CV for a 16-Year-Old: A Guide with Useful Tips

What is a CV?

If this is your first foray into the world of work, you might not be familiar with a CV and its contents. CV stands for ‘curriculum vitae’. This is Latin for ‘course of life’. Your CV gives employers a brief summary of your relevant experience and skills, to show them you’re capable of doing the job you’re applying for. One of the critical aspects of any CV is that it demonstrates you’ve got the skills required for the role. As such, every CV should be unique to the role you’re applying for.

Most CVs follow one of two basic formats. These are the traditional, reverse-chronological CV, and the functional, or ‘skills-based’ CV. The traditional CV format is most suitable for candidates with plenty of work experience, as it places your work history at the heart of the document. The functional CV, on the other hand, emphasises your skills and education more than your work history.

The skills-based CV is probably the most suitable if you’re a 16-year-old without any prior work experience. If you’re applying for junior, part-time or entry-level roles, a CV that showcases your transferable skills, your educational achievements and your enthusiasm and willingness to learn, is most likely to impress hiring managers.

Key Sections to Include in the CV

In the UK, most CVs contain the same essential sections, with some optional sections. Aim to include something in each section that indicates you’re a suitable candidate. You can do this by referring to the job description and keeping it in mind as you write your CV. Take a look below at the sections to include in your CV:

CV header

Start your CV by writing a header with your name and contact details on it. This should include your first and last name, your phone number, your email address and your location. Make sure your email address appears professional. It’s not usually necessary to include your full address, a photo or too much personal information, such as your age, gender, nationality or ethnicity.

CV objective or summary

The CV objective or summary provides a brief introduction to you, and highlights what makes you stand out as a candidate. A CV summary is a short paragraph outlining your key skills and experience. A CV objective includes the same information, but adds reference to your ambitions, and how this role fits with your intentions for your career.

Take a look at the example CV objective for a 16-year-old below:

Education

For 16-year-olds, education is likely to be one of the most important CV sections. Employers tend to pay more attention to candidates’ education for entry-level and junior roles than they would for more senior positions. In this section, add your highest or most recent qualifications, or anything you’re currently studying towards. Under these, add bullet points highlighting any clubs, societies or teams you are/were a member of, and any awards you’ve won while studying. List your education in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent qualification.

Here’s an example education CV section:

Skills

Alongside your education, skills play a prominent role in any teenager CV or student CV. It’s critical to identify skills that you can put to use in the workplace, even if you haven’t got any relevant work experience. Your skills will show whether you’ve got what it takes to adapt and settle into a job, if you can learn new responsibilities, take direction from a manager and work as part of a team. Make sure the skills you include in your CV match the skills listed in the job description.

If you have any hard or technical skills, you can mention these in your skills section. These could be computer skills, language skills or any other technical skill required for the job. Otherwise, focus on the transferable skills and personality traits that can make you a good employee and colleague. For younger jobseekers, these tend to be skills like adaptability, ability to learn, flexibility, ability to use your initiative, self-confidence, teamwork and communication skills.

You can either list your hard and soft skills as two separate skills list, or as one combined list. If you have space, you could also add a brief explanation of each skill, and how you’ve used it in the past.

Take a look at this CV example skills section:

Work experience

While the work experience section is usually one of the most important of any CV, for junior and entry-level positions, it’s less critical. However, it’s still a good idea to list any prior work experience you have, to showcase any skills or achievements. Even if you haven’t had a job before, but you’ve taken part in a work placement, an internship or a volunteer role, you could mention these here. Like the education section, list your work experience in reverse-chronological order.

Follow this format for your work experience section:

Optional sections

In addition to the main sections above, there are several optional sections you can add to your CV. These can help demonstrate different skills and experience that the employer might be seeking in candidates.

If you haven’t mentioned them elsewhere (for example, in your work experience section), you could add internships or volunteer work. You could also mention any training you’ve completed, any foreign language skills or any hobbies and interests. Only include these if they help you to prove you’re suitable for the job, and demonstrate skills or experience listed in the job description.

Tips for Writing a 16-Year-Old CV

Follow these key tips to make sure your CV makes the best possible impact:

• Keep it concise: aim for a length of one or two pages and avoid padding your CV with unnecessary information.
• Use simple, professional language: don’t feel you need to use industry jargon. Simple, straightforward language is the best way to communicate your qualities.
• Tailor your CV: always tailor your CV according to the job description. A generic CV won’t do justice to your suitability to the role.
• Choose the best CV format: if you have previous work experience, select a traditional, reverse-chronological layout. If you’re lacking work experience, opt for a skill-based CV format.
• Study example CVs: If you’ve never written a CV before, find CV examples for the type of job you’re applying for and use them for inspiration.
• Proofread your CV: ensure your CV is free of spelling and grammar errors before sending. These can seriously undermine your chances.
• Write a strong cover letter: your cover letter supports your CV and gives you the chance to expand on certain key details that you want to highlight. Take the time to write one that complements and enhances your CV.
• Use an eye-catching CV design: Use a clean, attractive CV template to add colour accents and design features to your CV. This can help your application to stand out from the crowd.

Key Takeaways for Writing a CV for a 16-Year-Old

The key to a strong CV for a 16-year-old is to draw attention to your skills. For junior jobs, employers won’t be too concerned about your experience levels, but they’ll be looking to see if you have the transferable skills to fit into the role and the organisation. Choose an eye-catching CV design to make sure your application stands out. CVwizard’s CV maker can help you craft an attractive, professional CV in minutes. You can also find plenty of CV articles to help you understand how to put a strong job application together. Sign up today to get started.