School Leaver CV Example
For school leavers entering the job market for the first time after completing GCSEs or A-Levels. Focuses on academic results, part-time work, and extracurricular achievements to demonstrate your potential.
Recommended template: Compact
Key Skills to Include
Quick Tips
- List your GCSE and A-Level results clearly, highlighting subjects relevant to the roles you are targeting.
- Include any part-time work, Saturday jobs, or paper rounds that demonstrate your work ethic.
- Highlight extracurricular activities, sports teams, or youth organisations that show your character.
- Keep your CV concise at one page, focusing on quality over quantity of content.
Ready to build your CV?
Start with the Compact template and customise it for your junior role.
How to Write Your School Leaver CV
A school leaver CV needs to demonstrate your potential, character, and readiness for the world of work, even without extensive employment history. Employers hiring school leavers are looking for enthusiasm, reliability, and evidence that you can contribute positively to their team. Your academic results, part-time work, volunteering, and extracurricular activities are all legitimate evidence of your capabilities. Present them with confidence and specificity.
CV Structure
Start with a personal profile, followed by any work experience or volunteering, then education, and finally skills and interests. If you have no work experience at all, move education to a higher position and expand on your achievements, subjects, and coursework. Keep the CV to one page — this is the standard expectation for school leaver applications and forces you to focus on the most relevant content.
CV Format
Use a simple, clean template with clear headings and consistent formatting. Avoid elaborate designs, excessive colour, or unusual fonts. Make your name and contact details prominent at the top. Include your email address and phone number but avoid including your full home address for privacy — town or county is sufficient. Save as a PDF for email applications.
CV Profile Examples
A-Level School Leaver
Motivated and reliable A-Level school leaver with grades ABB in Business Studies, English Language, and Psychology, seeking a full-time role in a business or administrative environment. Gained practical experience through a two-week work placement at a local estate agency and eighteen months as a part-time sales assistant. Strong communicator with excellent organisational skills developed through managing school council responsibilities and captaining the sixth form basketball team.
GCSE School Leaver
Hard-working and punctual school leaver with nine GCSEs including grade 6 in Maths and English, ready to begin a career in a hands-on, practical role. Completed a one-week work experience placement at a local garage and volunteered regularly at a community allotment project. Comfortable working both independently and in a team, with a strong willingness to learn and a can-do attitude that has been praised by teachers and supervisors.
School Leaver — Creative Focus
Creative and detail-oriented school leaver with A-Level results in Art, Media Studies, and English Literature, seeking an entry-level role in the creative or media industry. Built a personal portfolio of graphic design work using Adobe Photoshop and Canva, and managed social media accounts for the school drama society. Experienced in meeting deadlines through coursework and project-based learning, with a genuine passion for visual communication and storytelling.
Write three sentences summarising your academic background, key qualities, and what you are looking for. Mention your GCSE or A-Level results, one or two relevant experiences, and the type of role you are seeking. Be specific rather than generic — employers want to see that you have thought about what you want and why you would be a good fit.
Key Skills for Your School Leaver CV
GCSE / A-Level Results
Strong academic results demonstrating the ability to learn, retain information, and perform under examination conditions.
IT Skills
Competence in Microsoft Office applications, email, internet research, and basic data management tools.
Communication
Expressing ideas clearly in both written and spoken formats, adapting style for different audiences and situations.
Teamwork
Working cooperatively with others towards shared objectives in academic, sporting, and work experience contexts.
Time Management
Balancing multiple commitments including study, part-time work, and extracurricular activities effectively.
Reliability
Consistently meeting commitments, arriving on time, and completing tasks to the expected standard.
Willingness to Learn
Approaching new tasks and challenges with curiosity and enthusiasm, quickly absorbing new information and processes.
Customer Service
Providing helpful, friendly service to the public through retail, volunteering, or school-based interactions.
Problem Solving
Identifying issues and finding practical solutions in academic projects, work placements, and team activities.
Work Experience Examples
Include every work experience you have, no matter how informal — part-time jobs, paper rounds, babysitting, helping at family businesses, or school work experience placements. For each entry, describe what you did, the skills you developed, and any positive feedback received. Treat even short placements as valuable entries and present them with the same detail as formal employment.
Part-Time Sales Assistant
Boots — York City Centre
Worked twelve hours per week alongside A-Level studies in a busy high-street pharmacy and health and beauty retailer.
Responsibilities
- Served customers at the till, processing an average of 60 transactions per shift using the EPOS system accurately.
- Assisted customers with product enquiries across health, beauty, and pharmacy departments, providing friendly and knowledgeable service.
- Restocked shelves, rotated stock by expiry date, and maintained tidy displays in accordance with store merchandising standards.
- Supported seasonal promotional changeovers including Christmas and back-to-school campaigns, helping with signage and fixture changes.
- Completed online compliance training modules covering data protection, health and safety, and age-restricted product sales.
Achievements
- Achieved the highest customer feedback score in the store for two consecutive months, based on post-purchase survey responses.
- Was trusted to open the store independently on Saturday mornings after three months, demonstrating the manager's confidence in reliability and responsibility.
Work Experience Placement
Martindale & Co Estate Agents
Completed a two-week structured work experience placement at a local estate agency, gaining insight into property sales and customer service in a professional office environment.
Responsibilities
- Answered telephone calls from clients and potential buyers, taking messages and directing calls to the appropriate negotiator.
- Accompanied an estate agent on property viewings, helping to prepare properties and observe client interaction techniques.
- Updated property listings on the agency's website and Rightmove portal with correct images and descriptions.
- Filed property documents, printed sales particulars, and maintained an organised office environment.
Achievements
- Received a written reference from the branch manager praising professionalism, communication skills, and a positive attitude.
- Proactively created a spreadsheet tracking viewing feedback, which the team continued to use after the placement ended.
Education & Qualifications
List your school, dates of attendance, and all GCSE or A-Level results with grades. Group GCSEs by grade range if you have many to save space. Highlight subjects relevant to the roles you are targeting. Include any additional qualifications such as Duke of Edinburgh, first aid, food hygiene, or IT certificates. Mention positions of responsibility like prefect, team captain, or society leader.
GCSE Results
General Certificate of Secondary Education results demonstrating academic performance across core and optional subjects.
A-Level Results
Advanced Level qualifications demonstrating deeper subject knowledge and readiness for professional or higher education pathways.
Duke of Edinburgh Award
National youth achievement award recognising commitment to volunteering, physical activity, skills, and an expedition.
First Aid / Food Hygiene
Practical safety certificates that demonstrate responsibility and are valued by employers in retail, hospitality, and care sectors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I write a CV with no work experience as a school leaver?
Should I list all my GCSEs on my CV?
How long should a school leaver CV be?
What hobbies should I include on a school leaver CV?
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