How to Write a CV That Gets You Hired
6 min read
Key Takeaways
- Choose the right format: reverse chronological for steady careers, functional for gaps or career changes
- Lead every bullet point with an action verb and a quantified result
- Tailor your CV to every job — a targeted CV beats a generic one every time
- Include ATS-friendly keywords from the job posting to pass automated screening
- Submit as PDF; keep it to one page if under 10 years of experience
Your CV is often the first — and sometimes only — document a recruiter will see before deciding whether to call you. A strong CV doesn't just list where you've worked; it makes a compelling case for why you're the right person for the job.
1. Choose the Right Format
There are three main CV formats. Pick the one that best fits your situation:
- Reverse Chronological: The most common. Lists your most recent experience first. Best for people with a steady career progression in one field.
- Functional: Focuses on skills rather than work history. Best for career changers or those with employment gaps.
- Combination: Blends both. Works well for senior professionals or those pivoting with strong transferable skills.
2. Contact Information — Keep It Simple
- Full name, phone number, professional email address.
- LinkedIn profile URL (make sure your LinkedIn is up to date).
- City and state — no need for a full street address.
- Optional: personal website or portfolio link if relevant.
3. Write a Strong Professional Summary
This 2–4 sentence paragraph at the top of your CV sets the tone for everything that follows. It should answer: who you are, what you bring, and what you're looking for.
Example: "Results-driven logistics coordinator with 6 years of experience managing multi-state supply chains. Proven ability to reduce delivery times and cut costs through process optimization. Seeking a senior operations role in a fast-growing distribution company."
4. List Your Work Experience with Impact
For each position, include: job title, company name, location, and dates. Then use bullet points to describe your responsibilities and achievements:
- Start every bullet with an action verb: managed, built, reduced, led, designed, increased…
- Quantify where possible: "Reduced customer complaints by 35%" is far stronger than "Improved customer satisfaction."
- Tailor this section to emphasize what's most relevant to the job you're applying for.
5. Education Section
- List degree, institution name, and graduation year.
- Include GPA only if it's above 3.5 and you graduated within the last 3 years.
- List relevant coursework if you're early in your career and it supports your application.
6. Skills Section
Use a clean, scannable list. Include both hard and soft skills that match the job description:
- Hard skills: Tools, software, languages, certifications (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Python, CDL Class A, AWS Certified).
- Soft skills: Use these sparingly and only if you can substantiate them elsewhere in your CV (e.g., "Team leadership — managed a crew of 12").
7. Additional Sections Worth Adding
- Certifications: List any relevant credentials with the issuing organization and year.
- Projects: Great for early-career candidates or career changers — even personal or school projects count.
- Volunteer Work: Shows character and can fill experience gaps.
- Languages: Always worth listing if you speak more than English.
8. Formatting Rules That Matter
- Keep it to one page if you have less than 10 years of experience; two pages is acceptable for senior candidates.
- Use consistent fonts and spacing throughout — inconsistency reads as sloppiness.
- Choose a clean, professional font (Calibri, Arial, Garamond). Avoid anything decorative.
- Leave enough white space — a dense wall of text gets skipped.
- Save and send as a PDF unless the job posting asks for a Word document.
9. Tailor It Every Time
A generic CV sent to 50 companies will perform worse than a tailored CV sent to 10. Before each application, reread the job posting and adjust:
- Your professional summary to reflect the exact role.
- Your skills section to match the keywords in the posting.
- The order and emphasis of your bullet points to highlight what matters most for that specific job.
CV Template Structure
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [LinkedIn]
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
[2–4 sentences about who you are and what you bring]
SKILLS
- [Skill 1] - [Skill 2] - [Skill 3]
WORK EXPERIENCE
[Job Title] — [Company], [Location] | [Dates]
- [Achievement or responsibility]
- [Achievement or responsibility]
EDUCATION
[Degree] in [Field] — [Institution] | [Year]
CERTIFICATIONS
- [Name], [Issuing Org], [Year]
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a CV be?
One page for candidates with less than 10 years of experience; two pages is acceptable for senior professionals. A third page is rarely justified outside of academic CVs. Recruiters spend seconds on an initial scan — keep it tight.
Should I submit my CV as a PDF or Word document?
Submit as a PDF unless the job posting specifically asks for a Word document. PDFs preserve your formatting across devices and cannot be accidentally edited. Most ATS systems in 2025 parse PDFs reliably.
What is an ATS and how does it affect my CV?
An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is software that scans and ranks CVs before a human reads them. It looks for keywords matching the job description. To pass ATS filters, mirror the exact language of the job posting in your CV — especially in the skills and experience sections.