School Leaver CV: Examples, Templates & Writing Guide for 2026

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More school leaver CV examples

Whenever you’re planning to leave school, take a look at more CV examples to help you create your own:

Year 11 school leaver CV

Here’s a strong CV for a Year 11 ready to leave school:

Example highlights

• Includes prior work experience: It’s important to include any past work experience to show employers you’re familiar with the transition from school to the working world.
• Mentions transferable skills: This applicant demonstrates transferable skills like the ability to learn quickly and follow instructions, which are valuable in any role.

Sixth form school leaver CV

Learn from this sixth former’s CV if you’ve got your A-Levels already:

Example highlights

• Highlights positions of responsibility: Positions like Head Boy and Youth Parliament member demonstrate this applicant’s sense of responsibility: exactly the kind of quality police services value in policing roles.
• Emphasis on policing skills: This CV is clearly targeted at the PCSO role, with the candidate emphasising key qualities like composure under pressure, community awareness, and approachability.

Simple school leaver CV

If you’d prefer a simple CV template, check out this school leaver CV:

Example highlights

• Has relevant content creation experience: Because this applicant is pursuing a marketing role, they wisely emphasise their content creation skills, such as editing the school yearbook and heading up charity campaigns.
• Adds their predicted grades: While this candidate hasn’t quite left school yet and is awaiting A-Level results, including predicted grades from teachers can help show employers their academic abilities.

How to write a CV for a school leaver that excels

Learning how to write a CV is usually covered in PSHE classes, but if you need a refresher, we’ve put together a few tips for creating a standout school leaver CV:

1. Even if it was just a week, list placements in your experience section

Even short-term placements show you’ve experienced a real workplace and taken steps to prepare for employment, so list them in your work experience section.

You’ll show employers you can quickly transition into the workplace after leaving school.

Here’s how to format a work placement on your CV:

Example work experience entry

Work Placement, April 20XX
Halfords, Salisbury

• Supported over 30 customers per day with product advice across Halfords’ core departments, including car maintenance, cycling, and motoring accessories
• Developed strong communication and product knowledge by helping customers select items such as bike accessories, car bulbs, and roof racks
• Operated the POS system to process purchases and returns accurately, while maintaining high customer satisfaction
• Shadowed experienced team members to learn about Halfords’ fitting services (e.g. battery and wiper blade installations) and the importance of safety checks

2. Use your hobbies to show you’re job-ready

Your hobbies and interests section can reveal valuable soft skills when you haven’t yet built up much formal work experience.

Check out how this example frames each hobby by noting the soft skills developed:

Example hobbies & interests section

• Enjoy playing Sunday league football, which has taught me the value of teamwork, fair play, and turning up rain or shine
• Write short stories and maintain a small blog, helping me stay organised and stretch my imagination beyond schoolwork
• Lend a hand at local school fêtes and charity events, where I’ve grown more confident chatting to people and mucking in as part of a team

3. Use your personal statement to highlight leadership roles

Holding positions of responsibility at school (such as house captain, form rep, or head boy/girl) shows your headteacher trusted you to lead and support other pupils.

Including these roles in your CV’s personal statement is a great way to highlight your responsibility and leadership skills to employers.

Example CV personal statement

Responsible and mature school leaver with a strong track record of contributing positively to school life, including experience as a prefect in my final year. In this role, I supported younger pupils, assisted staff during busy periods, and helped uphold the school’s values by setting a good example. Dependable, well-mannered, and proactive. Now seeking my first job, I’m keen to bring my strong sense of responsibility and willingness to learn into the workplace, where I can continue to develop and make a meaningful contribution.

4. Mention volunteering and fundraising in your voluntary experience section

Taking part in volunteering activities shows that you’re proactive, socially aware, and comfortable taking initiative.

Employers seek all these traits, so it’s a great idea to create a voluntary experience section on your CV.

Example voluntary experience section

Youth Volunteer – Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Wigtown, Dumfries & Galloway | 20XX – 20XX

• Welcomed visitors and provided basic information about the reserve, helping promote awareness of local wildlife
• Assisted with nature activity days for families, supporting over 50 attendees and helping set up learning stations
• Took part in fundraising events, contributing to the raising of £470 through raffles, donation stalls, and guided walks
• Helped maintain footpaths and birdwatching areas as part of a small team, developing a strong sense of teamwork and responsibility

5. Add certifications you’ve done outside school to your education section

Extra training or short courses (whether online or through youth programmes) show that you’re motivated to learn beyond the classroom and can give you an edge over other applicants for the same job.

They also show you’re happy to use your free time to learn and grow professionally, which employers will love to see in a candidate. Add them prominently to your education section, like this:

Example education section

Level 1 Award in Customer Service – 20XX

• Completed via OpenLearn platform
• Covered topics such as active listening, dealing with complaints, and positive customer interactions

Bishops’ Blue Coat Church of England High School, Chester, Cheshire – 20XX

• 10 GCSEs Grades 9–4, including ICT (9), English (7), and Maths (6)

Formatting and design tips

Your CV should present your information in a way that’s clear, neat, and looks professional.

Here are seven simple tips to help you format your CV well:

1. Use easy-to-read fonts: Stick to simple CV fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Lato. Don’t mix too many — one or two is enough
2. Keep things lined up: Make sure your text is all straight and tidy. A left-aligned layout (with text lined up on the left side) is easiest to read
3. Use a clear structure: Put things in a logical order: like your name at the top, then your personal statement, then your experience, then your education
4. Make it easy on the eyes: Use font sizes between 10 and 12 for most of the text, and don’t use colours that are too light or too bright. Black or dark grey on white is a good choice
5. Stick to one page if you can: Employers don’t have time to read loads. If you’re just leaving school, a one-page CV is enough
6. Use bullet points: These help break up text and make your CV easier to scan quickly
7. Leave some white space: Don’t cram everything in. Having space between sections makes your CV look clean and professional.

Make your CV now

Our CV maker is super easy to use and made for school leavers like you. Whether you’re applying for a part-time job, apprenticeship, college course, or work experience, we’ll help you every step of the way.

You can save different versions of your CV in your dashboard, so it’s easy to update or change it for different jobs.

Not much experience? That’s okay. You’ve got skills, so let’s show them off. Start your CV today and get ready for what’s next.

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