CV Support for School Leavers

Recently I visited a school, along with a number of other employers to take part in a careers advice day for a group of year 10 students. There was a particular focus on how to write CVs, and how to prepare for typical interview questions to help them in their transition in the next couple of years from school to work.?

At Remit, we place hundreds of apprentices in roles in a range of sectors up and down the country, each year. In my experience, a number of candidates potentially miss out on roles by simply not knowing how to write a CV that highlights how amazing they are.??

A number of school leavers will be awaiting exam results next month and at this age will feel that they don’t have the work experience to match more senior job seekers, but one of the key things they can do is demonstrate how hobbies; team sports, social situations, volunteering or other experiences have helped to develop the transferrable skills which employers value.?

The STAR Interview model?

One method we try and encourage apprenticeship candidates to use, to help them provide concise answers or talk about their accomplishments is the STAR model.

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. It is a particularly helpful way to respond to competency-focused questions, which typically start out with phrases such as, “Describe a time when…” and “Share an example of a situation where….” and behavioural questions that interviewers ask about how a candidate has handled certain situations.

This technique enables candidates to think about a specific scenario, describe their role in it, what they did and importantly what the outcomes were.?

Lead with your strengths

Leading a team of sales apprentices that deal with a lot of recruitment, I see a number of common mistakes from young people. Sadly, in general, they don’t give themselves credit in terms of what their strengths are. A great place for any apprentice candidate to start is with their strengths and if questioned, be able to articulate what areas they know they need to work on, not in terms of weaknesses necessarily but where they feel they can improve.?

Note to all, timekeeping and trustworthiness should come as standard,??but if, for example, someone isn’t a naturally confident person, saying they are putting themselves in more situations where they are around new people to really build their communication skills or doing more presentations in front of teachers are little things that an employer will really notice.

Often as an apprentice, the emphasis is on learning and earning so identifying areas of growth, taking feedback on board and implementing strategies to develop our daily requirements.?

CV structure

It should start with a short personal profile about the candidate; who they are, what they are like, what they are looking for and perhaps what they hope to bring to a work situation. This is a good place to include strengths and highlight particular skills.

In terms of the CV itself, it should be no longer than two pages, and for those with limited work experience, one page might suffice.

So for example, if someone applying for digital marketing or IT role has learnt the Adobe suite or built a huge following on Instagram or TikTok by working the algorithms or building a website for a friend this is a time to include it.?

Job v Experience?

It is the same old battle, you need a job to get experience but without experience, you can’t get a job. Thankfully, in the world of apprenticeships, this attitude is changing. So many employers we work with see the benefits of young talent in terms of the fresh ideas, motivation and willingness to learn. But if you are in a position to get some experience before you look for work, this is always good. Schools are getting much better at creating links to employers as part of the Gatsby Benchmarks

Earn and learn?

If a young person has a hobby or is interested in a certain career, chances are there is an apprenticeship to support it. Views on apprenticeships are changing as people understand the scope of work-based learning and the benefits apprenticeships offer school leavers over say a degree. The type or content of an apprenticeship can be viewed online but they represent a commitment on behalf of the employer, the learner and the training provider, so if this is a route a young person wants to go down, being able to demonstrate that they are able to work at something in the long-term is also a plus.?

Parental Guidance is advised?

Parents may not work in the sector their child has expressed an interest in but simple things like checking the spelling and grammar of a CV – there are lots of free software around- can make a massive difference. Also, we encourage parents (link to parent’s guide) to help school or college leavers to investigate as many opportunities as possible.?

We know that parents play a massive role in the early career choices – and often success- of a young person.

Also as adults, Mums, Dads, and carers have probably been through the interview process themselves. This experience of what is asked, and what the structure is can be invaluable in helping someone bring out their best self at an interview.?

if you or someone you know would like to apply for an apprenticeship?contact us