Your first CV.
Built around your real life. School, hobbies, weekend jobs, volunteering. They all count, even if it doesn’t feel that way yet.
Find your starting point
Whichever stage you’re at, the principles are the same: lead with what you’ve actually done, in plain English, in a UK-format CV. The detail differs by stage. Pick yours for a guide tailored to where you are now:
School LeaverCV →
16-18, just finished or finishing school, applying for your first part-time job, apprenticeship or sixth-form scheme.
College LeaverCV →
18-19, finishing A-Levels, BTEC or an Access course, applying for your first full-time role or an apprenticeship.
GraduateCV →
Final-year or recently graduated from a UK university, applying for graduate schemes, internships or your first full-time role.
ApprenticeshipCV →
Applying for an apprenticeship in the UK: a school leaver, college leaver or career changer choosing the learn-while-earning route over university.
ReturnerCV →
Returning to paid work after a career break: parenting, caring, illness, retraining or redundancy. Often 25-50, with prior professional experience to lean on.
“But I’ve got nothing to put on it.”
Almost everyone writing a first CV thinks this. Almost everyone is wrong. Here’s what counts, even if you’ve never had a real job:
- School and college. The years you were there, what you came out with, GCSEs / BTECs / A-Levels with subjects and grades.
- Anything you’ve done with your time. Saturday jobs, paper rounds, helping in a family business, a market stall, babysitting for neighbours. It all counts.
- Volunteering. Even one weekend at a charity event, helping run a school open day or sorting donations at a food bank.
- Certifications and short courses. First Aid, Food Hygiene, Safeguarding, online courses (Codecademy, FutureLearn), driving theory. Anything you’ve completed.
- Hobbies that show effort. Music exam grades, sports teams, learning a language, running a YouTube channel, fixing bikes for friends.
- Achievements and awards. Duke of Edinburgh, school prizes, sports trophies, debate or quiz wins.
- Things you’re naturally good at. Being reliable. Being patient. Being good with people. These are skills, even if they don’t feel like it.
How TAILOR builds your first CV
- 1Tell us your story. Thirteen quick questions in your own words. Honest, in your voice. No jargon, no pretending to be someone you’re not.
- 2We turn it into a CV. UK-format, ATS-safe, written to get past the filters first and read by a human second. Built using your real experience, never invented around it.
- 3Download and apply. It’s a Word document. Yours forever. Edit it any time.
Why TAILOR for your first CV
- Free for your first CV. No card, no trial, no hidden steps.
- Saved to your account. Edit and re-download any time as you grow into more experience.
- Built for people starting from scratch. School leavers, returners to work, DWP claimants, anyone who’s never written a CV before.
- Spoken English, not corporate-speak. Sounds like you, not like a stock template.
- UK-format and ATS-safe. Your CV survives automated screening before any human reads it.
Ready when you are.
Build my first CV→First CV questions
Do I need work experience to write a first CV?
No. Most people writing a first CV haven’t had a “real” job yet, and that’s exactly who TAILOR is built for. School, hobbies, certifications, volunteering and what you’re naturally good at all count, and TAILOR’s structured questions pull all of it onto a CV that hiring managers will take seriously.
What format should a first CV be in?
In the UK, the standard is A4, 1–2 pages, with sections for contact details, a short personal statement (optional), education, experience (paid or unpaid), skills and any extras like certifications or awards. TAILOR builds yours in this format automatically. UK-compliant and ATS-safe, so it survives the automated screening that filters out a chunk of CVs before any human reads them.
How long does it take to build a first CV with TAILOR?
Most people finish in just minutes. Thirteen quick questions, in your own words. You can close the tab and come back. TAILOR saves your in-progress answers on your device until you’re ready to finish.
Is it really free?
Yes. Your first CV is free with every account. The CV is yours to keep, download as a Word document and edit any time. Additional builds (e.g. tailored versions for specific job ads) require a subscription.