It can be really hard to know how to structure your CV. This blog post provides CV writing help if you choose to write your own CV rather than using a CV writing service.

This blog post outlines the CV sections you will want to use and shows you how to structure these to showcase your skills as effectively as possible.

CV Subheadings

Your CV subheadings divide your CV into sections, providing structure and streamlining your CV. A typical CV for an experienced professional contains the following content in this order.

• Name, address, phone number and email address
• A personal profile which summarises your skills and experience
• A key skills, expertise or career highlights section (dependent on your experience)
• Employment History – with roles listed in reverse chronological order
• Professional Development – listing memberships of professional associations, professional certifications and CPD etc (this section should only be included if relevant)
• Education – List your degree, college or school education, and relevant training courses
• Additional Information – Include anything else relevant to the role but not listed elsewhere e.g. computer skills, driving licence, typing speed etc (this section should only be included if the content doesn’t fit elsewhere).
• You can add additional sections if required (e.g. voluntary experience, publications, presentations etc).

How should I order these subheadings?

To ensure your experience stands out, order your CV in order of relevance and importance to the recruiter. This ensures your skills and experience are clearly visible when a recruiter skim reads your CV. Whilst most CVs follow the CV layout above, you may order these sections differently if this showcases your skills more effectively. For instance:

• Recent graduates or school leavers will usually list their education before their employment history. They may wish to add additional headings such as voluntary experience, internships or student placements.
• If a role requires essential certifications or training, you may wish to list these before the employment history. This includes certifications like Agile / PRINCE 2 project management, or certifications in highly regulated industries such as the construction or rail industries.

Conventions for different sectors

Some sectors such as medicine and academia have specific CV conventions which need to be adhered to. For instance, a medical CV will include awards and prizes, courses, meetings and conferences, publications and research, as well as teaching. An academic CV will include the education first, followed by teaching experience, awards and funding, research experience, publications, conferences and publications, and professional memberships. It is also usual to provide the names, titles and contact details for your references.

You may also find it helpful to read this article on CV design for further CV writing help.

Do you need professional assistance in writing your CV, so this stands out to recruiters? I offer CV writing help including a CV writing service which includes a telephone consultation to discuss your experience, so I can write and tailor your CV for you. Please don’t hesitate to contact me.