Crafting the Perfect CV (2025 Edition)

In today’s competitive job market, your CV is your golden ticket to getting noticed. It’s often the first impression an employer has of you—so making it strong, clear, and tailored is more important than ever. In 2025, expectations have evolved: employers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) are looking for specific traits, keywords, and structure. Here’s your guide to building a CV that works for modern recruitment.

TL;DR: CV Writing in 2025

Open with a tailored personal statement
Customise your CV to each job and use keywords from the job description
Highlight achievements, not just tasks
Keep the layout clean, concise, and AI-friendly
Emphasise both digital and soft skills
Update regularly and always proofread

1. Start Strong with a Personal Statement

The personal statement is your opening pitch. It sits right at the top of your CV and should summarise:

Who you are
Your key skills or strengths
What kind of role you’re looking for
What value you can bring to the company

Keep it to around 3–5 lines. This is not your life story—it’s a focused intro tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Example “Motivated and detail-oriented retail assistant with over 2 years’ experience in customer service and stock control. Skilled in handling transactions, resolving customer issues, and working as part of a team. Seeking a new challenge in a dynamic pharmacy environment to support health and wellbeing in the local community.”

If you’re changing careers or industries, use this section to explain that briefly and positively.

2. Tailor It to Each Job

One-size-fits-all CVs rarely get results. Every job you apply for will list specific skills, responsibilities, or qualifications—and your CV needs to reflect those as closely as possible.

How to tailor your CV:

Match keywords from the job description (e.g. “customer service,” “stock management,” “point-of-sale systems”)
Reorder bullet points so the most relevant info appears first
Mention the company by name in your personal statement if you’re going the extra mile

This increases your chances of getting past ATS filters and shows the employer you’ve made an effort.

3. Use ATS- and AI-Friendly Formatting

Many employers now use applicant tracking systems to screen CVs before a human even sees them. To make sure your CV isn’t rejected by a robot:

Use simple headings like Work Experience, Education, Skills
Avoid fancy templates with columns, images, or tables
Stick to standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica
Save your CV as a .docx or .pdf file
Avoid logos, emojis, or graphics unless you’re in a creative field (like design or media)

4. Focus on Achievements, Not Just Duties

Instead of just listing what your previous jobs involved, talk about what you achieved in those roles. Show the results of your work.

Basic Duty “Worked on tills and answered customer queries.”

Achievement-focused: “Processed over 100 customer transactions daily and maintained 98% accuracy on the till. Helped implement a new returns process that reduced wait times by 30%.”

Tip: Use the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to help write strong bullet points.

5. Showcase Your Digital and Transferable Skills

Even in hands-on or customer-facing roles, digital skills are valuable. Employers in 2025 want to know you’re comfortable with tech, can learn new systems, and work well with others.

Include:

Systems you’ve used (EPOS tills, CRM software, Microsoft Office, Google Drive, inventory apps)
Skills like remote collaboration, data entry, or even social media (if relevant to the role)
Transferable skills: problem-solving, communication, teamwork, attention to detail

These make your CV more adaptable and highlight your potential to grow within the company.

6. Keep It Professional, Clean, and Concise

Design tips:

Use a professional, readable font (size 11–12)
Keep it to 1 page if you have less experience, 2 pages max if you have more
Use bold for job titles and consistent formatting throughout
Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs
Make sure there’s plenty of white space—don’t cram everything in

Think of your CV as a brochure for you—clear, inviting, and easy to scan.

7. Include the Right Sections

Here’s what a strong CV in 2025 should include (in order):

Contact Details: Full name, town/city, mobile, email (professional looking), LinkedIn (optional)
Personal Statement: Tailored, short, impactful
Work Experience: Most recent first, with job title, company, dates, and key achievements
Education: School/college name, dates, qualifications, and grades (if relevant)
Skills: Split into soft (communication, adaptability) and hard (Excel, POS systems)
Optional:
- Volunteering
- Certifications (e.g., First Aid, Food Safety, Pharmacy Counter Assistant)
- Languages
- Relevant interests (e.g. volunteering, tech, fitness—if they relate to the job)

Avoid:

Photos
Date of birth
Full address
Marital status or nationality

8. Proofread Like Your Job Depends on It (Because It Might!)

Typos or grammar mistakes can instantly damage your credibility. Always:

Run your CV through tools like Grammarly
Ask someone else to read it
Read it aloud to catch awkward phrasing

Also, double-check dates, formatting, and consistency (e.g., all dates lined up the same way, all bullet points in the same tense).

9. Keep It Updated Regularly

It’s easy to forget to update your CV, especially when you’re not actively job hunting. But keeping it fresh means you’ll always be ready for new opportunities.

Make it a habit to update:

New responsibilities or achievements at work
Training or courses you’ve completed
New tools or systems you’ve learned

Final Tip: Make It Easy to Skim

Recruiters spend seconds—not minutes—on each CV. Help them out:

Use short bullet points
Start each point with a strong verb (Managed, Supported, Delivered, Resolved)
Keep each point under 2 lines
Put your most relevant experience first

If you make it easy to see how you’re the right fit, you’ll increase your chances of getting that call back.

Now that you’ve created the perfect CV, why not check out some Interview Tips.

Use AI to Help Craft Your CV

If you’re struggling to put your experience into words, or you’re not sure how to structure your CV effectively, why not use a little AI assistance? Tools like ChatGPT can help you draft bullet points, write a personal statement, or even tailor your CV to a specific job advert.

Just type in something like:

“Help me write a CV for a customer service job. I have two years of experience in retail and strong communication skills.”

ChatGPT can then help turn that into polished, professional content. You can even copy and paste a job description and ask it to suggest key phrases or rewrite your CV to match the role.

You can also upload your existing CV and have Chat GPT make suggestions on how to make it better.

It won’t do the whole job for you, but it can save you time, boost your confidence, and make your CV much more competitive.

✨ Try it for yourself:
👉 Use ChatGPT to Improve Your CV