Apprenticeship CV example with no work experience
No paid job yet? Your CV can still show an employer how you learn, solve problems, work with people and take responsibility. This guide turns school, college and everyday experience into clear, truthful evidence.
Use this example as a structure—not a script.
The person below is fictional. Do not copy their subjects, achievements or numbers. Replace every detail with something you genuinely did and could explain in an interview.
A CV built from education, projects and responsibility
This candidate has no paid employment. The CV still gives an employer specific evidence to discuss at interview.
Check my version freeJordan Ahmed
Digital Support Apprentice applicant
[your phone number]
[your professional email]
Personal profile
College student working towards a Level 3 IT qualification and seeking a digital support apprenticeship. Built and tested a revision website with three classmates, recording faults and presenting the final design. Interested in helping users solve technical problems and developing practical support skills in a team.
Education
Current modules include web development, cyber security and IT support. Add your achieved or predicted grade only if accurate.
List your real subjects and grades, including English and maths. Label predicted grades clearly.
Projects and relevant experience
- Worked with three classmates to plan, build and test a revision website against a four-week deadline.
- Recorded 12 faults during testing and helped the team prioritise fixes before the final presentation.
- Explained the navigation and testing decisions during a five-minute group presentation.
- Helped visitors connect their devices to Wi-Fi and use the centre's online booking form.
- Wrote a one-page step-by-step guide after noticing that visitors asked similar questions.
- Prepared and checked training equipment before weekly sessions and reported missing items to the coach.
Skills supported by evidence
- Teamwork: collaborated with three classmates on a four-week website project.
- Problem-solving: logged faults, compared possible fixes and retested the website.
- Communication: supported community-centre visitors and wrote a plain-language guide.
- Organisation: prepared equipment consistently before weekly club sessions.
Interests
Building small web pages and learning how everyday technology works. Only include interests that are genuine and add something useful to the application.
References
Available on request. A teacher, tutor, volunteering lead or club coach may be suitable if they know your work and have agreed to be contacted.
Six sections that give an employer a clear picture
Keep the strongest and most relevant information near the top. Remove anything you cannot explain or support.
Contact details
Name, town or area, phone number and a professional email address. You do not need to publish your full home address.
Focused profile
State what you are studying, the apprenticeship you want and one or two relevant pieces of evidence. Avoid unsupported clichés.
Education
List your school or college, course, dates and truthful grades. Mark predicted grades clearly instead of presenting them as achieved.
Projects and experience
Use projects, placements, volunteering, clubs, sport, caring or home responsibilities. Explain the action you took and the result.
Skills with proof
Choose skills the vacancy asks for, then connect each one to a short example instead of producing a long keyword list.
Relevant interests
This section is optional. Include genuine activities that demonstrate curiosity, commitment or knowledge connected to the role.
Turn a claim into evidence
A useful bullet normally explains what you did, the context and—when truthful—the result or scale.
“I have good teamwork skills.”
Evidence-led“Worked with three classmates to build and test a revision website against a four-week deadline.”
“I am good with technology.”
Evidence-led“Helped community-centre visitors connect devices to Wi-Fi and use an online booking form.”
“I am organised and reliable.”
Evidence-led“Prepared and checked football training equipment before weekly sessions for two seasons.”
Five steps before you apply
- 1Read the vacancy.
Highlight the genuine skills, qualifications and behaviours the employer requests.
- 2Collect your evidence.
List relevant examples from education, projects, volunteering, activities and responsibilities.
- 3Write specific bullets.
Start with an action, add context and include a truthful result or scale where you have one.
- 4Tailor the profile.
Name the type of apprenticeship and connect your strongest evidence to the vacancy.
- 5Check before sending.
Remove errors, confirm every claim is accurate and ask someone you trust to read it.
Applying without paid experience
Can I get an apprenticeship without work experience?
Yes, depending on the vacancy and its entry requirements. Paid work is not your only possible evidence. UCAS notes that transferable skills may also be demonstrated through volunteering, part-time roles or academic achievements, and apprenticeships are designed to develop work experience.
What goes in the experience section if I have never had a job?
Rename it “Projects and relevant experience”. Include truthful examples from projects, placements, volunteering, clubs, sport, caring, home responsibilities or independent learning that relate to the vacancy.
How long should my apprenticeship CV be?
Prioritise relevance and readability instead of trying to fill space. For many early-career applicants, one clear page may be enough; use a second page only when it contains useful, relevant evidence.
Should I send the same CV to every employer?
No. GOV.UK JobHelp recommends tailoring your CV to the specific apprenticeship. Keep the facts true, but change the order and emphasis so the most relevant evidence is easy to find.
Can I copy the fictional example?
Copy the structure, not the facts. Invented experience can damage trust and leave you unable to answer interview questions. Use your own subjects, projects, responsibilities and results.
Check whether your evidence is clear before you apply.
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