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How to Write a Professional CV (2026)

Your CV has 6 seconds to make an impression. Here's how to make every word count — plus a free builder to put it all together.

1. Start with the Right Format

Reverse chronological is the standard — your most recent experience first. Use it unless you're changing careers (functional format) or have a mix of relevant experience from different fields (combination format).

2. Contact Information

Name, phone, email, city (full address isn't needed anymore). Add your LinkedIn if it's updated. Don't include date of birth, marital status, or a photo — unless applying in a country where it's expected (Germany, Austria, Switzerland typically expect a photo).

3. Professional Summary

2-3 sentences at the top. Not an objective statement ("I want to grow in a dynamic company") — a summary of what you bring ("Marketing manager with 5 years of B2B SaaS experience, specializing in content strategy and SEO").

4. Work Experience — The Most Important Section

For each role, include:

• Job title, company name, dates (month/year)
• 3-5 bullet points describing what you did and what resulted
• Start each bullet with an action verb: Led, Built, Increased, Reduced, Launched
• Include numbers whenever possible: "Increased organic traffic by 140% in 6 months"

The difference between a weak bullet and a strong one is specificity. "Responsible for marketing" vs "Led a 3-person team that grew the email list from 2,000 to 15,000 subscribers in 8 months." AI can help you rewrite weak bullets — PickedCV's Pro tier does this with one click.

5. Education

Degree, institution, graduation year. If you graduated more than 5 years ago, keep it brief. If you're a recent graduate, put education before work experience and include relevant coursework, thesis, or honors.

6. Skills

List hard skills relevant to the job. Don't list "Microsoft Word" in 2026 — list tools that differentiate you. Group them: "Programming: Python, SQL, R" or "Design: Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch."

7. Languages

Use CEFR levels (A1-C2) for European applications. For other markets, use Native / Fluent / Professional / Conversational / Basic.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Sending the same CV to every job (tailor it)
• Typos (have someone proofread it)
• PDFs with images that ATS can't read (use a proper builder)
• Going over 2 pages (1 page for under 10 years experience)
• Using "References available upon request" (everyone knows this — it wastes space)

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PickedCV gives you 40 professional templates (including Europass), AI-powered bullet rewrites, a cover letter builder, and support for 30 languages. Download as PDF — no watermarks, no signup required.

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