What is a CV? Meaning, Key Sections, & Writing Tips

A CV is a concise 1–2 page summary of your professional background, submitted when applying for a job.

Also known as a curriculum vitae, its purpose is to show that you have the right skills and experience for the job, and convince employers to interview you.

What does a CV look like?

Here’s what a CV looks like, using the standard CV format:

What goes in a CV?

The following five sections are key to writing a good CV:

1. Header
2. Personal statement
3. Work experience
4. Education
5. Skills

1. Header

Include your name, current or desired job title, and contact information at the top of your CV:

Your contact information should include your:

• phone number
• email
• location (your town/city or postcode is fine)

Don’t put sensitive personal details on your CV like your date of birth, gender, or nationality, because they could lead to employer bias.

2. Personal statement

Your CV’s personal statement should be a short introduction of 3–5 sentences that outlines your most relevant skills and experience, and says why you’re applying for the job:

3. Work experience

The work experience section is the most important part of a CV, and should list your employment history in reverse, starting with your most recent job like so:

If you don’t have relevant experience or haven’t worked before, use the skills-based CV format instead to focus on what you can do for the company rather than the jobs you’ve had.

4. Education

The education section shows employers your relevant degrees, professional training certificates, and school qualifications, starting with the highest qualification you received and working backwards:

5. Skills

Your skills section should quickly summarise your technical knowledge and include any skills that qualify you for the job. Focus on hard skills like languages you speak or software that you can use:

Optional CV sections

You can also add some optional sections to your CV depending on your strengths and what the employer needs:

• Hobbies and interests: Including your hobbies and interests can help the hiring team assess whether you’d be a good cultural fit, and highlights your transferable skills (for example, captaining a rugby team demonstrates leadership skills).
• Languages: Great if you have foreign languages skills at a level that meets your employer’s needs.
• Projects: Helpful if you’re a design or tech worker to describe project scope, processes, and outcomes beyond what fits in your work experience section.
• Qualifications and licences: Useful for separating your professional qualifications and formal education (your degrees and schooling) to avoid overcrowding your education or skills sections.
• Professional memberships/affiliations: Desirable for medical professionals, engineers, and others whose membership in professional organisations is required by employers to confirm they’re legally eligible for the job. For example, the Royal College of General Practitioners or Bar Standards Board.

What makes a great CV?

Here’s how to write a competitive CV that stands out from other candidates:

1. Keep it short: The ideal CV length is one page for graduates and up to two pages for experienced professionals.
2. Tailor it to the employer: Highlight accomplishments that relate to your target job opportunity like ‘trained 5 new sales associates’ if you’re applying for a supervisor role.
3. Measure your achievements: Use numbers to make it clear what you accomplished in previous roles and what impact your work had at the company.
4. Use active language: Begin bullet points with strong action verbs like managed, designed, led, streamlined, delivered, etc., to sound results-driven and make your CV easier to read.

Standards for writing an effective CV vary between industries, so check CV examples for your role to boost your chances of impressing hiring managers in your field.

Difference between a resume and a CV

For the most part, a resume is the same thing as a CV.

In the UK, the term ‘CV’ is more commonly used. However, some employers still use the term resume.

In the US, there are some differences between a resume and a CV. A resume is a standard job application document, while a CV is a special document used to apply for academic jobs.

If you’re applying for an academic job in the UK, you should write an academic CV.

Other job application documents you might need

Here are some other documents UK employers often request from applicants:

Cover letter

A cover letter is a short business letter that connects the accomplishments, skills, and educational achievements in your CV and explains how they’ll help the company you’re applying to succeed.

85% of hiring managers want to see a cover letter in a job application, so it’s essential to write a good cover letter and stand out from other applicants.

Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of work samples relevant to the industry you’re targeting.

Most job applicants won’t need a portfolio, but it’s common in creative industries. For example, a graphic designer might link to a portfolio showcasing their design work.

References

Some employers will ask for references from your previous jobs after they’ve made you an offer.

Create a document with 2–5 referees and their contact details (phone number and email), your relationship with them (e.g., former manager, form tutor, economics lecturer), and how long they’ve known you.

Get help making your CV

There’s a lot to remember when you’re writing a CV.

Using a CV maker is one of the safest ways to make sure your document contains the right information and consistent formatting. Simply choose a design and answer a few questions to generate polished summaries of your achievements and work experience.

No stress, no fuss.