cv personal statement for apprenticeship

Apprenticeship CV example

Build your CV on this template 

When you’re pursuing apprenticeship opportunities, your CV needs to attract the best employers.

A strong CV should highlight your marketable skills, using a visually pleasing and clear structure  to really sell you.

I’ve created this comprehensive guide (and example apprenticeship CV), that will walk you through the process of producing an engaging and eye-catching CV and move one step closer to landing a top apprenticeship role.

Article contents

CV templates 

The above CV example displays how to structure your CV when you have limited or no work experience, documenting your core skills and how they can help you transition into an apprenticeship.

As the guide continues, I’ll support you in producing your own interview winning CV.

Build your CV now 

CV structure & format

Your CV needs to facilitate ease of reading through a clear and well-defined structure, allowing recruiters to easily identify your suitability for apprenticeships .

A strong structure will enable recruiters to simply navigate your details, pinpointing your potential with ease.

This infographic will give you the tools to write a CV that is well formatted , detailing what sections to include.

Formatting Tips

• Keep to a clear, professional CV structure, sticking to a muted colour pallet and easy to read font
• Maintain a CV length of between 1 to 2 sides of A4 to tell your story quickly to busy employers
• Avoid adding imagery to your CV such as company logos or headshots, these aren’t needed in the decision making process and just waste space

Structuring your CV

Make your CV easy for recruiters to navigate by breaking it up into clearly defined sections, working to the below order:

• Contact details – have your contact details handy at the top of the page
• Profile – engage recruiters at first glance, with an opening paragraph that summarises your suitability for apprenticeship roles
• Education – documenting your educational history, focusing on the qualifications/courses most related to the apprenticeship you’re pursuing
• Work experience –  detail any employment, voluntary experience or personal pursuits undertaken
• Interests and hobbies – add hobbies that showcase your transferable skills

I will now talk you through what to include  within each of these sections.

CV contact details

Add your contact details to the top of your CV, ensuring recruiters and employers can easily reach you.

Look only to include essential information:

• Phone number
• Email address

Avoid adding supplementary information such as your date of birth, headshots or your full home address – as the city you live within is enough detail.

Top Tip –  use a professional email address and even consider setting up an account solely to use for apprenticeship applications.

Your CV profile (or personal statement ) is a short opening paragraph, which should grab recruiters’ attention and engage them to read further.

Like a blurb to a book it should give an overview of your CV, detailing your voluntary experience, educational history and applicable skills.

Showcasing at first glance why you’re the ideal candidate for apprenticeship positions .

Use these tips to help you produce your CV profile:

• Your profile needs to be between 5-10 lines, a succinct paragraph to entice recruiters, you’ll be able to elaborate elsewhere in your CV
• Research the industry you’re looking to pursue and tailor your profile to those types of apprenticeships, making yourself custom fit
• Stand out from the crowd and avoid using overused statements such as “I give 110%”, recruiters read these types of phrases in hundreds of CVs and they only make you blend into the crowd

What to include in your CV profile?

• Qualifications – your educational history should be a focal point, specifically highlighting any qualifications needed to commence an apprenticeship
• Core skills –  feature your transferable skills, consider strengths such as communication, team work, organisation and interpersonal skills
• Passions –  explain why you’re looking to gain an apprenticeship role and your interest in that field

Core skills & achievement section

Beneath your profile, include a core skills and achievement section that is comprised of two to three columns of bullet points.

Use your industry research to tailor the skills you include to those required for apprenticeship opportunities, emphasising your relevancy for roles at first glance.

Consider strengths gained within your education, extra curriculum activities or any voluntary experience.

If you have limited work experience, your education should be highlighted throughout your CV, but your education section will allow you to provide more depth on these courses.

List each qualification obtained in bullet point form, documenting the course title, year obtained and the establishment you attended.

Factor in GCSE’s, A Levels, any vocational courses or short/online courses you have achieved, starting with those most related to the apprenticeship sector you’re applying to.

Clubs and Memberships

Also, look to include any club involvement or memberships acquired within your education section.

Consider any sporting clubs you have been part of, drama groups or whether you were a prefect or school champion whilst in education.

See also: Graduate CV – School leaver CV

Work experience

Your work experience isn’t limited to just full time paid employment, you should look to include any voluntary work undertaken, freelancing or even any personal pursuits.

Structuring your roles

When structuring your work experience, you need to break up large blocks of text, enabling recruiters to easily navigate your experience.

Using the below three sections.

Give context to recruiters with an overview of your role and the organisation you were within.

“Working in a local cafe, serving customers at the till as well as supporting the kitchen with serving food ”

Key responsibilities

Documenting any duties in bullet point form.

• Taking customer orders, advising them which choices are best from the menu
• Helping to clean tables, counters and supporting in the kitchen when needed

Key achievements

Record your key achievements , adding any relevant figures to strengthen your examples.

• Received a 10 out of 10 score from a customer feedback form

Interests and hobbies

When you have limited work experience, your hobbies section is a great way to support your application by describing your transferable skills.

Avoid cliche hobbies  like “socialising” and instead include interests that confirm strengths such as team work, communication or organisation.

For example, playing for a sports club, being part of the debate team or being creative through a blog or YouTube channel you have created.

Essential skills for your CV

Feature the key strengths you have gained within your time in either education, extra curriculum activities or skills you acquired from voluntary experience.

Communication –  having the confidence to clearly communicate with people of all levels

Commitment and Drive –  display your commitment towards pursuing this training programme and career path

Organisational Skills –  whether juggling studies, voluntary work or other commitments

Team Work –  working with others, either in sporting teams or class projects

Writing your apprenticeship CV

When you’re applying to apprenticeship positions it’s essential for your CV to highlight your transferable skills, as well as your passion for the apprenticeships you’re applying to.

Using a clear, strong CV structure will help you grab recruiters’ attention, exciting them to delve deeper into your CV.

By using this guide, you’ll be able to produce your own eye-catching CV that’ll help you get hired.

G ood luck in your next application!

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• Write a CV with no experience

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18 September 2023

How To Write An Apprenticeship Personal Statement

So you’ve found your dream apprenticeship and decided to apply for it. Great news! 

As part of the application process, you may need to write a personal statement to help employers find out more about you, your skills and why you’re applying for that specific role. 

But how do you write one? Don’t worry, we’ve got the answers. Read on to find out how to nail your apprenticeship personal statement…

What is an apprenticeship personal statement?

What to write in an apprenticeship personal statement.

• What are your hobbies?
• What are your qualities?

An apprenticeship personal statement is a brief written summary alongside your CV or application form that outlines your skills and experience to employers. It shows off your personality and allows them to assess your suitability for the job.

Why is an apprenticeship personal statement important?

Your apprenticeship personal statement is the first time you’ll introduce yourself to an employer. So it’s crucial you make a good first impression. Think of it as your moment to shine. An opportunity to highlight your interests and career goals. 

Employers want to get to know the real you. So don’t be afraid to include your thoughts, feelings and opinions. It might help to ask yourself these questions:

• Why am I right for this role?
• Why me over another candidate?
• What can I offer in terms of my abilities and interests?

The first thing you’ll need to tell an employer in your apprenticeship personal statement is why you want to work for them. Have you done your research? Are you familiar with the company and its values? Employers want candidates who know about the business and its products.

So the more you show this in your written statement, the better your chances of impressing them and getting an interview. Research the company website. Read through any press releases or social media posts for all their latest news. It pays to be prepared.

Next thing an employer will want to know is what is it about the apprenticeship that appeals to you? If you’re applying for a nursing role, mention how much you love taking care of others and looking out for their needs. 

You’ll find a list of all your responsibilities in the job description. Revise them carefully and express your interest in carrying out daily tasks.

What are your hobbies? 

After you’ve got all the above down, it’s time to move on to your hobbies. Did you pass any music exams, captain the football team or head up the Film Club?? Got your Duke of Edinburgh award? Definitely include it. That’s an amazing achievement.

Transferable skills

Transferable skills are skills that you’ll have developed at school, socially or professionally. Skills that are helpful and relevant, and able to get you a job. Most people demonstrate their transferable skills when applying for a role or changing careers altogether.

Employers look for candidates who can show a good set of transferable skills in their application. Examples of these skills include:

• Communication
• Problem solving
• Critical thinking
• Attention to detail

If you haven’t got work experience, but developed transferable skills through hobbies or extracurricular activities, this is just as good as working a job. And it totally counts. 

What are your qualities? 

This one requires a bit of self awareness and analysis. Are you hard-working, driven and ambitious? Shy, but fiercely passionate about achieving your goals? Mention these qualities and back them up with specific examples.

If you’re unsure, ask a parent, friend or sibling for advice. While you’ll ultimately know yourself best, getting someone else’s opinion on you always adds a new perspective to the mix. 

And gives you extra clarity.

Share any work experience

What about work or volunteering experience? 

This could be directly related to your apprenticeship or transferable skills you’ve picked up from something else. Say you did some babysitting for two hours on a weekly basis. This shows commitment and responsibility – traits employers are always looking for.

So…Ready to go out there and smash your apprenticeship personal statement? We think so!

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Written by Ghazaleh

More posts by Ghazaleh

How to write an apprenticeship personal statement

If you know what career or industry you want to work in, an apprenticeship might be the best way to get a foot in the door.

There are thousands of apprenticeships across the country, and finding the right one for you is the first step. The second step? Writing your application.

Here’s everything you need to know to help you feel confident and prepared before you write your apprenticeship personal statement.

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a brief summary of who you are and your background.

It helps interviewers get to know you, and is a great way to show your skills, experience, education and personality to potential apprenticeship employers. If you’re interested in an apprenticeship that’s especially popular, your personal statement could be the make or break between getting accepted or not.

Do you need a personal statement for an apprenticeship?

It depends. it’s very common for apprenticeships and interviewers to ask for a personal statement, and this is a good thing – it gives you the opportunity to demonstrate what a great candidate you are.

Some apprenticeships will just ask for your CV, personal details, academic certificates or portfolio, or they might ask you to complete a test. Others might expect you to apply on employer career portals, where you type your information directly into the website.

What should I include in my apprenticeship personal statement?

An apprenticeship personal statement is usually less than one A4 page long, so you don’t need to delve into extreme detail. What you write will vary between applications, but here are the fundamental topics that you should include:

Employment/volunteering experience

Discuss any work experience, part-time jobs or volunteering that you have done. Focus on the skills and knowledge you learned, what you gained from the experience, or what you contributed. If your work/volunteering experience isn’t directly relevant to the apprenticeship, make sure you still include it – instead, try to focus on the transferable skills.

Academic background and qualifications

The chances are that you will have more academic experience than work experience, but this isn’t a problem. Write a few sentences about what you have learned from your studies, what skills you have developed, where you succeeded and what you enjoyed.

Show your enthusiasm

Don’t be afraid to be enthusiastic and show your interest – after all, interviewers will want to know that you are excited about this course and ready to learn.

Hobbies/interests

You don’t always need to include your hobbies and interests, but it can be a useful addition to your personal statement. You could discuss what skills you have learned from your extracurricular hobbies and how these are applicable to the apprenticeship or your future.

Future goals

There’s one big question that interviewers will ask: what do you want to do in the future? Briefly discuss what your future goals are, e.g. what job, industry or company you are working towards. Then, link it back to how the apprenticeship can help you achieve these goals.

What do I need to know before writing my apprenticeship personal statement?

Before you even put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard!) brainstorm your responses to the following questions. Try to briefly answer all, if not most, of them in your personal statement:

• Why do you want to work in this industry?
• What is it about this specific apprenticeship or company that interests you? Do some further research on their websites.
• What skills are required for this apprenticeship? And do you have them?
• When have you demonstrated the relevant skills? Think of some examples.
• What are your top 3 strengths or qualities?
• Why do you think an apprenticeship is right for you?

Not only will your answers help you write a high-quality personal statement, but this is a good reflective exercise to help you feel confident you’re on a path that you feel passionate and excited about.

How many apprenticeship applications should I send?

There’s no right or wrong answer. Each application should be personalised and relevant to the specific job or course that you’re applying for. Even if you apply for 5 accounting apprenticeships, don’t assume that every application can be the same just because they are all for the accounting industry.

But personalisation takes time, so don’t expect to spam 50 apprenticeships with your application if you want to be successful. In summary, there’s no limit to how many apprenticeships you can apply for, as long as you put the time and effort into personalising each application. 

Extra personal statement tips

Plan, plan, plan.

You know what they say: ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’. Once you’ve brainstormed your answers, organise them in a cohesive, concise manner so you know what you are going to say about each topic, and how you will link them together. This will help you to fit everything in without writing too much.

Check for errors

Once you’ve written your personal statement, make sure your proofread it for any typos, spelling mistakes or other errors. If you’re not confident that you’ll spot the mistakes, ask a friend, family member or a teacher to read it for you.

What’s the best thing you can do if you don’t have the right skills or subjects for a particular apprenticeship? Tell the truth. Don’t lie about what you have and haven’t done. Instead, describe any similar experience that you have, and explain why you want to learn new skills.

Apprenticeship personal statements take time to write. So don’t leave it until the night before the application closes – start early and give yourself enough days, weeks or even months to write an application that you’ll be proud of.

Use key words

Key words aren’t a necessity, but you could think about what words are frequently used to describe the apprenticeship. E.g. if you’re applying for a hairdressing apprenticeship, you might use words like ‘customer-focused’, ‘friendly’ and ‘creative’. You can usually identify keywords by reading job descriptions for the apprenticeship or similar jobs in that industry.

Re-read the apprenticeship description

Have you addressed the skills and experience that the apprenticeship is asking for? Have they asked you to write about something specific that you may have missed out? Re-read the apprenticeship description to make sure you’ve included everything.

If you haven’t heard back about your application, send a polite email or give the relevant person a call. Not only is this a great way to demonstrate your enthusiasm, but it will help you build a relationship with your potential employer.

Start writing your application today

This might seem like a lot of info, but once you have written a couple of personal statements it will feel much easier. Plus – it will be worth it when you secure your apprenticeship and dive into an exciting career.

Still not sure what to apply for? Take a look at our industry guides . From beauty to paramedics , science to tattooing , we’ve got everything you need to know about apprenticeships in your dream industry. 

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How to write a CV for an apprenticeship?

If you’re looking for a construction apprenticeship , having a stand-out CV which accurately reflects your skills and qualifications should be your top priority.

Why do I need an apprenticeship CV?

A CV is important because it will give potential future employers a first impression of you based on your education, work experience, skills, hobbies and achievements. A CV, or curriculum vitae, is effectively your shop window.

Things to include on your apprenticeship CV

There isn’t a one size fits all approach to structuring a good apprenticeship CV, but there is certain information that all CVs should include.

There is some basic information that all employers want to see on a CV, such as contact details and referees, and while most CVs contain the same sort of information, the way it is presented and ordered can make all the difference.

Structure and formatting your CV

Here is an example structure which captures all the information employers want, and is suitable for all experience and education levels.

Contact details

Your name should be at the top of the document – there’s no need to write ‘CV’ or ‘curriculum vitae’. Below that, you should include:

• Your full address and postcode
• Landline or mobile number – whichever you’re most likely to be reachable on during a working day
• Email address – make sure to keep it professional

You don’t need to include other details such as your age, marital status, date of birth, nationality etc. If you have one, you can include a link to your profile on a professional social media site like LinkedIn.

Personal statement

A personal statement isn’t essential, but it’s a good way to introduce who you are, your career aims and key attributes. It is a short statement which aims to prove why you’re suitable for the role, helping you to stand out from the crowd.       

This is to briefly tell the employer what experience you have or what your current role is, what interests you about the apprenticeship and what your professional goals are. Keep it short with two to three sentences.

Here’s some tips on how to write a personal statement for a CV.

Depending on your personal circumstances you may want to put work history next – if you have limited or no work experience, put education here.

In this section you will need to include in most recent order:

• The names and grades of your qualifications
• The school, college or university where you studied
• The dates you attended

Most apprenticeships have specific educational requirements, such as a certain number of attained qualifications or ones in a specific subject. If the apprenticeship requires a qualification in a certain subject and you have an higher level qualification in it, be sure to mention it. This could give you an edge over other candidates.

If you completed a work placement, a traineeship, work experience, etc. this will be better placed under work history.

Work history

Even if you don't yet have any experience directly related to your chosen field, still mention any experience you do have. This could include part-time work, school work experience programmes, voluntary work and any apprenticeships you've already done.

Outline your responsibilities and the duration of your experiences. You’ll need to give details of:

• The employer, with the most recent first
• The title of the job
• The dates you worked
• A brief outline of what you did

When discussing your strengths and skills, use active words such as ‘organised’, ‘built’, ‘created’, ‘managed’, or ‘planned’.

Rather than just listing your duties and responsibilities, giving positive examples of your achievements is a great way to bring your qualities the employer is looking for. The STAR method is a good way to do this:

• Situation – Your role in a previous work setting
• Task – A time you had you had to use your qualities to complete a specific task or solve a problem.  Consider how this relates to a specific quality on the job you’re going for
• Action – How did you complete this task? Use specific examples
• Result – What was the outcome of your action, and how did it contribute to a success story?

Hobbies, interests or achievements

This isn’t an essential section, so if you’re going to include it keep it short. It’s a good place to include achievements which aren’t related to work or education, such as running a marathon, winning an award, climbing a mountain, etc.

What skills should you include on an apprenticeship CV?

Some CVs include a separate section which lists applicants’ skills. In most situations, it isn’t necessary to include this as you will have mentioned all of your skills in the other sections. However, it can be a useful way to highlight skills if you are particularly experienced in a certain field.

It is better to use specific skills, such as software packages you’re proficient in, rather than generic terms like communication skills, teamworking and multitasking. 

Employers will take up references in the event of offering the job to you. They will usually ask for two referees, one of whom should be your last employer. If you haven’t had a job before, you can ask an employer you have done work experience for, a teacher or anyone who knows you who isn’t a member of your family. It helps if they are employed or work in a profession or industry.

More information

You’ve written a great CV – what next? 

Many apprenticeship applications require a cover letter alongside your CV – and even if they don’t, it is good practice to include one.

If you’ve managed to land an apprenticeship interview – well done! Read our hints and tips guide to interviews .

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