CV Structure — What to Include and in What Order

  1. 1

    Contact details

    Full name, phone number, professional email address, LinkedIn URL and location (city is enough — no need for full address). Make your name large and prominent at the top.

  2. 2

    Personal statement (2–3 lines)

    A brief summary of who you are professionally and what you are looking for. Keep it specific — "Experienced marketing manager with 5 years in SaaS, specialising in content strategy and SEO" beats "Motivated team player seeking new opportunities".

  3. 3

    Work experience (reverse chronological)

    Most recent job first. For each role: job title, company name, dates, and 3–5 bullet points of achievements. Use numbers wherever possible — "increased sales by 30%" is far stronger than "helped improve sales".

  4. 4

    Education

    Degree, institution, graduation year. Include relevant coursework or honours if you are a recent graduate. Once you have several years of work experience, education moves to the bottom.

  5. 5

    Skills

    A concise list of relevant technical and professional skills. Match these to the job description — recruiters scan for keywords.

  6. 6

    Optional: Certifications, languages, volunteer work

    Include if relevant to the role. Keep it concise.

The most important ruleTailor your CV for every application. Read the job description carefully and mirror the language and keywords used. Generic CVs get screened out by both humans and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Formatting Tips

  • Length: 1 page if under 5 years experience, 2 pages maximum for most roles. Never more than 2.
  • Font: Clean, readable fonts like Calibri, Georgia or Garamond at 10–12pt.
  • File format: Always send as PDF unless specifically asked for Word, so formatting does not break.
  • No photo: In most English-speaking countries, photos on CVs are not standard and can lead to unconscious bias.
  • No "References available on request": This is outdated — just leave it off.
Common mistakesSpelling errors (use spell-check and ask someone else to proofread), generic objective statements, including every job since age 16 (only include relevant experience), and using a personal/silly email address.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Australia, the UK and the US, photos are generally not included on CVs and can actually work against you due to anti-discrimination best practices. In some European countries photos are standard — check the norms for your target country.
Generally 10–15 years is sufficient for most roles. For early career candidates, include everything relevant. For senior candidates, very old roles can be summarised or omitted entirely.
Be honest and brief — "Career break for travel", "Took time off for family responsibilities", or "Freelance work" are all acceptable. Gaps are far less of an issue than they used to be, especially post-2020.