What you will learn on this page:

A CV, which stands for curriculum vitae, is a document used when applying for jobs. It allows you to summarise your education, skills and experience.

Why do I need a CV?

An example CV template

Here is an example of a basic CV. When you’re in Y10 or 11 you might not have much work experience to mention yet – so focus on your skills and interests instead.

Whenever you send a CV, try to add as little personal information as possible to protect your personal security. Just give an email address and your mobile number – not your date of birth or home address. The employer can always ask for more information if they need it.

Ready to get started?

Download our blank skills-based CV template and fill in the gaps.

⇩ Download the CV Template (Word)
Hot tips for filling in your CV template.
Hot tips annotated around the CV template: it does not need to be a fancy design, write the personal profile at the end, put 'pending' and the date for exams you haven't taken yet, give examples for key skills, do not add your address, and remove work experience if you don't have any yet
Example: a completed CV for work experience, flagging up skills.
Example completed CV for a Y10 student looking for one-week work experience in retail

More free CV tools to try

There are loads of good CV templates you can find online – but be aware, some charge a fee right at the end, after you’ve done all the work! The ones below are completely free.

LifeSkills

Created with Barclays, LifeSkills has a CV Builder tool – your finished CV can be downloaded as a Word document.

Try LifeSkills CV Builder

UCAS CV Builder

Simply sign in to the UCAS Hub to access their new user-friendly, step-by-step CV builder tool.

Try UCAS CV Builder

What next?