CV Meaning & What to Include in a CV
Land your dream job by learning what a CV is and what to include. Build a professional, UK-ready application with our expert guide today.
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A CV, or Curriculum Vitae, is a professional document that shows employers your experience, qualifications, and key skills when applying for a job. A good CV presents your background clearly and highlights relevant achievements.
Quick outline:
- A standard CV includes contact information, a professional summary, work experience, education, and skills.
- Tailor your CV to each role by matching your experience and keywords to the job description.
- Focus on achievements and measurable results rather than simply listing daily responsibilities.
- Most UK CVs are one to two pages long, depending on your experience level.
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What does CV stand for?
CV stands for Curriculum Vitae, a Latin phrase meaning ‘course of life.’ In the UK, it is the standard term for the document you submit with job applications, providing a clear and structured summary of your professional background.
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What to include in a standard CV
When writing a CV for a UK employer, structuring your information clearly is vital. The main components of a CV typically include:
Contact details
Place this at the very top of your CV. It must include your full name, phone number, a professional email address, and a link to your LinkedIn profile or portfolio if relevant.
Personal statement
The personal statement is a brief paragraph (3 to 5 sentences) that summarises your professional profile. Highlight your core strengths, relevant experience, and what you can bring to the target role.
Work experience
The experience section is often the most important part of a CV. List your past paid jobs, internships, or volunteer work in reverse-chronological order (newest first). Include your job titles, company names, and dates worked. Use bullet points under each role to focus on key achievements and metrics rather than just listing daily tasks.
Skills
This section highlights the key abilities that support your job performance. Include a bulleted list of hard skills (technical abilities, software knowledge, languages) and soft skills (communication, teamwork) tailored directly to the specific job description.
Education
Detail your academic background by listing your degrees, school or university names, and dates of attendance (starting with the most recent). Include relevant honours or high rankings if applicable.
Additional information
Here you can highlight any notable achievements or awards you have received throughout your career, such as publications, patents, or other recognitions, as well as mention your language skills, hobbies, and interests.
What is a CV for?
While a CV is primarily used for applying for a job to help employers assess your background, it can also be used for:
- Applying for an academic position: An academic CV is typically much more detailed and includes teaching experience, research, and publications.
- Applying for a grant or funding: Funding bodies request CVs to evaluate your previous accomplishments and professional background.
- Networking: Sharing a well-crafted CV can help introduce your skills to new contacts and open up future opportunities.
A great addition if you lack formal work experience. It shows initiative and highlights transferable skills.
Include any formal credentials, licenses, or memberships that show commitment to your industry.
List any additional languages you speak and your level of proficiency.
Personal pursuits should only be included if they show relevant transferable skills or offer a great conversation starter for interviews.
Employers do not need this information, and leaving it off protects you against unconscious bias and discrimination.
Unless specifically requested (such as for acting or modelling roles), leave photos off UK CVs.
Your city and country/county are usually enough. You don’t need to use space with your full street address.
You can simply write ‘References available upon request;’ at the bottom, or leave the section out entirely to save valuable page space.
Quick tips for formatting your CV
Instead of getting bogged down in complex rules, follow these quick, high-impact tips to write a good CV instantly:
1. Understand the job requirements
Never send the exact same CV to every employer. Adapt it by highlighting the specific skills and experience mentioned in the job advert.
2. Choose the correct format
Use a chronological CV (most recent experience first) for standard applications. If you have no experience, use a skills-based format to highlight transferable abilities. Keep the whole document to a maximum of two pages.
3. Use powerful action verbs
Start your work experience bullet points with strong action verbs like Resolved, Developed, Mentored, Led, or Implemented. It makes your accomplishments sound far more impactful.
4. Quantify your achievements
Whenever possible, use numbers to show the scale of your success (e.g., ‘Improved customer satisfaction by 25% and increased retention by 6%’).
5. Proofread
Spelling and grammar errors can quickly ruin your chances. Use a spell-check tool or ask a friend to review your CV before submitting.
How to build a CV the easy way
To stand out to employers, be clear, confident, and results-driven in your writing. We know it can be difficult to choose the right words in a CV; that’s why our CV app suggests personalised bullet points to make your accomplishments sound more impactful.
02/2021 – CURRENT Travel Agent | Always Sunny – London
- Employed problem-solving and creative solutions to tailor travel packages to meet specific client requirements, receiving 95% positive customer feedback.
- Established effective lead follow-up strategies, increasing enquiry-to-client conversion rate from 60% to 70% within 6 months.
You can also try dozens of CV templates with ease after writing your document, without having to copy and paste or rewrite any text. Our designs are fully customisable with various fonts, colours and easy formatting
FAQ
What is CV full form?
CV stands for Curriculum Vitae, a Latin phrase that means ‘course of life’. It is a detailed document that lists your education, work history, skills, and achievements, and it is used to apply for jobs, academic roles, and research grants.
What does a CV look like in 2026?
A strong CV in 2026 should be clear, concise, and tailored to the role. While the design may vary by experience, country, or industry, most CVs include a professional template, a strong personal statement, your work experience, skills, and academic background.
What to include in a standard CV?
The standard CV sections are:
- Contact details: Name, phone number, and email address.
- Personal statement: A short summary of your goals and skills.
- Work experience: Past jobs, internships, or volunteer work listed in order.
- Education: Schools attended, degrees earned, and dates.
- Skills: Key abilities relevant to the position
What is the standard British CV format?
A standard British CV fits on one page, generally doesn’t feature a photo, and includes a Personal Statement section, sometimes known as a Professional Summary, as well as information about your experience, skills, and qualifications.
What is a chronological CV format?
A chronological CV presents work experience and education in reverse chronological order, placing the most recent information at the top of each section. In this format, the Work Experience section typically appears higher up on the page, as it is often the most important part for employers. This is the most common CV format used today.
What should a CV without experience include?
A CV without experience should focus on strengths beyond formal employment. Emphasise education, key skills, achievements, and any activities that demonstrate potential.
The most common approach is to use a skills-based CV, highlighting transferable abilities such as communication, organisation, or digital literacy. Alternatively, the experience section can include relevant extracurricular activities, volunteering, or school projects.
What should a CV look like in PDF format?
A CV in PDF format should follow the same principles as any well-crafted document: it must be clear, professional, and easy to read. The key difference lies in how the file is saved and shared. In general, keep the file size small for easy uploading or emailing, and use a clear, descriptive file name such as Anna-McDonald-Accountant-CV.pdf
What should a CV look like in Word format?
A CV in Word format includes all the essential elements such as personal details, work experience, education, skills, and more. It allows easy editing and customisation, making it a flexible option for creating or updating a curriculum vitae at any time.
However, maintaining consistent formatting can be more challenging compared to using a CV template.
What does a modern CV look like?
A modern CV uses clean, professional formatting with a touch of contemporary design. It may include subtle use of colour, clear section dividers, or minimal icons to improve visual appeal without distracting from the content.
Modern CVs are typically one page long, use easy-to-read fonts (usually size 12), and maintain a strong focus on clarity and structure.
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