How to write a CV that stands out: a step-by-step guide

A recruiter spends on average less than ten seconds on the first read of a CV. In that time they decide whether to read it more carefully or discard it. On top of that, many companies use software (called ATS) that filters CVs before a human sees them. Your goal is to pass both filters. Here’s how.

The structure that works

An effective CV fits on one page (two at most if you have a lot of experience) and follows this order:

1. Contact details: name, phone, professional email and a link to your LinkedIn. No photo if you’re applying in countries where it isn’t customary.
2. Headline or profile: two or three lines summarizing who you are and what you bring.
3. Work experience: most recent first.
4. Education.
5. Skills (technical and languages).

Write achievements, not tasks

This is the most common mistake: describing what you “did” instead of what you “achieved.” Each bullet in your experience should start with an action verb and, whenever possible, include a number.

• ❌ “Responsible for customer service.”
• ✅ “Handled over 50 customers a day and cut response time from 24 to 4 hours.”

Numbers turn vague claims into concrete proof. And not everything is measured in money: quantities, percentages, deadlines or team size work too.

How to pass automated filters (ATS)

The software companies use to filter looks for keywords that match the job posting. To get past it:

• Read the job description and use its exact terms (if they ask for “project management,” write “project management,” not “initiative coordination”).
• Avoid tables, complex columns, images or headers inside boxes: many ATS don’t read them well.
• Save the file as PDF with a clear name: First-Last-CV.pdf.
• Use standard section titles (“Experience”, “Education”) that the software recognizes.

Tailor your CV to each job

Don’t send the same CV everywhere. You don’t need to rewrite it entirely: just adjust the headline and reorder your skills so the most relevant ones for that job appear first. Ten minutes of tailoring greatly improve your chances.

Design: clean and readable

• A single typeface, size 10–12 for the body.
• Comfortable margins and white space: a cramped CV tires the eye.
• One accent color at most.
• Consistency in dates and bullet formatting.

Restraint signals professionalism. Save very creative designs for fields where design is part of the job.

Mistakes to avoid

• Spelling errors: proofread twice and ask someone to read it. A typo can cost you the interview.
• Unprofessional emails: use one with your name, not nicknames.
• Irrelevant information: age, marital status or generic hobbies rarely add value.
• Lies: they’re caught in the interview or reference checks.
• Unexplained gaps: if there were breaks, a short line gives context.

One last tip

A good CV opens doors, but the key is applying to many relevant jobs consistently. At RápidoEmpleo you’ll find jobs from around the world filtered by country, role and language, updated every day. Keep your CV ready, tailor it a little for each one, and apply without fear: your next job could be one click away.