Good CV examples (With extra tips and best practices)

When you're applying for jobs, your CV is typically one of the most important documents you're going to submit. A good CV effectively communicates your most useful qualifications and your most attractive qualities. Making sure that you have a good CV that's appealing to potential employers can greatly boost your chances of getting the job you want. In this article, we provide you with some good CV examples, in addition to some tips for writing and preparing your own.

Related: What is a CV? Curriculum vitae definition and examples

Good CV examples

The contents and formatting of a CV are going to differ somewhat from one industry and role to another, and some good CV examples can help you decide what's important. There are some general best practices that apply to the majority of CVs, such as conciseness, clarity and good structure. Below are a couple of good CV examples for different job types, which you can use as guidance or inspiration when writing your own:

The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.

CV example 1

James Wainwright
Phone: 01112222333
Email: jwainwright@email.co.uk

Personal summary
A dedicated and detail-oriented laboratory technician with considerable experience in hospital accident and emergency departments. Possessed of strong communication, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Key skills

• Ability to process and prepare various diagnostics tests, including gram stains, microbiology cultures and urinalysis.

• Maintenance of all laboratory equipment to hospital standards.

• Ability to take blood samples from patients both before and after surgery.

• Preparing specimens from reluctant, nervous and hard-to-draw patients, including children.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to keep patients well informed and reassured.

Employment history
Medical laboratory technician, Avingsford Medical Centre (2007 to 2018)

• Worked with the research and development team to devise a new proprietary resuscitation mask for emergency care use.

• Kept laboratory performance at a very high level and ensured that blood test samples were processed in just three minutes.

• Helped increase the overall efficiency of the laboratory, including procedural improvements, use of advanced equipment and redesigning layout.

Phlembotomist, St Angus' Paediatric Hospital (2004 to 2007)

• Worked with young children regularly, drew blood and helped them stay reassured and relaxed throughout.

• Maintained and updated records of patient information, including blood samples.

• Ensured laboratory equipment was kept sterile for regular safe use.

Education
Bachelor of Science in Biology, University of Reading, Second-class Honours, Upper Division

Related: CV template for a successful application (With example)

CV example 2

Amelia Randall
Hastings, East Sussex
Phone: 01112222333
Email: erandall@email.co.uk

Personal summary
Experienced project management professional with more than a decade of experience assisting with, implementing and managing various projects. Capable of executing high-level projects successfully and maintaining clear communication throughout. Very capable analyst with an excellent eye for detail.

Employment history
Senior administrative assistant, Fernsby Consulting (2015 to present)

• Responsible for the coordination of planning activities, scheduling of project work and delivery of important tasks and milestones in support of the project manager.

• Helped streamline implementation for numerous projects, improved customer support and increased information availability.

• Researched and prepared new guidelines to increase productivity and make use of latest best practices, in addition to effective reporting and archiving.

• Trained staff and and worked with contractors to ensure tasks are done properly and in a timely manner.

Administrative assistant, Fernsby Consulting (2012 to 2015)

• Helped coordinate project activities with the senior administrative assistant and project manager.

• Assisted with the implementation of various tasks and managed communications and external correspondence.

• Developed presentations for use by project manager for training purposes.

• Helped with the design and implementation of a client tracking system.

Qualifications and certificates

• PRINCE2 Practitioner Qualification

• APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ)

• Certified Project Manager Qualification (IAPM)

Education
Bachelor of Arts in Business Strategy, University of York, First-class Honours

Why is a good CV important?

Employers often receive numerous CVs for a single job advertisement. Since it's typically impractical to reach out to every candidate and interview them, employers and recruiters usually choose to filter whom they select. This is largely done on the basis of each candidate's CV. An effective and well-written CV is therefore key to your chances of securing an interview. And whereas cover letters are typically going to differ from one job application to another, your CV is typically going to be the same and only updated once you acquire new skills, qualifications and experiences.

A good CV is also the best complement to your cover letter. Given how fundamental it is to the job application process, taking some time to ensure that you have a good CV is almost always worth it. Furthermore, a good CV usually makes a good impression right from the start, which can be vital, as in some cases a recruiter's decision to proceed can take less than a minute.

Related: 10 best skills to include on a CV

Tips for writing an effective CV

A good CV is an appealing representation of your abilities, experiences and qualifications. It's supposed to secure a recruiter or potential employer's attention and then convince them that you're a good enough candidate to warrant an interview. To help you achieve this, there are some tips and best practices listed below:

Choose a good format

How you format your CV is largely going to depend on the industry you're applying in. Typically, you might choose between a chronological, functional or combination CV. The preferences and proper format for your industry may differ, so it's a good idea to do some research to find out. You can choose to include a personal statement or to omit it, based on what you feel would be most effective. You might opt to include certain additional information, like hobbies and interests. Again, this depends on your industry, the job and what's expected.

Generally, it's best to keep your CV to a couple of pages at most. In some industries and sectors, CVs may become considerably longer, although this is typically also reflective of a large amount of experience and qualifications. But a concise CV of up to two pages is usually a good balance.

Related: The complete CV format guide: examples and tips

Select an appropriate design

The design behind your CV is also going to be largely dependent on your industry. A graphic designer may produce a custom design specifically for their CV, complete with a colour scheme, design elements and a professionally crafted signature. In this case, the CV is also visual proof of the skills that it describes. Alternatively, a CV for a banker or accountant is probably going to be plainer.

With regard to the text, it's typically best to select a familiar and easy-to-read font like Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial, and set it to 11 or 12. Some colours can be appropriate and even preferable. This can be used to highlight certain text and increase readability.

Include your contact information

Your contact information is almost always an important thing to include on your CV. Even if you've already included these details in an email or another part of the application process, adding them to your CV can ensure that they're readily accessible to whoever is reading it. This is also useful if you're submitting your CV to a company that hasn't posted a job.

Use keywords

Many companies use automated application tracking and filtering systems to select the most promising CVs. These applications often look for certain keywords, which is why it's good to find out what these are and include them to increase your chances of getting past the filter. These keywords are relevant to the job and company, and you can find them in the job advertisement or through some additional research.

Related: 11 things you need to know to beat applicant tracking systems

Proofread it

Your CV is often going to dictate the first impression that recruiters and potential employers get of you. Some avoidable errors, like spelling and grammar mistakes, can unnecessarily hamper this by making it look like you weren't thorough. Given that a CV is usually only a couple of pages long at most, it can be proofread relatively quickly, and this can help you avoid making the wrong impression. If you're unsure, you can use an online spell checking tool or similar software to assist you, but it's usually a good idea to read it yourself in any case.

Keep it updated

As you progress through your career, your CV is going to reflect your new accomplishments and experiences. Every time you reach a particular milestone or achieve something significant, take some time to add it to your CV to keep it updated. Even if you're already working, there's always the possibility that you might be surprised by a new opportunity. This is why it's a good idea to keep your CV updated, as it's going to allow you to take advantage of these opportunities at short notice.