How to write a CV that stands out (2026)

A good CV is concise, tailored to a specific listing, and built on measurable results, not a list of responsibilities. Recruiters skim CVs in 7 to 10 seconds on average, so the most important information – your value to the employer – must be visible immediately in the top third of the page.

1. Structure of a good CV

• Header: name, job title, phone, email, city, LinkedIn.
• Short summary (3–4 lines): who you are, how much experience, what you offer, what you're looking for.
• Work experience: reverse chronological, with 3–5 achievements per role (verb + result + number).
• Education: degree, institution, year; for juniors also GPA and key subjects.
• Skills: hard skills (tools, languages) and soft skills, listed separately.
• Extras: certificates, projects, volunteer work, languages.

2. Common mistakes that kill an application

• The same CV sent to 50 different listings without any tailoring.
• Listing responsibilities instead of achievements ("responsible for sales" vs. "grew sales by 22% in 6 months").
• Overlong CV (3+ pages) or long blocks of text without bullets.
• Grammar mistakes and inconsistent formatting.
• Generic phrases ("team player, good communicator") with no evidence.
• Outdated email, missing LinkedIn, broken portfolio link.

3. How to tailor your CV to a specific listing

From the listing, pick out the 5–7 most repeated terms and requirements. Check that your CV uses those same terms in the summary, skills and at least one experience description. If you apply through portals that use an ATS (e.g. many large Slovenian companies), keyword matching actually decides whether your CV even reaches a human. On Jobflick our system shows you which skills from your profile match a listing and which are missing, so you know what to highlight in your application.

4. CV with no work experience

If you're a student or a career switcher, prove your abilities through other sources: coursework, student jobs, internships, volunteering, personal projects, courses and certificates. Instead of titles ("volunteer") describe what you actually did and what the result was. Before you apply, use the salary calculator to check a realistic pay range so you can talk about expectations honestly at the interview.