How to Format a CV: Our Top Tips

In today’s competitive job market, a well-formatted CV (Curriculum Vitae) can be an important factor to unlocking new opportunities and securing your dream job. Your CV is essentially the first impression that you make on potential employers, so it’s crucial to make it visually appealing, easy to read, and informative. In this guide, we’ll help you to craft an effective CV to increase your chances of landing that coveted interview.

• Select the Right Layout – The first step in formatting your CV is to select an appropriate layout. While there are no hard and fast rules, there are a few common formats to consider. The chronological format highlights your work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent role. The functional format emphasises your skills and abilities, while the combination format combines both chronological and functional elements. Choose the layout that best suits your background and highlights your biggest strengths.
• Keep it Concise – Recruiters and hiring managers often have a limited amount of time to review each CV so it’s essential to keep yours as concise and well-organised as possible. Ideally, limit your CV to two pages, focusing on the most relevant information.
• Include Clear, Brief Contact Details – At the top of your CV, include your name, contact number, and professional email address. This is all that HR managers need in order to get in touch with you. If you wish to include a link to your LinkedIn profile too, that’s fine. But don’t make the mistake of having a huge block of contact details that takes up half of the first page.
• Highlight Recent Work Experience – When formatting your work experience section, start with your most recent position and work your way backwards. In this way, you will draw attention to the most recent, and usually the most relevant, work experience that you have to offer.
• List Relevant Educational Qualifications – How much detail you include in this section should be determined by your age, experience, and seniority. If you are a university graduate with little to no work experience, we suggest going into as much detail as possible, to give some substance to your CV. On the other hand, if you are a managing director and a graduate in your 50s, there’s no need to list all of your ‘O’ levels and ‘A’ Levels. Just your degree and professional qualifications should suffice.
• Skills and Competencies – Create a separate section to highlight your key skills and competencies. This should include all of your technical skills and any special talents.
• Fonts and Styles – Ensure consistent formatting throughout your CV by sticking to a single style and using the same font from start to finish. It will not only be easier to read, but will also look more professional too.

Additionally, don’t forget to list your extracurricular activities and achievements, and to tailor your CV for each position you apply for.

For more help on formatting your CV, please feel free to get in touch with us.

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