A recruiter-friendly, widely-used CV format: clear, reverse-chronological and focused on what matters. Below you'll find the structure, an example and a ready-made template to fill in.
Fill in your CV nowA chronological CV breaks your career down into clearly separated sections. This order works well:
Name, address, phone and email – optionally a date of birth or photo, depending on where you're applying.
Most recent role first (reverse-chronological): dates, job title, employer, location and 2–4 bullet points on your responsibilities.
Qualification, institution and dates – again in reverse-chronological order.
Languages with proficiency levels, IT and software skills, and your core professional competencies.
Relevant courses, licences and certifications.
Only if they're relevant to the role or demonstrate useful soft skills.
The reverse-chronological order is today's standard: you start with your most recent role and work backwards. That way recruiters see your most relevant experience first.
A strictly chronological layout (oldest role first) is rarely expected nowadays – occasionally for certain public-sector applications. When in doubt, go reverse-chronological.
You don't have to start from scratch: pick a ready-made CV template, fill in your details online and download the finished CV as a PDF – one-time 5,99 €, no subscription.
A chronological CV presents your career clearly in sections, with dates and bullet points – as opposed to a narrative, prose-style CV. It's the most common, recruiter-friendly CV format.
Usually one to two pages. Early-career applicants can often keep it to a single page, while experienced professionals may need two.
Reverse-chronological: your most recent role comes first, so recruiters see your most relevant experience straight away.
In the UK and most English-speaking markets a photo is normally not included on a CV – leave it off unless you're applying somewhere it's expected. If you do add one, keep it professional.