How to Write a CV That Gets Interviews: The Complete Guide

To write a CV that gets interviews, use a clean, ATS-friendly layout and include: your contact details, a short personal statement tailored to the job, a skills section matching the job ad, work experience written as achievements with numbers, education and qualifications, and optional sections such as certifications or volunteering. Keep it to one or two pages, tailor it for every application, and save it as a PDF unless the employer asks for Word.

Recruiters often skim a CV in seconds before deciding whether to read on. This guide shows you how to make those seconds count, section by section.

What a CV is for

A CV has one job: to get you an interview. It does not need to tell your whole life story. It needs to show, quickly and clearly, that you can do the job you are applying for. Everything on the page should support that.

The sections of a CV

Contact details

Full name, phone number, professional email address, city or region, and a LinkedIn URL if your profile is up to date. You do not usually need your full address, date of birth, marital status or a photo in many countries. See should you put a photo on a CV.

Personal statement

Three or four lines at the top that say who you are professionally, what you bring and what you want next, tailored to the job.

Key skills

A short list of skills that appear in the job ad and that your experience proves. Mix technical skills (software, methods, certifications) with a few transferable skills.

Work experience

Reverse chronological order: most recent first. For each role: job title, employer, location, dates, and three to six bullet points. Write achievements, not duties.

If you do not have numbers, describe scale, frequency or outcomes. See CV achievements examples.

Education

Degree or qualification, institution and dates. Recent graduates can add relevant modules, projects or grades; experienced candidates can keep it brief.

Certifications and optional sections

Include licences and certifications relevant to the role. Add volunteering, projects, languages or publications if they strengthen your case. Hobbies are optional: see hobbies on a CV.

CV format and layout

The reverse chronological format suits most people. Skills-based (functional) formats can help career changers but are less familiar to recruiters; a hybrid often works better. See the best CV format.

• One page for early-career candidates; two pages for most experienced professionals. See how long should a CV be.
• Clean, single-column layout with clear headings.
• Standard fonts at a readable size.
• Consistent dates and formatting.
• No tables, text boxes or graphics that applicant tracking systems may misread. See ATS-friendly CVs.

Tailor your CV to every job

Sending the same CV everywhere is the most common reason good candidates get few interviews. For each application:

1. Read the job ad and highlight the key skills and requirements.
2. Adjust your personal statement to the role.
3. Reorder your skills to match their priorities.
4. Bring your most relevant achievements to the top of each role.
5. Use the employer's words where they honestly describe your experience.

See how to tailor a CV.

Common CV mistakes

• Spelling and grammar errors.
• Listing duties instead of achievements.
• A generic personal statement.
• Unexplained gaps. See employment gaps on a CV.
• Going back too far. See how far back should a CV go.
• Fancy designs that confuse applicant tracking systems.
• Including references on the CV. See references on a CV.

Special situations

• No experience: lead with education, projects, volunteering and transferable skills. See CV with no experience.
• Career change: lead with transferable skills and relevant training. See career change CV.
• Senior roles: focus on scope, strategy and results. See executive CV example.

Don't forget the cover letter and LinkedIn

A tailored cover letter explains why you want this role and connects your experience to their needs. See how to write a cover letter. Recruiters will often check your LinkedIn too: see LinkedIn profile tips.

CV examples by industry

What recruiters look for varies by field. Pick yours:

• Admin and office
• Creative and design
• Engineering
• Executive
• Finance
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Legal
• Marketing
• Sales
• Teaching
• Software engineering and tech

Start from a template that already works

Our CV templates come in three ATS-friendly layouts, with a writing guide and industry-specific example bullets, plus matching cover letter and LinkedIn kits. You spend your time on your achievements, not on formatting.