How to Write a CV for an Apprenticeship

Your CV plays a crucial role in making a strong first impression on potential employers. It highlights your skills, experience, and why you are the perfect fit for the role.

Apprenticeships are a diverse range of options, and careful research needs to be carried out to uncover the best fit for you. Although they represent great opportunities, do not forget that you will be juggling a tough job with learning a qualification.

Given that thousands enter apprenticeships within the UK yearly, competition for places is heavy. To attract the top offers, you must have a top apprenticeship CV.

Follow our guide on how to structure and write each section to increase your chances of getting your dream job.

 

1.   Understanding An Apprenticeship CV:

An apprenticeship CV, like a regular CV, highlights your skills and experience but is specifically designed to showcase your suitability for an apprenticeship. It emphasizes relevant qualifications, transferable skills, and a strong willingness to learn.

Key differences

●     Focus on potential: Since many apprenticeship applicants are young and may have limited work experience, the emphasis is on demonstrating a willingness to learn and grow.

●     Highlight enthusiasm: Showing genuine interest in the industry and apprenticeship role is crucial.

●     Transferable skills: Instead of focusing on job-specific experience, you will need to highlight skills developed through education, extracurricular activities, or volunteer work.

An apprenticeship CV is your chance to show employers that you have the foundation skills and motivation to succeed even if you lack direct work experience.

1.   Structure of an Apprenticeship CV:

A well-structured CV makes it easy for employers to find your key strengths and suitability for apprenticeship. Here is a breakdown of essential section to include

A)   Personal details: Start with your full name, contact number and professional email. You can also include your LinkedIn profile if it is well maintained and relevant to the apprenticeship. Avoid including unnecessary personal details such as your age, marital status, photo unless specified.

• Example:
• Name
• Phone number:123-456-7890
•  Email:
• LinkedIn:

B)    Personal statement: A personal statement is a short, powerful introduction (3–4 sentences) that outlines who you are, your career goals, and why you are interested in the apprenticeship. Tailor it to the specific apprenticeship you are applying for and highlight your key strengths and motivation.

C)   skills: list relevant skills that align with the apprenticeship include both soft skills (e.g. communication, team work) and technical skill (e.g. coding, mechanical knowledge)

●     Strong communication and teamwork skills.

●     Problem solving and critical thinking

●     Time management and organisation

●     Basic coding knowledge (python, HTML)

D)    Education: list your most recent educational qualification first. include the institution name, date attended and qualification achieved (e.g. GCSE, A-level, or any relevant coursework.)

Example:

ABC high school– 2020–2023

9 GCSE (Grade A-C) including mathematics A, English B, and Science B.

E)    Work experience: Even if you have not held a formal job, include any part-work, internship volunteering. Focus on what you learned and how it demonstrates your transferable skills.

Example: Retail assistant –XYZ store (Summer 2022)

●     Assisted customers with production selection and handled cash register transactions.

●     Developed strong communication and problem-solving skills under pressure.

F)     Achievement and Extracurricular Activities: Highlight award leadership roles of personal projects that reflect initiative, responsibility, and skills relevant to apprenticeship.

Example:

●     Head of the school debate club-Led the team to regional final

●     Organised a school fundraiser, raising 1500 for charity

●     Completed a coding bootcamp

G)    Hobbies & Interest

Include hobbies that show positive traits of skill related to apprenticeship. Avoid listing generic or irrelevant hobbies.

Example:

●     Enjoy building or repairing computer-developed troubleshooting and technical skills

●     Member of the local football team – improved teamwork and leadership

 

H)    References

References are optional but can strengthen your application if you include a teacher, employer, mentor. Who can vouch for your skills and work ethics.

Example:

Available upon request.

2.   Writing a Strong Personal Statement

The personal statement is one of the most important parts of the apprenticeship CV because it is your chance to make a strong first impression. Keep it short (around 3-4 sentences) and to the point

Tips for strong personal statement

●     Start with a clear statement about who you are and your career.

●     Mention why you are passionate about apprenticeship and industry

●     Highlight one or two key strengths that makes you a strong candidate

●     Include any number that quantifies an apprentice’s performance.

●     Do not Use vague description and skills

●     Show career length

●     Mention Employers desire skill.

Example: A highly motivated and experienced Apprentice with an aptitude for water efficiency. Possessing a strong work ethic and the ability to learn quickly, I have consistently achieved positive results in my previous roles. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, I am confident in my ability to deliver successful outcomes.

3.   Showcasing Skills Without Work Experience

If you lack direct work experience, focus on transferable skills gained from school project extracurricular activities or volunteering.

Example:

●     Teamwork: participate in group project or team sports

●     Time Management: Balancing academic work with curricular activities

●     Problem solving: Finding creative solutions during school Assignment or personal project

●     Leaderships: leading a school club or organising an event.

4.   Formatting & Presentation:

A clean, professional format makes your CV easy to read and gives a positive impression.

Formatting tips

●     Keep the CV to one page

●     Use clear professional fonts (e.g. Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)

●     Avoid using colours or graphics unless applying for a creative industry role.

●     Create your CV on Microsoft documents and save it as pdf. Gives a neater look.

Example:

●     Name and heading: Use bold slightly larger font

●     Ensure consistent spacing

●     Alignment: left-alignment all text for consistency.

5.   Tailoring the CV to Each Apprenticeship:

A generic CV will not stand out, research the company and apprenticeship role to customize your CV.

Tailoring tips

●     Use keyword from the job description

●     Highlights coursework or skills relevant to the industry.

●     Mention the company name and express why you want to work there

Example:
 “I am particularly interested in this apprenticeship at [Company Name] due to your focus on sustainable building practices, which aligns with my passion for eco-friendly construction”

6.   Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these Common pitfall to keep your CV professional and polished

●     Spelling and grammar mistakes: proofread carefully or use spelling/grammar checker.

●     Including irrelevant information: keep the contain focus on the role.

●     Writing a generic Accustomed your whole CV for each apprenticeship application.

●     Overloading with too many details: keep it concise and relevant.

Conclusion: Writing a strong apprenticeship is about showcasing your potential enthusiasm and transferable skills by following the right structure and tailoring it to the role, and highlighting your strength so you can create a professional persuasive CV that stands out to employers. Take time to customise your CV for each apprenticeship and do not forget to proofread carefully. If you need help, we at CV Folks can create a professional CV for you.