What should I include in my CV? (Sections and Content of your CV.)

Let’s take a look at the typical sections of a Curriculum Vitae, laid out from top to bottom as they would appear on your CV. This list may change depending on the industry, but it should provide a good starting point for most. We will give you our top tips for each section of your CV in detail as you read through each section of our guide.

1. Personal Details
2. Personal Statement / Personal Profile
3. Skills and Achievements Overview
4. Career History
5. Education
6. Work-Related Courses and Training
7. Extracurricular Activities

The content you should include in your CV should be factual and relevant. Using facts and figures is a far more compelling way of showing why you fit the person specification than generalised statements about how well you “work independently as well as part of a team” (seriously, please take that out of your CV if you have put it in; it says very little about you).

Prioritise content, such as skills, achievements and experience that is most relevant to the role you are applying for. This is why it is so important to rewrite your CV for each application that you submit as the person specification will be different for each. This also means that you can expand on the required skills and experiences and minimise the detail on the least relevant, allowing you to manage the length of your CV and maximise the impact of your two pages.

Give great examples as you go through your CV but leave the detail for the interview. For example, you can highlight an achievement from previous employment that demonstrates your skill set but leave the details of how you achieved it for later discussion. If the headline point is effective and relevant enough, it’s bound to come up in interview.

Facts and figures are a great way to improve the content of your CV as they hold more weight than opinion or unsubstantiated claims. If you are boasting a proven track record in sales, then give your sales turnover for the last year. If you are claiming to be highly experienced, spell out in years exactly how long you have been doing it.

Further sections of our comprehensive guide to writing a CV:

1. Intro.
2. The importance of writing your own CV.
3. How should I format my CV?
4. What should I include in my CV?
5. Personal Details.
6. How do I write a Personal Profile for my CV?
7. The Key Skills & Achievements Section of a CV.
8. How to write an Employment History / Career History of a CV
9. How to write the Education Section of your CV.
10. What should I include in the Extracurricular Activities (Hobbies and Interests) section of my CV?
11. What makes you unique? Writing a CV to be remembered.