How to Write a CV
Because writing a good CV and cover letter is a plus for the company or agency you work for. One option that you can do before writing a job application letter is to view and study several CVs and examples of job application letters.
PLEASE REMEMBER: Lots of people are applying for jobs, so your CV should stand out!
Internal jargon, overly detailed descriptions, or overly colloquial vocabulary are prohibited. Please note that not all offers are well written. Learn to speak the same way as a recruiter and quickly parse the ad to find the title.
Example ad titles: “Director of Administration and Finance” or “Internal Communications Officer”.
CV Examples
John Hardy
+1 80 000 000
Address
email@email.com
Digital Marketing Project Manager at Holyroom
Profile
Experienced Marketing Project Manager. Projects carried out in Europe, particularly in Germany (fluent language level). The organization of my teams (from 20 to 60 people) and the careful management of budgets have enabled my projects to exceed their performance objectives by an average of 40%.
Professional experiences
12/2017 – Now
Kosm Oke, Berlin
Digital marketing project manager
Establish a marketing strategy: become the leader of the German cosmetics market (4th place before project).
Build a brand image: glowing publications in the country’s major web and print magazines.
Develop social networks: from 50k to 1.5 million cumulative subscribers.
Manage a team of 60 people (including engineers and scientists).
10/2014 – 12/2017
My Care, Paris
Junior Marketing Project Manager
Manage the budget: results achieved with 80% of the allocated budget.
Lead a team of 20 employees.
Adjust the positioning of the brand (ethical and vegan): entire range redesigned, market share doubled from 12 to 24%.
03/2014 (6 month internship)
iWorks, Edinburgh
Deputy Marketing Project Manager
Supervise the application of the directives of the project manager.
Track and forecast the budget.
Benchmark and sector watch.
Trainings
2012-2014
Master’s in Management (communication course)
IAE Aix, Aix-en-Provence
2009-2012
LEA license (English – German)
Aix-Marseille University
Professional skills
Project management: 3 major projects carried out with Agile intercultural management
Marketing: specialized in digital and social networks
Leadership qualities
Computer science
Microsoft Office (advanced in Access)
Project management software (Asana) and budget (FeshBooks, Xero)
Languages
English: Bilingual
German: Fluent
Certificates
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Social Media Certification (Boot Camp Digital)
Hobies
Swimming
Yoga
Curriculum Vitae Example
Cindy Montgomery
3204 Windover Way
New York, NY 11111
email@email.com
000.123.4567 (Cell)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Hispanic Literature, Latin American Literature, Peninsular Literature
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Spanish (US Hispanic Literature), 2018 – University of Houston.
Dissertation: Quixote Reborn: The Wanderer in US Hispanic Literature. Sancho Rodriguez, Chair
M.A. in Spanish, June 2015 – University of Houston
B.A. in Spanish, June 2013 – University of Houston
APPOINTMENTS
Adjunct Lecturer: University of New York, Department of Hispanic Studies, September 2018 to Present.
PUBLICATIONS
Book
Cindy Montgomery. Quixote Reborn: The Wanderer in US Hispanic Literature. New Haven: Yale University Press (forthcoming)
Peer-reviewed Journals
Cindy Montgomery. “Mexican Immigrant Stories from the Central Valley,” Lady Liberty Journal, 6(1): 24-41.
Cindy Montgomery. “Comparing the Hispanic and European Immigrant Experience through Story,” Hispanic Literature Today 12(3): 25-35.
Cindy Montgomery. “Yearning to Be Free: 3 Hispanic Women’s Diaries,” Hispanic Literature Today: 11(2): 18-31.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
2020. Cindy Montgomery. “Storytelling Methods in the Central Valley.” Hispanic Storytelling Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA
2019. Cindy Montgomery. “When Cultures Merge: Themes of Exclusion in Mexican-American Literature.” US Hispanic Literature Annual Conference, Tucson, AZ.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Adjunct Lecturer, University of Houston
Mexican-American Literature, Spanish 3331
Women in Hispanic Literature, Spanish 3350
Spanish-American Short Story, Spanish 4339
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Northwestern University
Elementary Spanish 1501, 1502, 1505
Intermediate Spanish 2301, 2302, 2610
HONORS / AWARDS
Mexico Study Abroad Summer Grant, 2018
UH Teaching Awards, 2017, 2018, 2020
Dissertation Fellowship, 2017
LANGUAGES
English (native)
Spanish (bilingual oral and written fluency)
Classical Latin (written)
MEMBERSHIPS / AFFILIATIONS
National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures
Asociación Internacional de Literatura y Cultura Femenina Hispánica
Modern Languages Association
Good CV for just graduated students (for a new graduate)
Michael Johnson
15 That Street
Yourtown, XY99 9XP
email@email.com
07777 888999
I’m planning a business degree, either part-time through an apprenticeship or on a full-time course. My aim is to go into finance. An online business summer school showed me what a vast and varied world this is. During my work experience, I saw how different jobs fit together in a finance department and how a company plans its finances and runs its business systems in the short, medium and long term. My part-time job at Big Stores gives me practical experience in a small branch of a large organisation.
Education and Qualifications
Thistown Central Academy – A levels (2020)
Business A, Maths B, Computer Science B
GCSEs – Grades 9-4 (2018)
English Language, French, Spanish, PE, Art and Design, Computer Science, History, Maths, Combined Science
Employment and Work Experience
Big Stores Minimart (2019 – present)
Starting as a shelf stacker I progressed to till operator and am now a team leader. I contribute to:
Staff shift pattern, including early mornings and lates, making sure all areas are covered
Security of premises, sometimes unlocking and locking up, including cash handling
Customer service, including complaints and returns
Monitoring sell-by dates and minimising waste, reordering and stock control.
Thistown College Business and Finance Summer School (July 2020)
Five-day online programme covering:
Business models, economic theory and concepts, marketing and business strategy
Seminars with business leaders
Group work presentation on a business case study.
Thistown Engineering Ltd, Finance Department (July 2019)
Two weeks work experience in the finance department of a local SME:
Helping with the migration of financial information across IT systems, using my IT skills
Spending a day in different areas of the department, including shadowing the finance director.
Year 13 Charity Rep on School Council (2019-2020)
Working with reps from other year groups to organise the school’s charity fundraising. I was involved in:
Getting suggestions from my year group about charities to support and which events to run
Planning events and organising volunteers to help
Being responsible for cash during events
Reporting back to the Head after each event (what we learned, how would we do it next time).
References available on request
Good CV for IT
John Meyer
263 London Road, Highbridge, Nowhereshire, XP9 8JQ
email@email.com
07567567567
Due to graduate in 2021, I have acquired technical knowledge and skills from my course as well as practical and business skills from my industrial year in a software company in Germany. I have used a range of languages, operating systems and development tools as well as experiencing the system development life cycle. Specialising in mobile technology, I am keen to develop as a graduate trainee in software development.
Education
University of Bedfordshire (2017-2021)
BSc Computer Science and Software Engineering with industrial year. Predicted 2:1.
Modules include object oriented programming, mobile applications, AI and systems development. Third-year industry placement: Mehrmann Technologies, Essen, Germany (2020).
Placement year individual project: Stock control systems for wholesale food suppliers.
Final-year group project: Development of a mobile application for the hospitality sector.
Highbridge College (2015-2017)
BTEC Level 3 ICT
A-level maths
Highbridge School (2010-2015)
7 GCSEs in English language, maths, science, German, IT, PE, history.
IT Skills
- Development tools: LabVIEW, MATLAB, Simulink, WINDEV/WEBDEV, OrCAD, MPLAB and ModelSim Packages: MS Office, Dreamweave and Photoshop
- Programming Languages: Java, C++, SQL, TLearn and HTML
- Operating Systems: Android, iOS, Windows and Linux
Other training/skills
- PRINCE2
- BCS Foundation Certificate in Systems Development
- Conversational Frencg and German, including technical and business
Employment
Junior software developer, Mehrmann Technologies, Essen, Germany (2020)
- Systems analysis with clients to determine requirements – talking to managers and staff and observing work practices throughout the supply chain
- Analysis of data including modelling
- Part of a software development team creating a stock control system linking mobile devices to warehouse systems
- Demonstrating prototypes to staff
- Field testing, implementation and evaluation + A/B testing
- Participating in final project reporting
- Contributing to English language documentation and training
Bar assistant, Ship and Crown, London (2018-2019)
- Serving customers
- Keeping bar area tidy and well-stocked
- Maintaining health and safety and food hygiene standards
Retail assistant, Primark, Highbridge (2015-2017)
- Tidying stock on the shop floor
- Restocking shelves and rails
- Serving customers at till points
- Dealing with customer queries on the shop floor
Sports and interests
University of Bedfordshire Second XI Hockey Captain
University of Bedfordshire Athletics Squad 800m and 1500m
Highbridge College Hockey Team (winners of Midlands College Cup)
Highbridge School Hockey First XI Captain
Represented Nowhereshire in 1500m U16 and U18
Running 10k and half marathon events raising over £6,500 for Highbridge Children’s Hospice
Organising and hosting charity comedy nights in aid of Highbridge Children’s Hospice
References available on request
Ready-to-fill bank CV example for free download
You are looking for a job in the banking sector… Download our banking CV model, ideal for all profiles in this sector: banker, adviser, insurer…
It also adapts perfectly to younger candidates : for an internship, a work-study program or for those who wish to apply for a banking and insurance bts. Its sober and elegant design will convey the professionalism of your application. This example of a bank CV is easily editable with Word. Download this free Word CV now!
Why put a title on your CV?
How to write your CV? You’ve probably guessed it: a CV title makes your application stand out from other candidates and enhances your CV. Competition is fierce and recruiters receive a huge number of responses for a single job posting.
To make it stand out more, giving your CV a title allows recruiters to understand at a glance that you are the right profile. People entering through the app scan CV content within seconds: providing a title allows you to retain key elements of your profile.
How to write a CV and make it more interesting?
CV, or curriculum vitae, is the main document of an application. From a single blank page, it contains the experience, skills, qualities and studies of a candidate. The layout should be spacious and easy to read: simple fonts (10 to 12 points in size), light colors.
Here are the key steps to creating your CV professionally and efficiently:
- Enter your contact details and photo.
- List experiences and diplomas anti-chronologically.
- Value your skills.
- Explain clearly language and computer skills.
- Use keywords that are tailored to the profession and company.
- Choose a presentation that is simple and fun (readable fonts and colors).
- Customize everything on one page.
- If your career is more than 10 years old, maybe 2 pages is better.
- Tailor your resume to each job offer to target the employer’s needs.
What should the CV section contain?
1. Personal information
You must show:
Full name;
Your full address;
your telephone number (home and mobile);
Your e-mail address;
Your web address, if you have a personal site.
Warning! You should be careful with your personal information when applying for jobs.
2. Career goals
Write a summary of your career goals or describe what you want to do. Generally, all it takes is a sentence or two. This will tell the employer what type of job you are looking for. Try to make connections with the job you’re applying for.
3. Training or study
Indicate the general and specific studies you have undertaken, mentioning:
- the name of the school or other educational institution you attend and the city where they are located;
- your education level and the date you obtained your diploma (attestation, certificate, etc.);
- any refresher courses or other training you have taken related to what you want to do; e.g. computer courses,
- French, German languages, small machine maintenance, etc.; any special designations you have received (grants, gifts, etc.).
4. Work-related skills
List the skills that make you the right person for the job.
The more your skills are related to the position you are applying for, the more attention you will attract. Describe a skill you acquired through paid work, volunteer experience, an internship, or even a hobby.
To find out which skills are related to a particular job, see the Explore Trades and Professions page.
5. Work experience
List the jobs you have held, assigning each one:
company name and place of work;
job title;
date of lease and date of termination of employment;
work-related tasks or tasks.
Feel free to mention your internship or experience as a volunteer.
Your experience should relate directly to the job you are applying for. Name only the tasks that are most important or that you enjoy.
Prefer action verbs like manage, analyze, compose, direct, inform.
Ideally, do not exceed five functions for each job. You will always have the opportunity to provide more details in the interview.
6. Additional information
Carefully review the job posting and see what relevant details you can add to support your application.
Foreign languages: list of languages you know (spoken and written).
Computer skills: list the software and technologies you know how to use and, if possible, indicate your level of knowledge (beginner, intermediate, advanced).
Read also: Future Jobs Professions | Careers, occupation lists for a secure or reliable future!
Qualification card, professional association: if this applies to your trade or profession, state your qualifications (for example, by machine type), indicate whether you are a member of an association or professional order, etc.
Awards and Achievements: Highlight any awards you have received for your work (employee of the year, excellence award, customer service excellence, etc.). If necessary, create a portfolio to show examples of your work.
7. Interests and activities (hobbies)
Your free time interests or activities reveal certain traits of your personality and can benefit you. You can, for example, show that you enjoy cooking, reading, going to the movies, fishing, etc.
8. References
Your references are the people potential employers will turn to for information about you; For example :
Former employer;
- Someone from your school (a teacher, a guidance counselor);
- Someone who works for you (parenting children, volunteering).
- Avoid mentioning your references on your CV, but bring the list with you to the interview.
- Before giving someone’s name as a reference, be sure to get their permission.