How to Write a CV in 2026 — Complete Guide

Step 1 — Choose the Right CV Format

Before you type a single word, choose your format. There are three main CV formats:

• Reverse Chronological — The most common and most ATS-friendly. Lists your most recent experience first. Best for most job seekers with consistent work history.
• Functional (Skills-Based) — Leads with skills rather than jobs. Useful if you're changing careers or have employment gaps. However, many ATS systems struggle to parse this format, so use with caution.
• Combination (Hybrid) — Blends a strong skills summary at the top with a reverse-chronological experience section. Best of both worlds for experienced professionals.

For 2026, the reverse chronological format remains the safest and most effective choice for the vast majority of job seekers. When in doubt, use it.

Step 2 — Write Your Contact Details

Your header must include your full name (large, bold), professional job title (e.g. "Senior Marketing Manager"), phone number, professional email address, LinkedIn URL, city/country (no full street address needed), and optionally your portfolio or GitHub URL. Avoid including date of birth, marital status, or a photo unless applying to countries where these are expected (Germany, UAE, Spain, etc.).

Step 3 — Craft a Compelling Personal Profile

The personal profile (also called a summary or professional statement) sits directly under your contact details and is your first and best chance to hook the recruiter. Write 3–5 sentences that answer: Who are you professionally? What is your core expertise? What is your biggest achievement? What kind of role are you seeking?

Example: "Results-driven Digital Marketing Manager with 8 years of experience in B2B SaaS, specialising in SEO, paid acquisition, and marketing automation. Grew organic traffic by 400% at my last company, driving $2.1M in attributed pipeline. Seeking a head of marketing role at a Series B+ tech company."

Step 4 — List Your Work Experience

This is the most important section of your CV. For each role include: job title, company name, location, dates (month and year), and 3–6 bullet points of achievements. The key rule: every bullet must be an achievement, not a responsibility. Achievements answer "so what?" — they include a result, a number, or a clear impact.

• Weak: "Responsible for managing social media accounts."
• Strong: "Grew Instagram following from 4K to 67K in 12 months through a daily content strategy, increasing referral traffic by 180%."

Use strong action verbs to start each bullet: Led, Delivered, Designed, Built, Reduced, Increased, Managed, Launched, Negotiated, Implemented, Analysed, Trained, Streamlined.

Step 5 — Education Section

List your highest qualification first. Include: degree title, institution name, graduation year, and grade/classification if strong (First Class, Distinction, GPA 3.8+). For recent graduates, you can include relevant modules, dissertation title, or academic projects. For experienced professionals (5+ years), keep the education section brief — your work experience matters far more.

Step 6 — Skills Section

Create a dedicated skills section with two types of skills: hard skills (software, tools, technical abilities, languages, certifications) and soft skills (leadership, communication, problem-solving). For ATS purposes, include skills as keywords that appear verbatim in the job description. Don't list every skill — focus on the 10–15 most relevant ones for the specific role you're applying for.

Step 7 — Proofread and Optimise for ATS

Before sending, check: no spelling mistakes (use Grammarly or equivalent), consistent date formatting, consistent font and spacing, no tables or graphics if submitting to ATS, PDF format unless the employer specifies Word. Read the job description one more time and ensure the key terms appear in your CV naturally — this is your final ATS check.