Kick Start Your Job Search With This Free CV Template

Start Your Job Search Off Right

Sitting down to craft your CV can feel like a daunting task. Condensing years of employment history, education and experience onto one perfectly formatted page is both challenging and tedious. Wouldn't it be nice to have a free CV template to customise?

While most job seekers understand how to put the basics of a CV together, very few understand how to make their CV shine. The first step in achieving the latter is remembering: your CV is an advertisement. Not only does it have to do a good job of “selling” you to hiring managers, but it must separate you from the hundreds of other applicants vying for the same job.

Finding a job that checks all the boxes can be a long and grueling process but building a winning CV doesn’t have to be. Use the free CV template below to craft a first-class CV and land more interviews.

Free CV Template

We came up with an easy-to-use and totally free CV template — check it out below, customise it for your job search and read on for additional CV tips!

Margaret Smith

Limmeridge House, 82 Middlemarch Rd, Fulchester, SE20 7EU

+44 1632 960959

margaret_smith807@gmail.com

ROI-driven marketing professional who is equal parts creative and analytical. Experienced in Marketo, Google Analytics and driving 27% year-over-year traffic growth.

Key Skills

Soft Skills Hard Skills

Brand Positioning Google Analytics

Project Management Marketo

Team Leadership Salesforce

Communication Excel

Work Experience

Umbrella Corp.

Dec. 2016 – Present

Marketing Intern

Collaborated with a team of 4 people to brainstorm 3 major creative campaigns which ultimately drove 100,000+ website visits and a 27% year-over-year increase in traffic

Drafted copy for 3 ebooks and associated email marketing campaigns, resulting in 10,000 downloads and 3,000 new leads generated

Analysed data from Google Analytics and Marketo to optimise marketing efforts moving forward, leading to a 24% increase in downloads from campaign 2 to campaign 3

Coffee 2 Go

Sep. 2012 – Dec. 2016

Barista, Shift Manager

Served 50-100 customers per day, driving roughly £600 per day in sales

Consistently upsold offerings and daily specials, resulting in an average yearly revenue increase of 12%

Trained, managed and coordinated schedules for a team of 6 in order to ensure top-quality customer service

Education

University of Muncaster

Sep. 2012 – Dec. 2016

Business Management BA, upper-second class honours

Relevant modules: Introduction to Marketing, Marketing Theory & Practice, Marketing Strategy, Advertising Fundamentals, Business Analytics

Additional Experience

Recipient of the University of Muncaster Marketing Society’s Rising Star Award, April 2016

Volunteer, Muncaster Animal Rescue

Avid cyclist and jazz piano player

Read on to learn more about each of these sections, and learn how to make the most of them on your CV!

Personal Statement Tips

A personal statement, also referred to as a professional statement, is a short summary that contains information about your experience and qualifications as it pertains to the job.

Located at the top of your CV, the personal statement is important as it’s the first thing hiring managers read to determine if you’re a good fit for the job. It needs to be memorable and pique the interest of your potential employer.

Use this space to clearly outline why you’re an ideal candidate for the job and how your strengths, skills and past experiences can be directly applied to the position if hired. Don’t forget to use keywords found in the job ad; applicant tracking software is often used to sort CVs by keywords, so sprinkling in plenty of keywords will put yours at the top of the digital pile.

Skills Section Tips

The skills section of your CV features proficiencies that are related to the jobs you’re applying for. Avoid adding rudimentary or general skills, such as “computer skills.” Instead, customise this section of your CV to match the requirements and responsibilities listed in the job listing.

For example, if you’re applying for a digital marketing position, include skills like: “Google Analytics Advanced Certification” or “Proficient with Salesforce CRM.” Not only does this speak more accurately to your experience, but it shows that you know the industry and what skills are needed to be successful.

Work Experience Tips

Your experience, or employment history, should always be listed on your CV. Typically, CVs begin with either the most recent or relevant job, and include your job title and dates of employment. Don’t forget to include a few bullet points outlining your role, responsibilities, skills and accomplishments.

This is the place to really make yourself shine. Avoid using generic statements like “Assisted in growing client sales.” Instead, use powerful verbs, along with percentages and sales figures, to quantify your professional achievements. For example, “Led sales team to achieve 85% growth year-over-year in three months.”

If you don’t have a lot of relevant activities, use hobbies to show off your skills. For example, being a volunteer camp counselor demonstrates responsibility and multitasking, both of which are valued skills in the workplace.

Education Section Tips

This area of your CV is an opportunity to show that you’re a well-rounded candidate. It can be especially valuable if you graduated top of your class or won any academic awards. As such, don’t forget to include all the important information:

Main area of study
Modules relevant to the role
Organisations and/or clubs
Notable accomplishments

Additional Experience Tips

If you have hobbies or interests that relate directly to the job, it’s appropriate to list them on your CV. For example, that you’re applying for a teaching position and your hobby is volunteering at local at-risk youth centers, the hobby is relevant to the job and should be included.

You can also add hobbies or interests that add a little bit of colour to your application and highlight your strengths — for example, listing “marathon running” as a hobby may show you have determination and tenacity.