How to write a CV

What is a CV, and is it the same as a resume?

A CV (curriculum vitae) is a document that summarises your work experience, education and skills for a job application. In the UK, Europe, Turkey and most of the world, “CV” is the standard term for the one- to two-page document you send to employers.

In the US and Canada the same document is called a resume, while “CV” there usually means a longer academic record listing publications and research. If you apply for an academic position, use an academic CV; for every other job, a concise one- or two-page CV/resume is what employers expect.

Which sections should a CV include?

Every CV needs a few core sections; the rest are optional and should only be added when they strengthen your application.

• Contact details: full name, phone number, email address, city and, if relevant, a LinkedIn or portfolio link.
• Headline: your target job title, e.g. “Sales Manager” or “Registered Nurse”.
• Summary: 2–3 sentences about who you are, what you’re good at and what you’re looking for.
• Work experience: job title, employer, location, dates and 3–5 bullet points per role, newest first.
• Education: degree, field, school and dates; add your GPA only if it is strong and recent.
• Skills: the hard skills from the job posting that you actually have, such as tools, languages and methods.
• Languages: each language with a level (e.g. English — C1, or “native”).
• For jobs in Turkey: military service status (for male candidates) and, if relevant, your driving licence class.
• Optional: certificates, projects, volunteering, awards, courses, interests and references.

How long should a CV be?

One page is ideal for students, recent graduates and people with under five years of experience. Two pages are fine for experienced professionals. Going beyond two pages is only normal for academic CVs.

If your CV runs long, cut older roles to a single line, remove duties that every candidate in your field has, and shorten bullet points before you reduce the font size.

How do I write a CV summary?

Write two or three sentences: your title and years of experience, your strongest skills or achievements, and the kind of role you want. Avoid clichés such as “hard-working team player”; show it with a fact instead.

How do I describe my work experience?

List roles in reverse chronological order. For each role, write 3–5 bullet points that start with an action verb and end with a result. A simple formula is: action + what you did + measurable result.

Numbers make achievements concrete: percentages, money saved, users, time, team size or rankings. If you can’t measure something, describe its effect (“adopted by all three product teams”).

• Weak: “Responsible for customer complaints.”
• Strong: “Resolved 40+ customer complaints a week and raised satisfaction scores from 78% to 92%.”
• Weak: “Worked on stock management.”
• Strong: “Cut stock shortages by 30% by introducing a weekly inventory count and reorder list.”

What skills should I put on my CV?

Read the job posting and list the skills it asks for that you genuinely have, using the same wording. Group hard skills (software, tools, methods, licences) separately from languages. Soft skills are more convincing when shown in your experience bullet points than when listed on their own.

How do I make my CV ATS-friendly?

Many companies screen CVs with applicant tracking systems (ATS) that read the text of your file. To make sure your CV is read correctly:

• Save it as a PDF whose text you can select and copy — not a scanned image or a photo.
• Use standard section headings such as “Work experience”, “Education” and “Skills”.
• Include the exact keywords from the job posting where they truly apply.
• Avoid putting important information in headers, footers, text boxes or images.
• Prefer a clean one-column layout for strict ATS portals; two-column designs are fine for most others.
• Write dates consistently, e.g. “Mar 2021 – Dec 2023”.

Should I put a photo on my CV?

It depends on the country. In the US, UK, Canada and Ireland, leave the photo out to avoid bias in hiring. In Turkey, Germany and much of continental Europe, a professional photo is common and often expected. If you include one, use a recent, neutral headshot with good lighting.

What are the most common CV mistakes?

• Sending the same CV to every job instead of tailoring it.
• Listing duties instead of achievements.
• Spelling mistakes and inconsistent dates or formatting.
• An unprofessional email address.
• Including irrelevant personal details (ID number, marital status) where they aren’t expected.
• Gaps that aren’t explained — a single line such as “Career break: caring for a family member” is enough.

Checklist before you send your CV

• Your name, phone number and email are correct and clickable.
• The headline matches the job title in the posting.
• Each role has 3–5 bullet points with results.
• Keywords from the posting appear in your summary, experience and skills.
• It is one or two pages long.
• The file is a text-based PDF named like “Name-Surname-CV.pdf”.
• You’ve written a short cover letter for the same job.