Applications
CV, cover letter, LinkedIn, and interview — what employers actually look for when you have no experience yet, and how to give yourself the best possible chance.
Salary figures and programme details reflect UK market data as of 2026. Always verify specifics directly with employers before making decisions.
Getting your first job is a skill. Most people approach it without preparation and wonder why it's hard. This guide covers the practical mechanics — what a CV at 18 should look like, how to write a cover letter that gets read, how to use LinkedIn before you have a career, and how to prepare for interviews when you don't have much to talk about yet.
At 18–21, your CV is one page. A two-page CV from someone with no professional experience signals poor judgement, not thoroughness. One page. Every word earns its place.
What to include: a personal statement (2–3 sentences, tailored to the role — not generic), education (school, predicted or actual grades, any prizes or achievements), work experience (any: retail, babysitting, Saturday jobs, volunteering — describe what you actually did using action verbs), extracurricular activities and positions of responsibility (sports, societies, Duke of Edinburgh, leadership roles), and skills (software, languages, certifications).
What not to include: a photo, your date of birth (discrimination risk for the employer), references (omit entirely — employers request them after a conditional offer; the phrase wastes space), or a generic personal statement that could apply to anyone ("I am a hardworking and enthusiastic individual who...").
Use action verbs. Managed, achieved, increased, delivered, coordinated, trained, built. Not "I was responsible for" or "I helped with". What did you do, specifically?
Quantify where possible. "Managed social media for school charity event, reaching 800 students" beats "helped with social media". Numbers make achievements concrete.
Tailor it to the role. A CV is not a document you send to every employer unchanged. Read the job description and make sure your CV speaks to what they are looking for.
Beat the ATS. Most large employers use Applicant Tracking Software to screen CVs before a human reads them. Include keywords from the job description. Submit as PDF unless they specify otherwise.
Research consistently shows recruiters spend under 10 seconds scanning a CV before deciding whether to read it properly. Your formatting and opening two lines are carrying most of the weight.
Not every application requires a cover letter. When they do, it matters — a generic one is worse than none.
Structure: three short paragraphs.
What not to do: start with "I am writing to apply for...". Do not repeat your CV. Do not use AI to write it — the output is generic and detectable, and you will be asked about it at interview.
Most recruiters look at LinkedIn before calling you. A blank profile is a missed opportunity. An absent one is worse.
What to include: a professional photo (not a selfie, not a party photo — a clear, well-lit photo of your face), a headline ("Aspiring financial analyst | A-level student | Looking for school leaver opportunities"), your education, any work experience or voluntary work, and 3–5 skills.
How to use it actively: follow companies you're interested in, connect with people who work there, engage thoughtfully with content in your field. Reaching out cold is more acceptable than most people think — "I'm 18, exploring careers in X, would you have 20 minutes to tell me about your path?" — most people say yes, especially to school leavers who show initiative.
For competency questions ("Tell me about a time you..."), structure your answers as: Situation — what was the context? Task — what were you trying to do? Action — what did you specifically do? Result — what happened? This applies to school projects, part-time jobs, sports teams, extracurricular activities. You don't need professional experience to have examples.
The question you should always ask: "What does success look like in this role in the first three months?" It shows you are thinking about performance, not just getting the job.
Same standards as in-person. Professional background (or a plain wall), good lighting (face the window, don't sit with it behind you), eye contact with the camera not the screen, no distractions.
Job applications are a skill that improves with practice. Apply widely in the beginning — not to waste anyone's time, but because the first three applications will teach you more than any amount of reading about it. Get into the room, get the feedback, and iterate.
Two levels, ten questions each. See how much you took in.