Principle 1
Tailoring and Context
Treat your CV as a targeted argument for a specific role rather than a historical summary. Read the job description critically: note key terms, required tooling, and implied organizational challenges. Adjust the emphasis of your experience so your qualification for this exact position is immediately evident within five seconds.
Principle 2
The Executive Summary
Open with a brief 3–4 sentence professional synthesis directly below your contact details. State your professional identity, your primary technical or domain specializations, and your most substantial career contribution. Avoid generic self-descriptions like 'driven team player'—anchor this section strictly in hard competencies.
Principle 3
Structural Hierarchy
Organize your history in reverse-chronological order. Each entry must follow a standardized format: Job Title, Organization, Location, and Date Range. Keep visual hierarchy consistent across all roles to ensure recruiters can scan your career progression seamlessly.
Principle 4
Measurable Accomplishments
Replace task-based descriptions ('responsible for managing databases') with quantified outcomes ('redesigned database architecture, lowering query latency by 34%'). Quantify scale, time saved, revenue influenced, or team size to give your work concrete weight.
Principle 5
Action-Oriented Phrasing
Begin every bullet point with a decisive action verb (e.g., 'Architected', 'Implemented', 'Negotiated', 'Restructured'). Maintain active voice throughout and eliminate passive, bureaucratic language.
Principle 6
System Compatibility (ATS)
Applicant Tracking Systems parse standard textual hierarchies. Avoid multi-column tables, floating text boxes, graphic skill-rating bars, and embedded icons that cause parsing errors. Stick to clean, single-layer layouts exported as high-fidelity PDFs.
Principle 7
Relevance Over Completeness
A CV is an executive brief, not a complete ledger of your adult life. Condense or omit entry-level positions from years ago that do not support your current trajectory. Prioritize depth in recent, high-impact roles over shallow breadth.
Principle 8
Academic and Technical Credentials
Position education strategically. If you are a recent graduate, place degrees and pertinent coursework prominently. For mid-career professionals, move education below work history and highlight relevant certifications, research contributions, or specialized technical proficiencies.
Principle 9
Layout, Fonts & Typographic Discipline
Maintain strict typographic discipline: use clean, legible sans-serif typefaces (Inter, Helvetica, Calibri) sized between 10pt and 11.5pt for body copy. Ensure margins remain balanced (0.6 to 0.75 inches) and limit accent colors to a single muted dark tone.
Principle 10
Review, Verification & Iteration
Never submit an unverified document. Proofread backwards sentence-by-sentence to spot grammatical errors. Test your CV through parsing tools to verify readability, and seek critical peer feedback before sending.