How to write a CV that gets read

Keep it to one or two pages

Employers read many CVs. Put the most useful facts at the top: your name, phone number, email and the job you are applying for.

What to include

• A two-line summary: who you are and what work you do.
• Work experience, newest first: employer, job title, dates, and two or three things you did or achieved.
• Education and licences: NVQ, diplomas, driving licence, STCW or seafarer certificates for ship jobs.
• Skills: languages, machines you can operate, software you can use.
• Two referees with a phone number, if you have them.

What to leave out

• Your passport number, bank details or national ID number. An employer does not need them to read your CV.
• Long paragraphs. Use short lines.
• Anything untrue. Employers check, and a false claim loses you the job.

Send it the right way

• Save it as a PDF so the layout stays the same on every phone and computer.
• Name the file clearly, for example 'Kamal Perera - Driver.pdf'.
• On this site, you can save one CV to your account and attach it to every application.