How to Make a CV for an Apprenticeship in 2026: A Practical Guide

October 8, 2026

You might have opened a CV template for an apprenticeship, typed your name, and then got stuck staring at the nearly blank page. Your friend lists several experiences, while you only have an internship, a school project, and a few skills. The issue isn’t the lack of background; it’s how you turn what you’ve done into valuable evidence for the employer.

Your First Apprenticeship CV Starts with Understanding the Game

An apprenticeship CV isn’t read like that of an experienced candidate. Recruiters know you’re here to learn. They mainly look for a coherent project, a clearly identified training program, compatible scheduling, and concrete clues about how you work.

Consider a high school student aiming for a Level 5 Business BTS. She’s never held a sales position but took part in a class sales project, managed a booth at a community event, and worked during holidays. Writing “no experience” would be inaccurate. These activities already demonstrate her public interaction, organizational skills, and ability to follow instructions.

Apprenticeships represent a significant market. 889,400 apprenticeship contracts started in France in 2024, a 4% increase from 2023, with 73.6% in the service sector, according to the Dares report on apprenticeships in 2024. Your CV should therefore target a specific job, diploma, and employer type—not just “an apprenticeship.”

What the Employer Is Really Looking For

Your diploma answers “why is this candidate applying?” Your projects answer “what can they already do?” Your schedule and availability answer “can we organize their start?”

An effective CV reduces reading time. In seconds, the recruiter must understand:

• Your target role, e.g., sales assistant, web developer, or communications officer.
• Your training, with the exact diploma or title you’re pursuing.
• Your schedule, especially the split between school and company.
• Your availability, with a clear start date.
• Your proof points, even if from school projects, seasonal jobs, or volunteering.

Practical rule: don’t aim to fill the page. Make every line count for the targeted position.

A one-page, readable, and focused CV is better than a document full of unproven qualities. The blank page disappears once you stop counting jobs and start analyzing the actions you actually performed.

The Winning Structure of an Apprenticeship CV in 2026

The order of sections should serve your application, not mechanically copy a template. For apprenticeships, training and contract conditions should appear early, as they immediately explain your approach.

The Order to Follow

1. Header and Title
   Include your first and last name, phone number, professional email, and mobility if relevant. The title should combine the desired role, contract type, and diploma. Example: “Marketing Assistant, Apprenticeship, Bachelor in Digital Communication”.

2. Summary
   In two or three lines, state your level, goal, and what you can already contribute. Avoid vague phrases like “motivated and dynamic” without proof. Prefer something like: “First-year Business BTS student seeking a host company to develop skills in prospecting, customer relations, and sales follow-up.”

3. Education
   Place this before experience when your current diploma justifies your application. Add the institution, dates, relevant subjects or projects, and admission status if pending.

4. Skills
   Use terms from the job offer, including software, methods, certifications, and soft skills requested. Usually, five to eight targeted skills fit well on one page.

5. Projects and Achievements
   Treat a school or personal project like experience. Specify context, your role, tools used, and results.

6. Experience and Activities
   List experiences from most recent to oldest. Internships, seasonal jobs, volunteering, or freelance work can be included if they support your application.

Keep the layout simple: single column, standard headings, readable font, and a PDF with selectable text for easy human and automated reading. Avoid level bars, complex tables, and icons without text—they take space without proving skills.

Also include mobility, driving license, or portfolio links if relevant. A GitHub, Behance, or project folder link only adds value if up-to-date and directly accessible.

Turning Your Experiences into Tangible Proof

The phrase “good interpersonal skills” doesn’t let recruiters assess your level. It states a quality but shows no situation or behavior. To make a skill credible, use the sequence context, action, result.

In 2024, 43% of apprenticeship contracts started involved someone already in an apprenticeship, with half following a contract break. Training for professional titles accounted for 34% of new contracts, after an 11% increase, according to Dares data on apprenticeships in 2024. This highlights a practical point: recruiters look at your ability to link training to real situations, not just your diploma name.

From Vague Descriptions to Proof

Never invent results to make a line more impressive. If you lack numbers, describe precisely the deliverable, tools used, or responsibilities taken. “Created a sales presentation on Canva and presented it orally to the class” is more useful than “creativity.”

Experiences You Might Underestimate

A personal project can show autonomy. Volunteering can demonstrate reliability. A graded assignment can reveal your ability to follow a brief. Team sports can illustrate teamwork, provided you describe your role rather than just listing abstract qualities.

For more on this method, see our guide on writing a CV without professional experience. Your experience becomes clear when each line answers three questions: what was the context, what did you do, and what was the outcome or deliverable?

Mandatory Information for Apprenticeships

A recruiter might like your profile but reject your CV simply because they don’t understand your constraints. “Looking for apprenticeship” doesn’t specify diploma, contract type, or start date. These must appear in the title or summary, never hidden in a cover letter.

The Block to Place at the Top of the CV

Use an operational phrasing, for example:

Sales Assistant, Business BTS Apprenticeship
Schedule: 2 days school / 3 days company
Available from September 2026
Mobility: Lyon and surrounding areas

Add the exact contract type sought: apprenticeship or professionalization. If applying to multiple programs, create consistent versions. The diploma shown, schedule, and date must match the offer and your real situation.

An apprenticeship contract can last from six months to three years, or even four years for disabled workers, depending on training, as noted by the French Ministry of Labor’s Q&A on apprenticeships. Indicating the planned duration helps employers plan accordingly.

What Is Confirmed and What Is Pending

Not admitted yet? Write “admission pending”. Multiple schedules possible? Indicate “schedule negotiable with employer” if true. Careful information is better than invented details that cause contradictions in interviews.

Attach training calendars and school brochures when relevant. Address your application to a named contact, such as apprenticeship coordinator, HR manager, or small business owner. Personalized submissions look more professional than generic “Dear Sir/Madam” messages.

Complete Example of a Successful Apprenticeship CV

Here’s a version tailored to a candidate aiming for a Business BTS and an apprenticeship in sales. It fits on one page because it keeps only information useful to the target.

Lucas Martin
Lyon and surrounding areas, 06 00 00 00 00, lucas.martin@email.fr

Sales Advisor Apprentice, Business BTS
Schedule: two days training / three days company
Available from September 2026
Mobility: public transport, Lyon

Profile
BTS Business student seeking to develop skills in prospecting, customer reception, and relationship management. School projects and volunteering have taught me to prepare sales pitches, organize actions, and present information clearly.

Education
2026–2028, Business BTS, school admission pending, Lyon
2026, Technological Baccalaureate, Jean-Moulin High School, Lyon

Skills
Prospecting, customer reception, sales pitch, contact follow-up, Excel, Canva, teamwork, following instructions.

School Project: Product Launch Simulation
Analyzed client needs, prepared sales pitch, created presentation materials on Canva, and presented to class. Group work with role distribution and schedule adherence.

Volunteering Experience
Volunteer at local fundraiser. Welcomed participants, directed them to areas, and helped with cleanup.

Seasonal Job
Retail assistant. Stocked shelves, assisted customers, and maintained sales area.

Each section delivers distinct information. The summary explains the project, education establishes coherence, the school project provides proof, and experiences show behavior in context. You can also check this internship CV example to compare how tasks and achievements are presented.

The video below can complement your visual preparation and help verify your document’s overall readability.

The Critical Mistake That Eliminates 80% of Applications

The figure in this title is often cited but not verified here. However, a generic CV is indeed a strategic error. Sending the same document to ten companies without changes can include wrong job titles, incompatible schedules, or irrelevant skills.

Apec notes that tailored CVs and cover letters influence preselection, and the La Bonne Alternance guide on finding an employer stresses the importance of adapting applications. The same guide states that six out of ten employers value soft skills more than technical ones. So only write “following instructions” if you can link it to an observable situation.

Customize Without Rewriting the Entire CV

Keep a stable base, then modify elements that determine relevance:

• The title, with the exact job title from the offer.
• The summary, reflecting the sector and main mission.
• The skills, ordered as requested by the employer.
• The projects, placing the most relevant first.
• The apprenticeship block, with the actual schedule and start date.
• The recipient, when you know the hiring manager’s name.

If the offer emphasizes customer relations, your sales project should come before graphic design activities. If a specific tool is required and you used it in class, mention it in skills and the related achievement. Don’t copy the entire ad—only include keywords you truly master.

A coherent cover letter strengthens this customization. Find an example of an apprenticeship cover letter to adapt to the company and role rather than copy word for word.

Finally, check spelling, dates, company names, and PDF format. Unsolicited applications deserve a different version focused on the job and type of company sought, since over half of employers recruit without posting offers, according to the La Bonne Alternance guide cited above.

Jobshift helps you find offers and then tailor your CV, cover letter, and short answers to each job’s criteria with integrated AI assistance. Visit Jobshift to prepare targeted and coherent apprenticeship applications faster.

FAQ on Apprenticeship CVs

Should education come before experience on an apprenticeship CV?

Yes, when your current diploma directly supports your application. Place education before experience, then detail projects that demonstrate skills applicable in the workplace.

What to include on an apprenticeship CV if you have no experience?

Add internships, school projects, volunteering, seasonal jobs, personal achievements, and commitments related to the role. Always describe context, actions taken, and results or deliverables.

Where to indicate the apprenticeship schedule?

Include it in the title or summary along with the diploma, contract type, and availability date. Recruiters should find this info without scanning the entire page.

Should I mention apprenticeship or professionalization contracts?

Yes. Clearly state the contract type sought, as rules and conditions may differ. If open to both, mention it only if your training and situation allow.

Should an apprenticeship CV fit on one page?

For beginners, one page is usually the most readable format. Keep only experiences, skills, and projects relevant to the targeted role, and adjust the order according to the offer.

Can I send the same CV to all companies?

No. Keep a common base but at least modify the title, summary, skills, highlighted projects, schedule, and recipient. This adaptation avoids inconsistencies and shows your application truly meets the employer’s needs.