Degree apprenticeship CV: what to put on it when you're 17

Most firms ask for a CV. Almost half the programmes Intake tracks list a CV as a required part of the application, and it's the first thing a recruiter looks at. At 17, nobody expects much on it. They do expect it to be clear, honest and specific.

#The layout

One page. Simple, single column, readable font, no photo. Firms often run CVs through systems that read text, and fancy templates with columns, icons and graphics can come out scrambled.

In this order:

1. Name and contact details. Phone, a sensible email, town or city, LinkedIn if you have one.
2. Profile. Two lines on who you are and what you want.
3. Education. School, A levels with predicted grades, GCSE summary.
4. Experience. Jobs, projects, volunteering, leadership. Most recent first.
5. Skills. Concrete ones only.
6. Achievements and interests. Short, specific, true.

#The profile (two lines, not a paragraph)

Weak: "Hard working, motivated individual with excellent communication skills looking for an opportunity to grow."

Strong: "Year 13 student taking Maths, Computer Science and Economics (predicted A*AA). Built and launched a revision app used by 60 students. Applying for software engineering degree apprenticeships for September 2027."

The strong one says what you're doing, one thing you've done and what you want. Change the last line for each route.

#Education

• School name, dates
• A levels with predicted grades
• GCSEs: a summary is fine, e.g. "9 GCSEs at 9 to 7, including Maths (9) and English Language (8)"
• An EPQ, with a few words about the topic, if you've done one

#Experience: how to write bullets

Every bullet: action verb + what you did + result.

Numbers make things real. If you don't have exact ones, use honest estimates ("around 50").

#What counts as experience?

Part time jobs, volunteering, school leadership roles, clubs, sport, personal projects, virtual work experience programmes, tutoring and caring responsibilities. If you're worried you don't have enough, read no work experience? apply anyway.

#Skills

Concrete and checkable only:

• Yes: Python, SQL basics, Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP), Canva, Spanish (GCSE grade 8), touch typing
• No: "Communication", "teamwork", "hard working". Show those through your bullets instead.

#Tailor it per programme

You don't need a new CV for every firm, but change:

• the last line of the profile (the route you're applying for)
• the order of experience, putting the most relevant first
• the skills, matched to the job advert's keywords where they're true

#Mistakes that cost interviews

• More than one page
• A photo, date of birth or full address (none are needed)
• Skill bars or star ratings ("Python ●●●○○")
• Spelling mistakes. Read it out loud, then get someone else to read it
• An email like coolkid2008@...
• Lying or stretching. You'll be asked about anything on it

#How Intake helps

You add your education, jobs, projects and links once. Intake generates a clean one page CV tailored to each programme, using only what you've actually done, ready to download as a PDF or Word file.

#Frequently asked questions

#How long should a degree apprenticeship CV be?

One page. At 17 or 18, a single well written page is easier for recruiters to read and comes across as more confident than two thin pages.

#What do you put on a CV with no work experience?

Education with predicted grades, then school projects, leadership roles, clubs, sport, volunteering, personal projects and virtual work experience. Write each as an action plus a result.

#Should I put predicted grades on my CV?

Yes. Firms recruiting school leavers expect predicted A level grades and often use them to check entry requirements.

#Do I need a different CV for each apprenticeship?

Not completely. Keep one master CV, then adjust the profile line, the order of your experience and the skills to match each programme.