Your CV (curriculum vitae) is one of the most important documents you’ll ever create. It’s your chance to make a great first impression and land your dream job.
With the world of work rapidly evolving, what makes a strong CV in 2025 is quite different from previous years. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to write an effective CV that stands out to recruiters and hiring managers.
Adapt Your CV Format to Modern Standards
Gone are the days of the traditional multi-page CV. Today’s employers and ATS (applicant tracking systems) prefer a clean, scannable one-page document. Use a free CV maker template from Adobe with sleek, professional formatting to showcase your skills and experience.
Adobe offers a wide selection of customisable templates to choose from. Make sure you’re using an easy-to-read font like Arial or Calibri in size 11 or 12. Use bullet points, headings, and white space to make your CV layout easy on the eyes.
Lead with a Strong Career Summary
Rather than an old-fashioned objective statement, open your CV with an impressive career summary. In 2-4 sentences, explain your most relevant qualifications, years of experience, and specialised skills or achievements. This section should provide an “elevator pitch” overview of why you’re an ideal candidate.
Use powerful action verbs and condensed language to hook the hiring manager right away.
Tailor Your CV to the Job Description
Take time to thoroughly read the job ad and identify the most desirable qualifications and skills for that specific role. Then, incorporate relevant keywords from the ad throughout your CV to show you match their criteria.
For example, if the employer wants someone with “proven experience in sales management,” your CV should highlight measurable sales management accomplishments.
Customising your CV is crucial for getting past initial screening stages and ATS filters.
Focus on Relevant Work Experience
Your work history section should spotlight previous positions that prepared you for the target job.
For each role, include:
Job title and company
Employment dates
Notable responsibilities and achievements
Key skills developed
It’s fine to exclude irrelevant or outdated roles to save space. However, avoid large gaps in your timeline – explain any gaps briefly.
Quantify your achievements with numbers and data to demonstrate value gained. For example, “Increased sales by 30% over 2 years” has a stronger impact than a generic bullet point.
Choose the Right CV Length
Keeping your CV concise is key. As a rule of thumb:
Recent graduates: 1 page
5+ years of experience: 2 pages maximum
10+ years of experience: 3 pages maximum
Only include additional pages if you have relevant content that adds value for the reader. Use the minimum space needed to showcase your strongest qualifications.
List Your Education Correctly:
On your CV, your most recent degree or highest qualification should be listed first. For each
education entry, include:
Name of degree, field of study, and university/college
Graduation year
Grade point average or class ranking, awards if applicable
There’s no need to list high school once you’ve been to university. Relevant courses, projects or thesis work can be mentioned briefly too.
Showcase Additional Relevant Skills:
Besides formal work experience, your skills section lets you highlight strengths that may not appear
elsewhere on your CV. These may include:
Languages
Technical skills like software programmes or coding
Soft skills like communication, teamwork and leadership
Industry-specific certifications
Think about which skills are most important for the job and prioritize those near the top. Break them into subcategories like “Communication Skills” to organise them.
Pick the Right References:
Your CV does not need to list references. However, you should include a line that says “References available upon request” at the end to signal you can provide them if needed. Good references include previous supervisors, co-workers, clients, professors, or even volunteer coordinators who can vouch for your qualifications and work ethic. Make sure to get consent from anyone you plan to list as a reference if they may be contacted by a hiring manager.
Check for Errors and Consistency
Before submitting your CV, give it a thorough edit to catch any mistakes. Look for typos, formatting inconsistencies, gaps in employment and repetitive phrases. Read your CV out loud and backwards to check for flow and grammar. Ask a friend or career counsellor to review it as a second pair of eyes.
Small errors can take away from an otherwise strong application. Taking time to polish your CV can make all the difference.
Follow Up with a Cover Letter
A cover letter introduces yourself, highlights your fit for the specific position, and expands on aspects of your background.
Your CV and cover letter work together to present a comprehensive picture of what you offer. Take time crafting both documents to impress hiring teams.
By following this guide, you now have the key strategies to create a modern, effective CV for 2025 and beyond. Customising your CV and cover letter is the first step to landing your next great job opportunity.
