What should a summer job CV include?
Keep it to one page. That is all you need. Here is what to include:
Contact details
Name, city, phone number, and email address. Nothing more is needed. No photo, no date of birth, no national ID.
Check that your email address looks sensible. An address you created years ago may not give the right impression. It takes two minutes to create a new one.
Personal profile
2-4 sentences. Say who you are, what you are looking for, and why you are interested in that particular job or industry. Write in the first person and be specific.
Example
"I am a secondary school student looking for my first summer job in retail or customer service. I am used to taking responsibility, enjoy working with people, and am available for the whole of July and the first half of August."
That is better than "I am a driven and ambitious person with good teamwork skills." Everyone writes that. Be concrete instead.
Education
Which school you attend, what course or program, and what year you are in. If you have finished school or university, write your qualification and the year you completed it. That is all.
Work experience - if you have any
Have you done any part-time work, had a previous summer job, helped a neighbor, or assisted with a family business? Include it. Write the role, employer, and dates, plus one or two sentences about what you did.
If you have no work experience at all, skip this section and put more weight on education, activities, and skills.
Activities and involvement
This is the section that replaces work experience when you do not have any. Training sessions or competitions you have led, school projects you have been responsible for, club work, volunteering, babysitting, helping neighbors - anything that shows you take initiative and follow through.
It does not need to be impressive. It needs to be genuine.
Skills
List things you genuinely know how to do. A driver's license if you have one and it is relevant. Languages you speak. Software you are proficient in. Avoid vague claims like "good with computers" without specifying what that means.
Availability
State which weeks you are available. Many summer job listings ask specifically for this. If you know you have a holiday planned on a certain week, say so. Employers appreciate honesty and it avoids misunderstandings.
Tip: Tailor the personal profile for each application. If you are applying to a shop, mention that you are good at customer service. If you are applying to a cafe, mention that you thrive in a busy environment. It takes five minutes and makes a real difference.
What not to include
- Date of birth or national ID. Always remove these.
- Photo. Not standard in most markets and not necessary.
- Generic phrases without substance. "Stress-resistant and solution-oriented" says nothing without a concrete example.
How to find a summer job
Go in person where possible. Call and ask. Send an email with your CV attached. Most employers who take on summer workers make their decision based on direct contact with you, not through a jobs website.
Always send a short cover letter or introductory message along with your CV. It does not need to be long. Three or four sentences where you introduce yourself, explain why you are interested in that specific job, and state your availability. That is often what determines whether the employer even opens the PDF.
Create your summer job CV now
Beom CV is free and requires no account. Fill in your details and download your PDF right away.
Create CV for free