How to Write a CV — A Complete Guide for 2026

What is a CV and what is it really for

A CV (curriculum vitae) is a document that presents your work experience, education, and skills. Its sole purpose is to convince the recruiter to invite you to a job interview. Nothing more.

Many candidates treat a CV like a form to fill in — they write down everything that comes to mind and hope the employer will find something interesting. This does not work. Research shows that recruiters spend 6 to 10 seconds on the initial scan of a CV. In that time they decide whether to read on or move to the next candidate.

That is why how to write a CV is a question worth taking seriously. It is not about making the document pretty. It is about making it readable, specific, and tailored to the position you are applying for. A CV is a tool — the better you prepare it, the more interview invitations you receive.

In this guide I will show you exactly how to write a CV from scratch. Every section, every element, step by step. No generalities and no marketing slogans — just concrete advice you can apply straight away.

When you need a CV — specific situations

A CV is primarily associated with job hunting, but that is not the only situation where one is needed. Here are the most common cases:

• You are responding to a job advert — the obvious case. The employer requires a CV in the application form or asks you to send it by email.
• A recruiter reaches out to you — even if a headhunter contacted you first, they will ask for an up-to-date CV before presenting your candidacy to their client.
• You are changing industries — you need a CV that highlights transferable skills, not a chronological list of job titles.
• You are applying for an internship or placement — companies require a CV even from students. The document looks different from that of an experienced professional, but the structure is the same.
• You are seeking an internal promotion — in large organisations, internal recruitment works much like external recruitment. A CV is one of the documents you must submit.
• You are applying for a grant or scholarship — many institutions require a CV as part of the application.
• Freelancing and B2B contracts — clients want to know who they are working with. A professional CV builds credibility.

Regardless of the situation, one thing does not change — the CV must be up to date, specific, and tailored to the reader. A generic CV sent everywhere without changes is one of the main reasons candidates never hear back.

How to write a CV step by step — a guide from scratch

Below you will find a complete guide to creating a CV. Each sub-section covers one section of the document, in the order it should appear in the finished CV. If you are wondering how to write a CV that actually works — start at the beginning and work through each point.

Contact details

This is the header section. Place it at the very top of the document. It should include:

• Full name — clearly visible, in a larger font than the rest of the text.
• Phone number — current, with the correct country code.
• Email address — professional. A format like firstname.lastname@domain.com is a safe choice. Addresses like cuddly.bear123@mail.com disqualify you from the start.
• City — the city name is enough. A full address with street and postcode is not necessary.
• LinkedIn — optional, but already standard in many industries. Make sure the profile is up to date.
• Portfolio / GitHub — if you have one and it is relevant to the role.

Do not include your date of birth, national ID number, marital status, or driving licence here (unless the role specifically requires it). These are unnecessary details that take up space.

Professional summary

This is 3-5 sentences at the top of the CV, below the contact details. Their job is to answer the recruiter's question: who is this person and why should I keep reading?

A good professional summary contains three elements:

1. Who you are — your job title or specialisation and years of experience.
2. What you can do — 2-3 key competencies or achievements.
3. What you are looking for — one sentence about the type of role that interests you.

Example of a professional summary:

UX Designer with 4 years of experience designing interfaces for mobile and web applications. Conducted over 60 usability tests and designed from scratch the interface of an app that reached 120,000 downloads in its first year. Seeking a Senior UX Designer role in a B2B product.

Avoid generalities like I am ambitious, creative, and motivated. These words mean nothing without context. Every sentence in the summary should contain something concrete — a number, a tool, an industry, or a result.

Work experience

The most important section of the CV for anyone with any employment history. Present your positions in reverse chronological order — from the most recent to the oldest.

Each position should include:

• Company name
• Job title
• Employment period (month and year — e.g. March 2022 - January 2025)
• 3-6 bullet points describing what you did and what you achieved

The key rule: describe achievements, not duties. The recruiter already knows what an accountant or a developer does. They want to know what you specifically accomplished in that role.

Bad: Responsible for managing advertising campaigns.

Good: Managed Google Ads campaigns with a combined annual budget of $200,000, achieving an average ROAS of 5.1.

Bad: Customer service.

Good: Handled an average of 45 customers per day, maintaining an NPS satisfaction score of 72.

Numbers, percentages, amounts, scale — that is the language recruiters understand. If you do not remember exact figures, give estimates. An approximation is better than no numbers at all.

Limit yourself to the last 10-15 years of your career. Roles from more than 15 years ago can be listed in a single line or omitted if they are not relevant.

Education

List the name of the institution, your field of study, the degree obtained (Bachelor's, Master's, etc.) and the years of study. If you have several years of work experience, this section should be brief — 2-3 lines.

For graduates and students, education can be a stronger section. In that case, consider adding:

• GPA (if it is high — above 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or equivalent)
• Dissertation topic (if relevant to the position)
• Honours, scholarships, awards
• Academic societies and university projects

Only include secondary school if you do not have a higher education qualification. If you have a degree, listing your school adds no value to the CV.

Skills

The skills section is a list of hard and soft competencies. But do not throw them in randomly — tailor them to the job advert.

Read the posting. List the requirements. Then include in your CV those skills that you actually possess and that overlap with the employer's expectations. It is simple, yet most candidates do not do it.

Hard skills (specific, measurable):

• Programming languages: Python, JavaScript, SQL
• Tools: Figma, Google Analytics, SAP
• Languages: English C1, German B1
• Certifications: Google Ads, PRINCE2, ECDL

Soft skills (interpersonal):

• Team management
• Presenting results to senior leadership
• Leading commercial negotiations

For foreign languages, always state the level using the CEFR scale (A1-C2). Simply writing English — fluent is too vague. For tools and technologies, you may optionally add your proficiency level.

Additional sections

Additional sections can strengthen a CV, but only if they add value. Here are the most common options:

• Certifications and courses — those recognised in the industry or directly related to the role.
• Projects — especially important for developers, designers, and marketers. State the project name, your role, and the outcome.
• Volunteering — shows commitment. Describe it the same way you would describe work experience.
• Publications and talks — if you gave a conference presentation or wrote an article for an industry publication, it is worth mentioning.
• Interests — a debatable section. Include it only if your interests are directly related to the role or say something specific about you (e.g. marathons — completed 3 in 2025 says more than sports, music, travel).

Every additional section takes up space. If you have to choose between a more detailed description of your experience and a list of hobbies — choose experience.

GDPR consent clause

Under data protection regulations, a CV should include consent for the processing of personal data. The most commonly used wording is:

I hereby consent to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of the recruitment process for the position I am applying for.

Place it at the very bottom of the document in small print. If you want your CV to be considered for future recruitment rounds, extend the clause to cover the processing of your data in subsequent recruitment processes conducted by the same employer.

Common CV mistakes that cost you interview invitations

Knowing how to write a CV is one thing. Knowing what to avoid is another. Here are the mistakes recruiters see most often:

1. No tailoring to the job advert. One CV for all applications. The employer can immediately see that you did not take the time to read the posting. ATS systems also filter by keywords — if they are missing, your CV never reaches the recruiter.
2. Listing duties instead of achievements. The recruiter knows what a sales specialist does. They want to know what result you achieved.
3. Spelling and grammar errors. A single mistake can send your application to the bin. Read your CV three times. Have someone else check it. Use a proofreading tool.
4. Too much information. A three-page CV describing every part-time job from school. The recruiter will not read it all. Focus on what is relevant to the position.
5. No structure. Continuous text without headings or bullet points. A CV must be scannable — the recruiter has 6-10 seconds to form a first impression.
6. Unprofessional email address. If your email contains a nickname from your teenage years, change it. It takes two minutes.
7. Outdated LinkedIn profile. If you include a link to LinkedIn, make sure the profile is consistent with your CV. Discrepancies in employment dates raise doubts.
8. Colourful, overly graphic templates. They look impressive on screen, but ATS systems cannot read them. Tables, columns, icons — all of these can cause parsing problems.

Ready-to-use CV template — a structure you can copy

Below you will find a concrete template you can use as a base for writing your own CV. Copy the structure, fill in your own details, and tailor it to the job advert.

FULL NAME

phone: +44 XXX XXX XXXX | email: firstname.lastname@mail.com | city: London
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

[Job title/specialisation] with [X] years of experience in [industry/area]. [Most important achievement — one sentence with a number]. Seeking a [job title] position where I can [value you will bring].

WORK EXPERIENCE

Job Title | Company Name | March 2022 - Present

• [Achievement 1 — with a number or result]
• [Achievement 2 — with a number or result]
• [Achievement 3 — with a number or result]

Job Title | Company Name | January 2019 - February 2022

• [Achievement 1]
• [Achievement 2]
• [Achievement 3]

EDUCATION

[Degree] — [Field of Study] | [University Name] | [Years]

SKILLS

• Technical: [tool 1], [tool 2], [tool 3]
• Languages: [language 1] — [CEFR level], [language 2] — [CEFR level]
• Other: [competency 1], [competency 2]

CERTIFICATIONS

• [Certificate name] — [Institution] — [Year]

I hereby consent to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of the recruitment process for the position I am applying for.

This template is intentionally simple. No columns, tables, or graphics means it is 100% readable by ATS systems. You can add formatting in a text editor — bold headings, bullet points, a readable font (Calibri, Arial, Lato) at 10-12 pt.

How to speed up writing your CV

Writing a CV from scratch manually takes 3-5 hours. That includes gathering information, writing the summary, formulating achievements, tailoring to the advert, and formatting. With each new application, another 30-60 minutes for adjustments.

There are several ways to shorten this process:

• Prepare a master document. Create one comprehensive CV listing all your positions, skills, and achievements. For each application, copy it and cut what is not relevant to that particular job.
• Gather your data in advance. Before you start writing, prepare a list: employment dates, job titles, specific numbers and achievements. Writing with ready-made data goes twice as fast.
• Use AI tools. AI-powered CV generators can write a professional summary, rephrase duty descriptions as achievements, and match keywords to the job posting. They do not replace your knowledge, but they speed up the process from hours to minutes.

AI tools are especially useful in two situations: when you are writing a CV for the first time and do not know where to start, and when you are applying for multiple positions simultaneously and need to quickly create tailored versions of your document.

How to use an AI CV generator to create your document

One of the tools that automate CV creation is the generator available at cv-ai.pl. Below I describe what the process looks like step by step — no marketing, just facts.

1. You enter basic information. Name, contact details, the position you are applying for. The generator asks about your employment history and education.
2. You enter your experience and skills. You can write them in your own words — they do not need to be perfectly phrased. The AI transforms them into professional CV language.
3. The AI generates the content. Based on your data and the target position, the tool creates a professional summary, rephrases job descriptions (from duties to achievements), and selects keywords relevant for ATS.
4. You choose a visual template. You can pick from templates suited to different industries — from minimalist to more elaborate. All of them are ATS-compatible.
5. You download the finished CV as a PDF. The document is ready to send. You can still edit it if you want to change anything.

The entire process takes a few minutes instead of a few hours. This makes a real difference, especially when you are responding to multiple job adverts at the same time. However, the generator does not know your achievements — you must provide the specific numbers and results. AI is a tool, not a replacement.

Summary

How do you write a CV that actually works? Summing up the entire guide in a few points:

• Tailor every CV to a specific job advert — the summary, skills, and experience descriptions.
• Describe achievements with numbers, not duties.
• Stick to one A4 page and a clean, readable structure.
• Use standard section headings and save your CV as a PDF — this protects against ATS issues.
• Proofread the text for errors three times before sending.
• Update your CV regularly, not only when you are looking for a job.

Writing a good CV takes time and attention, but it is an investment that directly translates into more interview invitations. If you want to speed up the process, you can try the generator at cv-ai.pl — it will walk you through the entire process and help you create a professional document in a few minutes.