CV & Personal Brand 101Your first proper CV

Why this matters

Most Year 10s have never written a CV. This module teaches the fundamentals - what employers actually scan for, the eight-second test, structure, achievements over duties - and gets every student to a printable first draft.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson

I can structure a CV with the right sections

I can rewrite duties as achievements with measurable impact

I can name three things to never put on a CV

ActivityActivity 1: The eight-second scan

Whole class15 min

Show 3 real CVs (anonymised). Students have 8 seconds each - what stuck? What didn't? Insight: structure matters as much as content.

ActivityActivity 2: Achievements over duties

On your own25 min

Rewrite 5 generic duties as achievements with numbers/results. Worked examples first, then in pairs.

ActivityActivity 3: First draft live

On your own20 min

Open Chapter CV Builder. Live-fill your first CV. Print at end of lesson.

Success criteria

How we'll know it worked

First-draft CV in Chapter CV Builder

Three achievements rewritten using the STAR-lite frame

Chapter Student Game

Action

Build your first CV draft in Chapter CV Builder

Skills: Speaking, Creativity

Save your first-draft CV to Chapter. You'll iterate it through the year.

What's next

Use the Chapter CV Builder live in class. Encourage 'STAR-lite' achievement format: Situation/Task/Action/Result in one sentence each.