Recruiters spend seconds on the first scan. Your CV needs to be easy to skim, relevant to the role, and proof-based (metrics, outcomes, scope). Below is a modern CV structure that performs well across industries and is friendly to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

1) Use an ATS-friendly format first

• Single column layout (avoid heavy tables or text boxes).
• Standard headings: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills.
• Simple fonts, consistent spacing, and clear dates.

If you want to understand how ATS parsing works, this overview from Indeed’s career guide is a useful primer: Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) explained.

2) Lead with a results-based summary

Your summary should answer: who you are, what you specialize in, and the impact you deliver. Keep it 3–5 lines.

Example:
Results-driven Operations Analyst with 5+ years improving service delivery, reporting, and process efficiency. Skilled in dashboards, SOP design, and stakeholder management. Known for reducing turnaround time by 25% and increasing customer satisfaction through data-led process improvements.

3) Turn job duties into impact bullets

Use this pattern: Action + What you did + Result + Evidence.

• Improved weekly reporting by automating data consolidation, reducing manual work by 6 hours/week.
• Led onboarding process redesign, cutting new-hire ramp time from 4 weeks to 3 weeks.
• Managed vendor performance and resolved escalations, improving SLA compliance from 82% to 93%.

4) Match your skills to the role (without keyword stuffing)

Use the job description to identify the role’s core skills, then reflect them naturally in your summary and bullets. For role research and task/skills mapping, you can validate job requirements using O*NET’s occupation profiles: O*NET Online.

5) Copy-paste CV template (simple + professional)

NAME SURNAME
City, Country • Phone • Email • LinkedIn • Portfolio

SUMMARY
3–5 lines highlighting role, years of experience, strengths, and measurable impact.

CORE SKILLS
Skill 1 • Skill 2 • Skill 3 • Skill 4 • Skill 5

EXPERIENCE
Job Title — Company, Location (Month YYYY – Month YYYY)
- Impact bullet (action + result + metric)
- Impact bullet
- Impact bullet

Job Title — Company, Location (Month YYYY – Month YYYY)
- Impact bullet
- Impact bullet

EDUCATION
Degree — Institution (Year)

CERTIFICATIONS (Optional)
Certification — Issuer (Year)

PROJECTS (Optional)
Project title — 1–2 lines: problem, your role, outcome, tools

Bonus: Don’t skip your LinkedIn alignment

Hiring teams often compare your CV to your LinkedIn. Keep titles, dates, and achievements consistent. If you need help tightening your profile, LinkedIn’s official tips are here: Improve your LinkedIn profile.

Next step: pick one job you want, then tailor your summary + top 6 bullets to match it. That’s where most CVs win or lose.