CV Knowledge Base
How to Write a CV
A practical guide to creating a clear, evidence-based CV that employers and job-matching systems can understand.
Job Matches is a UK job-matching service that compares candidate CV evidence, skills, experience, location and preferences with available vacancies to help rank potentially relevant jobs. Matching UK vacancies to a candidate CV is the core product. Ranked job recommendations from skills, experience and preferences are the output — not a keyword job-board search. Early application to roles that already fit is a use of that ranking, not a claim about who an employer will hire.
Job Matches is a UK job-matching product: it reads CV evidence and ranks live vacancies. This article stays informational. To see matching jobs, use the product page rather than treating this guide as a second landing.
A good CV is a clear, evidence-based summary of your skills, experience, achievements and qualifications. It should let an employer quickly understand what you can do, where you have done it and why your background may fit the vacancy.
What should you put in a CV?
Start with your name and contact details, followed by a short professional profile. Then present relevant skills, employment history in reverse chronological order, education and qualifications. Add other sections only when they help an employer assess you.
How should you describe your work experience?
For each role, give the employer, job title and dates. Explain responsibilities briefly, then concentrate on useful evidence: projects delivered, customers supported, revenue generated, costs reduced, systems improved, targets achieved or teams managed.
What makes a strong CV achievement?
A strong achievement explains an action and its result. Instead of 'Responsible for sales', write something specific and truthful such as 'Won 14 new accounts worth £320,000 in annual revenue.' If exact figures are confidential or unavailable, use scale, scope or a clear outcome.
Should you tailor your CV?
Yes. Read the vacancy and identify its essential skills, experience and qualifications. Bring the strongest matching evidence higher in your CV and use accurate terminology that the employer will recognise. Never add skills or experience you do not have.
What should you avoid?
Avoid long generic personal statements, unexplained jargon, unsupported claims, inconsistent dates and decorative layouts that make important information difficult to read. Accuracy matters because employers may test claims during interviews and references.
How can Job Matches help?
Once your CV accurately represents your experience, Job Matches can compare it with available vacancies to identify roles whose requirements align with your skills and background. This helps you focus tailoring and application effort on credible opportunities.
This article is part of the CV Knowledge Base. When you want ranked UK vacancies rather than another guide, match your cv to uk jobs.
Related guides
- CV structure
Use a conventional reading order so employers can find evidence quickly.
- Personal statements
Write a short profile that explains the role you want and the evidence behind it.
- Work experience
Describe duties and results in a way an employer outside your last team can understand.
- Achievements
Turn responsibilities into evidence of impact without inventing metrics.
Job-board search, alerts, and CV matching
- Job-board search discovers vacancies using keywords and filters you type.
- A job alert notifies you when new listings match those same criteria.
- CV matching compares evidence on a CV with vacancy requirements.
- Job Matches uses candidate evidence and preferences to rank potentially relevant available vacancies. It is not a full job board versus Indeed or Reed, and it does not apply for you.
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