A personal statement is a brief, impactful introduction at the top of a CV that summarizes who you are, what you can contribute, and why you're a good fit.
Creating a student CV can be stressful, especially if you've never had work experience. Most people start working between the ages of 17 and 20, so having no real-world experience is entirely typical.
Now this is the good news:
- Employers understand why you might not have work experience.
- You still have strengths to highlight, and we'll guide you on how to do so.
With the correct format, such as the one found in the student CV templates, you may express yourself confidently and professionally.
Example Of a High School Student CV
JOHN DOE
Address: 123 Main
Street, Cityville, State, 10001
Phone: (123) 456-7890 | Email: johndoe@email.com
Personal Statement
Motivated and organised high school student with a strong
academic record and a passion for learning new skills. Known for excellent
communication, teamwork, and digital abilities. Eager to apply my strengths in
a practical work environment, contribute to a team, and gain valuable
real-world experience.
Key Skills
·
Communication Skills – Confident speaker in
class debates and group projects; active listener when working in teams.
·
Teamwork – Member of the school football team;
regularly collaborate on group assignments.
·
Digital Skills – Proficient in Microsoft Office,
Google Workspace, and Canva for presentations.
·
Time Management – Balance academic work, sports,
and volunteer activities effectively.
·
Problem-Solving – Successfully led a school
recycling project that reduced waste by 20%.
·
Adaptability – Quickly learn new systems and
tools; flexible in changing environments.
Education
Springfield High School — Expected Graduation: 2026
GCSE Subjects include: English, Mathematics, Science, History, ICT, Art.
Experience
Volunteer Tutor — Local Community Centre — June 2024 –
Present
- Assisted younger students with maths and reading.
- Created simple lesson materials to support learning.
School Event Assistant — Springfield High School — Sept 2023
– Dec 2023
- Helped set up stalls for fundraising events.
- Greeted visitors and provided event information.
Achievements & Interests
·
Awarded 'Best Team Player' in school football
tournament, 2024.
·
Won 2nd place in regional science fair.
·
Hobbies include graphic design, reading, and
hiking.
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Where To Find a Student CV Template
Finding the ideal CV for a student is not as difficult as you might imagine. There is a lot of comprehensive lists of resources for you to utilize, for example, My Perfect CV templates, Resume Genius allow you to concentrate on the substance of your CV.
They will present you with a bunch of CV templates to choose from the sample image below.
Which Students' CV Formats Work the Best?
When drafting a personal statement student's CV, it is critical to use the right CV format; however, many students make this mistake.
Students frequently utilize an ordinary CV structure, which works great for those with years of experience, but not for students or fresh graduates. This strategy places where you worked front and center. That is ideal for experienced workers, but on a student CV, it merely emphasizes what you are missing.
Here's a better option:
Using the Skilled-Based CV format will be the best fit
A skills-based CV is suitable for students who have limited or no work experience. It changes the emphasis from occupations to what you excel at: your skills, capabilities, and potential.
This is how it works:
- List your important skills right after your personal statement
- Put around 8–10 skills to give a well-rounded view of your capabilities
- Support each skill with short, specific examples
For example:
Online Skills - competent with Google Classroom and Canva; comfortable with Microsoft Office for schoolwork
Even if you lack experience, this structure lets companies realize what you can offer and makes your CV stand out.
You can still provide any work experience you have—such as tutoring, volunteering, or a part-time job—after your skills section, but only as a bonus and not as the primary highlight.
CV Tips To Keep In Mind As A Student
To make your CV professional and easy to read:
- Keep it to one or two pages.
- Make use of a readable typeface, such as Times New Roman or Arial.
- Use headers and bullet points to break up the text.
- Make a CV that fits the job description.
- Submit a CV in Word or PDF format.
You can start building your CV from the template formats that suit you here, and if you find that template doesn't suit you, then you can change the format. The illustration in the screenshot below, I pointed the arrow at it.
How To Write Your Personal CV Statement As a High School Student
Let's look at content presentation now that we have selected the ideal template for you. We will go into great depth on how to construct a CV for a high school student.
- What contact information need to have on your high school CV
- Include a personal statement at the beginning of your high school CV
- Work experience on a high school student's CV
- Outstanding skills to mention on your high school CV
- CV education for high school students
What Contact Information Do You Need To Have On Your High School CV
If employers can't get in touch with you, your CV won't get very far. Make sure your contact information is clear, current, and professional before beginning your CV.
Mention the following components in your student CV, using the structure shown in our examples:
- Your full-name: should appear first on your CV.
- Address: Please indicate your city or town to specify your location.
- Phone number: Make sure your own phone number is active.
- Email address: If necessary, create a new one using the basic pattern full-name@example.com.
Don't use a casual email address or a shared phone number. The tone for the remainder of your high school student resume is established by a professional and trustworthy contact section.
Here is an example of contact information.
Emeka Johnson
12 Opebi Street
Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria
+234 816 234 5678
emeka.johnson@example.com
Include a Personal Statement At The Beginning of Your High School CV
A confident and unambiguous personal statement is the first section of each strong high school student's CV. This brief introduction provides a synopsis of your abilities and introduces you to the company.
A professional summary, as it is sometimes known, ought to:
- Steer clear of first-person pronouns like "I" or "me."
- Pay attention to what you can provide rather than what you desire.
- Emphasize that you are a high school student at the moment.
- Mention important attributes that fit the job.
Next, consider your best attributes for the position. For instance:
- Are you good with numbers? That's perfect for an administrative or cashier role.
- Are you physically fit? Ideal for a delivery or warehousing job
Examples of a personal statement for a high school student's CV
Here, I will give you three (3) good examples of personal statements below:
Personal statement example #1 on a (general-purpose)
A driven high school student who has demonstrated an ability to successfully manage obligations and achieve well academically. possesses strong organizational, collaborative, and communication abilities in addition to being proficient with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office. Currently enrolled in secondary school, looking for a professional setting where they may put their problem-solving skills, flexibility, and desire to learn to use.
Personal statement example #2 on (Cashier/Admin Role)
A high school student with a good foundation in business subjects and mathematics, as well as strong numerical skills. competent in processing transactions, precisely organizing data, and operating efficiently in hectic settings. Acknowledged for being on time, working well with others, and being ready to learn, along with having proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel.
Personal Statement Example #3 (Delivery/Warehouse Role)
vibrant high school student with an excellent work ethic and a lot of physical stamina. knowledgeable about handling challenging assignments, paying close attention to directions, and making a constructive contribution to group projects. contributes time management abilities, problem-solving abilities, and a willingness to pursue professional development courses.
Work Experience On a High School Student's CV
Not every CV example from a high school student is devoid of experience. Possessing job experience might help you stand out from the competition. That might be everything from shelf stacking at a family business to volunteering or doing a newspaper round. This is what you should know.
What happens to the experience?
The structure of your CV determines where to put your experience section.- Your work experience should complement your abilities, which should be the primary focus of a skills-based CV.
- To highlight your talents and highlight any relevant positions or activities—even if they aren't official jobs—include an experience section beneath your skills.
Steer clear of anything irrelevant.
Although an inexperienced teen's CV may appear blank at first, you shouldn't be tempted to fill it in with extraneous details. The number of jobs you've held in the past and how they connect to the position you want will ultimately determine what you should maintain and what you should omit. There won't be a need to fill out your teen's CV if you try to limit it to your previous two or three jobs, emphasizing the skills and duties that are most pertinent to each position. However, even if you are still in high school, you may have a few positions to discuss. If so, you might use your experience right after the personal statement to support a standard structure.
How it is carried out
Similar to your schooling, there are a few essential elements in the job history part of a high school student's CV that employers will be looking for.
- Dates: For every job role, you must specify the start and finish dates.
- Job information: Provide your title, employer, and place of employment.
- Responsibilities: Lastly, use bullet points to identify the three to six key responsibilities associated with each job, as seen below.
July 2023 – September 2023
Sales Assistant | Shoprite | Lagos
-
Assisted customers with locating products and provided friendly, attentive service.
-
Helped replenish shelves daily, ensuring products were neatly displayed and in line with stock records.
-
Supported checkout operations by bagging items and maintaining a clean, organised shopping area.
-
Collaborated with team members during peak hours to improve customer flow and reduce waiting times.
A strong CV is essential for high school students, particularly those with limited job experience. Your skills will be your greatest selling point to recruiters, regardless of whether you have had part-time employment or no jobs at all.
The good news is that you already have a variety of transferable skills that you may highlight on your CV while you are still in school. These consist of:
- Basic skills: like math and English
- Computer skills: Younger applicants tend to have higher computer skills than older applicants.
- Soft skills: including time management, cooperation, and communication
Your skills would be listed in a straightforward bullet-point fashion on a typical CV. A skills-based CV, on the other hand, allows you to categorize your abilities and then support them with concrete examples.
A high school student identified "excellent communication" as a group on the CV example, with the particular aptitudes of "well spoken," "great listener," and "good English." Here are some examples to help you get started with your high school student's CV.
Important skills for a high school student:
- Digitally savvy
- Excellent knowledge of mathematics
- Fluent in English
- Cooperation
- Communication
- Well-prepared
Qualities that will make you stand out:
- Capable of adhering to instructions
- Self-inspired
- Operating independently
- Glad to participate in training.
- Good timekeeping
- Physically fit
High School Student CV
The majority of high school students will not have any official educational credentials in and of themselves, unless they have recently received their results.
However, this does not imply that you should leave out the schooling portion entirely. In reality, the exact reverse is true for high school students without experience with a CV.
Simple, clear, and straightforward
Above all, make sure to mention the themes you are pursuing. Giving recruiters a clearer picture of your educational history is beneficial, even though they aren't strictly qualifications until you receive the grade.
When drafting a CV, it's generally advised to keep educational data concise. In essence, if you have more relevant stuff to provide, there's no need to publish a list of GCSE courses.
However, it doesn't hurt for a high school student to provide a brief summary of the courses they are presently studying. More than anything else, it might make you stand out a bit more and demonstrate your enthusiasm for your studies.
How to include your credentials
After discussing what to include, let's move on to how. The date or expected date, level of qualification, and institution should all be included with a high school student's qualifications, just like in the CV sample.
Example of an Education for high school students CV
Expected 2025
WAEC (SSCE) in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Economics, Government
Queens College, Yaba, Lagos
Dos and Don'ts You Should Also Note
Here, I will speak about some tips that will help you stand out, dos and don'ts.
- One of the best ways to differentiate yourself from other applicants is to include a cover letter with your high school CV. Although your CV lists your experience, education, and skills, the cover letter allows you to highlight your motivation, personality, and excitement. It enables you to describe your motivation for applying for the position, how your qualifications match the job specifications, and why you would be an asset to the company.
- The greatest way to elevate your high school student's CV is to customize it for the position. Not every piece has to be redone. Simply review the job description and align your own strengths with the job criteria. Put your digital skills at the top of your skills section and emphasize them in your personal statement if you're applying for an administrative assistant position. On the other hand, you will want to highlight your math skills for a cashier position.
- You wouldn't turn in a high schoolwork without proofreading it. Well, perhaps some would. However, you should not do the same with your high school CV! Make sure to proofread your CV for typos, mistakes, and missing information because even the tiniest mistake might result in it being rejected. Make the additional effort to have a friend or family member check in as well.
- Depending on the format, the professional overview, abilities, education, and work history are the typical CV components. The cherry on top may be an additional section dedicated to your achievements or interests. A few hobbies or accomplishments that highlight positive traits should be included, but keep it brief and to the point. Our high school student CV examples employ both an attendance award to highlight your punctuality and a sports team to highlight your collaboration.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) On Personal Statement For A Student CV?
Q: What is a good personal statement for a student's CV?
Q: What is a good example of a personal statement?
Q: How do you write a personal statement for a 16-year-old CV?
Q: How do you start a personal statement on a CV?
- Make a bold statement about your professional identity to start.
- If appropriate, include your present position or field of expertise.
- Exhibit a passion for the position or field.
- Steer clear of platitudes like "I am a hard worker" without supporting evidence.
Q: How do I start my personal statement?
Conclusion
👉 Begin creating your CV right now with a student-friendly template, emphasize your strong points, and start down the path to amazing prospects.
