A CV is a short document that shows an employer why you are a good match for a job. Most recruiters spend less than a minute on the first read, so your CV must be clear, honest and easy to scan. Follow these steps and you can finish a good CV in under an hour with our free CV builder.
1. Choose a simple, readable format
For most people the best layout is reverse chronological: your newest job comes first. Use one clean font, standard headings and plenty of white space. Keep it to one page if you are a fresher or have up to five years of experience, and two pages for senior roles.
2. Write your contact details
Put your full name, phone number, professional e-mail address and city at the top. A LinkedIn link is useful if your profile is complete. You do not have to write your date of birth, marital status or ID number unless the employer asks for them.
3. Add a short professional summary
Two to three sentences that say who you are, how much experience you have and what you do best. Example: "Customer service representative with 4 years of experience in call-centre support. Maintained a 94% satisfaction score and resolved 88% of issues at first contact."
4. List your work experience
For each job write the job title, employer, city and dates. Then add two to five bullet points. Start each point with an action word (managed, increased, trained, reduced) and add numbers when you can. Compare these two lines:
- Weak: Responsible for sales.
- Strong: Grew monthly sales by 18% across 120 retail accounts.
5. Add education and certificates
Write the degree, institute and year. If you have little experience, put education above work experience. Add licences and short courses that matter for the job.
6. Choose relevant skills
Pick six to ten skills that the job advert asks for and that you can really show. Mix hard skills (Excel, AutoCAD, nursing procedures) with soft skills (communication, teamwork).
7. Add extra sections only when they help
Languages, projects, achievements, volunteering and references can make a CV stronger. Hobbies are optional and should be short.
8. Proofread and export as a PDF
Check spelling, dates and phone numbers twice, then ask a friend to read it. Save the CV as a PDF so the layout stays the same on every device.
Common CV mistakes
- Sending the same CV to every job
- Long paragraphs instead of bullet points
- Spelling mistakes and inconsistent dates
- An unprofessional e-mail address
- Claiming skills you cannot demonstrate
Not sure what a finished CV looks like for your job? Browse our CV examples for every job and load one into the builder.