How to write a great CV

To write a great CV you need to first unlearn what you previously learned about CV writing. You have to have a mindset (the marketing approach) and understand its purpose. The purpose is to get you selected, not to comply with rules and customs.

Here is my guidance based on 12 successful years as a CV writer and additional years as a recruiter, business manager, business owner, and employer, as well as research and consultancy experience.

CV layout

The structure of your CV can be anything you want as long as it communicates how you meet the criteria.

You should find a structure that makes a good first impression, so a summary at the top is always a good idea. Other than that, there are no set rules on what comes next. Your experience can come before or after your education. You can decide what is most important for any particular job.

A little white space helps to make your CV readable, but you should avoid too much of it so that you have space to give enough detail. I recommend a one-column layout for this reason and because you can guide the reader on your career in the order that you choose.

CV format

The best CV format is one that best conveys what you have to offer a particular employer for a particular job. So, if you are a creative designer, it will be a creative format. For most other people, however, it will be a 2-page document produced in the word processing software of your choice (Microsoft Word or Google Docs, for example). You may want to turn this into a PDF when finished, so that the formatting stays as you intended it, regardless of how the employer opens your CV. That way, your CV will look as good as you intended, whatever device, operating system, and software they use.

Of course, you should follow the particular employer’s instructions. If they ask for a Word document with a certain maximum word limit, then you should comply with this. You can’t expect to be chosen by them otherwise.

CV length

People have been discussing the optimal length of a CV for a long time. I don’t believe it’s any different now compared to the past. One page is unlikely to justify your place on the shortlist and 5 pages make you look like you have not bothered to edit the document with any great care. Mine are usually two pages / occasionally three.

Some people think a CV should be one page ‘these days’. My view is that if the content is sufficiently compelling, two pages are always good.

There is of course an exception with resumes in the USA and Canada. These are usually expected to be one page long.

You can see my video guidance here →

You can see my video guidance here ↓

CV content guide

Need professional CV advice?

I offer a limited number of free CV reviews (10 per month) which you can claim by using one of the contact forms on this website or emailing Graeme@GraemeJordan.com

Or, if you’d like me to write your CV for you, you can see the service on the CV writing page.

There is no end of free advice out there on the internet or your favourite social media platform. But, with so much of that advice being contradictory, they can’t all be right.

Be careful of tips, tricks, and hacks. Like anything, your goal shouldn’t be to trick your way to success. It should be to develop an effective application within the given process.

Why the marketing approach to CV writing works

Getting a job is never a case of luck and it’s not a numbers game – it’s about knowing what an employer really wants and effectively offering this to them.
Meeting the Person Specification is not enough – you need to show that you fit the role in ways that are demonstrably better than any of the other candidates, based on the things that they value.
When describing yourself to potential employers, you cannot rely on stating that you have the skills – you must think about how to credibly demonstrate that you have these in such a way that is superior to your ‘competitors’. Make it an absolute no-brainer that the employer will choose you!
Writing your CV is not a one-off process. It should grow and develop as you do and it should be appropriate for the current stage in your career. It should also be different for each role that you apply for.
All of these skills are useful, not just in applying for jobs but in all aspects of your personal communication. They help you to be perceived credibly and impress the right people.

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