Career and self-development

How do I write a professional CV?

By Mahmoud SaiedLast updated 27 October 20262 min read

The short answer

A strong CV is one or two pages long and written for the specific job you are applying for. It opens with a short summary, describes your experience through results and numbers rather than duties alone, and uses the words from the job ad so it gets through automated screening systems.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Details and summary

    Your name, contact details and LinkedIn link, then a three-line summary of what you offer.

  2. 2

    Experience as results

    Instead of 'responsible for sales', write 'raised regional sales by 20% within a year'.

  3. 3

    The skills required

    The technical skills, languages and software that the ad actually asks for.

  4. 4

    Education and courses

    Most recent first, and for new graduates, projects and practical training come before experience.

  5. 5

    Layout

    Simple formatting with a clear font, without complex tables and images that confuse screening systems.

  6. 6

    Tailor it to each job

    Adjust the summary and the order of your experience for each ad.

A common mistake

A single CV you send to every job looks generic, and it gets far fewer replies.

People also search for this question as
  • how to make a cv
  • cv template for fresh graduates