Writing your first CV when you’re 16 can feel impossible. Without any work experience or skills, how do you fill out your CV and convince employers you’re worth hiring?
We’ve all been there at some point. The good news is that making a convincing CV isn’t as hard as it seems.
To help you get started, we break down exactly how to write a successful CV without experience, plus provide some helpful examples.
Start by formatting your CV properly
Using the right CV format is what separates a poorly done CV from a professional one.
You don’t have to go crazy here. The key is keeping your CV simple and polished.
Follow these steps to format your CV like a pro:
- Choose a professional font – classic fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, or Georgia are good choices. Also, keep your CV’s font size between 10.5 and 12 points to ensure employers can easily read everything.
- Use standard 2.5 cm margins – this provides just the right amount of white space on your CV, so it looks clean and professional.
- Use single or 1.5 line spacing – more than 1.5 line spacing and you look like you’re padding your CV, but less than single spacing and your information becomes hard to read.
- Start each section with a clear header – for example, your education section should clearly say “EDUCATION” at the top.
CV template for a 16 year old
The easiest way to start your CV is by using a template. Just copy the fill-in blank CV template below and fill it in with your own information as you go along.
As a 16-year-old, your CV should normally include the following sections:
1. Open with a strong personal statement
A personal statement is a short paragraph that sits at the very top of your CV.
Think of it as your chance to grab the employer’s attention and explain why you’re the right person for the job.
If you have no work experience, this section is an important opportunity to outline your key strengths, motivations, and goals.
Here’s an example of a strong personal statement for a 16 year old:
Hardworking and enthusiastic student, currently studying towards 10 GCSEs including Maths, English and Sciences. A motivated team player with strong communication skills developed through roles in the school council, drama club and volunteer experience. Seeking a part-time retail position to complement my studies while gaining valuable work experience.
2. List your education details
As a 16-year-old student, your education section should be the main focus of your CV.
List the secondary school or college you currently attend, as well as the subjects and qualifications you’re studying – whether that’s GCSEs, A-Levels, BTECs or others. If you have predicted or mock grades, include these too.
Additionally, mention any impressive achievements like awards, certificates or extracurricular activities that demonstrate qualities valued by employers.
3. Use a ‘Relevant Experience’ section
Here’s the big question everyone has when writing their first CV: if I don’t have any work experience, how do I fill my work experience section?
The answer is simple: you don’t. Instead, you should use a “Relevant Experience” section.
A relevant experience section is a catch-all section for any transferable experience you have. What you list in this section could include:
- Part-time weekend work
- Volunteer work for a charity, hospital or community organisation
- Babysitting or pet sitting duties
- Role in a school club like events coordination or fundraising
- Position of responsibility at home, like caring for a family member
- Extracurriculars at school
Treat these just like you would a regular job by outlining your key duties and achievements (if any).
4. Highlight your transferable skills
Even if you have minimal work experience, you still probably have transferable skills that would make you valuable to employers.
For example, you could mention your talent for:
- Communication (through extracurricular activities, part-time jobs dealing with the public etc.)
- Organisational abilities (juggling schoolwork, hobbies, household duties)
- Teamwork (from sports teams, group projects or volunteering)
- Tech skills (e.g. proficient in Microsoft Office)
- Problem-solving (instances where you overcame challenges)
- Time management and ability to work on a deadline
The key to convincing employers is to be as specific as possible. Just listing “Communication Skills” on your CV doesn’t say much about your abilities.
Instead, be as specific as possible about situations or scenarios where you demonstrated each skill.
5. Provide your references on a separate page
Employers want to know that you’re a hard worker who will succeed in the role, so prove you’re the right person for the job by preparing a list of professional referees.
Although you don’t typically need to provide your references until you’re at the interview stage, aim to find at least 1–3 referees, and include them on a separate page from your CV titled ‘Professional References’ or ‘List of Referees’.
Your referees should be people who:
- know you from an academic, volunteer, or professional setting
- understand your personality and work ethic
- can provide employers with reasons why you’re a great candidate
If you don’t have professional references, a trusted teacher, coach, or adult you’ve assisted will work as a referee. Just don’t forget to thank them for helping you!
Here’s how to list references on your CV:
Referee’s First and Last Name
Job Title
Phone Number
Relationship to Referee (e.g., form tutor)
When you list your referees, avoid including your family, friends, or people who don’t know you well, as their opinions of you may be biased — which could hurt your chances of getting the job.
Finally, there’s no need to include the expression ‘References Available Upon Request’ on your CV because it takes up valuable space, and employers will ask you for your references regardless.
CV examples for a 16-year-old
Here are some CV outline examples that you can look at and download to reference when you write your CV:
1. CV example for a 16-year-old with no experience
Unsure how to write a CV with no experience? Here’s how: talk about your extracurricular activities and voluntary work instead.
2. Example CV for a 16-year-old with some experience
You’ll have an easier time writing a CV if you have some work experience. Just make your work experience section the most prominent part of your CV.
Look at other CV examples to learn more about job requirements in different industries and get ideas for your CV.
3. CV example for a 16 year old with no qualifications
In this CV example, the applicant makes up for their lack of qualifications by filling out details about their extracurricular activities, including Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and their footie achievements:
4. CV for 16 year old seeking a part-time job
This 16 year old is seeking a part-time job. Since they don’t have much work experience yet, they use a one-page CV:
5. CV for a 16 year old in Ireland
If you’re in Ireland, here’s what a good CV for getting a job will look like:
FAQs about CVs for 16 year olds
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about CVs for 16 year olds:
1. How do you write a personal statement for a CV for a 16 year old?
To write a personal statement for your CV, focus on your skills, current career objective, and any relevant qualifications you have for the job. So you could write:
Innovative individual and self-taught Digital Artist with 8 GCSEs grades 9–4. Currently studying at Longhill High School. Passionate about 3D modelling and animation. Hoping to expand my knowledge of digital design by applying for a full-time internship with Flaneur Magazine after leaving school.
This example is good because it shows you don’t need any prior work experience to write a great CV personal statement.
When you’re ready to write your own, feel free to use this copy-paste template:
2. Do you need a CV to get a job at 16?
Yes, you do need a CV to get a job at 16. At every age you need a CV to get a job. There are very few no-CV jobs out there, unfortunately. Luckily, it’s easy to make a CV in minutes with an online CV builder. Most of them cost around £3 — so less than a third of a monthly Spotify subscription — and you can tailor them to your heart’s content to target different roles.
3. Why do you need a CV for a 16-year-old?
Employers use your CV to work out whether you’d be a good fit for their job opportunity.
Because most employers are very busy, they prefer to read a quick structured introduction that outlines your strengths, career goals, and any experience you have.
Fortunately, when you know how to write a CV (or have the right tools), making one can be quick and easy. And the little extra effort you put in will show the employer that you’re serious about the job and ready to take on new responsibilities.
