Find a useful starting point
Student CV example
A business student applying for an internship, with education, a course project, society volunteering and part-time work. See how to show useful experience before your first full-time role.
Software developer CV example
An early-career developer describing production work, a personal project and technical skills. Learn to explain what you built, your contribution and how you checked it.
Customer service CV example
A support adviser showing how they handle customer questions, record decisions and follow through on problems. Use concrete examples of service instead of a list of personal qualities.
Use the approach, then replace the details
These examples are fictional teaching samples. Their names, employers, qualifications and achievements are not facts to copy into your application. Start with the example closest to the evidence you actually have, even if its job title is different from your target role.
- Read the job description. Pick three or four requirements you can support with an example from work, study, volunteering or a project.
- Choose the strongest evidence. Put the most relevant section early. A student might lead with education; an experienced adviser might lead with employment.
- Rewrite the bullets. Describe your action, the task or problem, and the useful result or scope. Include numbers only when you know they are accurate.
- Check every claim. Be ready to discuss each skill and example in an interview. Remove tools, duties and qualifications that belong only to the sample.
For example, “good at teamwork” tells a reader very little. “Combined four classmates’ research into one presentation and checked the sources before submission” describes something a student actually did. Your version should use your own task and contribution.
Match the content to a clear layout
A CV example helps with wording and section order. A template provides the visual layout. Draft the useful information first, then compare the CV templates and check whether your text fits comfortably. Avoid shrinking the type just to keep less relevant material.
For an application that asks for a simple CV, choose a restrained layout with familiar headings. If the employer uses an application portal, follow its file instructions and review any fields populated from your upload. The ATS-friendly CV guide explains how to check the exported document without treating any template as a universal guarantee.
Need help finding the words?
If you have the experience but no first draft, follow the step-by-step guide to writing a CV. It covers choosing evidence, writing experience bullets and checking the final PDF.
If your work-history section is empty, begin with the guide to a CV with no experience. It shows how to use coursework, projects and responsibilities honestly, including a complete project-entry example.