How to Write a CV (2026 Guide)
A practical, section-by-section guide to writing a CV that passes ATS software and impresses recruiters.
In short: choose a clean format, start with your contact details and a 3-line summary, list your experience newest-first with achievement-based bullet points, add education and skills that match the job, then proofread and save as a PDF.
1. Before you start: read the job advert
A CV is not a biography; it is an argument that you can do this job. Before writing anything, open the job advert and note:
- the exact job title,
- the 5–8 skills or tools mentioned most often,
- the main responsibilities, and
- any must-have qualifications (degree, licence, years of experience, languages).
Everything you write next should support those points. This also helps your CV pass applicant tracking systems (ATS), which match CVs against the job description.
2. Pick the right CV format
Use the reverse-chronological format — most recent job first. It is what recruiters expect and what ATS software reads best. If you are a fresher, keep the same structure but move education and projects above experience. For a deeper explanation, see our professional CV format guide.
Design matters less than clarity: a clean template, consistent spacing and one or two fonts. If you apply mainly through online portals, choose a single-column layout such as Strong or Analyst.
3. Write your contact details
Put these at the top:
- Full name – the largest text on the page.
- Job title – ideally matching the role you want.
- Phone number with country code.
- Professional email – firstname.lastname@…
- City and country – not your full address.
- LinkedIn, portfolio or GitHub if relevant.
4. Write a professional summary
Your summary is 2–4 lines that answer: who are you, what have you achieved and what do you want next? Write it last, once the rest of the CV is done.
Formula: [Job title] with [X years] of experience in [field/specialism]. [Biggest achievement with a number]. [What you are looking for / what you offer].
Customer service: Customer service team lead with 6 years of experience in telecom contact centres. Raised first-call resolution from 68% to 81% across a 15-person team. Seeking a customer experience manager role in Dubai.
Accountant: ACCA-qualified accountant with 5 years in audit and financial reporting for manufacturing clients. Reduced month-end close from 9 to 5 days by automating reconciliations. Looking for a senior accountant position.
5. Describe your work experience
List each role newest first with: job title, company, location, start and end dates (month/year). Then add 3–5 bullet points. Each bullet should show an action and a result.
Bullet formula: Action verb + what you did + how/with what + result (number).
| Weak (duty) | Strong (achievement) |
|---|---|
| Responsible for social media. | Grew Instagram followers from 3,000 to 28,000 in 10 months with a weekly Reels plan. |
| Handled customer complaints. | Resolved 40+ customer cases per day, keeping a 4.8/5 satisfaction score. |
| Did sales in the store. | Exceeded monthly sales targets by an average of 18% for 12 consecutive months. |
| Worked on the website. | Rebuilt checkout in React, cutting page load time by 1.4 s and lifting conversion 9%. |
Useful action verbs: led, managed, built, launched, improved, reduced, increased, negotiated, trained, designed, analysed, automated, delivered, resolved.
Older or less relevant jobs can be shortened to one line each. Explain long gaps briefly and honestly (e.g. "Career break – family care, 2022–2023").
Write your experience straight into a professional template.
Use the Professional template6. Add your education
Write the degree, institution, location and year. Add your grade, CGPA or honours if they are strong or if you graduated recently. Experienced candidates only need the highest qualifications; freshers can add relevant modules, a thesis or academic awards.
MBA, Finance — University of Lahore, Pakistan · 2021 · CGPA 3.6/4.0
7. List the right skills
Include 6–12 skills, prioritising the ones in the job advert. Split them into groups if you have many:
- Technical / hard skills: software, tools, methods (e.g. SAP, Excel pivot tables, Python, AutoCAD, Google Ads).
- Languages: with level (native, fluent, intermediate).
- Soft skills: only 2–3, and back them up in your experience bullets.
8. Add extra sections (only if they help)
- Certifications – PMP, ACCA, CCNA, Google, AWS, first aid, driving licence.
- Projects – essential for students, developers and designers.
- Awards and achievements – employee of the month, competitions, scholarships.
- Volunteering – especially useful for freshers and career changers.
- Publications and conferences – for academic and research CVs (try the Academic template).
9. Proofread, tailor and save as PDF
- Tailor it: adjust your headline, summary and top skills for each job.
- Cut ruthlessly: one page under 5 years of experience, two pages maximum for most people.
- Check consistency: same date format, same bullet style, same tense (past tense for old jobs, present for current).
- Proofread: read it aloud, then ask someone else to read it.
- Save as PDF named FirstName-LastName-CV.pdf.
Tip: keep a "master CV" with everything you have ever done, then copy the most relevant parts into a tailored version for each application.
Need a cover letter too? Follow our simple cover letter guide.