2 CV Template Examples For All CV Levels & Types Of Jobs

The first CV template on this page shows you a very simple layout to help you when you are writing your next CV; if you follow my instructions for a basic template like this, it will give you a clean and crisp CV layout which I guarantee will look better than 90% of the poor CV writing efforts I have seen. There is a link to a simple cover letter further down the page too.

To follow this simple CV layout, put your name and contact details clearly laid out at the top of the page, include street address, land-line and mobile telephone numbers plus your primary email address. This is crucial because they may want to contact you quickly, and if your details can't be found easily you might lose an interview and see your job change hopes go up in smoke.

These templates are a great way to quickly get an effective CV layout, but if you need my professional CV writing help to get yours done rapidly, telephone me on 01270 881811 or click the box on the right.

The second CV template, also on this page, is based on a real CV and shows you what a finished CV can look like, easy on the eye and easy to read.

Adding Information To Your CV Template

Below your address and other contact details you should then add a 'Profile' or other summary paragraph - a 3 to 4 lines which will demonstrate that you are the person they are looking for and have relevant business sector experience at an appropriate level of seniority for the job you are considering.

A good CV usually works best if you produce a summary profile at the beginning. The reader will skim this first to get a flavour of your experience, so make sure that it contains essential information about your level and scope of responsibility and relevant sector experience.

You could replace this with a 'Career Objective' statement but only if you are just starting out or changing your career. See CV Help.

Your employment history follows next in reverse chronological order - putting your last job first - and will be repeated for each previous employer. Place the dates on the right of the page to create a clear, easy to follow time-line that does not get confused with the other headings. As you write about each job, try to summarize the purpose of your job and your major accountabilities, followed by a few relevant achievements which illustrate how you fulfilled your role. For another view of great CV layout, take a look at this Retail Management CV.

CV Template Example

Click the CV template image to download and print.

The CV template shown in the image lists 3 'Achievements' against each job; naturally you can use more if they are relevant, but don't exceed 5 or 6 points at the most. If you do use more, you should reduce the number of CV achievements as you go further back in your career history. Try to keep your CV to a maximum length of 2 pages if at all possible (2.5 - 3 absolute max.).

Next you will need a section for 'Training, Education and Qualifications' which will include relevant items only.

If you have a university degree, you can leave out your GCSEs.

Don't list every single training day or event you attended, keep it real and just show significant training with some recognizable outcomes.

The template above shows a section for 'Personal Information' - list anything that may have been asked for in the job advert, but you should include either here or in the section above, additional information about language skills or IT skills or other specific items that are relevant. Don't bother with hobbies or interests unless specifically requested. Neither should you add references at this stage, although you may say that references are available.

This is another example CV template - this time it's based on a real CV that I made for a client with the essential details changed to preserve the identity. You can use this CV layout example as a great starting point for a technical engineer CV as well.

CV Template Based On Real CV

Click the 1st CV template image to download and print page 1.

Click the 2nd image to download and print page 2.

The only job that you really want your CV to do is to get read and acted upon by the person you send it to. That person may be the hiring manager or personnel officer at the firm you're sending your job application to, but if it doesn't get read, you are going no further in the selection process!

Here is the link to the simple cover letter I mentioned at the top of the page. You can easily use a personalized version of this letter to send with your CV or you might find these cover letter templates will give you what you need to write a great covering letter to go with your CV.

Here is an example of a Functional CV layout which follows a different pattern and is used more for career change.

Continue to: Free CV Template with 'real' details filled in so you can see what a finished template should look like.

Be careful with the free CV templates that you will find online, many of them look really good but in practice, they don't work well for most people when you try to add your own employment details and they end up looking like some kind of 'hotch-potch'.

Return To CV Writing or continue to find more CV Examples

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