CV Makers to Kickstart Your CV Writing Journey

CV writing can be a challenge so make sure to follow these tips, and remember that using the expertly designed layouts and tools in a CV maker or resume builder can help you create the perfect CV or resume for any job application.

Do:

• Make your CV longer and more detailed than a standard resume; make sure to order your document accordingly and keep your most important information near the top.
• Use a CV for specific career fields like college-level academics, research, military, entertainment and government work.
• Remember to include special sections that highlight credentials that match the job you want, such as: teaching, publications, lecturing or controlled research experience.

Don’t:

• Use a CV if a standard U.S. job application requests a resume.
• Use a CV if you have less than 10 years of experience or are seeking work outside of academia (in the U.S.).
• Forget to proofread and spell-check your entire document; using a CV builder includes this step.

Build my resume

CV or resume templates will help provide you with a strong appearance for your CV but you’ll need some insight into the structure to write it more effectively. The following sections should appear in a resume or a European-style CV.

• Contact Information: Clear and correct contact information is needed from every applicant including your full name and phone number. You can also add your social media links, such as your LinkedIn profile.
• Objective Statement: In this section, give an overview of your top career highlights relevant to the position. Describe your professional or academic specializations, key skills or relevant attributes, and key achievements to show why you’re the ideal candidate.
• Summary of Qualifications: This section should be focused on what you can offer to a potential employer by highlighting what makes you unique. You can also highlight your affiliations with any professional bodies or groups. Think of these as lengthier descriptions of the most important attributes that would otherwise belong on your skills list.
• Core Qualifications/Key Skills: These sections represent technical or special skills that directly reference the terms used in the job description.
• Education: The education section should be presented in reverse-chronological order with your high school listed last and with the least detail — you do not need to include your GPA.
• Work Experience: This section should be presented in reverse-chronological order, just as with a professional resume, and highlight your main achievements and professional skills. Remember to include quantifiable metrics to demonstrate precisely what you contributed to past employers.
• Awards: Academic and professional achievements you have received.
• Certifications: Credentials earned via training online, night classes, etc.
• Publications: List research papers, articles or other published writing related to your work.
• Grants and Fellowships: Here you can list financial grants or admittance into fellowships. This shows potential employers that you’ve proven yourself to influential people in your field.
• Conferences: Shows your commitment to taking a more holistic interest in your industry through networking, learning from peers and more.
• Affiliations: Highlight which major, industry-relevant associations you’re a part of or have worked with directly.

Take a look at the teaching assistant, architect and pharmacist CV samples below. As you can see, there are different custom sections for each CV, and the work history sections feature a bevy of skills. Not to worry — our Resume Builder allows you to create as many new sections as necessary to effectively capture your years of experience and accomplishments, with job-specific suggestions to fill out your CV.

Build my resume

Although CVs are different from resumes and include more sections, creating and formatting a CV that will pass ATS and impress hiring managers using our Resume Builder is easy!

Follow these simple steps to build your CV:

• Click one of the “Create my CV” buttons on this page. On the new page that appears, select “Create a new resume” to begin the process. Then select “Let’s get started” on the next page.
• Follow the steps on the page and fill in the blanks.
• First, choose one of our 17 resume templates, then select if you want to create a new resume or upload an existing document.
• The builder will automatically guide you through creating the summary, and adding your work history, skills and education.
• After writing your summary, you’ll be able to add extra sections and begin customizing your document. Click the box on the top right to use the add sections feature and select ‘other’ from the drop-down menu so you can title and fill in your own custom skills or certifications.
• When you reach the end of the builder, you’ll see your CV to move your new section or any of the preselected builder sections. Hover over the left side of the column you are trying to adjust and select the arrow icon pictured below.
• If you need to edit the standard or your custom sections, select the three dots on the right and the editing drop-down will appear. This way, you can organize the layout of your CV accordingly.
• If you would like to change the headers of any of your CV sections, simply hover over where it says “Summary,” “Education,” etc., until the Rename button appears. Then put your new title in the space provided and click enter.
• You can change the formatting of your document on the menu at the bottom of the page. After clicking the arrow next to “Normal,” press the “Custom” button. A new menu will appear, where you can adjust the margins, font size, font style and spacing. If you want to change the color, a menu with different options will appear when you click the “Color” tab.
• Be sure to click “Spell Check” at the top left to ensure no grammatical errors.
• Once you’re satisfied with your CV, you can click “Download” and save the document on your computer. If you don’t want to download it just yet, press “Save and Next” so your work isn’t lost.