Thrive and Save

Here’s how to write a CV.

 Contact Details

 At the top of the page, include:

• Your full name
• Your phone number
• Your address (you don’t need all your address; you can list your town and postcode)
• Your email address (make sure it is an appropriate address!)
• Your LinkedIn profile (if you have one)

Personal Profile (Summary)

 Here you read a short paragraph (2–3 sentences) summarising who you are, your key strengths, and what you’re looking for.

Here are some examples:

• Motivated and detail-oriented recent graduate with a strong foundation in [your field or subject, e.g., business administration] and a proven ability to learn quickly. Eager to contribute fresh ideas, strong organisational skills, and a positive work ethic to a dynamic team environment.
• Enthusiastic and adaptable professional with hands-on internship experience in [industry/role]. Skilled in [key skills, e.g., data analysis, customer service, or social media management] and committed to delivering high-quality results while developing expertise in a fast-paced workplace.
• Results-driven graduate with a track record of academic excellence and leadership in extracurricular activities. Strong analytical and organisational skills, with the ability to adapt quickly to new challenges and technologies.
• Pleasant and dependable professional with a strong background in customer-facing roles. Known for delivering excellent service, resolving issues efficiently, and maintaining a positive attitude under pressure. Looking to bring these skills to an entry-level position in [industry].

Key Skills

List around 5 skills relevant to the job. Make sure that if you have listed a key skill, you show this somewhere in your CV.  

Here are some examples you could use

• Public speaking
• Business writing
• Active listening
• Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Data analysis (SQL, Python, Power BI)
• CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot)
• Complaint resolution
• Account management
• Service quality improvement
• Learning new systems quickly
• Working under pressure
• Managing change
• Multitasking
• Organisational skills
• Administrative support
• Remote collaboration
• Bilingual or multilingual abilities (e.g., English, Spanish, French)
• Project management
• Customer service
• Data analysis
• Team leadership

Work Experience

List your most recent roles first. The general rule for most job seekers is that you show your last 10-15 years of roles.

Include:

• Job title
• Company name
• Dates of employment (month and year)
• 3–5 bullet points describing your responsibilities and achievements

For example:

Customer Service Advisor – ABC Bank
June 2021 – Present

• Handled customer queries via phone and email, maintaining a 95% satisfaction rate
• Assisted customers with their queries and provided high-quality service over the telephone.
• Provided technical support and advice to customers on incoming calls and advised them of the services available.
• Sought answers and solved problems using information resources and product expertise.
• Kept the company’s database of customer information up-to-date.

Education

List your most recent qualifications first.

Include:

• Dates attended
• Qualification
• Institution name
• Grades (optional)

For example:

• 2025 – Basic Microsoft Word and Excel – Online training course
• 2025 – 9 GCSEs, including English and Maths – Thrive and Save High 
• 2012 – ECDL – Bury Adult Learning Services

Additional Sections (Optional)

You can include:

• Certifications or training (e.g., First Aid, IT courses)
• Any volunteer work you do or have done
• Any languages you speak fluently
• Hobbies and interests (only if relevant or show useful qualities)
• References, or you can put references on request

 Formatting Tips

• Keep your CV clear, professional, and easy to read.
• Get someone else to read and double-check your grammar and spelling.
• Use the same fonts and spacing.
• Don’t use photos (unless requested by the company).
• Save and send as a PDF.
• Tailor your CV for each job by matching keywords from the job description.