Here at Darling Moo we are always happy to offer help and advice, so call us any time. Between us we have been looking at CVs for more than twenty years, and we have a pretty good idea of what good looks like.
In the meantime, here are the things that make the biggest difference.
Keep the format simple and easy to read
Your CV should be clean, well structured and easy to scan. Recruiters and hiring managers often spend only a short time on each application, so clarity is everything.
- Use a simple font — Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman all work
- Stick to clear headings: Experience, Education, Skills
- Leave enough white space, and avoid cramming everything together
- Keep formatting consistent throughout — the same heading size, the same bullet style
A visually tidy CV makes a strong first impression and encourages the reader to keep going.
Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs
Dense paragraphs are hard to read quickly. Think of your CV as a snapshot rather than the full story, and use bullets to draw out your key responsibilities, your measurable achievements, and the skills each role demonstrated.
So instead of a paragraph, something like:
- Managed the onboarding process for 50+ new hires, reducing time to productivity by 20%
- Partnered with hiring managers to fill 15 critical roles within tight deadlines
Short, specific bullet points are far more effective than lengthy descriptions.
Keep it to three pages
Length matters. A CV should ideally be no longer than three pages.
- Prioritise the most relevant and most recent information
- Avoid repeating similar responsibilities across roles
- Remove outdated or unnecessary detail
- If your roles have all been similar, consider a skills-based CV instead
If your CV is stretching well beyond three pages, it usually needs tightening rather than more detail. Quality over quantity.
Be mindful of unconscious bias
Your CV should focus purely on your professional experience and skills. Leave out personal information that could introduce unconscious bias — your age or date of birth, your gender, your full address.
A general location is plenty where it adds useful context. “Cambridge-based” tells a hiring manager everything they need to know.
Be selective with older experience
Experience from earlier in your career is not always necessary, especially where it is not relevant. As a rule of thumb, roles from more than ten years ago are worth including only if they speak directly to the job you are applying for.
Weight your CV towards recent progression and achievements. It keeps the focus where it belongs and stops your best work being diluted.
Tailor it for each role
One size does not fit all. Even a strong CV benefits from adjusting to the position in front of you.
- Lead with the most relevant experience
- Use the language of the job description
- Emphasise the skills that align with the role
This does not mean rewriting everything. It means refining, so your CV feels targeted rather than generic.
In short
A great CV is not about saying everything. It is about saying the right things, clearly and confidently. Keep it simple, concise, relevant and easy to read, and you give yourself the best chance of standing out for the right reasons.
