Homeyour application, made clearer ♡
CV & Cover Letter Guide
You do not need years of experience to write a good application. This guide will help you show what you have done, what you can offer and why you are interested in the opportunity.
For UK jobs, apprenticeships, placements and work experiencetwo documents, two jobs
Your CV and your cover letter do different jobs
The evidence
Your CV
A factual record of your education, experience and skills. It lets an employer scan quickly and see whether you meet the basics of the role.
The connection
Your cover letter
A short, personal explanation of why you want this role and why your evidence fits it. It gives the CV meaning and context.
Keep them different
A cover letter should never simply repeat the CV in sentence form. If a sentence could sit unchanged in either document, it usually belongs only in one of them.
Quick facts — your CV
- One page is usually enough for a student CV — two only if you genuinely have enough relevant content to fill it.
- No photo, date of birth or marital status. UK CVs leave these out.
- Most recent first. Education and experience are listed in reverse chronological order.
- Save it as a PDF unless an employer specifically asks for a Word document.
Quick facts — your cover letter
- Half a page to one page — around three or four short paragraphs.
- Always name the specific role and organisation, even in a fairly general letter.
- It should never simply repeat your CV. It should explain why your evidence matters for this job.
Whatever an advert or application form asks for — a file format, a subject line, a word count or a specific question — follow it exactly. It is often used as a first, simple filter before anyone reads the content.
part one
Build a CV that proves it
A strong student CV is not longer or more decorated than everyone else’s — it is clearer. This part covers structure, wording and layout, one section at a time.
length and format
Keep it short, plain and consistent
Length
One page for most students. Two pages only if you have enough genuinely relevant content.
Font and layout
One plain, readable font throughout, consistent headings, clear white space and no unnecessary colour or graphics.
File format
Save and send as a PDF unless the employer specifically asks for something else.
File name
Firstname-Surname-CV.pdf — not “CV final v3 (2).docx”.
A basic structure
This order works for most UK student CVs. You can leave out a section entirely if you have nothing genuine to put in it.
- 1Contact details
- 2Profile — optional
- 3Education
- 4Experience
- 5Skills
- 6Interests — optional
- 7References — optional
Contact details — include
- Full name
- Phone number
- A professional-sounding email address
- Town or city (a full postal address is not needed)
- A LinkedIn or portfolio link, if relevant and up to date
Contact details — leave out
- Date of birth
- Nationality or marital status
- A photo
- National Insurance number
- Your full home address
Profile — optional, but useful
A short two- or three-line introduction at the top. A simple formula: who you are + what you are looking for + your strongest evidence.
Weak
I am a hard-working student looking for a part-time job.
Stronger
A dependable sixth-form student with two years of retail experience, looking for a Saturday role where I can put my customer service skills to use.
Education
List your current school or college first, then grades or predicted grades, and any modules or projects that are relevant to the role.
Riverside Sixth Form College
September 2024 – present
Studying Business, Psychology and Mathematics (predicted grades: B, B, C).
Relevant coursework: a Business project on local retail marketing, including customer survey design.
Experience — more than paid jobs
Employers understand that most students have not held a long paid job. All of the following count as real experience, as long as you can describe what you did.
- Part-time or weekend jobs
- Helping in a family business
- Babysitting, dog walking or tutoring, even informally
- School responsibilities such as being a prefect or form representative
- Sports team captaincy or club responsibilities
- Volunteering, fundraising or community work
- Personal projects — a blog, a small online shop, a YouTube channel or similar
- Coursework projects, competitions or online courses
strong examples
Turn a duty into evidence
The single biggest upgrade you can make to a CV is this: describe an action, say what it involved, and give the result. Compare these real-style examples.
Teamwork
Weak
Worked as part of a team in a café.
Stronger
Worked alongside four colleagues during busy lunch shifts, coordinating orders so that wait times stayed under ten minutes.
Customer service
Weak
Dealt with customers on the shop floor.
Stronger
Handled up to sixty customer queries a day, resolving complaints calmly and keeping customer satisfaction consistently high.
Social media
Weak
Ran the school’s Instagram account.
Stronger
Grew the school’s Instagram following by 40% in one term by planning a weekly content calendar and writing engaging captions.
A bank of action words
Starting a bullet point with a specific verb makes it read as an achievement rather than a duty.
Creating
Organising
Working with people
Problem-solving
Leadership
Achievements and numbers
A number gives an employer something concrete to picture — money raised, people helped, time saved, a percentage improvement or the size of a team or audience.
Weak
Helped raise money for charity.
Stronger
Helped raise £350 for a local charity by organising and running a bake sale over two lunchtimes.
yes, you still have experience ♡
Little or no paid work? That is completely normal.
Employers hiring students expect this. Use whichever of these genuinely apply to you and describe them the same way — action, what it involved, and the result.
- Being a prefect, form representative or peer mentor
- Captaining or organising a sports team
- Regular volunteering or fundraising
- Caring for family members or younger siblings
- A personal project — a blog, a small shop, art commissions or a YouTube channel
- Free online courses with a certificate at the end
- A substantial coursework project or an extended essay
- Informal work such as babysitting, dog walking or gardening for neighbours
Skills
List both practical skills (software, a language, a first aid certificate) and personal skills (teamwork, communication). Back up personal skills with an example elsewhere on the CV where you can.
Interests
Optional, and best kept brief. Genuine and specific interests say more than generic ones such as “socialising with friends”.
References
“References available on request” is perfectly acceptable, or name one or two people who have agreed in advance — a teacher or previous employer, not a family member.
Choosing a CV style
Reverse chronological
Lists education and experience with the most recent first. The clearest option for most employers and applicant tracking systems.
Best for most students and most applications.
Skills-based
Groups your evidence under skill headings rather than under jobs. Useful when your experience feels scattered or unrelated to the role.
Useful with a mix of unrelated experience.
Creative
Uses visual layout, colour or icons to stand out. Only suitable for creative fields, and can confuse applicant tracking systems.
Only for design, art or media roles — check first.
Layout checklist
- One consistent font throughout, at a readable size
- The same style and spacing used for every heading
- Bullet points instead of full paragraphs under experience
- Kept to one page, unless you have enough relevant content for two
- No spelling or grammar errors — checked more than once
Applicant tracking systems (ATS)
Many employers scan CVs digitally before a person reads them. Keep the format simple so nothing is lost.
- Use standard section headings, such as Experience, Education and Skills
- Avoid text boxes, tables, columns, headers and footers
- Stick to a simple, common font rather than a decorative one
- Include exact wording from the advert where it genuinely and truthfully applies to you
- Save as a PDF unless the application system asks for something else
before you write a word
Start with the job advert
A tailored application takes little extra time and makes a real difference. Use a simple three-step method every time.
Read
Read the whole advert twice. Note the job title, the responsibilities and how to apply.
Match
List each requirement, then note your own evidence next to it.
Prove
Choose your strongest, most specific example for each requirement and use it.
A marked-up advert (fictional example)
Saturday Sales Assistant — Bloom & Co Garden Centre
We are a family-run garden centre known for friendly service and seasonal displays.
Serving customers on the tills, restocking shelves, answering plant care questions and keeping the shop floor tidy.
Comfortable talking to the public, reliable and punctual, able to work Saturdays and some school holidays.
An interest in plants or gardening, previous experience of handling cash or a till.
Send a CV and short cover letter to jobs@bloomandco.example by Friday, naming the role in the subject line.
Matching table (fictional example)
| Requirement from the advert | My evidence (example) | Where I will use it |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable talking to the public | Ran a stall at a school fundraiser, chatting to visitors and answering questions about the products. | CV bullet point |
| Reliable and punctual | Two years of a regular Saturday babysitting round without missing a booking. | CV bullet point |
| An interest in plants or gardening | Helped a neighbour maintain their allotment over the summer and grew vegetables at home. | Cover letter, paragraph two |
Requirement from the advert
Comfortable talking to the public
My evidence (example)
Ran a stall at a school fundraiser, chatting to visitors and answering questions about the products.
Where I will use it
CV bullet point
Requirement from the advert
Reliable and punctual
My evidence (example)
Two years of a regular Saturday babysitting round without missing a booking.
Where I will use it
CV bullet point
Requirement from the advert
An interest in plants or gardening
My evidence (example)
Helped a neighbour maintain their allotment over the summer and grew vegetables at home.
Where I will use it
Cover letter, paragraph two
Keep it natural
Reflecting the advert’s language is useful, but do not force keywords into sentences where they do not fit naturally. A CV that reads like a checklist copied from the advert is easy to spot.
part two
Write a cover letter that connects it
Your cover letter takes the evidence from your CV and explains, in your own words, why it matters for this particular role and this particular organisation.
the basics
When to include one, and how to prepare
When to include a cover letter
- Whenever an application form or advert asks for one
- For speculative applications, where there is no advertised vacancy
- When it is described as optional — it is still a chance to stand out
Research before you write
- The organisation's website, especially an “About us” or “Our values” page
- Their social media accounts, to see recent news or projects
- Reviews or articles about the organisation, if available
- Anyone you know who has worked or applied there
Answer three questions
Why this role?
What specifically appeals to you about the day-to-day work?
Why this organisation?
What have you learned about them that genuinely interests you?
Why you?
Which evidence proves you can do the job well?
A four-paragraph structure
Paragraph 1 — Opening
State the role, where you saw it and a brief reason for applying.
“I am writing to apply for the Saturday Sales Assistant role at Bloom & Co, advertised on your website.”
Paragraph 2 — Why this role and organisation
Connect a specific, genuine reason to something you have researched.
“I have long admired how Bloom & Co supports local growers, and I would welcome the chance to talk with customers about plants I care about myself.”
Paragraph 3 — Your evidence
Give one or two strong, specific examples linked to the advert's requirements.
“Running a stall at my school's summer fair taught me to stay friendly and patient even when several visitors needed help at once.”
Paragraph 4 — Closing
Thank the reader, confirm your availability and sign off correctly.
“Thank you for considering my application. I am available for an interview at any time and look forward to hearing from you.”
Greeting and sign-off
| Situation | Greeting | Sign-off |
|---|---|---|
| You know the name | Dear Mr Patel, / Dear Ms Okafor, | Yours sincerely, |
| You do not know the name | Dear Hiring Manager, | Yours faithfully, |
Situation
You know the name
Greeting
Dear Mr Patel, / Dear Ms Okafor,
Sign-off
Yours sincerely,
Situation
You do not know the name
Greeting
Dear Hiring Manager,
Sign-off
Yours faithfully,
Stronger evidence in a cover letter
Weak
I am a hard worker and a good team player.
Stronger
During my part-time role at a busy café, I regularly stayed calm and organised during rushed periods, which taught me to prioritise and stay reliable under pressure.
Matching your CV and cover letter
They should feel like two parts of one application, not two separate documents. Your CV states the evidence in short bullet points; your cover letter picks one or two of the strongest pieces and explains, in full sentences, why they matter for this role. Avoid lifting a bullet point straight from the CV into the letter unchanged.
Speculative applications
If there is no advertised vacancy, a short, polite speculative email can still work — research the organisation and explain clearly what kind of role interests you.
Subject: Speculative application — Saturday or holiday work — Amelia Turner
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am a sixth-form student local to the area, and I am writing to ask whether you have any Saturday or holiday vacancies coming up. I have attached my CV and would be very grateful for the chance to be considered for any future opportunities.
Thank you for your time.
Yours faithfully,
Amelia Turner
Application toolkit
Plan before you write
These tools stay in your browser only. Nothing is saved to Career Blossom accounts or our database. Use them to organise your own notes, then write the final documents yourself.
Tool one: CV planning outline
Printable checklist of CV sections.
- Contact details
- Profile — optional
- Education
- Experience
- Projects and volunteering
- Relevant skills
- Interests — optional
Tool two: Job matching table
Match requirements to your evidence. Notes stay on this device only.
Tool three: Cover letter planner
Answer these before drafting the letter.
Cover letter planning structure
Planning structure — personalise every section. Do not copy it unchanged.
Dear [name or appropriate greeting], I am applying for the position of [role] advertised through [source, if useful]. I am interested in this opportunity because [specific reason connected to the work]. I was particularly drawn to [specific part of the organisation, role, project or training]. This interests me because [genuine connection to your interests, experience or goals]. Through [experience], I developed [relevant skill]. For example, I [specific action and evidence]. This would help me [connection to a responsibility in the role]. I have also [second relevant example]. This developed my ability to [relevant skill or result], which matches your requirement for [requirement]. Thank you for considering my application. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my suitability further. Yours sincerely / Yours faithfully, [Name]
last checks
Send it well, then let it go
Sending by email — checklist
- Both the CV and cover letter are attached, in the format requested
- The subject line follows any instructions given in the advert
- The email body is short and polite — not identical to the cover letter
- The contact name and organisation name are spelled correctly
- You have opened both attachments to confirm they work
- The “to” address is correct, with no accidental cc or bcc
- Your email includes your name and phone number
Common mistakes to avoid
01 · Spelling and grammar errors
Small mistakes can suggest a lack of care. Read your documents aloud, then ask someone else to check them too.
02 · A generic, copy-and-pasted cover letter
If it could be sent to any employer for any job, it will not stand out. Name the role and organisation every time.
03 · Repeating the CV word for word
The cover letter should explain why your evidence matters, not restate the same bullet points.
04 · A CV that is too long or too detailed
Cut anything that does not help this specific application, however proud you are of it.
05 · Missing attachments or the wrong file format
Always check both documents are attached, and that files open correctly before sending.
06 · An unprofessional email address
A simple address based on your name is safest for applications.
07 · Ignoring the application instructions
If the advert asks for a specific subject line, word count or file name, follow it exactly.
08 · Exaggerating or inventing experience
Anything you include may come up in an interview, so keep it honest.
09 · Out-of-date contact details
Double-check your phone number and email before every application.
10 · Sending without a final proofread
Leave it for an hour, then read it again with fresh eyes before you send it.
If you have a gap in education or work
Some students have a gap for personal, health or family reasons. You do not need to explain it in detail — a brief, honest and forward-looking sentence is usually enough, and you only need to share what you feel comfortable sharing. If you are unsure how much to say, a teacher, tutor or careers adviser at your school or college can help you find wording that feels right for your situation.
This guide is general application advice, not medical or legal advice. For anything related to your personal health, wellbeing or legal circumstances, please speak to a qualified professional or your school or college’s support services.
use it thoughtfully ♡
Using AI responsibly
Helpful uses
- Brainstorming how to phrase a duty as an achievement
- Checking spelling, grammar and clarity
- Suggesting a structure for a section you are stuck on
- Explaining an unfamiliar word or phrase from a job advert
- Shortening a paragraph that has gone over the word count
Avoid
- Inventing experience, qualifications or skills you do not have
- Submitting a fully AI-written cover letter without editing it
- Using generic AI phrasing that does not sound like you
- Trusting AI-generated facts about a company without checking them
- Sharing personal contact details with an AI tool unnecessarily
The final CV and cover letter should sound like you, and everything in them should be true.
before you submit
Final checklist
CV
- Fits on one page, or two only with enough relevant content
- Contact details are correct and appropriate
- Experience is described with actions and results, not just duties
- Formatting is consistent throughout
- Spelling and grammar have been checked
- Saved as a PDF with a clear file name
Cover letter
- Names the specific role and organisation
- Answers why this role, why this organisation and why you
- Includes at least one specific, evidenced example
- Does not simply repeat the CV
- Uses the correct greeting and sign-off
- Has been proofread by you and someone else
Sending
- Both documents are attached in the requested format
- The subject line follows any instructions given
- File names are clear and professional
- The email address and any named contact are spelled correctly
- Attachments have been opened and checked
- You have kept a copy of everything you sent
You do not need a perfect application. You need an honest, clearly written one that gives an employer a real reason to invite you for an interview.
one final reminder ♡
Your first CV does not need to look empty
Projects, volunteering, part-time work, school responsibilities and personal interests can all show useful skills. The aim is not to sound more experienced than you are. It is to make your real experience clear, relevant and easy to understand.
Keep it honest, tailor it carefully and help the employer see what you could bring.
Last reviewed: July 2026