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Teaching video: 7 minutes 47 seconds. Add this to the reading and practice estimate below; complete the lesson check once after studying.

Lesson 2 of 6 · Estimated 35 minutes including practice

Build clear CV sections

By the end of this lesson you can:

• Choose sections that make relevant evidence easy to find.
• Record titles, dates and qualification status accurately.
• Write a short evidence-based profile and skills section.

Create a useful order

Start with your name and practical contact details in the document body. A professional email address, an appropriate phone number and a broad location can be enough for a general job CV. Add a relevant portfolio or professional profile only when it is current and safe to share. Check every link. Follow anonymised recruitment instructions when they ask you to remove identifying details.

Use familiar section names such as Profile, Experience, Education, Projects and Skills. Choose the order that helps this reader. If your relevant work is your strongest evidence, place Experience early. If you are applying for your first job, Education and Projects may deserve more space. Within a dated section, show the newest item first.

Most general CVs can be concise, often one or two pages, but application-specific limits take priority. Do not add material just to fill a second page. Do not delete crucial eligibility evidence simply to imitate the one-page samples in this course.

Write facts the reader can interpret

For each experience entry, include your actual title, organisation or clearly labelled project context, and dates. Use one date style consistently, such as Sep 2025 to Jun 2026. Separate paid work, volunteering and independent practice when the distinction matters. A personal project must not look like a job for a client.

For education, use the real qualification title and institution. Mark an unfinished course as in progress and an anticipated completion date as expected. Mention a grade only when accurate and useful. A short course attendance certificate is not a professional licence. List only relevant training that you genuinely completed or are currently taking.

A skills list should be specific enough to explain. “Spreadsheets: sorting, filtering and simple formulas” is clearer than “IT expert.” Language levels should reflect what you can actually do, using a recognised scale only if you can apply it accurately. Avoid decorative percentages or star ratings that have no defined meaning.

Keep the profile purposeful

A profile is optional. If you use one, make it two or three short lines that link your background to the target work. Name useful experience or skills and a plausible direction. Replace unsupported adjectives with evidence. “Reliable and brilliant team player” tells the reader little about what you have done.

References usually do not need space on a general CV unless requested. Obtain a referee’s agreement before sharing their details through the employer’s appropriate process. Requirements differ, especially for academic applications. A CV is not an identity file: avoid identification numbers, bank details and unnecessary personal information.

Use the sample closest to your situation to understand the order. Then rebuild it with your facts. Deleting a section that does not apply is better than filling it with invented content.

Worked example

Fictional weak profile: “I am a hardworking expert looking for a challenging role in a great company.” It makes broad claims and gives no reason to select this applicant.

Fictional revised profile: “Business administration student with experience organising a campus event and checking spreadsheet records. Seeking an entry-level office support role.” The education status, activities and target are clear.

Fictional education entry: “Diploma in Business Administration, Example College | Sep 2025 to Jun 2027 expected.” The word expected prevents the entry from implying that the qualification is already awarded.

Possible order: name and contacts; profile; education; relevant projects and volunteering; skills. An applicant with substantial relevant employment could put experience before education.

Your practice

1. Open the blank CV template. Replace the name and contact placeholders with your own details in a private copy.
2. Choose a section order for your target role. Delete sections that do not apply.
3. Create one accurate education entry and one experience or project entry. Use consistent dates.
4. Draft a profile of no more than three lines, or omit it if it repeats the rest of your CV.

Completion check: Every entry shows what it was, when it happened and whether it is completed, ongoing, paid, voluntary or independent where relevant.

Knowledge check

Choose one answer for each question, then open the explanation.