For your first job, build your CV around your education, relevant skills and things you have actually done: coursework, projects, volunteering, clubs or other responsibilities. You do not need to invent employment history. Below is a complete fictional UK first-job CV, followed by role-specific variations and a blank structure you can copy.
The examples are writing aids, not real applicants or guaranteed routes to an interview. Replace every detail with your own and follow the employer’s application instructions.
Complete first-job CV example: retail assistant
Fictional example — all names, institutions and activities are invented. The candidate is applying for a first paid retail job after completing school. The activities below are unpaid and labelled accordingly.
JAMIE TAYLOR
Town | your phone number | your email address
PROFILE
School leaver seeking a first retail assistant role. Experience
helping at school events, answering visitors’ questions and keeping
shared task lists up to date. Interested in learning store operations
and providing helpful customer service.
EDUCATION
Example Secondary School | September 2021 – June 2026
GCSEs: English Language 6, Mathematics 5, Combined Science 5–5
Additional subjects: History 6, Art and Design 6
PROJECTS AND VOLUNTEERING
School open-evening helper | October 2025
- Welcomed visitors and explained where to find subject displays.
- Used the event timetable to answer questions and referred queries
I could not answer to a member of staff.
- Helped the team prepare and clear the display area.
Group presentation project | January – March 2026
- Maintained the task list for a four-person class project.
- Checked that each section had a named owner and an agreed deadline.
- Presented the group's findings and answered classmates’ questions.
SKILLS
Visitor enquiries; teamwork; task organisation; basic spreadsheet
data entry; clear written communication.
INTERESTS
Community football: attend weekly training and help prepare equipment.
Do not copy the grades, dates or activities unless they match your own record. If a qualification is still in progress, make that clear and label any predicted grade. Keep contact information private until you decide where to submit or share your CV.
Does your CV clearly show results for each role?
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Why the example works
It gives the reader something concrete to assess: how the applicant answered questions, worked with others and organised tasks. It does not claim till experience, stock-system knowledge or a sales target that the applicant has never had.
The short profile identifies the target role. Education provides the qualification details. Each activity has a context and date, so unpaid experience is not confused with employment. The skills section summarises capabilities already illustrated elsewhere.
For more opening-paragraph options, use the student CV summary examples. Keep the profile consistent with the rest of your document.
Adapt the example to the job
Hospitality or café assistant
Use relevant evidence of communication, following instructions and helping a team. Do not claim food-safety qualifications or commercial kitchen experience you do not have.
Fictional profile:
College student seeking a first café assistant role. Helped welcome visitors and clear shared areas at community events. Comfortable asking for clarification, following a task list and working alongside other volunteers.
Possible evidence bullet, if true:
Prepared the seating area for a community event, checked the organiser’s setup list and helped clear tables afterwards.
Junior administrator
Emphasise accurate records, written communication and organisation. Name the software tasks you can actually perform.
Fictional profile:
School leaver interested in a junior administration role. Used spreadsheets to record project information and coordinated deadlines for group coursework. Able to format documents and check entries against a source list.
Possible evidence bullet, if true:
Entered survey responses into a spreadsheet, checked missing entries against the original forms and prepared a summary for the class presentation.
Apprenticeship applicant
Connect your interest in the field with a relevant project or learning activity. Keep the distinction between supervised learning and independent professional work clear.
Fictional profile:
College learner applying for a digital apprenticeship. Completed a supervised website project and documented the changes made after feedback. Interested in developing testing and problem-solving skills in a workplace team.
Possible evidence bullet, if true:
Tested the links and form labels on a course-project website, recorded issues and checked the fixes with the tutor.
Retail applicant with no volunteering
You can use coursework or other relevant responsibilities. Do not manufacture a volunteering role because a template has one.
Possible evidence bullet, if true:
Worked with classmates to prepare a presentation, completed the agreed research section and helped check the final slides before submission.
For more detailed wording, use the CV skills examples and evidence worksheet.
Blank first-job CV structure
Copy the structure into your own document, then remove sections you cannot fill meaningfully.
YOUR NAME
Town | Phone | Email
PROFILE
[Current education or stage] seeking [target role].
[One or two relevant abilities supported by your experience].
EDUCATION
[School or college] | [Dates]
[Qualifications and achieved results, or clearly labelled predictions]
PROJECTS / VOLUNTEERING / EXPERIENCE
[Accurate activity title and context] | [Dates]
- [What you personally did]
- [How you worked with others or checked the work]
- [An output or result you can substantiate, if relevant]
SKILLS
[Relevant tools, tasks or capabilities you actually have]
INTERESTS (OPTIONAL)
[An activity that adds useful evidence rather than a generic list]
For an editable document resource, open the Word and Google Docs CV template guide. For more guidance on qualifications and school context, see the UK school-leaver CV guide. The examples on this page are copyable text; they are not seven separate downloadable files.
Before you apply
- Compare the CV with the advert and move the most relevant evidence into clear view.
- Check names, qualifications, dates, contact details and spelling.
- Remove placeholder text and claims that you cannot support.
- Identify unpaid activities and supervised work accurately.
- Open the exported file to check its layout, then review any application fields populated by the upload.
The National Careers Service CV guidance supports using projects, work experience and volunteering when your employment history is short. It also advises against including age, date of birth or other people’s contact details on your CV. Ask a trusted person to read your draft before you send it.
Build your own version
Start with the CV builder, using your own details and evidence. If you already have a document, edit the existing version instead of rebuilding it solely to follow this example. Once you have a specific vacancy, use Job Match Score to review relevant evidence; its feedback is guidance, not a hiring prediction.
How long should a first-job CV be?
Aim for a concise document that includes the relevant evidence. One page is often a practical starting point when you have little history. Do not pad it to reach two pages, or shrink the text so far that it becomes difficult to read.
What should I put under work experience if I have never had a job?
Use an accurately named section such as “Projects and Volunteering”. Describe real activities and your own contribution. If you have no relevant activity to include, focus on education and demonstrable skills rather than creating an empty employment section.