CV writing guides

Short, practical guides to writing a CV that gets past the first screen and into an interview.

• How to write a CVWhat to include, what order to put it in, and how to describe your experience so a busy reader notices it.
• How to write a cover letterWhat to include, how long it should be, and the mistakes that make employers skim past it.
• How to make your CV ATS-friendlyHow applicant tracking systems read your CV, and the formatting choices that help or hurt.
• Strong action verbs for your CVA practical list grouped by what you actually did, with weak-verb swaps and examples.
• How to explain a gap in your CVHandling employment gaps honestly and without drawing unwanted attention.
• Choosing a CV layoutSidebar or single column, serif or sans-serif: how to pick a layout for the way you are applying.
• How to import an existing CV from a PDFWhat the importer reads, what it cannot recover, and what to check before you trust the result.
• CV or resume? What is the difference?What each term means in Australia, the UK, the US and in academia, and how long each should be.

Where to start

If you are writing a CV from nothing, read How to write a CV first; it covers what goes in and in what order. If you already have one and it is not getting replies, the two most common problems are bullet points that list duties instead of results - see the action verbs guide - and a format that application software cannot read, which the ATS guide covers.

The guides are written for job seekers in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland, with notes where practice in the US, Canada or Europe differs. They are free to read, like the rest of the site.

Ready to write yours? Open the editor, or look through the templates first. It is free and your CV stays on your device.