Crafting a CV that actually gets noticed isn’t about cramming everything you’ve ever done onto a page — it’s about clarity, relevance, and a bit of personal touch. Whether you’re applying for your first job or making a career leap, here’s a breakdown of the must-have sections your CV should include.
1. Contact Information 📞
Let’s start with the basics. You’d be surprised how many people forget to include this clearly.
What to include:
- Full name (bold and easy to spot at the top)
- Phone number
- Professional email address
- LinkedIn profile (optional, but highly recommended)
- Portfolio or personal website (especially if you’re in design, tech, or media)
- City and country (no need for your full street address anymore)
2. Personal Profile – A Brief Summary of Who You Are and What You Offer 👤
Think of this as your elevator pitch — a short paragraph at the top of your CV that highlights who you are, what you bring to the table, and what you’re looking for.
Tips:
- Keep it under 4 sentences
- Focus on value: what problems do you solve?
- Tailor it to the job you’re applying for
Example:
“Creative marketing professional with 5+ years of experience driving brand growth through innovative campaigns. Proven ability to manage cross-channel projects and lead teams to success. Seeking a role where I can combine strategy and storytelling to elevate brand presence.”
3. Key Skills – Your Core Strengths at a Glance 🤹
This section shows your top strengths at a glance — the key skills you bring to a job. A smart way to make this section clearer (and more impressive) is to group your skills by type. Here’s how you can structure it:
🔧 Technical Skills
- Python, SQL, JavaScript
- Git & GitHub
- REST APIs
- etc.
💼 Professional Skills
- Project Management
- Agile & Scrum
- Business Analysis
- etc.
🗣️ Soft Skills
- Team Collaboration
- Leadership & Mentoring
- Public Speaking
- etc.
⚙️ Tools & Platforms
- Notion, Jira, Trello
- Power BI, Tableau
- Salesforce
- etc.
🎨 Design Tools
- Figma
- Adobe XD
- Photoshop
- etc.
📈 Marketing Skills
- SEO
- Google Ads
- Email Campaigns
- etc.
💰 Finance Skills
- Forecasting
- Budgeting
- Financial Reporting
- etc.
✍️ Writing & Editing
- Copywriting
- Proofreading
- SEO Writing
- etc.
🌍 Languages
- English (Fluent)
- Spanish (Intermediate)
- German (Basic)
- etc.
📊 Data & Analytics
- Excel
- R
- Data Visualization
- etc.
4. Work Experience 💼
List your most recent jobs first. Be specific, use bullet points, and show impact (not just responsibilities).
Each entry should include:
- Job Title
- Company Name + Location
- Dates of Employment
- 3–6 bullet points of achievements/responsibilities
5. Education 🎓
Only include your highest or most relevant degrees, unless you’re early in your career.
Format:
- Degree
- University/School + Location
- Graduation Year
- Honors, thesis, or relevant coursework (if applicable)
6. Certifications & Training 🏅
Especially helpful if you’re in tech, healthcare, finance, or any field where certifications matter.
7. Languages 🗣️
Fluency in multiple languages? Definitely worth mentioning — especially if you’re applying to international roles.
8. Projects, Volunteering, or Interests (Optional, but great for personality) 🤝
These sections can help show what makes you you. Just keep it relevant and concise.
- Projects, blogs, or creative work
- Volunteer work
- Hobbies or interests (only if they support your professional story or add flavor)
Final Tips
- Keep it to 1–2 pages (unless it’s an academic CV)
- Use consistent formatting and clear headings
- Tailor your CV to each job application — seriously, it makes a difference
- Save it as a PDF unless otherwise requested