How to Write a CV

If you need to write a CV from scratch, start by deciding what job this version is meant to win and which evidence will make that believable within the first few seconds. A strong CV is less about documenting everything you have done and more about building one clear case for fit, then supporting it with relevant experience, skills, and clean section choices.

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What to build first

How to go from blank page to workable baseline

Use this guide when the whole document needs direction. The aim is to build one strong master CV first, then make smaller role-specific edits instead of rewriting every application from the beginning, with the order and opening summary doing the most work when you are learning how to write a CV.

Choose the job target before you write any lines

The best CVs are built around a specific direction. Before you draft the summary or list old roles, decide what kind of job this version is for, what level you are applying at, and which strengths will matter most to that employer. Writing the CV with one target in mind makes the opening, evidence, and section order easier to control, especially when the skills and structure need to support the same message and the order of a CV needs to feel intentional and easy to scan while you work through how to write a CV step by step.

Write down the target role, level, and two or three strengths you can prove quickly.
Use that short brief to decide what belongs near the top of the page.
Leave out useful-but-off-target detail until the main case for fit is clear.

Build the middle of the CV around evidence, not duties

Once the direction is clear, the work experience and skills sections should support it with proof. Employers do not need a complete archive. They need enough context, responsibility, and outcome to understand why your background fits the role you want next, especially when the CV is being tailored for one specific application and the skills section has to do more than repeat the summary. That is the practical centre of how to write a CV that feels credible.

Turn routine duty lines into evidence of contribution, ownership, improvement, or delivery.
Keep the strongest examples in recent roles, then shorten older entries that add little to the decision.
List skills selectively and make sure the rest of the CV backs them up.

Create one strong baseline, then tailor from there

A finished CV should still be treated as a starting version rather than a fixed document. Once the baseline reads clearly, adapt the summary, skill emphasis, and opening examples so each application makes the match easier to spot and the tailored version feels deliberate rather than patched. The baseline should already be structured well enough that each edit is light, not a rescue job, which is why the how to write a CV process should be repeatable and calm, with the order of a CV staying easy to understand.

Compare the advert with your current summary and first-page evidence before every submission.
Promote the most relevant examples instead of adding extra filler lower down the page.
Check for clarity, repetition, and weak lines that are true but not helping you get shortlisted.

Final check

Use this before you send the CV

Use this final pass to tighten the document before you send it. The strongest academic CVs often improve because the last review catches small issues in structure, clarity, and evidence.

Why this matters

Build the version you can tailor with confidence

A good baseline CV gives you a stable structure, believable summary, and enough supporting evidence to adapt quickly. That makes later tailoring faster and usually stronger, because you are editing from clarity rather than patching a weak draft.

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1 Check that the top of the page names the kind of role you want and why you fit it.
2 Make sure recent experience is doing more than listing responsibilities.
3 Trim old, repeated, or low-value detail that slows the reader down.
4 Review the skills section and remove anything the rest of the page cannot support.
5 Tailor the summary, highlighted skills, and first bullets against the advert before sending.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

These FAQs answer the common decisions that come up when someone is writing a CV from the beginning or starting over with an outdated draft.

What should I write first on a CV? Open

Start with the target role and the top-line message, not the employment history. Once you know what the CV needs to prove, it becomes much easier to decide what belongs in the summary, skills, and first half of the page.

How far back should a CV go? Open

Usually far enough to show the experience that still affects the hiring decision. Recent and relevant work should carry most of the detail, while older roles can often be shortened once they stop strengthening your fit.

Should I tailor the CV every time? Open

Usually yes, but tailoring should be selective rather than exhausting. Keep one strong baseline and adjust the summary, keywords, skills emphasis, and first few examples so each version reflects the role you are applying for.

What usually makes a CV feel weak even when the facts are good? Open

The most common problem is not lack of experience but lack of prioritisation. Strong candidates often undersell themselves by treating every task, role, and detail as equally important.

How do I know when the CV is ready to send? Open

It is usually ready when the target role is obvious, the first page contains the strongest supporting evidence, and every section helps the reader make a faster decision instead of asking them to work it out for themselves.