To write a CV, read the job posting first, then fill six sections in order: contact details, a short profile, experience or projects, education, skills and optional extras such as languages. Write each line from your own facts, keep it to one or two pages, and export a PDF whose text you can select and copy.
This page is the overview. Each section below links to a detailed guide with more examples. All sample lines are fictional; replace every [bracket] with your own details.
Before you start: read the job posting
Mark the three tasks the posting mentions most and the skills it names. Those decide what goes near the top of your CV and which words you use. A CV written without a posting in front of you tends to list everything and prove nothing.
The CV layout at a glance
CV layout (fictional placeholders)
[Your Name] — [Target role]
[Phone] · [Email] · [City] · [Portfolio or LinkedIn link]
PROFILE: two or three lines
EXPERIENCE or PROJECTS: newest first
EDUCATION: qualification, institution, year
SKILLS: from the posting, backed by the experience above
OPTIONAL: languages, certifications, licences, volunteering, interests
1. Contact details
Name, phone, professional email and city. Add a portfolio or LinkedIn link if it shows relevant work. Leave out full address, date of birth, marital status and photo unless the employer or country asks for them (see should you add a resume photo); the UAE CV format and Saudi CV format explain when they do.
2. Profile or career objective
Two or three lines naming the role you want and your strongest evidence. Experienced candidates usually write a profile; freshers and career changers often write an objective. See 20 about me examples and 30 career objective examples.
3. Work experience or projects
List roles from newest to oldest: job title, employer, city and dates, then two to five bullets. Start each bullet with what you did and add what changed because of it. If you have no job history, use projects, internships and volunteering in the same format.
Experience entry (fictional)
[Job title], [Employer], [City] — [Month Year]–[Month Year]
• [Task you did] for [who or what], which [result or what changed].
• [Second task], measured by [number, only if you have one].
4. Education
Write the qualification, institution, city and year of completion, newest first. Freshers can add a grade, relevant coursework or a final-year project; experienced candidates can shorten this section to one line per qualification.
How to write educational qualifications (fictional)
B.Com, [University name], [City] — [Year]. Grade: [CGPA or class, if strong].
Relevant coursework: [Course 1], [Course 2]. Final-year project: [title and one line on what you did].
Class XII, [Board], [School], [Year] — only if you are a fresher.
5. Skills
Name hard skills precisely (Tally, SQL, AutoCAD) and back soft skills with a situation in your experience section. Take the words from the posting only where they are true. The skills guide lists 100+ examples by job.
6. Optional sections
| Section | Include when | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Languages | Always useful; state the level | Give a level such as fluent, intermediate or a test score |
| Certifications and licences | The job requires or rewards them | Give the issuing body and year; never list one you do not hold |
| Volunteering | It shows skills the job needs | Write it like a job entry |
| Hobbies and interests | You have space and a specific, relevant activity | Hobbies and interests examples |
| Portfolio link | Your work is visual or project-based | Where to put the portfolio link |
How long should a CV be?
One page for students and freshers, up to two pages with several years of relevant experience. Cut older and unrelated roles before shrinking the font or margins.
CV format: which layout to choose
A reverse-chronological layout, newest role first, suits most applicants and is what recruiters expect. A single-column design keeps the reading order simple for application tracking systems; see ATS resume templates and compare full documents in the resume examples.
- What is the correct order of sections in a CV?
- Contact details, profile or objective, experience or projects, education, skills, then optional sections. Freshers can move education above experience.
- Should I write a CV in Word or use a builder?
- Either works. Word gives full control; a builder keeps the layout consistent and handles export. What matters is a clear structure and a PDF with selectable text.
- How do I write a CV with no experience?
- Lead with education and use projects, internships, volunteering and part-time work as your experience section. The graduate CV guide shows a full example.
- How do I send my CV by email?
- Attach the PDF, use a subject line with the role and your name, and write a short message. The CV email guide has examples.
Writing in English as a second language? See how to write a CV in English. Ready to put it together? Build your CV in the resume builder, pick a layout from the resume templates, and write a matching letter with the cover letter examples.
