A CV has one job: get you onto the shortlist. In 2026 that means surviving an AI screen, holding a recruiter's attention for under a minute, and giving a hiring manager three reasons to want a conversation.
Most CVs fail at all three. Here's how to write one that doesn't.
1. Start from a template that doesn't fight you
A clean, ATS-friendly template saves hours and looks more professional than anything you'll design from scratch. Free options from Canva, Google Docs, or Reactive Resume are fine. Avoid two-column layouts with graphics — they confuse parsers and dilute focus.
2. Structure for skimming, not reading
Recruiters scan top to bottom for under 60 seconds. Build for that.
- Header. Name, role you're applying for, city / time zone, email, phone, LinkedIn. No headshot, no date of birth, no marital status.
- Summary. Three or four lines, tailored to the role. State who you are, the value you bring, and one quantified achievement. Cut everything generic.
- Experience. Reverse chronological. For each role: company, title, dates, and 3–5 bullets led by an action verb and ending with a result. Numbers beat adjectives.
- Education. Degree, institution, year. Honours if relevant.
- Skills. Grouped — technical, tools, languages. Real proficiency, not aspirational.
- Optional. Projects, publications, volunteer work, or certifications, only if they sharpen the story.
3. Tailor every application
Generic CVs lose to tailored ones every time.
- Read the job description twice. Highlight the five most-repeated skills and outcomes.
- Rewrite your summary and the top two bullets of your most recent role to mirror that language.
- Quantify wherever possible: "reduced first-response time from 18m to 4m across 12k tickets" beats "improved response times."
- Use the same terminology the company uses. ATS systems and human screeners both reward keyword alignment.
4. Format like an adult
- Two pages max. One is better if you have under five years of experience.
- One readable font (Inter, Calibri, Source Sans), 10–11pt body, 12–14pt headings.
- Consistent dates, consistent tenses, consistent punctuation. Inconsistency reads as carelessness.
- Export to PDF unless asked otherwise. Name the file
Firstname-Lastname-Role.pdf. Never "CV_final_v4.pdf". - Proofread, then have one other person proofread. Then read it aloud.
5. Show your personal brand without performing
- Write in a confident, professional voice. No clichés ("hardworking team player"), no jargon you can't defend.
- Highlight transferable skills explicitly when changing industries — don't make the reader connect the dots.
- Add one or two lines of personality at the bottom if it's authentic and relevant. A meaningful side project beats a list of hobbies every time.
6. The 60-second test
Before you send it, give your CV to someone who doesn't know you. Set a timer for 60 seconds. Then ask them:
- What role am I applying for?
- What are the three best things I've done?
- Would you call me back?
If they can't answer all three, rewrite the top half of the page until they can.
The bottom line
The ideal CV isn't a biography — it's a pitch. Structure it for the scan, tailor it to the role, quantify the impact, and proofread it like your career depends on it. Because for the first 60 seconds, it does.