Examples & writing guide
Apprenticeship CV example
Updated 15 July 2026
This apprenticeship CV example shows how to turn education, part-time work, volunteering and projects into credible evidence for an employer. Apprenticeships can develop practical skills through on-the-job experience, so your CV should make clear what you have already done, learned and improved.
Examples by experience level
Apprenticeship applicant
TemplateGrey Frame5 / 5
Why this works
This apprenticeship CV example turns school, volunteering and part-time work into clear evidence of reliability, communication, digital confidence and readiness to learn.
Continue writing your CVBusiness Administration Apprentice
TemplateTeal Signal2 / 5
Why this works
This apprenticeship CV sample shows steady progress from transferable school and retail experience to measurable workplace results, while keeping every claim specific and defensible.
Continue writing your CVSenior Business Management Graduate Apprentice
TemplateBlue Horizon3 / 5
Why this works
Shows a clear progression from operational work into a graduate apprenticeship, with credible evidence of leadership, analysis, workplace learning and measurable business results.
Continue writing your CVJunior vs senior: what changes
| Aspect | Junior | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Personal statement | Focuses on motivation, current studies and one or two examples of transferable ability. It names the training area sought without suggesting experience the candidate does not have. | Opens with sustained workplace results, increased responsibility and the capability the candidate plans to develop through further work and study. |
| Experience evidence | Draws on school projects, volunteering, clubs, placements and part-time work. Each bullet explains the contribution, scale and a credible result. | Prioritises recent employment, ownership of processes, support provided to colleagues and measurable improvements across a broader workload. |
| Skills section | Uses a focused mix of digital, number, communication and teamwork skills, supported by examples elsewhere in the CV. | Shows stronger practical ability, analysis, project coordination and judgement, with recent workplace evidence behind the most prominent skills. |
| Education and training | Places education near the top when it provides the strongest evidence. Relevant projects, modules and results receive more space than unrelated study. | Keeps older education concise and gives more room to recent training and applied learning gained through work. |
| Achievement scale | Uses modest, verifiable measures such as deadlines met, event attendance, customers helped, accuracy or funds raised. | Uses broader measures such as workload, team size, turnaround time, error reduction or service improvement, while separating personal contribution from team results. |
| Vacancy targeting | Connects transferable experience to the vacancy and explains the candidate's interest in combining practical learning with study. | Maps established experience to the employer's selection criteria and links further workplace learning to a clear progression goal. |
How to write an apprenticeship CV
Use a clean, reverse-chronological apprenticeship CV template with straightforward headings and consistent dates. One page usually gives an applicant with limited experience enough room; add a second only when it contains relevant evidence. Put your contact details first, followed by your personal statement, skills, experience, education and selected extras.
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Personal statement | The apprenticeship sought, two relevant strengths and brief proof |
| Experience | Employment, placements, volunteering and substantial projects |
| Skills | Abilities named in the advert, supported by evidence elsewhere |
| Education | Qualifications, dates and relevant subjects or projects |
| Extras | Useful training, responsibilities, interests or achievements |
Write the personal statement last. Match it to the vacancy instead of describing yourself in broad terms. Give the most space in your experience section to recent activities that relate to the employer's criteria. A weekend job earns its place when the bullets demonstrate useful behaviour, such as answering customer questions accurately or completing checks on time.
Keep the skills section selective. Teamwork, communication and problem solving are useful evidence in an apprenticeship application. Specific abilities may include everyday workplace tasks such as writing and sending email. Update the CV as you acquire skills, recording where you developed them so that you can tailor the document later. Relevant experience and training may also strengthen the application.
List education clearly, but do not let grades occupy the whole page. Include extras only when they add evidence; regular volunteering says more than a bare list of hobbies.
Personal statement examples
Reliable school leaver seeking an apprenticeship where I can use clear communication, careful organisation and practical problem solving. In a weekend retail role, I answered customer queries, completed stock checks and helped colleagues prepare displays by deadline. A four-person coursework project also taught me to divide tasks, track progress and present findings clearly.
I am looking for an apprenticeship and consider myself hard-working and a fast learner. I work well alone or with other people and would be happy to do whatever the role involves. I have little experience but believe I could be a good candidate.
Writing your experience
Treat school projects, part-time jobs, placements, caring responsibilities and volunteering as evidence. Each bullet should connect an action to its scope and result: action verb + task or problem + measurable outcome. The figure might be a quantity, frequency, deadline, team size or accuracy measure. It does not need to sound dramatic, but it does need to be true and defensible.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Helped customers in a shop | Resolved an average of 15 customer queries per Saturday shift and referred complex requests to the supervisor |
| Worked on a school project | Coordinated tasks for a four-person project and submitted the final presentation two days before the deadline |
| Did office administration | Checked and renamed 120 digital records, correcting 14 filing errors before the monthly review |
The revised bullets tell the reader what happened without inflating an ordinary task. When no useful number exists, describe a concrete result instead, such as preventing a delay, simplifying a handover or receiving documented feedback. Never invent or estimate a percentage merely to make a bullet look impressive.
Start bullets with direct verbs that suit early-career evidence: assisted, organised, checked, resolved, prepared, recorded, updated, supported, completed, explained and coordinated. Avoid "responsible for" because it names a duty without showing how well you handled it.
Choose examples that answer the vacancy's stated criteria. Teamwork, communication and problem solving are commonly sought in apprenticeship applications, so show where and how you used each one. Relevant experience and training can strengthen the CV. Add newly acquired skills and explain how you gained them before tailoring the document to another vacancy. Two or three precise bullets beneath a relevant activity will usually communicate more than a paragraph of routine duties.
Key skills & ATS keywords
Hard skills
Soft skills
ATS keywords
Education & certifications
Place education after experience when your work history supplies the strongest relevant evidence; otherwise, put it directly after the skills section. Give each qualification's exact title, subject, institution and dates in a consistent format. Add selected modules, projects or results only when they help the employer assess your fit. Copy the exact title of any role-specific qualification requested in the vacancy rather than replacing it with a vague description.
Apprenticeship routes differ, so read the programme information before describing any qualification as mandatory. For the Northern Ireland Level 3 health and social care apprenticeship, successful completion requires either a competence-based qualification together with a knowledge-based qualification, or a combined competence and knowledge qualification. This applies to completion of that particular route, not to apprenticeships generally.
For the same route, application of number – level 2 and communication – level 2 are conditionally required for successful completion unless the apprentice holds a recognised equivalent or an exemption applies. Digital ICT Essential Skills at Level 1 has the same conditional completion status; an apprentice who already holds Level 1 may work towards Level 2.
State only qualifications you genuinely hold and reproduce the awarded title exactly. Include the completion date, or mark ongoing study as in progress with an expected completion date. Do not claim that a qualification is approved, equivalent or exempted unless your own documentation and the relevant programme information support that wording.
Common mistakes to avoid
AvoidSending the same apprenticeship CV to every employer, even when vacancies focus on different tasks, behaviours or selection criteria.
InsteadRewrite the personal statement and reorder your evidence for each vacancy. Use the employer's wording where it accurately describes your experience, without copying whole passages or claiming abilities you cannot demonstrate.
AvoidDescribing yourself as a good communicator or team player without showing where you used those qualities.
InsteadAdd a brief example from a school project, weekend job, sports team or volunteering shift. Explain the situation, your contribution and what happened as a result.
AvoidLeaving out informal or unpaid experience because it does not match the apprenticeship title.
InsteadInclude relevant projects, volunteering, clubs, caring responsibilities and short placements. Draw out evidence such as meeting deadlines, helping people, handling figures or completing practical tasks.
AvoidListing software and practical abilities without explaining how you developed them.
InsteadConnect each skill to coursework, employment, volunteering or training. Add newly acquired skills as you develop them, then retain the evidence that fits the vacancy.
AvoidUsing vague duty statements such as "helped in a shop" or "worked on a group project".
InsteadState the action, scale and outcome. For example: "Processed 40 customer enquiries per shift and kept till discrepancies below £5." Use only figures you can verify and explain.
AvoidAllowing decorative design, dense paragraphs or inconsistent dates to obscure useful evidence.
InsteadChoose a simple reverse-chronological layout with clear headings, short bullets and consistent dates. Check that your email address, mobile number and other contact details look professional.
Frequently asked questions
One page is often enough when you have limited experience; two pages can accommodate substantial employment, projects or training. Keep every item relevant and use a second page only when it adds evidence useful to the employer.
Use school projects, volunteering, clubs, competitions, caring responsibilities and placements. Describe what you did, the scale of the task and the result, then connect the example to teamwork, communication, problem solving or another relevant skill.
Leave out a photo and date of birth. Give your name, general location, mobile number and professional email address; add a suitable profile link only if it helps the application.
Use two or three sentences to name the area you are targeting, present one concrete example of relevant ability and explain what you can contribute while learning. Remove unsupported descriptions such as "hard-working" or "perfect for the role".
List learning that helps the employer assess your fit, using the exact title, awarding body and completion date where applicable. Give more space to recent, relevant study and check the vacancy details before prioritising any role-specific qualification.
Keep one clean structure, but adjust the content for each application. Change the personal statement, skills order and experience bullets to reflect the employer's selection criteria, while keeping every claim accurate and supported.
From example to application
Turn this apprenticeship example into a CV that sounds like you.
Keep the structure that works. Tailor the details around your experience, strengths, and the role you want.