The standard CV format in Sri Lanka is two pages in English. It lists personal details, a short career objective, education with G.C.E. O/L and A/L results for school leavers and fresh graduates, professional qualifications, work experience, IT and language skills, and two non-related referees. Many banks and government bodies use their own application form instead of a free-form CV.
These are common practices, not legal rules, and employers differ. Every example is fictional; replace each [bracketed] detail with your own, and follow the job posting when it asks for something specific.
What a Sri Lankan CV usually includes
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| Personal details | Name, address, mobile, email. Date of birth, NIC number and civil status are common on local CVs and forms; add them when the employer asks |
| Career objective | Two lines naming the role and what you bring to it |
| Education | Degree first, then G.C.E. A/L (year, stream, grades) and O/L (year, passes) |
| Professional qualifications | CIMA, ACCA, CA Sri Lanka or similar, with the stage you have reached |
| Work experience | Newest first: job title, organisation, dates and two or three results |
| Skills and languages | IT tools, plus Sinhala, Tamil and English with your level in each |
| Extracurricular activities | Useful for freshers: prefect, sports, societies, volunteering |
| Non-related referees | Two people who are not family, with designation, organisation, phone and email |
How to list O/L and A/L results
- A/L: the year, your subject stream and each subject grade, for example "G.C.E. A/L [Year], Commerce stream: Accounting [A], Business Studies [B], Economics [B]".
- O/L: the year and a summary such as "[number] passes including Mathematics and English".
- If you hold a degree, a short line is enough. Leave out index numbers and Z-scores unless the form asks for them.
Sri Lanka CV template (sample to copy)
Sri Lankan CV sample (fictional)
[Your Name] — [Position applied for]
[Address] · [+94 mobile] · [Email]
CAREER OBJECTIVE: [Degree or A/L stream] graduate seeking a [role] position where I can use [skill].
EDUCATION: [BSc / BBA ...], [University], [Year] — [Class, if any]
G.C.E. A/L [Year]: [Subject] [grade], [Subject] [grade], [Subject] [grade] · G.C.E. O/L [Year]: [number] passes
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: [CIMA / ACCA / other] — [stage completed]
EXPERIENCE: [Job title / Trainee], [Organisation], [City] — [Month Year]–[Month Year]
• [Task], [for whom], [result].
SKILLS: [MS Excel], [tool] · Languages: Sinhala ([level]), Tamil ([level]), English ([level])
NON-RELATED REFEREES: [Name], [Designation], [Organisation], [Phone], [Email] (×2)
Who counts as a non-related referee?
Someone who knows your work or character and is not a relative: a former manager, a lecturer, a supervisor from your internship or a senior colleague. Ask before you list them, and give their current designation and a phone number they answer.
Government jobs and jobs abroad
Government and semi-government posts usually ask you to apply on the form printed in the advertisement or the Gazette notice. Fill it in exactly as shown and attach copies of certificates only when requested.
If you are going abroad for work, registration with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment is part of the departure process, but your CV should follow the destination country's format. See the UAE CV format, the Saudi CV format and the Qatar CV format.
- Should I include O/L and A/L results if I have a degree?
- Not in detail. A short line is enough once you have a degree, unless the advertisement or application form asks for full results.
- Do I need a photo on a Sri Lankan CV?
- Many local CVs include one, but it is not required by every employer. If you add one, use a recent passport-style photo.
- How many referees should a Sri Lankan CV have?
- Two non-related referees is the usual request. Add a third only if the posting asks.
Compare other countries in the CV format by country guide. Copy the template above for free, or build yours in the CV builder: creating and previewing is free, and the PDF download is part of a paid plan.
