How to Write a CV That Gets Interviews (Step-by-Step)

Introduction

A CV is often the first document a recruiter sees, and in some cases it is the only one they review before deciding whether to move you forward. Research by Ladders found that recruiters spend about 6 to 7 seconds on an initial scan, so structure, clarity, and the right keywords matter just as much as the information itself.

This guide shows you how to write a professional, ATS-friendly CV from scratch, one section at a time. Whether you build it with MojCV or draft it in Word, the same principles apply: make it easy to scan, relevant to the role, and persuasive enough to earn an interview.

If you want to apply this advice without fighting layout, formatting, or paid PDF exports, MojCV handles the technical side for you:

What This Guide Covers

Before You Start: Key Principles of a Great CV

Before writing a single word, it helps to be clear about what a CV is and what it is not. A strong CV is not a full autobiography. It is a focused, tailored marketing document built to win an interview. Every decision you make, from what to include to how you order it, should support that outcome.

Keep these principles in mind throughout every section:

• Keep it to 1 to 2 pages. Recruiters often spend 6 to 7 seconds on the first scan (Ladders Eye-Tracking Study).
• Tailor it for each application. Mirror language and keywords from the job description.
• Be results-oriented. Quantify achievements with numbers, percentages, and outcomes.
• Use a clean, professional layout with consistent formatting.
• Write in reverse chronological order, most recent first.
• Avoid photos, personal details, or opinions unless regional norms require them.
• Use ATS-friendly formatting so systems can parse your CV correctly.

How to Choose the Most Appropriate Template

Choosing the right template is about more than looks. A strong layout improves readability, supports accurate ATS parsing, and helps you make a professional first impression fast. A stylish template that hides information, breaks alignment, or exports poorly can hurt you before a recruiter even reads the first line.

Why Our Templates Are Different

Unlike general design tools that make you manually arrange every block, MojCV templates are built around recruitment content and the way recruiters actually read a CV:

• Automatic section omission: If you leave a section empty, it is completely removed from the layout. No weird gaps or headers leading to nothing.
• Smart layout balancing: As you add or remove text, the template re-balances margins and spacing. You will never have to "wrestle" with a second page that only has one line on it.
• Recruiter-friendly hierarchy: The layout keeps your most important information where recruiters expect to find it first.
• ATS-safe output: The final PDF preserves real text instead of flattening key content into visual elements.

Matching Your Template to Your Industry

• Law and Finance: Stick to Classic or Minimal layouts. These prioritize text density and professional sobriety.
• Tech and Startups: Modern templates work best. They use cleaner typography and more generous white space for fast scanning.
• Creative Roles: Use creative layouts with subtle accents. These show design awareness without sacrificing the ATS readability recruiters need.
• Career Starters: Choose layouts that give more weight to Skills and Projects specifically to fill the visual space of a shorter work history.

1. Basic Information

This is the first thing a recruiter sees. It should be clean, professional, and readable in seconds. The goal is simple: give the employer exactly what they need to contact you, and leave out personal details that add clutter or introduce bias.

2. Professional Summary

The professional summary sits near the top of your CV and often decides whether the reader keeps going. Think of it as a short positioning statement: 2 to 4 sentences that show who you are, what you do well, and where you can add value. A sharp summary gives the rest of the CV context and momentum.

The Formula

[Your role/title] with [X years of experience] in [industry/field]. Skilled in [top 2-3 relevant skills]. [Key achievement or value proposition]. Seeking [type of role/company/goal].

Tips for Writing Your Summary

• Write in third person style without pronouns such as "I am".
• Lead with your strongest qualification or standout result.
• Use keywords from the job description for ATS matching.
• Keep it concise: 3 to 4 sentences.
• Customize this section for each application instead of using one generic profile everywhere.

3. Work Experience

The work experience section carries the most weight in almost every professional CV. This is where recruiters look for proof that you can do the job, not just say you can. List roles in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent, and focus on outcomes instead of routine duties.

What to Include for Each Role

• Job title (exact or recognized equivalent)
• Company name
• Location (city/country or Remote)
• Start and end dates (Month Year to Month Year)
• 3 to 6 bullets covering responsibilities and achievements

The Golden Rule: Results Over Responsibilities

Do not stop at describing your job. Show what changed because you did it. A reliable structure is: action verb + task + result.

Handling Gaps and Special Situations

• Employment gap: be honest and brief. Mention freelancing, volunteering, upskilling, or caregiving when relevant.
• Short-term roles: include if relevant and briefly explain context when needed (for example: contract role, project completed).
• First job or no experience: lead with internships, university projects, volunteering, and relevant part-time work.

4. Education

For experienced professionals, education is a supporting section that should stay concise and sit below work experience. For recent graduates or candidates applying to academic and research roles, it can move higher and carry more detail. In both cases, the goal is the same: confirm your qualifications without wasting space.

List education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent degree first.

5. Skills

The skills section is one of the most important parts of an ATS-friendly CV. Screening systems look for direct keyword matches between your CV and the job description, and this section is the clearest place to make those matches. A strong skills list also helps human recruiters understand your core strengths at a glance.

Hard Skills vs Soft Skills

Prioritize hard skills in this section. Soft skills are stronger when demonstrated through work experience outcomes rather than simply listed.

Tips

• Mirror exact job-description keywords for ATS matching.
• Group skills logically (for example: languages, tools, methods).
• Add proficiency levels only when meaningful.
• Remove generic filler skills.
• Aim for roughly 8 to 15 relevant skills.

6. Certificates and Courses

Professional certifications and completed courses add outside proof to your skill set, which makes them more convincing than a self-reported list alone. This section is especially useful for career changers, professionals in fast-moving fields like tech or digital marketing, and candidates whose work history does not fully reflect what they can do today.

Certificates: What to Include

• Certificate name
• Issuing organization (for example: Google, AWS, PMI, Coursera)
• Date obtained (or expected date if in progress)
• Credential ID or URL (optional)

Courses: What to Include

• Course name
• Platform or institution
• Completion date

7. Projects

The Projects section matters more than ever because hiring managers increasingly look beyond formal job titles to assess real ability. Side projects, open-source work, freelance assignments, and academic initiatives show that you can apply your skills in the real world. In fields like software development, design, and data science, strong projects can carry more weight than years of unrelated experience.

What to Include

• Project name
• Brief description (what it was, what you built, and the outcome)
• Technologies, tools, or methods used
• Links to GitHub, live demo, publication, or portfolio when available
• Date or timeframe

8. Languages

Language skills are increasingly valued in global and multilingual workplaces. Even a working knowledge of a second language can differentiate you from otherwise equal candidates, particularly for roles involving international clients, cross-border teams, or customer-facing communication. List every language you use at a meaningful level, and always use a recognized proficiency scale so recruiters can make an accurate assessment.

9. References

References are people who can confirm your professional ability and working style. Most employers contact them late in the hiring process, so this section rarely deserves much space. The right approach depends on the country, industry, and employer. In some markets, full reference details are expected. In others, "available upon request" is still perfectly acceptable.

Options

• Include full reference details when the employer requests them or where industry norms expect this.
• Use "References available upon request" to save space and protect contact information when acceptable.

Tips for References

• Ask permission before listing anyone.
• Choose references relevant to the role.
• Prioritize managers, senior colleagues, professors, or clients.
• Avoid family members or friends.
• Brief references on the target role so their feedback is aligned with what the employer is looking for.

10. Should You Include a Photo?

Whether to include a CV photo is one of the most common job-search questions, and the answer depends mostly on where you are applying. In many European, Middle Eastern, and Asian markets, a professional headshot is normal. In the US, UK, and Canada, photos are usually left out because employers prefer to avoid details that could introduce bias before qualifications are reviewed. If you are unsure, check the norms for your target country and industry.

If You Include a Photo, Make It Professional

• Use a professional headshot with neutral background and appropriate attire.
• Your face should occupy roughly 60 to 70% of the frame.
• Use a recent high-quality image (not cropped casual photos).
• Use natural, professional expression.
• Avoid sunglasses, hats, and distracting backgrounds.

Formatting, ATS Optimization, and Final Checks

A well-written CV can still fail if the formatting blocks an ATS from reading it correctly. Before you submit, make sure the layout works for both software and humans. If you are using the MojCV builder, the technical ATS requirements below are handled automatically, but the final content checks still matter.

ATS Best Practices (Handled Automatically by Our Builder)

• Standard readable fonts (avoid decorative or handwritten fonts).
• No critical information in headers or footers.
• No text boxes replacing real text, and no complex layout hacks.
• Clear standardized section headings.
• PDF output with embedded selectable text, not a scanned image.
• Keyword alignment with target role requirements.

General Formatting Rules

MojCV handles formatting, spacing, and layout automatically so you can focus on the writing itself. That matters because most job seekers do not need a design tool. They need a CV builder that produces a professional file without forcing them to fix spacing, margins, or export settings by hand.

• Body font size: 10 to 12pt
• Name font size: 14 to 16pt
• Margins: 1.5 to 2.5 cm on all sides
• Line spacing: 1.15 to 1.5
• Use one date format consistently (for example: Jan 2022 or 01/2022)
• Save as PDF rather than .docx for consistent rendering across systems

Creating a Multilingual CV

If you are applying internationally or in a market where English is not the main hiring language, a localized CV can improve your chances considerably. Recruiters often expect section titles, formatting conventions, and sometimes even the structure itself to match local norms. Sending the same English CV everywhere can make your application feel generic.

Our CV builder supports 30+ world languages. When you switch language, section headings and standard labels are translated automatically while your personal content stays under your control. This makes it practical to create localized versions without rebuilding the document from scratch.

Supported languages include English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Balkan languages, and many more.

Common CV Mistakes That Cost Interviews

Many CVs fail for predictable reasons. The candidate may have the right experience, but the document makes that hard to see. Fixing these issues often improves your chances faster than adding more content.

• Using a generic summary: If your opening could fit ten different jobs, it is too vague.
• Listing duties instead of achievements: Recruiters want proof, not a copy of your job description.
• Stuffing in every skill you have ever touched: Relevance beats volume every time.
• Ignoring keywords from the posting: A strong CV still needs the language employers and ATS software expect.
• Submitting a messy layout: Uneven spacing, bad alignment, and long text blocks make strong candidates look careless.
• Leaving outdated information in place: Old phone numbers, broken LinkedIn URLs, and stale summaries kill credibility quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to the most common questions job seekers have when writing a CV.

You Are Ready to Build Your CV

If you remember only three things from this guide, make them these: tailor your CV for every application, lead with results instead of responsibilities, and never let formatting get in the way of readability. A CV with clear writing and a clean ATS-friendly structure will outperform a flashy document that is hard to scan or impossible to parse.

Your next step is simple. Open the CV builder, work through each section using the advice in this guide, and export a professional PDF without being pushed into a paid unlock just to finish your CV. MojCV is built for people who need a strong document, not a design project.

Good luck with your application.