Best CV Format for a Job

In this article, we explore the Curriculum Vitae’s role in the recruitment process and study how the CV format differs depending on the position you apply to. We will also give tips on what to write about to land the job and stand out from the crowd.

What is a CV?

CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a document that indicates all the stages of your education and work, achievements, personal qualities, and so on. CV format for job assumes that information is presented in a strict format and sequence. Basically, CV shows how professional and competent you are. The purpose of this document is to convince the employer that you are the one who deserves a specific vacancy as you outperform other candidates.

Thus, CV is important for two reasons:

It simplifies the recruiters’ job by presenting the key aspects of your academic and professional experience. Therefore, hiring managers are aware of what and when you did, and what results you achieved.

A CV is the first document recruiters traditionally read to get an impression of a candidate. So, be sure to use this opportunity. You always can have it perfectly written by professional cv writing services on Skillhub. We'll get you covered!

Related:

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CV format for students

Working on a CV is a difficult task for many students as many think: "What am I going to write about if I don’t have enough experience?". It’s quite understandable as you are still studying. So, put recruiters’ attention to other things that show your expertise, such as:

• Career objective;
• GPA, favorite fields of study, thesis title, key school achievements;
• Extracurricular activities, clubs and societies;
• Awards and honors;
• Internships and volunteering;
• Certifications and trainings;
• Hobbies and interests.

And here is a CV format sample that can impress HRs, even though the student doesn’t have work experience.

Professional CV format

Perhaps, the best way to format CV is to turn to a professional one which is rather traditional. Why? While being quite simple to read, it provides the hiring manager with the most essential information about your path. There, you present your education and work experience in a non-chronological order, highlighting your responsibilities and achievements.

Here are its sections:

• Summary (statement);
• Experience;
• Education;
• Certificates;
• Personal information;
• Skills;
• Languages.

Physician CV format

Physicians (or doctors, medical practitioners) work at hospitals or clinics. The goal of such a CV is to convince recruiters that you can save lives and promote good health.

It’s recommended to turn to a chronological layout. It highlights your professional experience more vividly and shows where you started. By the way, this format is great from the ATS' perspective.

Here is a CV format example:

Artist CV format

What is so special about an artist's CV? It’s a lot longer than other CV format samples. The list of artistic achievements contains more details that are crucial for the committees of various exhibitions, schools, galleries, awards, or grants.  

A CV should also include your publications (if any), collections, solo and group exhibitions. Two pages will be enough, and better avoid elaborate fonts and designs.

CV format medical doctor

To fit any M.D. job, one should follow some simple steps when working on a CV:

• Start with a short summary of your medical successes;
• In the experience section, describe your past jobs and key achievements with a problem-action-result formula;
• Be sure to include numbers and metrics;
• Sentences better start with action words.

Go on reading to know how should a CV format academic look like.

Science CV format

When writing a science CV format, career advice experts recommend beginning with the most recent positions. Bullet points describing your responsibilities should be up to 6, and fewer when you outline more past jobs. As for the results, stick to numbers for this format of a CV, as it was mentioned earlier.

Also, don’t forget to include words from the job description. When the ATS bot finds them, your application will be analyzed by a human recruiter.

British CV format

It’s absolutely normal for a CV European format to consist of two pages, numbers and facts. This document may not include your objective, as it’s mentioned in the cover letter.

Another necessary thing is references – be sure CV has contacts of at least two people whom the hiring company can reach. It might be a good idea to write about your activities, hobbies and interests as well – British employers are known to value them.  

German CV format

You may notice that CV format examples are different in various countries. When it comes to Germany, HRs want your CV to be simple and short. They need a few seconds to decide whether you match the job, so let your application show your strongest points in a way that is easy to read. In that case, you are more likely to be invited for an interview.

Don’t focus on unnecessary details – concentrate on facts that are of special value for employers.  

CV USA format

CV American format usually consists of two pages. In case you’ve got a few years of experience, one page is fine. Three pages are suitable for candidates with vast job experience.  But note that the more facts you include, the harder it will be for employers to grasp key information about you.

Also, your photo shouldn’t be in a CV, as it gives room to discrimination and potential accusations which any company wants to avoid.

Modern CV format

When choosing a CV format template, pay attention to its style – the text must be convenient not only for ATS bots, but for human eyes too.

The modern format has such characteristics as:

• Personalized professional summary or objective;
• Clear division of the sections;
• Minimalistic design – white background is preferable.

Academic CV Format

When scholars and researchers look for a job, they should mention such things as education, teaching and research experience, fellowships, awards, grants, and publications. Moreover, describe professional appointments, conferences, additional activities, languages and references in your academic CV.
As for the summary, there you may write about courses you’ve delivered, theses you’ve supervised, monographs you’ve written or edited, etc.

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Simple CV format

A clean white CV sample format is the best option to start a job search from. Contact information at the top is followed by objective (professional summary), then goes education and experience. Other sections are awards, certificates, skills, etc. Accompanied by the cover letter, a simple CV format with a minimalistic design is every recruiter’s dream.

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The Bottom Line

Any job search begins with CV writing, which certainly requires a lot of time and effort. Choosing the best CV format, thinking through the organization of the sections, finding a suitable design – all this makes work on a CV challenging and interesting at the same time.
In this article, we studied how to format a CV. Another part, which is no less crucial, is highlighting the achievements in a way that is able to impress recruiters. Our professional writers know what the hiring managers search for, thus, they can help you complete the CV in the best possible way. Order now and improve the chances to get your dream job!

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