Career Tools

CV and résumé builder

Write a clear, one-column CV that people and applicant-tracking systems can read. It stays in your browser: nothing is uploaded, and you can print it, save it as a PDF or download it for Word.

Loading the CV builder...

What goes on a CV, by region

UK

A CV should have your contact details, a short introduction, your education, your work history and, if you want, a references section. (Source: National Careers Service (England))
Leave out your age, date of birth, marital status and nationality. (Source: National Careers Service (England))
Put education first if you are early in your career; put work history first if you have a lot of experience. List the most recent experience first, with 2 to 3 lines on what you did. (Source: National Careers Service (England))
Do not put a referee's contact details on your CV; 'references available on request' is enough. (Source: National Careers Service (England))
The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a way to describe what you did and what came of it. (Source: National Careers Service (England))

United States

US law makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against applicants because of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. (Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)

CareerProof guidance

Because of these rules, US employers generally do not want a photo, date of birth or marital status on a résumé. Keep it to what shows you can do the job.

Europe

Europass is the EU's free CV builder, a format familiar to employers and education institutions across Europe. (Source: European Union (Europass))

Create a Europass CV

CareerProof guidance

In Uganda, Kenya and much of Africa, CVs sometimes include a photo, date of birth or marital status, but no law requires them. We leave them out of this builder: they take space, can lead to unfair treatment, and say nothing about whether you can do the job. Follow an employer's instructions if it asks for something specific. Match your CV to each job: use the words from the job advert for skills you really have, and back each one with an example.

Next: negotiating pay when a range is posted and finding work safely.