply to a wide range of employers, from independent shops to larger chains, without a clear sense of which ones actually suit them. It is worth thinking about what kind of environment you would work well in, whether that is a fast-paced retail floor, a quieter office, or an outdoor role.

This is not something that needs to appear on your CV, but it can help you write a more genuine, specific personal statement rather than one that could apply to any job going.

Talking to family, teachers or careers advisers about the kinds of roles that might suit you can also help narrow down where to focus your applications, rather than applying broadly with little direction.

What employers of school leavers usually look for

Most employers hiring school leavers are not expecting a polished professional background. They are usually looking for signs of reliability, a willingness to learn, and the ability to work well with others, since these are the things that make training a new starter easier.

This means a CV that clearly shows attendance, punctuality and a track record of following through on responsibilities, even small ones, can be just as persuasive as one listing a long string of grades.

It is also worth remembering that many employers factor in training time for school leavers from the outset, so a CV does not need to prove you already know how to do the job, only that you are likely to learn it well.