CV Format: Examples and Templates for Your Curriculum Vitae

In the US, resumes are a familiar staple, but if you’re venturing into international job markets, you’ve likely encountered the term “CV.” So, what’s the difference? Honestly, not much. Both a US resume and an international CV are designed to spotlight your professional background and help you secure the job.

But every country has its nuances, and tailoring your CV format to align with regional expectations can set you apart. The right format isn’t just aesthetically pleasing — it ensures recruiters can easily grasp your qualifications without battling cluttered layouts or overly elaborate designs.

Learn how to make your content shine with the right CV formatting. This guide will cover: 

• The difference between a CV and a resume. 
• How to choose the best CV formatting. 
• Our collection of modern and simple CV templates. 

Learn more about how to format your CV for different countries: 

• How to Make an Indian Resume
• UK CV Format: Examples & Advice
• What a Canadian Resume Format Looks Like
• How to Make a US Resume (Format, Writing, and Best Examples)

What Is a CV?

A CV (short for Curriculum Vitae) is a professional document used in many countries around the world, including the UK, Canada, Australia, and across Europe and Asia. It’s essentially the same as a resume in the US, offering an overview of your skills, education, and work experience for potential employers.

In the US, the definition of a CV is a little different. It typically refers to an academic CV, used for research or academic roles. These documents give a detailed record of your education, teaching experience, publications, presentations, awards, and other scholarly achievements. For experienced academics, these can easily stretch over five pages.

If that’s what you’re here for, take a look: Academic CV: How to Write a Curriculum Vitae

We’re going to focus on the CV as it’s understood outside the US — the document that emphasizes your skills, qualifications, and professional history to match the job you’re applying for. The level of detail will vary by country or employer, but generally, it’s expected to be concise and tailored to the job. 

And a quick tip: when writing a CV for an international employer, use their preferred terminology and education equivalents. Small details like these can show that you’re paying attention to cultural norms and expectations.

Fun fact: Curriculum Vitae translates to “course of life” in Latin (makes sense).

CV vs. Resume: What’s the Difference?

A US resume and an international CV share many similarities — both are designed to give an overview of your professional experiences, skills, and achievements that make you qualified for the job. 

However, when it comes to applying abroad, here are some small differences to consider.

Need help creating a US resume? Check out our free AI Resume Builder. Just enter your details and our technology will build a professional resume customized for you. 

How to Format a CV?

Short answer:

When formatting your CV, start with your contact details at the top, followed by a concise summary or objective. Use reverse chronological order for work experience and education, highlighting key achievements with 3–4 bullet points per role. Choose a clean, professional font like Calibri or Arial, and keep font sizes between 10–12 points for text and 14–16 for headings. Stick to standard margins (1 inch) and use 1.15–1.5 line spacing for readability. Save as a PDF unless a Word document is requested. Tailor each section to the job, keeping the layout simple and easy to skim.

Opt for a professional CV layout 

Your goal is simple — make it ridiculously easy for recruiters to spot your career highlights and standout skills. How? Stick with the classic reverse chronological order. Start with your most recent job or education and work backward. It’s a clear, professional, and familiar format for recruiters worldwide. 

But don’t forget to check local preferences. For example, in countries like China, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain, including a professional photo is common or even expected. Meanwhile, countries like the UK, Canada, Lithuania, and Brazil often discourage or outright forbid photos due to strict anti-discrimination laws.

And some universal advice: Avoid fancy graphs, pie charts, or crazy colors. Sure, it looks creative, but you’re only making it difficult for recruiters to spot your key experiences and qualifications. Keeping it simple means they spend less time deciphering information, and more time reading about why you’re a great candidate. 

Organize sections with headings

Dividing your information into sections with headings makes life easier for recruiters. They can quickly find what they’re looking for, and it keeps your document from feeling like a wall of text (seriously, imagine this without the headings).

Most CVs follow a similar structure, with the following sections: 

• Contact details
• Summary or objective 
• Work experience
• Education and training
• Skills and technical knowledge
• Additional information

Remember that priorities can shift depending on the country or job you’re applying for. For example, work experience often comes first in the UK, while education might take precedence in France or Germany. 

Your section order can also shift depending on your experience level. Just graduated from university? You don’t want your lack of work experience taking center stage at the top of your CV. Instead, place your education up top until you bulk up your job history. 

To make your headings stand out, use simple formatting like bolding, underlining, or increasing the font size (by one or two points). This helps employers quickly navigate your CV without having to hunt for details.

Use the right font and size 

Imagine if this guide was in a font so tiny you had to squint. Or a flowery script that made it impossible to take seriously. Would you stick around? Probably not — and neither would a recruiter skimming your CV.

Your font type should be professional, easy to read, and never steal the spotlight from your content. So, say goodbye to Comic Sans, Brush Script, and even outdated classics like Times New Roman.

Here are some clean and modern fonts that are accepted across most industries: 

• Arial
• Calibri
• Georgia
• Verdana  
• Helvetica
• Garamond 
• Merriweather 

For the main text, keep your font size 10–12 points. This range ensures that your content is readable without looking cramped or like you’re trying to stretch the page. If your chosen font is naturally a bit roomier, you can go down to 9 points, but anything smaller? Don’t push your luck — no recruiter is going to reach for a magnifying glass.

Section headers, like your name or headings for Experience, Education, or Skills, should stand out more. Increasing these to 14–16 points creates a clear hierarchy and makes it easier for recruiters to skim through your CV. 

But it’s not all about appearances. Many employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan CVs before they even reach human eyes. These systems can struggle with overly intricate or “thin” fonts. To play it safe, stick to standard fonts and avoid anything labeled “light” or “thin.”

Learn more about the top fonts for any job application: 10 Best Fonts: Choosing the Right Style and Size

Consider your margins and spacing

What do a cluttered desk, bedroom, car, and CV all have in common? They simply aren’t approachable, and the owner gets stuck with the “messy” title. While it could be a running joke in the office, it’s not the impression you want to give when applying for a job.

Paying attention to spacing and margins can help your content fit comfortably into one page without it feeling overcrowded. Here’s how to do it: 

• Start with standard margins. Aim for about one inch (or 2.5 cm) on all sides. Need to squeeze in a bit more? You can trim it down slightly, but don’t go below 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) — anything tighter risks making the page look overcrowded.
• Pick the right line spacing. Go for 1.15 or 1.5 to create enough breathing room for your text. Avoid single-spacing unless your font size is on the larger side, or you’re struggling to fit everything on one page.
• Align your text. Left-align your content across the board. Want to add a bit of flair? Center-align your name, contact details, or headline at the top of the page. Just keep that centered look confined to the top section for consistency.

Add bullet points for readability 

Bullet points just look good. They’re easy on the eyes and let recruiters process one idea at a time without wading through chunks of text. After spending hours scanning resumes, a recruiter is far more likely to appreciate digestible nuggets of information than rambling paragraphs.

Use bullet points throughout your work experience, education, and other CV sections to describe duties and achievements. Your work experience section, being the most detailed, should include these the most. Aim for 3–4 bullet points per role, focusing on your biggest wins, meaningful contributions, or responsibilities that directly tie to the job you want. 

That said, bullet points aren’t a free pass to cram in everything you’ve ever done. Recruiters only spend around ten seconds or less on each CV, so don’t pack the space with irrelevant details. Stick to the highlights that align with the job description and truly show off your value.

Each bullet point should be concise and action-oriented. Start with strong action verbs like “developed,” “implemented,” or “coordinated” to show what you’ve accomplished. Avoid vague or task-only statements — recruiters are looking for results, not just a checklist of what you did.

Here’s how to use bullet points to describe your achievements in your CV: 

Marketing Coordinator
ABC Media Group | London, UK | June 2020 – Present
• Developed and executed a digital marketing strategy that increased website traffic by 35% within six months.
• Coordinated email campaigns that achieved an average open rate of 22% and a click-through rate of 8%, exceeding industry benchmarks.
• Tracked key performance metrics and prepared monthly reports for senior management, contributing to data-driven decision-making.
• Improved social media content planning, boosting engagement by 50% across LinkedIn and Instagram.

Stick to an appropriate length 

In the US, the general advice is to keep your resume to one page. But outside the US, CVs can stretch to two or even three pages. But the same rule still applies — keep it relevant. You don’t want to risk the recruiter fixating on your time as a student bartender over your later experience as a real estate agent. 

For most professionals, keeping it under two pages is just enough to reveal your most impressive skills and qualifications. And if you’re early in your career or changing fields, one page should cover the essentials. Recruiters appreciate a document they can quickly scan, especially when they’ve got a stack of applications to get through.

As for that elusive third page? Only go there if it’s justified. It’s only necessary if you’ve climbed the ladder into senior leadership or have a collection of certifications or publications. Just make sure every single detail earns its place. Filling space with unrelated information and fluff only waters down your message.

Check out these two examples and see which one you’d rather read:

• Conducted extensive research and analysis of current market trends and competitor activities to develop and execute a new marketing strategy that resulted in a significant 25% increase in customer engagement over a period of one year. (unnecessarily long)
• Developed a new marketing strategy based on market analysis, boosting customer engagement by 25% in one year. (concise and to the point)

Learn more about tailoring your job application to the role: How to Target a Job Description

Choose the right file format 

The safest bet for most situations is to save your CV as a PDF file. PDFs lock in your formatting, so your CV will look the same no matter what device or software the recruiter uses to open it. This is especially important if you’ve spent time perfecting the layout and design.

That said, if the job ad specifically asks for a Word document, make sure to provide one. Many big companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), and Word files tend to play nicer with these systems. Plus, some recruiters prefer an editable file to tweak or anonymize your contact details before passing it on to employers. 

My advice? Create your CV in Word first, then export it as a PDF. This way, you’ll have both formats ready to go, and you can choose the best option depending on the situation. 

Professional CV Examples 

Your CV formatting doesn’t need a bunch of bold colors and “unique” design features to make a solid first impression. Recruiters aren’t judging your color-matching skills, they just want to know if you’re a good match for the job. And the best way to do that is to keep it simple. 

Check out these example CV templates with layouts that let your experience and skills do the talking. 

Simple CV Template

Modern CV Template 

Creative CV Template 

How to Write a CV?

• Start with your contact details: Include your name, location, phone number, and professional email address (e.g., firstname.lastname@gmail.com). Avoid adding unnecessary personal details, like your age, photo (unless required by the country), or marital status.
• Add a summary or objective: Start your CV with a brief summary or objective (3–5 lines) highlighting who you are, your key skills, and what you bring to the role. Struggling to get started? Write this section last to pull the best skills and achievements from your finished CV. You can also use our AI Summary Generator to speed up the process. 
• Detail work experience achievements: List your work experience in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent role. For each job, include your title, employer, location, and dates. Use bullet points to summarize quantifiable achievements and key responsibilities, rather than just listing tasks.
• Outline your education and training: List your educational background in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent qualification. Include institution names, locations, degrees or certifications earned, and dates. Add relevant training or workshops if they boost your candidacy.
• List relevant skills and proficiencies: Create a dedicated skills section to offer a quick overview of your hard and soft skills. Include technical abilities, software knowledge, and any language skills. Match these to the job description and integrate them into your work experience section to show practical application.
• Include additional sections: Add sections like certifications, publications, awards, or volunteer experience, but only if they’re relevant or notable. If you’re applying internationally, consider a language section to highlight any additional languages you speak. These extras can set you apart if they align with the job requirements.

Summary 

Here’s an overview of the best CV formatting practices: 

• Use a simple layout with clear headings (e.g., Work Experience, Education, Skills) and plenty of white space for readability. 
• Stick to modern fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica in 10–12 points. Headings should be slightly larger at around 14–16 points to stand out.  
• Avoid fancy designs like graphs, colors, and quirky fonts — they can confuse Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and distract recruiters.
• Include essential sections, such as your contact details, followed by a summary or objective, work experience, education, skills, and optional sections like certifications or languages.
• List your most recent experience or education first in each section, working backward. This makes your most relevant and recent qualifications easy to find.
• Highlight key responsibilities and achievements with concise bullet points. Start each one with an action verb and include measurable results where possible.
• Tailor your CV to the job by focusing on experiences and skills that align with the specific role. Cut irrelevant details to keep it targeted and concise.
• Keep your CV to one or two pages, unless it’s an academic CV (which can stretch to over five pages). Use only relevant information to avoid overwhelming the recruiter.
• Check for local preferences. Some countries expect extras like photos or longer CVs, while others (like the UK or Canada) discourage photos. Research expectations for your target job market.
• Typos or grammar mistakes can make a great CV seem sloppy. Double-check everything before hitting “send.”

FAQ 

Is a CV a resume?

A CV (short for Curriculum Vitae) and a resume both highlight your skills, experience, and qualifications, but they’re used differently depending on where you are in the world. 

Outside the US, a CV is essentially what Americans call a resume — the professional document you use to apply for jobs. In the US, though, a CV is a longer, more detailed document for academic or research roles, listing everything from publications to teaching experience. 

What is an academic CV?

An academic CV is a detailed document that includes your educational background, teaching experience, research, publications, presentations, grants, and awards. These CVs can easily span five pages or more for experienced academics. They’re mostly used for academic, research, or fellowship roles. Unlike a typical CV or resume, it’s less about tailoring for a specific role and more about presenting a full record of your academic achievements. 

What does a CV look like?

A CV is a professional document divided into sections: contact details, summary or objective, work experience, education, skills, and additional sections like certifications or languages. It’s usually no more than two pages long (though academics may have longer CVs).

Fonts like Calibri or Arial keep it clean, and consistent headings make it easy to skim. You should use bullet points for responsibilities and achievements, with the correct margins and line spacing to ensure there’s no overcrowding. 

How to write a CV for students?

If you’re a student, your CV should focus on what you do have: education, internships, part-time jobs, and extracurriculars. Put education at the top, listing your school, degree, and achievements. 

For experience, include internships, volunteering, or any jobs where you developed relevant skills. Add a skills section and, if applicable, mention awards or leadership roles. Keep it concise and don’t worry if it’s only a page long — quality over quantity always wins.

Find out more: How to Write a Resume With No Experience

What is a Europass CV?

A Europass CV is a standardized CV format used across Europe to make job applications consistent and easy to understand. It’s free to create online and follows a structured template, including sections for personal information, work experience, education, skills, and languages. 

This type of CV is particularly handy if you’re applying for roles in multiple European countries, as it aligns with EU hiring practices. However, it can feel rigid or generic, and many could consider it outdated compared to more modern CVs. 

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