The layout of your CV or Resume can almost be as important as its content. No matter how good a candidate you are, if your CV or Resume is poorly displayed then employers will find the information difficult to find. A CV or Resume doesn't have to look like its been graphically designed (unless you are applying for creative or design jobs), in fact, the simpler the layout of your CV, the better. Read these CV Layout Tips and look at our CV examples to ensure that your CV or Resume looks professional.

Font

For a CV or Resume, a standard font like Times New Roman, Arial or Verdana is best. The font has to be easy to read and non-fussy or you will frustrate anyone trying to read your CV. The size of the text will depend on the font you have chosen, however, the size of normal text should be between 10 and 12 - any smaller and it strains the eye and any larger looks crude.

Subheadings

The heading or title of your CV or Resume should be your name, this should be larger and bolder than the rest of the text. Subheadings need to be bolder and/or larger than the body of text. It is important that subheadings identify the separate sections of your CV, so make them clearly defined. Subheadings can be either upper or lower case, underlined or contained in a table or shaded box.

Normally, these subheadings appear in a CV or Resume

• Personal Statement / Career Aim (optional)
• Education & Qualifications
• Work Experience / Career History / Employment History
• Key Skills / Other Skills / Additional Information (optional)
• Professional Training / Professional Development (optional)
• Interests / Activities / Positions of Responsibility
• References / Referees

Find out more about the contents of a CV or Resume

Length of your CV

The length of your CV or Resume should not exceed two pages.

CV Templates

 

CV Example - 1 page Resume

CV Example - Skills CV

CV Example - Table format

CV Example - Graduate CV

Sometimes employers will ask specifically for a one-page summary CV. This means that the employer is only looking for information that is relevant to the position. Some companies might receive a great number of CVs and therefore require a one-page summary that is more to the point.

It might be a good idea to have both a two-page and one-page CV if you are sending CVs speculatively.

When you go onto the second page, make sure it starts with a new subheading otherwise it looks sloppy.

Consistency

The style and format of your CV should remain the same throughout. This includes font used, heading size and arrangement of text. When using tabs, keep the positioning of these uniform throughout.

Use bullet points

Recruiters will have hundreds of CVs to look through and they don’t have time to search for information in long paragraphs and blocks of text. You want your CV to be scannable so the main points can be identified quickly.

Using bullet points in your CV will help you to write concise sentences and will focus the readers attention.

Use good quality, white paper  

If you are sending your CV or Resume by post, ensure that you use good quality, white paper. Unless you are applying for a design job – there is no need to print your CV on coloured paper. 

Font Comparisons

Font	Size	Use
Arial	14	Subheading
Arial	12	Subheading / normal text
Arial	11	Normal text
Arial	10	Normal Text
Verdana	14	Subheading
Verdana	12	Subheading / normal text
Verdana	11	Normal Text
Verdana	10	Normal Text
Times New Roman	14	Subheading
Times New Roman	12	Subheading / normal text
Times New Roman	11	Normal Text
Times New Roman	10	Normal Text