A strong CV is not simply a record of where you have worked. It should quickly show who you are, what you can offer and what you would like to do next.
In this LinkedIn Live CV Drop-In, I explored some of the most common questions and challenges facing jobseekers, including how to structure a CV, whether it needs to fit onto two pages and how AI can support the writing process without taking away your individual voice.
One of the key messages was that presentation can make a significant difference. I recently caught up with someone who had completely restructured her CV following our conversation. Without changing her underlying experience, she went on to reach five final-stage interview processes and received three offers on the same day.
Make your opening statement purposeful
Rather than trying to summarise your entire career in one paragraph, use your personal statement to explain:
- Who you are professionally
- What you are particularly good at
- What motivates you
- What you would like to do next
That final point is especially important. If two candidates have similar experience, but one clearly explains why they want this particular type of opportunity, their motivation is much easier for the employer to understand.
Your CV should therefore be aspirational as well as factual.
Relevance matters more than CV length
Many people work very hard to force their CV onto two pages. The result is often a cramped document filled with large blocks of text and very little space between sections.
There is no value in having a two-page CV if it is difficult to read or leaves out important evidence. A longer CV can be entirely appropriate if its contents remain relevant to the role.
Focus on clarity and relevance rather than an arbitrary page limit.
Put your strongest evidence near the top
A traditional chronological structure is not your only option. Before moving into your full employment history, consider including a section featuring your most relevant:
- Achievements
- Projects
- Areas of experience
- Career highlights
Think of this section as the trailer for a film: it should contain the highlights that make someone want to continue.
Graduates have more experience than they may realise
A recent graduate asked how to create a strong CV without having extensive professional experience.
The starting point is to consider everything you have done, rather than concentrating only on paid employment. A dissertation, for example, may demonstrate research, organisation, independent working, stakeholder engagement and project management.
Group assignments, university societies, committees, volunteering, work experience and part-time jobs can all provide relevant evidence. Review the skills requested in the job description and identify where you have already demonstrated them, regardless of the setting.
Use AI as an assistant, not the author
AI can be extremely useful when working on a CV, but the document should still sound and feel like you.
Write the substance yourself, then use AI to help improve a sentence or paragraph that is not communicating your point clearly. You can also provide an AI tool with your CV and a job description and ask it to:
- Identify relevant experience you should emphasise
- Highlight gaps between the CV and the role
- Suggest terminology used within that particular industry
- Check whether your strongest evidence is easy to find
Avoid asking it to rewrite your entire CV. Generic AI-generated wording can be obvious, and the process of writing your own CV also helps you understand and communicate your experience more confidently during an interview.
Be honest about career gaps
Career gaps are part of life. People take time away from work for travel, caring responsibilities, maternity leave, health, redundancy, study, property projects or simply because they need a break.
Include the dates and give a clear, straightforward explanation. There is no need to be apologetic. Honesty also helps ensure that the information on your CV is consistent with LinkedIn, references and future conversations with employers.
Add facts and figures
Specific details make your experience more credible and help employers understand its scale. Depending on your role, these might include:
- Team sizes
- Budgets
- Revenue or savings
- Percentages
- Customer or user numbers
- Countries or regions covered
- Projects delivered
- Improvements achieved
If you are currently working, keep a regular record of these details. They are much easier to capture as you go than to remember several years later.
Finally, keep your LinkedIn profile as current and detailed as your CV. Recruiters frequently use LinkedIn to search for potential candidates, so the right experience, skills and terminology can help you appear in relevant searches—even when you have not applied directly.
