CV Writing Guide: How to Make a Great First Impression

The truth about how CVs are actually read

Let us start with some reality. Most employers receive dozens or hundreds of CVs for every role. Here is what actually happens to yours:

Stage 1: The robot (ATS)

Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to scan CVs for keywords before a human sees them. Poorly formatted CVs can be rejected automatically.

Stage 2: The 6-second scan

If your CV passes the robot, a recruiter or hiring manager will skim it for about six seconds. They are looking for relevant experience and any red flags.

Stage 3: The detailed read

Only if you pass the six second test will someone actually read your CV properly. This is when the details matter.

What this means for you:

Your CV must be scannable in seconds (clear headings, bullet points, white space)
Keywords from the job description matter (for both robots and humans)
The most important information should be at the top
Format and layout are not just about looking nice, they affect whether you are read at all

The good news is that once you understand how CVs are read, you can structure yours to get through each stage.

CV fundamentals: format, length, and layout

How long should your CV be?

In Ireland, the standard is two pages for most roles. Here is a simple breakdown:

1 page

Recent graduates or people with less than two years of experience. One page forces you to be concise.

2 pages

Most professionals. This is the sweet spot, with enough detail without overwhelming readers.

3+ pages

Only for very senior roles, academic positions, or when specifically requested. Otherwise, edit it down.

Never use tiny fonts or narrow margins to squeeze more onto fewer pages.

If you cannot fit everything on two pages with readable 11pt font and normal margins, you need to edit, not shrink the font. Recruiters will not read a CV that looks cramped or hard to scan.

Format and layout basics

What works:

Clear section headings in bold
Consistent formatting throughout
Bullet points for experience and achievements
Plenty of white space
Simple, professional fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)
11-12pt font for body text, slightly larger for headings
Standard margins (around 2.5cm on all sides)

CV templates: yes or no?

Templates can be helpful, but many fancy templates cause problems with ATS systems.

✅ Good templates:

Simple, single-column layout
Standard fonts and formatting
Clear section divisions
No images, graphics, or tables
Basic Word or Google Docs format

❌ Avoid these templates:

Two column designs (ATS reads left to right)
Heavy graphics or design elements
Text boxes or tables for content
Photos (not standard in Ireland or the UK)
Infographic style CVs

For creative roles such as graphic design or marketing, you can use more design, but always have a plain text version ready for ATS systems.

File format

Unless the job posting specifies otherwise:

Save as PDF to preserve formatting across devices
Name your file clearly: "FirstName_LastName_CV.pdf" instead of "CV_final_version3.pdf"
Keep a Word version for easy editing when tailoring

Section 1: Contact information

This seems simple, but people do make mistakes here. Put your contact details at the very top, clearly visible.

✅ Include these:

Full name (the professional name you use at work)
Phone number (one number only, mobile preferred)
Professional email address
Location (city and county only, no full address needed)
LinkedIn profile URL (if you have one and it is up to date)

❌ Leave these out:

Full home address
Date of birth or age
Marital status or number of children
Photo (not standard practice in Ireland)
National Insurance or PPS number
References (put "References available on request" at the bottom)

Good example:

Sarah Murphy
Dublin, Ireland
📞 087 123 4567 | 📧 sarah.murphy@email.com
🔗 linkedin.com/in/sarahmurphy

Email address check:

If your email address is unprofessional (for example, partygirl2003@gmail.com), create a new one with just your name. This takes five minutes and immediately makes you look more professional.

Section 2: Personal statement (or professional summary)

This is a short paragraph (three to five sentences) at the top of your CV that summarises who you are professionally and what you are looking for. Think of it as your elevator pitch.

What makes a good personal statement?

States your profession or current level clearly
Highlights your key strengths or specialisms
Mentions your most relevant experience
Shows what you are looking for or what you can offer
Is specific to you (not generic phrases)

✅ Strong example (specific and relevant):

"Marketing coordinator with three years of experience in digital campaigns and social media management. Skilled in content creation, analytics, and campaign optimisation, with a track record of increasing engagement by 40% across multiple platforms. Seeking a marketing role in the tech sector where I can apply my digital expertise and creativity."

Why it works: There is a clear role, specific experience, a measurable achievement, and it states what they want.

❌ Weak example (too generic):

"I am a hardworking and dedicated professional seeking a challenging role where I can use my skills and grow my career. I am a team player with excellent communication skills and a passion for success."

Problem: This could describe anyone in any field. There are no specific skills, experience, or value mentioned.

Template you can adapt:

"[Your profession] with [X years] of experience in [specific area]. Skilled in [3 key skills], with a track record of [specific achievement or result]. Seeking [type of role] where I can [what you offer or want to do]."

Alternative: Skip it if you are short on space

Personal statements are optional. If your work experience is strong and recent, you can skip this section and use the space for more detailed experience descriptions.

Section 3: Work experience (the most important section)

This is where you win or lose the job. Employers spend most of their time reading this section, so it is important to get it right.

How to structure each role

List your jobs in reverse chronological order (most recent first). For each role, include:

Format for each role:

Job Title at Company Name, Location
Month/Year - Month/Year (or "Present")

Achievement or responsibility 1
Achievement or responsibility 2
Achievement or responsibility 3
Achievement or responsibility 4 (aim for three to five bullet points per role)

Writing powerful bullet points

This is where most CVs fail. Weak bullet points list duties. Strong bullet points show achievements and impact.

✅ Strong (shows impact):

Managed social media accounts across four platforms, growing followers by 35% in six months
Resolved more than 50 customer queries daily with a 95% satisfaction rating
Led weekly team meetings to co-ordinate project priorities and deadlines
Contributed to three major client projects with a combined value of over €100K

❌ Weak (lists duties):

Responsible for social media accounts
Answered customer queries
Attended team meetings
Helped with various projects

Formula for strong bullet points:

[Action verb] + [What you did] + [Result or impact]

Examples:
• Increased sales by 20% through targeted email campaigns
• Streamlined invoice processing, reducing turnaround time from five days to two days
• Trained 12 new staff members on company procedures and software systems

Quantify whenever possible

Numbers make your achievements concrete and memorable:

How many? (customers served, reports written, projects completed)
How much? (budget managed, revenue generated, costs saved)
How long? (time saved, project duration)
By what percentage? (growth, improvement, reduction)

What if you do not have exact numbers?

Estimate reasonably. "Approximately 50 customers daily" is better than nothing. Use ranges such as "Managed budgets of €10K-50K" or "Supervised teams of 5-10 people."

How much detail for each role?

Current or most recent role: four to six bullet points
Previous relevant roles: three to four bullet points
Older or less relevant roles: one to two bullet points or just title, company, and dates
Roles over 10 years old: can be summarised briefly or omitted if not relevant

What if you have no experience yet?

Include:

Internships or work placements
Volunteer work
College projects that demonstrate skills
Part-time or summer jobs (focus on transferable skills)
Leadership roles in clubs or societies

Example for student or graduate:

Sales Assistant (Part-time) at SuperValu, Dublin
June 2023 - Present

Provided customer service to more than 100 customers daily in a busy retail environment
Handled cash transactions and managed till operations with 100% accuracy
Trained three new staff members on store procedures and point of sale system
Maintained stock levels and assisted with inventory management

Power words: Action verbs to use in your CV

Start each bullet point with a strong action verb. Avoid weak phrases like "Responsible for" or "Duties included." Here are strong verbs organised by skill type:

Leadership & Management

Led Managed Directed Supervised Co-ordinated Oversaw Mentored Guided Delegated

Achievement & Results

Achieved Exceeded Delivered Generated Increased Improved Reduced Saved Grew

Analysis & Problem-Solving

Analysed Evaluated Assessed Identified Resolved Investigated Diagnosed Streamlined

Communication & Collaboration

Presented Communicated Collaborated Negotiated Advised Consulted Facilitated Liaised

Creation & Development

Created Developed Designed Built Implemented Launched Established Initiated

Support & Service

Supported Assisted Maintained Provided Ensured Administered Processed Handled

Section 4: Education

List your qualifications in reverse chronological order (most recent first). How much detail you include depends on your career stage.

If you are a recent graduate or student

Put education above work experience. Include:

Degree name and classification (if graduated) or expected graduation date
Institution name
Years attended
Relevant modules or dissertation topic if related to the job
Academic achievements (First Class Honours, awards, scholarships)

Example for recent graduate:

BA (Hons) Business & Marketing, First Class Honours
University College Dublin
2020 - 2024

Dissertation: "Social Media Marketing Strategies for Irish SMEs" (Grade: A)
Relevant modules: Digital Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Market Research
President of Marketing Society (2023-2024)

If you have work experience

Put education after work experience. Keep it brief:

Degree name and classification
Institution name
Year graduated

Example for experienced professional:

BSc Computer Science, 2:1 Honours
Trinity College Dublin, 2015

Secondary education

Only include this if you have no third level education. Just list the school name, location, and Leaving Certificate year. Do not list individual subjects or points unless they are specifically relevant.

Professional qualifications

Include professional certifications, licences, or training that are relevant to the role:

Accounting qualifications (ACCA, CIMA, ACA)
Project management (PMP, Prince2)
IT certifications (CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft)
HR qualifications (CIPD)
Industry specific licences

You can create a separate "Professional Qualifications" section if you have several relevant certifications.

Section 5: Skills

List both technical skills (hard skills) and interpersonal skills (soft skills) that are relevant to the job you are applying for.

Technical skills

Be specific about your level of proficiency. For example:

Software: Microsoft Office Suite (advanced), Salesforce CRM, Adobe Creative Suite
Languages: Irish (native), English (fluent), French (conversational)
Technical: Python, SQL, HTML/CSS, data analysis
Industry specific: Bookkeeping, GDPR compliance, Health & Safety protocols

Only list skills you actually have:

If you put "Excel (advanced)" on your CV, be prepared to prove it in an interview. Do not list skills you used once at college five years ago and have now forgotten.

Soft skills

These are harder to prove but still valuable. The trick is to demonstrate them in your work experience rather than just listing them.

❌ Weak approach (just listing):

Skills: Communication, teamwork, problem solving, time management, leadership

Problem: Everyone claims these. There is no evidence.

✅ Strong approach (demonstrated in experience):

In work experience bullets:
• "Led cross functional team of eight to deliver project two weeks ahead of schedule" (leadership, teamwork)
• "Resolved complex customer complaints with a 90% satisfaction rate" (problem solving, communication)

Why it works: Skills are proven through specific examples.

If you do list soft skills separately, keep it brief and only include the four or five most relevant ones.

Optional sections: When to include them

These sections can strengthen your CV if they are relevant, but leave them out if they do not add value or if you are short on space.

Certifications and training

Include recent, relevant training courses or certifications:

Professional qualifications
Industry certifications
Completed training programmes
Online courses if relevant and from recognised providers

Languages

Only include languages if you are genuinely proficient and they are relevant to the role. Be honest about your level:

Native/Fluent: Can work entirely in this language
Proficient/Advanced: Comfortable in professional settings
Intermediate: Can hold conversations but not full professional use
Basic: Tourist level, so only include this if it is specifically relevant

Volunteer work

Include this if it demonstrates relevant skills or helps to fill employment gaps:

Recent volunteer experience
Roles that show leadership, organisation, or relevant skills
Charitable work if you are applying to non-profits or values driven companies

Interests and hobbies

This is generally optional. Include hobbies or interests only if:

They demonstrate relevant skills (team sports can show teamwork, marathon running shows commitment)
They are distinctive and memorable
They relate to the company culture or industry

Skip generic hobbies:

"Reading, travelling, socialising" tells employers nothing useful. Either make it specific (for example, "Training for Dublin Marathon", "Competitive chess player") or leave it out.

References

Simply write "References available on request" at the bottom of your CV. Do not list actual references unless you are specifically asked, as it wastes space and references should be prepared and contacted before being shared.

Handling special situations

Not everyone has a straightforward career path. Here is how to handle common tricky situations.

Employment gaps

Gaps happen for many reasons such as illness, caring responsibilities, redundancy, travel, or study. Be honest but brief.

How to present gaps:

Short gaps (under six months): No explanation needed. Use years only for dates, for example "2023 - 2024" instead of "June 2023 - January 2024".
Longer gaps: Add a brief entry explaining what you did (for example, caring for family, professional development, health reasons, or a career break)
Never lie or hide gaps: It looks worse when this is discovered

Example gap entry:

Career Break
January 2022 - August 2022

Took time to care for a family member and complete online courses in digital marketing (Google Digital Garage, HubSpot Content Marketing).

Career changers

If you are moving to a different field, emphasise transferable skills in your personal statement and reframe your experience to highlight relevant skills.

Tips for career changers:

Lead with a strong personal statement explaining your career change and why you are making it
Use a skills based CV if your experience is very different from the target role
Highlight transferable skills such as project management, communication, or analysis
Include any training, courses, or volunteer work in your new field
Focus on achievements that demonstrate relevant abilities

Frequent job changes

If you have moved jobs often, recruiters may worry about commitment. Address this proactively:

Explain short stints honestly (for example, contract roles, company closures, redundancies)
Emphasise what you achieved in each role, even if it was brief
Group very short roles (under three months) if they were contract or temporary
Show progression and skill development across your moves

Overqualified candidates

If you are applying for roles that appear to be below your experience level, you may need to adjust your CV:

Reduce detail on very senior roles if you are applying for mid-level positions
Emphasise why you are interested in this level (for example, work life balance or a career change)
Do not hide your experience, but do not oversell it either
Focus on relevant skills rather than seniority

Returning to work after time away

If you are returning after several years away (raising children, illness, or other reasons):

Include any volunteer work, part time work, or skills maintenance during the break
List recent training or courses to show you have kept your skills current
Be confident about your return and frame it as a strength, not a weakness
Consider a functional CV that emphasises skills over chronology

Getting past the robots: ATS optimisation

Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter CVs before humans see them. These systems scan for keywords and reject poorly formatted CVs.

How to make your CV ATS friendly

ATS friendly formatting:

Use standard section headings such as "Work Experience" rather than "My Journey"
Stick to standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)
Avoid tables, text boxes, headers, and footers
Use a simple, single column layout
Save as .docx or PDF (check the job posting for any preference)
Do not use images, graphics, or fancy designs

Keyword optimisation

ATS systems look for specific keywords from the job description. Here is how to include them naturally:

Read the job description carefully and note repeated terms and phrases
Identify key skills (for example, "project management", "customer service", "data analysis")
Include exact phrases from the job description where this is truthful and relevant
Use both acronyms and full terms (for example, "Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)")
Add keywords naturally in your personal statement, skills section, and work experience

Do not stuff keywords:

Some people hide keywords in white text or repeat them excessively. This is obvious to recruiters and can get you rejected. Use keywords naturally where they genuinely apply to your experience.

Test your CV

Copy your CV text into a plain text editor such as Notepad. If it looks readable, an ATS can probably read it too. If it looks jumbled, you should simplify your formatting.

Tailoring your CV for each job

You should not send exactly the same CV for every application. You also do not need to rewrite it from scratch each time. Here is a practical approach.

The master CV approach

Create a master CV with everything you have ever done (three to four pages is fine for this)
For each application, save a copy and tailor it to that specific role
Keep a folder of tailored CVs so you know what you sent where

What to tailor for each job

Quick tailoring checklist (around 15 to 20 minutes per application):

Update your personal statement to reference the specific role or company
Reorder or emphasise bullet points that match the job requirements
Add keywords from the job description where this is truthful
Adjust the skills section to highlight the most relevant skills first
Remove or minimise irrelevant experience if you are tight on space
Ensure the job title in your CV matches or closely aligns with the role you are applying for

Save time:

If you are applying for similar roles, you only need to make minor tweaks each time. Create two or three versions tailored to different types of roles, then adjust from there.

10 common CV mistakes to avoid

1. Spelling and grammar errors

Proofread multiple times. Use spellcheck. Ask someone else to read it. One typo might be forgiven, but multiple errors look careless.

2. Using "I" or "me"

Write in implied first person. Say "Managed a team of five" instead of "I managed a team of five." It is understood that you are writing about yourself.

3. Including irrelevant information

Your Saturday job from 15 years ago probably does not belong on your CV any more. Keep it relevant to the role you want.

4. Lying or exaggerating

Inflating job titles, dates, or qualifications will be discovered. Reference checks, background checks, and interviews expose lies.

5. Using clichés and buzzwords

Phrases like "results oriented go getter" and "thinking outside the box" say nothing. Use specific examples instead.

6. Inconsistent formatting

If one job has bold titles, they should all have bold titles. If dates are right aligned once, they should be right aligned throughout. Consistency shows attention to detail.

7. Too long or too short

Aim for two pages for most roles. If you genuinely cannot fit relevant experience, three pages are acceptable. One page is usually too brief for experienced professionals.

8. No clear structure

Use clear headings, white space, and a logical flow. If someone cannot scan your CV in ten seconds, it needs better structure.

9. Focusing on duties instead of achievements

"Responsible for managing social media" is weak. "Grew Instagram following from 500 to 5,000 in eight months" is strong.

10. Not updating regularly

Update your CV every six months, even when you are not job hunting. It is easier to remember achievements while they are still fresh.

Final CV checklist before you apply

Run through this checklist before sending any CV. Tick off each item to make sure you have covered everything important.

✅ Content checks

Contact details are accurate and professional
Your personal statement is tailored to this role
Work experience uses strong action verbs
Achievements are quantified where possible
Keywords from the job description are included naturally
The most relevant experience is emphasised
The education section is complete and accurate
Skills listed are genuinely held and relevant

✅ Format and presentation

Formatting is consistent throughout
There are no spelling or grammar errors
Dates are accurate and consistent
Length is appropriate (usually two pages)
There is plenty of white space and it does not look cramped
Font is professional and readable (11-12pt)
The file is named professionally: "FirstName_LastName_CV.pdf"
The CV is saved as a PDF unless the job posting specifies otherwise

The final read-through:

Print your CV (or view it at 100% size on screen) and read it as if you are a recruiter seeing it for the first time. Does it tell a clear story? Are the most important things easy to find? Would you interview this person?

Your CV is a living document

A great CV is not something you write once and forget about. It should evolve as your career develops. Update it every six months, even when you are not looking for work. Add new achievements, skills, and responsibilities as they happen.

Remember: your CV has one job, which is to get you an interview. It does not need to tell your whole story or be perfect. It needs to be clear, relevant, and compelling enough that someone wants to meet you and learn more.

Tailor each CV to the specific role
Focus on achievements, not just duties
Keep it clear, concise, and easy to scan
Proofread it, then proofread it again

Ready to strengthen your job application strategy? Combine your strong CV with these resources and, if you want extra support, you can work with our Career Centre for optional one to one career coaching.

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This guide provides general advice for CV writing. Specific industries and roles may have different expectations. Always research the company and sector you are applying to and adjust your approach accordingly. If you need personal guidance, our Career Centre team can help you refine your CV, prepare for interviews, and plan your next career step.

Your CV: Make a great first impression