To ask for your help with a CV for a 16 year old

[3kidswouldfinishanyoneoff]

Posting here for traffic.

What on earth do I put on it?!

He's still in school, small bit of work experience and hobbies.

I'll have to make the text huge to fill a page.

Is it for job seeking or for a school/extra circular application? Nobody would expect a lengthy CV from a 16 year old. I would detail any relevant GSCE subjects or topics he's taken. Make a big deal of transferrable skills from his hobbies too.

Steer him to the website Prospects for hints and tips. Other posters might come along with more ideas too. Good luck to him.

That bit of work experience, and his qualifications that he will (presumably) about to be taking....he must have predicted grades that can be added in for his GCSEs. A little opening profile at the top as to what he is hoping to do after school....

Eg, he's hoping to do engineering in college but he's looking for a part time job to work around that and so on.

P.S Not sure if you were joking but don't enlarge the text, a page or less is fine at this stage for him. Also, while you should offer him guidance and resources, I'd let him take the lead on this. It will give him a head start and confidence for when he has to do it again later in life.

Great suggestion, thanks very much.

Yes, I'm joking about making the text bigger 😀

We are in Ireland so no GCSE's, he does the equivalent next year so will pop that in.

As well as the obvious school and work experience why not emphasize the personal qualities of this young person. Honset reliable punctual caring funny eager to learn. What do they enjoy doing in their spare time, what is their passion in life. Simple let t a future employer see that this young person is a decent human being. I'd would choose a kind and compassionate human being to work for me over anyone with a list of formal qualifications any day.

At this stage it's really much more about the interview - there's a limit to what they can put on their CV

Put the subjects they're currently studying for, future plans especially if vaguely relevant to the job, and try to identify any transferable skills from hobbies (e.g. drama classes can translate quite well to customer facing jobs)

Easy to fill a page.

Name, address etc

Profile: I am a hardworking and trustworthy young person with demonstrated loyalty and good communications skills. I have held positions of responsibility in x clubs etc.

Proudest achivement: Literally that, whether its getting into oxford at 6, learning to read at 11 despite severe dislexia or cooking a full roast for the first time last week.

Education: school, subjects chosen, set/predicted grades etc.

Experience: work and vol experience (including assistant coach with younger ones at football or whatever)

Career ambition: show he's thought about his future and has decided on some pragmatic steps to get him there

Other interests: Show he's a well rounded person with broad interests who's able to manage his time.

References.

Decent A4 page. Doddle.

Agree with PPs, give him a framework and feedback but he needs to lead on this. If nothing else it will give him a sense of achievement and the belief he's earned his place doing whatever job he gets.

Keep it short. Contact details, subjects currently being studied. A short personal statement para at the top stating what sort of work he is seeking and why, and what qualities he offers to potential employers.

Then in the work experience section go into a bit of detail about any skills acquired.

If he speaks any languages, is proficient at coding, has Microsoft Office skills etc list those too.

Atthe bottom you could add any relevant hobbies - playing regular sport suggests fitness and self discipline for example. Keen cyclist might be useful for local deliveries/courier work.

If you are in Ireland, put in his Junior Cycle exam results and CBAs. Also, any work experience he has gained in Transition Year and any relevant modules, qualifications such as ECDL or equivalent, HACCP etc

When dd was applying for her first job, we used an online template, it has the following sections (just looked at it for you)

Name, telephone, email and d.o.b at the top - I know as an adult you wouldn't include dob these days but at their age some places are particular about ages/school years for recruiting.

Listed school, the year she was currently in and the GCSEs she was taking

School clubs she was part of

qualifications/awards gained

Hobbies/clubs - outside of school

Work experience/Volunteering

And left it at that, I don't think they'd expect more than that at 16.

I have a subscription to a cv builder so went with that and used the majority of these suggestions.

Tis done now and I've applied for a job for him.

Thanks all very much for your replies, I really appreciate it.

One teenager down, three more to go!

all sounds good but also step back a bit. Why are you applying for jobs for him? He needs ownership of his future and options and even sitting next to him as HE fills in the application is better than simply you doing it for him. It’s excellent he wants to get a part time job but do ensure that he is the one steering it and thus taking ownership of his own success best of luck to him

Does he have any roles within school - prefect, library helper, has he helped raise money for any charities, Scout group volunteering, any awards? Hobbies and interests. There's lots of scope.

My sixth form DD applied for p/t jobs with Waterstones, Entertainer and others, lots of relevant experience, lots to put on a CV, school checked it over for her. She didn't even get an acknowledgement, let alone an interview. Yet apparently no where can get staff these days 🤷‍♀️ I think a lot of it is down to who you know for teenage jobs.
It was easy when I was a teen, you just walked round the shops and asked, or dropped a note in to cafes and pubs. Now you need a CV and experience.

If I got wind it was mum who had applied then the application would go straight in the bin, no matter how well crafted it was! I'd sooner a less polished CV from a teenager motivated to write it themselves. If they can't be arsed to write a CV then what will they be like in the workplace?

DD's CV is very polished, but it was all her own work. Makes me wonder if it goes in the bin for that reason.

You shouldn’t be filling any pages, it’s his CV. Will you be doing his interviews for him as well when he gets them?

@CupidCantAimStraight There's always one 🙄

I’m embarrassed for the pair of you. You applied for him?! Stop it.

@WhatAmIDoingWrong123 or two 😂

No, no, no 😆. I get the wanting to get him on his way, but it’s just so unhelpful to workplaces when parents can’t let go.

To anyone who cares.....I've no internet at home, shock horror and my boy is dyslexic.

I'm his mum, of course I'm going to help him, shoot me.

Please reread the first sentence.

I have not excluded the possibility of a teen writing a polished CV themselves. It can happen.

I have, however, had parents asking about jobs for their children. When I say the teenager needs to approach me themselves, and they are welcome to do so, I almost never hear back.

My sister is heavily dyslexic, she’s always found her own jobs. As her sister, I look over CVs and applications, but I don’t do them for her. They’re her jobs and it’s her left. Doing it all for her would be doing her no favours at all.

*life

Hi op, be honest. Nobody is expecting a 16 year old to have masses of experience and he'll likely be going for jobs that will take on people his age regularly.

I'd focus on transferable skills he's got doing hobbies etc. I'd also recognise any thing he does to help at home like babysitting younger siblings/ housework/ gardening etc. Does he show teamwork and timekeeping and motivation through being involved in any sports etc.

I'd sit with him and where there are gaps ask him what he could do to fill those gaps eg volunteer work in a charity shop or doing odd jobs for neighbours or other volunteering etc. Seeing the gaps can feel very disheartening so turn it into an opportunity to see where he can improve his cv and pad it out. Local youth clubs will do different qualifications etc that might be good for him to get involved with and could help him get work experience.