How to make a CV: What information should be included?
What's in a CV?Optional CV contentDo you need a photograph for your application?Education and work experience in your CVHow to structure your CV's content Don't try to hide parental leave and unemploymentInclude further training on your CVShowcasing skills in your CVNo signature required on a CV
Your CV should provide an overview of your personal details as well as your educational history and professional experience. That's why many recruiters will skip your cover letter initially, choosing to read your CV first even though it technically comes later in your application portfolio. Your CV provides recruiters with a good summary of your qualifications, making it the single most important part of your application. Thus, your CV should only include information relevant to the specific job for which you're applying.
Note: Many employers in the UK have moved away from requiring job application portfolios, relying on (online) application forms instead. Some require both. The information presented here may still be useful to you, however, as these forms usually require you to provide the exact same information.
Whether you're aiming for an apprenticeship, an internship or a job, there are some pieces of information that should always be part of your CV. First of all, your CV should include your personal contact details.
You need to include the following information in your CV:
If you're trying to save space in your CV, you can put your contact information in the header. As an added benefit, this ensures that your personal details are easy to locate on every page of your job application.
Note: Use a reputable email address in your application. A combination of your first and last name works best.
Your CV should also include your educational and professional background, as well as your skills and knowledge. The level of detail in your CV depends on your experience and the job for which you are applying.
Due to the Equality Act 2010, which replaced and combined several earlier UK anti-discrimination laws, it's illegal to discriminate against anyone based on so-called "protected characteristics". For the purposes of job applications, job interviews and job application forms, this means that your prospective employer cannot legally ask you about such protected characteristics unless the job in question requires it. For example, an employer may ask about your age if the job requires you to sell alcoholic beverages. Otherwise, you're free to provide such information voluntarily, but you're not required to do so.
Protected characteristics according to UK law include:
You're not required to disclose criminal convictions or cautions that are spent, either. If your conviction or caution is still on your basic criminal record, however, you may be required to disclose this as part of your CV or the application form.
Think carefully about whether disclosing certain types of information about yourself might provide you an advantage or a disadvantage with your future employer.
For example, some companies may be thrilled to hear you have many children, while others might be concerned that your work performance may suffer because of your personal responsibilities.
Likewise, most employers like to know how old you are and how much life experience you bring to the table, even if they're not legally allowed to ask for your age or date of birth. That's because this information can give them an idea of how well you might fit in with an existing team.
In some countries, CVs traditionally include a job application photo so recruiters can get a visual impression of you. In the UK, the US and many other countries, this is generally discouraged, though, as a photograph may be the basis for discrimination. When applying for a job in these countries, it's best not to include a photograph in your CV unless your prospective employer specifically asks you to include one. When applying for jobs in other countries, you should check beforehand whether a photograph is expected, as not providing one may be considered bad form.
In some countries, including a photograph in your CV may be considered optional in legal terms, but it's still expected culturally. In such cases, it's advisable to use a photograph shot by a professional, ideally one acquainted with these cultural expectations. That's because recruiters in highly conservative business environments like Japan may prefer photos that present you as a consummate professional. At the same time, countries like Germany may expect you to look professional, but also prefer an honest smile to a stoic expression.
The most important job of your CV is to provide information on your education and work experience. Depending on how much work experience you already have and what type of job you're applying for, you may emphasise specific stages of your life.
For example, if you're applying for an apprenticeship after school, you probably don't have a lot of relevant work experience yet. Your CV should, therefore, focus on which schools you've attended, as well as your performance (including GCSEs). Be sure to mention your favourite subjects if they're relevant to the job, as well as your final grade if it's particularly good. Also include any part-time jobs or internships you've completed. These may not be directly related to the apprenticeship for which you're applying, but they show that you're committed and can be relied upon to arrive to work on time every day.
UK employers like to know which educational institutions you've attended, even if you've already had several years of work experience afterwards. Having attended a prestigious public school or university can go a long way to impress recruiters. You don't need to mention your primary school maths grades anymore if you have a university degree and several years of work experience, however. Even your GCSE scores may be irrelevant then. Instead, focus on mentioning any prestigious schools you've attended, providing information on your highest level of educational or vocational training and any additional information that's directly related to the job for which you're applying.
Make sure to provide a complete picture of your educational and work experience, even if you decide to put more emphasis on specific stages. And don't leave out any gaps in your CV.
CVs are typically structured in anti-chronological order. This means you start with the most recent stage of your career. Summarise your main responsibilities and achievements in concise bullet points. You should always use exact dates (month and year) for any entry on the list. You may start with your work experience or your educational experience – whichever is more important to your CV and more relevant to the job for which you're applying.
Keep in mind: Your CV should reflect your skills and personality. This applies not only to the content, but also to the design and structure of the document. That said, there are some guidelines you can follow when structuring your CV.
If you have little experience with word processing programmes such as Microsoft Word, our CV templates can help you. You can find many examples of creative and classic CVs here. And if you're looking for other job application documents, we also have templates with coherent layouts that you can fill out.
Periods of two months or more during which you were not employed are considered gaps in your CV.
Young people looking for their first job often find it difficult to quickly find full-time work that matches their needs and skills. However, you can make good use of longer periods of unemployment by improving your skills through language courses or training programmes.
Parental leave, sick leave and times during which you cared for sick relatives can certainly also disrupt your employment journey. Such circumstances may be considered protected under the Equality Act 2010. So, it’s best to be open about these stages of your life with your employer. Leaving unexplained gaps in your CV typically looks worse than providing an explanation which your future employer is legally required to accept.
If you've dropped out of university or withdrawn from your vocational training course, this information is also relevant content for your CV. Though as time passes between then and now, these stages of your life become less and less relevant to your employer.
Under no circumstances should you lie on your CV to hide gaps in your employment history. If your lies are uncovered after you've been hired, this may constitute grounds for dismissal. We strongly recommend that you include any gaps in your CV and explain them truthfully, either in the CV or during the job interview.
Participating in training, courses and seminars that lead to professional qualifications emphasises your motivation and willingness to learn, helping you find the right job for you. You can prove your successful participation with certificates and references in the appendix. Retraining is also part of the CV content. In general, however, you should only include courses in your CV that are still up-to-date and relevant to the job.
A successfully completed typing course may be important information for applying as an office clerk, but if you're aiming to be an engineer, this skill hold less significance.
Skills that aren't directly relevant to the job don't need to clutter your CV. For example, if you're applying to be a postman or a lorry driver, your CV should showcase which driving licenses you hold. But if you're applying to be an engineer, it's usually up to you how you plan to get to work every day.
Likewise, if you list all the skills you have acquired in your life, your CV may end up looking overloaded and unstructured. This may even give recruiters the impression that you haven't considered which skills are truly relevant to the position you're applying for.
Make sure your cover letter doesn't simply repeat the information from your CV. There is little point in listing soft skills in your CV. Instead, try to give specific examples proving your soft skills in your cover letter.
Information regarding your native language and any foreign languages you’re proficient in, should be included in your CV. However, it's important to assess your language skills realistically. Basic command of a language may be considered "basic knowledge", while being able to write, speak and converse fluently may justify calling yourself "fluent in speech and writing".
A common way to give your future employer a good idea about your language skills is using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in your CV. This framework is recognised throughout Europe and makes language skills objectively comparable. The classification system uses a sequence of letters and numbers to classify an applicant's language proficiency.
These levels are as follows:
Nowadays, virtually every job requires some level of computer skill. Therefore, your CV should always include information about your computer skills and your experience using relevant computer programmes.
When applying for a job as a programmer or IT administrator, for example, it's vitally important for your employer to know which programming languages and operating systems you're proficient in, and at what level. That's why employers usually ask applicants to list such specialist knowledge in job advertisements.
Professional skills are the focus of any job application, but hobbies may be an important part of your CV.
That's because your personal interests allow your future employer to draw conclusions about your personality. Do you enjoy an active lifestyle, or do you prefer relaxing activities? Are you a team player, or do you work best on your own? Ideally, your hobbies can underline qualities that are important to the job, such as the stamina of a marathon runner or the organisational talent of a book club president.
Always think about which of your hobbies cast you in a good light for the job for which you're applying. As previously stated, don't overload your CV with superfluous information. If you're applying for a position at an advertising agency, your love for video games may be greatly appreciated. However, a recruiter for a bank with a conservative business culture may get a much more negative impression of you.
Potential employers usually like to see voluntary work on your CV, as most societies tend to value people who are committed to social work. If you're applying for a demanding position that requires your full attention, however, the additional workload of being a volunteer can be seen as a disadvantage.
You can demonstrate your social commitment even as a job applicant who has just graduated from school. For example, if you used to be a class representative or volunteered as a tutor, you may want to mention this in your CV. These things can be used to demonstrate qualities such as confidence and a responsible attitude.
Make sure you include any long-term job-related stays abroad in your CV. Such work experiences can demonstrate your language skills and social competence, making them valuable parts of your CV if you're applying for a job with a large international company.
If you have experience with work, internships or au pair placements abroad, you'll want to include information on where you worked and for how long in your CV. If you took part in a student exchange or studied abroad for a semester, this information belongs in the education segment of your CV.
If you have several years of international work experience, it's unnecessary to detail earlier or very brief stays abroad.
In some cultures, it's standard practice to sign your CV in the same way you'd sign the cover letter. However, this is not common in the UK as most recruiters view your CV simply as a list of your experiences and accomplishments. When applying for a job abroad, you should check whether signing your CV is standard practice there, as a missing signature may be interpreted negatively.
Leaving out your signature from your CV gives you more space for information that's actually useful to recruiters. However, always remember to sign the cover letter.
It's become common practice in the UK to submit application portfolios digitally, even when the company doesn't use online application forms. If you need to include your signature with your cover letter or add it to your CV when applying for jobs abroad, you can use our CV editor to make sure it fits into your CV.
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