How to Write a CV That Gets You Interviews

Your CV is the first thing an employer sees. In many cases, a recruiter will decide in less than ten seconds whether to read on. That is not a lot of time. So getting your CV right is one of the most important things you can do for your career.

A good CV does not need to be perfect. It just needs to clearly show who you are, what you have done, and what value you bring. In this guide, we walk you through everything you need to know to write a CV that gets noticed.

Structure your CV clearly

Most UK CVs follow a similar structure. The most common format is reverse chronological, which means your most recent experience comes first. This is what most employers expect, so it is best to stick to it.

A typical UK CV includes:

• Contact details (name, email, phone, LinkedIn if relevant)
• A personal statement
• Work experience
• Education
• Skills
• References available on request (optional)

Keep it to one or two pages. Anything longer risks losing the reader. Two pages is usually enough unless you have more than fifteen years of experience.

Write a strong personal statement

The personal statement sits at the top of your CV, just below your contact details. It is a short paragraph — three to five sentences — that summarises who you are and what you are looking for.

A good personal statement should:

• Describe your current role or background
• Highlight your key skills or achievements
• Mention what type of role you are looking for

Keep it brief and to the point. Avoid vague phrases like "hard-working team player" — everyone says that. Be specific about what makes you good at your job.

Show your impact in work experience

The work experience section is the heart of your CV. Most people list their responsibilities, but the best CVs go further — they show what you actually achieved.

Instead of writing:

Try:

Numbers and results make your experience much more impressive. Even approximate figures are better than nothing. Think about what changed because of your work.

Use action verbs to start each bullet point: managed, built, led, delivered, reduced, increased, designed, launched. These words show energy and ownership rather than passive responsibility.

List your skills clearly

A skills section lets you highlight technical and soft skills in one place. Keep it short and relevant to the jobs you are applying for.

For technical roles, list relevant software, languages, or tools. For non-technical roles, focus on transferable skills such as project management, stakeholder communication, or data analysis.

Avoid listing obvious skills like "Microsoft Word" or "using the internet." These are expected and add no value to your application.

Education

List your education in reverse chronological order. Include your degree, institution, and graduation year. You can add your grade if it was strong.

For most people with more than three years of work experience, education sits near the bottom of the CV. Your experience matters more at that point.

Formatting tips

A clean, readable CV makes a better impression than a heavily designed one. Hiring managers read dozens of CVs — they do not want to work hard to find the information they need.

• Use a simple font (Arial, Calibri, or similar) at size 10–12
• Use clear headings and consistent spacing throughout
• Avoid tables, text boxes, or graphics — these can confuse applicant tracking systems (ATS) that many companies use to screen CVs automatically
• Save and send as a PDF unless the employer specifically asks for a Word document
• Do not add a photo — in the UK this is not standard and can introduce unconscious bias

Common mistakes to avoid

• Spelling or grammar errors — always proofread, and ask someone else to read it too. Even one typo can create a bad impression.
• Using one CV for every application — tailor your personal statement and skills section for each role you apply for. It takes ten extra minutes and makes a real difference.
• Too much irrelevant information — only include experience that is relevant to the role. A part-time job from fifteen years ago is probably not worth a bullet point.
• A generic personal statement — if your statement could belong to anyone, it will not stand out. Make it specific to your background and the job.

Know your salary before you negotiate

Once you have a strong CV, you will start getting interviews. At some point, the conversation will move to money. Before that happens, make sure you know what the market is paying for your role.

It is easy to undervalue yourself — especially if you have been in the same job for a few years and have lost track of what others are earning.