Education, extras, gaps and references: getting the details right

Where education goes

If you’re still studying or have just left, education is usually one of your strongest sections, so put it near the top, just under your profile. The National Careers Service suggests this for people early in their career. Once you’ve got substantial work experience, it usually moves below it.

How to lay it out

Most recent first. For each place: the school, college or university, the dates you were there, then the qualifications. The examples below are made up, but the layouts work for real CVs.

A few rules of thumb:

• Give grades for what you’ve got. If there are lots of GCSEs, a summary (“9 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4, including English and Maths”) is fine, but name English and maths, because many jobs and apprenticeships ask for them specifically.
• Mark predicted grades as predicted. If results are due, say “awaiting results, August 2026”. Never present a prediction as a result.
• Use the qualification’s real name. “BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Business” is clearer than “business course”. The same goes for T Levels, NVQs, Scottish Highers or anything else.
• Add a relevant detail if it helps: a project, a module or coursework that’s close to the job.
• Older detail can shrink. Graduates don’t usually need every GCSE listed.

Extras: certificates, awards, activities

A short section for extras can carry useful proof. Good things to include if they’re true and relevant:

• First aid, food hygiene, health and safety, or other short courses (with the provider and year).
• Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, cadets, scouts or guides.
• Music or dance grades, sports teams or coaching badges.
• Languages, with an honest level (“conversational Polish”, “fluent Urdu”).
• A full or provisional driving licence, if the job involves driving or travel.

Hobbies are optional. Keep one when it shows something, like commitment, a skill or a link to the job. “Running a small baking account where I post a new recipe every week” shows more than “baking”.

Volunteering can go here or in your experience section. If it involved regular responsibility, the experience section is often the better home.

Gaps

A gap on a CV isn’t a problem in itself. The National Careers Service advice is to be honest and be ready to explain it, and to mention anything you learned or did in that time.

You don’t need to give private details. One calm line is usually enough, with more at interview if you’re asked.

Other honest one-liners:

• 2025: time out for health reasons, now fully ready to return to work. You only need to share what you’re comfortable with.
• Jan 2026 to present: looking for work, volunteering two days a week at a community garden.
• Gap year, 2025: worked and travelled, including three months at a hostel reception in Spain.

If a gap is short, a few months between school and a first job, you usually don’t need to say anything.

References

References are the people an employer can contact about you, usually a recent manager, teacher, tutor or volunteering supervisor. Employers normally ask for them later, often after an offer.

You don’t need to put referees’ names and contact details on your CV. The National Careers Service and UCAS both say you can write “References available on request”, while Prospects notes most employers assume it, so you can drop the line if space is tight. Either way is fine.

What matters more: ask your referees first. Tell them the kind of jobs you’re applying for, and check their contact details are up to date. If you’ve never worked, a teacher, tutor, coach or volunteering organiser can usually be a reference.