Updated November 8, 2026.
In short: a good CV example shows the standard structure at work: name and contact details, a short profile, work experience with the most recent job first, then education and skills, on no more than two A4 pages. Below are four sample CVs: a recent graduate, an experienced professional, a career changer using a skills-based layout, and an excerpt from an academic CV. All four are illustrations with invented names and details. Copy the structure, not the content.
CV example for a recent graduate
Early in your career, education goes first. The National Careers Service and Prospects both suggest this order until you have relevant work experience.
PRIYA SHARMA
Leeds · 07700 900123 · priya.sharma@email.com · linkedin.com/in/priyasharma
PROFILE
Economics graduate with a summer placement in a housing association's
finance team. Confident with Excel and clear written reports. Looking
for a graduate analyst role in the public or non-profit sector.
EDUCATION
BSc Economics, University of Leeds 2023 – 2026
- Dissertation: rent arrears and household income in social housing
WORK EXPERIENCE
Finance Placement, regional housing association Jun – Aug 2025
- Matched supplier invoices to purchase orders each week
- Built a spreadsheet of repair costs by property type for the finance manager
Sales Assistant (part-time), city-centre bookshop 2023 – 2026
- Trained three new weekend staff on the till and stock system
SKILLS
Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP) · Stata · Report writing · Conversational Spanish
REFERENCES
Available on request.Why it works: the degree is the strongest qualification, so it leads. Each bullet says what she did rather than listing duties, and the skills are named tools, not adjectives.
CV example for an experienced professional
Once you have relevant experience, work history moves above education.
DANIEL OKAFOR
Manchester · 07700 900456 · daniel.okafor@email.com · linkedin.com/in/danielokafor
PROFILE
Operations manager with 9 years in warehousing and distribution, currently
running a 60-person site. Strong in shift planning, health and safety, and
warehouse management systems. Looking for a regional operations role.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Site Operations Manager, grocery distributor 2021 – present
- Run day-to-day operations for a 60-person, two-shift distribution site
- Rebuilt the shift rota around delivery peaks, reducing agency hours
- Chair the site health and safety committee and its monthly audits
Shift Manager, third-party logistics provider 2017 – 2021
- Managed a night-shift team of 18 pickers and loaders
- Introduced daily pick-accuracy checks with team leaders
Team Leader, same company 2015 – 2017
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership 2020
BTEC National Diploma in Business 2014
SKILLS
SAP EWM · Microsoft Excel · Shift planning · IOSH Managing Safely · Full UK driving licence
REFERENCES
Available on request.Why it works: the profile gives years and scope in the first line. The oldest role is cut to one line, as Prospects suggests for older detail. Results appear in the bullets (fewer agency hours, new accuracy checks) without inventing percentages.
CV example for a career changer (skills-based)
A skills-based CV, one of the three types Prospects describes, groups experience by skill instead of by job. It suits a career change because the skills the new job needs come first and the unrelated job titles come second.
SARAH MITCHELL
Bristol · 07700 900789 · sarah.mitchell@email.com
PROFILE
Primary school teacher with 7 years' experience, moving into learning and
development. Experienced in planning training, presenting to groups and
tracking progress. Recently completed a Level 3 qualification in L&D.
KEY SKILLS
Training design
- Planned and delivered a phonics programme across three Year 1 classes
- Wrote termly training sessions for teaching assistants
Presenting and facilitation
- Led reading-at-home workshops for groups of up to 40 parents
Measuring progress
- Tracked pupil assessment data each half-term and adjusted lesson plans
EMPLOYMENT
Class Teacher, primary school, Bristol 2019 – present
Class Teacher, primary school, Cardiff 2018 – 2019
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Level 3 Certificate in Learning and Development 2026
PGCE Primary 2018
BA English 2017
REFERENCES
Available on request.Why it works: the skill headings mirror what a learning and development job advert asks for. The teaching jobs are listed but compressed, so the reader sees the transferable evidence first.
CV example for an academic post (excerpt)
An academic CV keeps the full record. MIT's career office suggests 2 to 4 pages early in a career, and says to list publications in reverse chronological order, in your field's citation style, with your own name in bold. Oxford notes that academic CVs typically list referees.
DR ELENA ROSSI
Department of Chemistry, [University] · [Email]
EDUCATION
PhD Chemistry, [University] 2020 – 2024
Thesis: [Thesis title]
MChem Chemistry, [University] 2016 – 2020
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral Research Associate, [University] 2024 – present
PUBLICATIONS
Rossi, E., [Co-author] and [Co-author] (2025) [Article title]. [Journal], [volume], [pages].
PRESENTATIONS
[Talk title], [Conference], [City], [Month Year]
TEACHING
Laboratory demonstrator, first-year undergraduate chemistry 2020 – 2024
GRANTS AND AWARDS
[Award], [Funder], [Year]
REFERENCES
[Name, title, institution, email]Why it works: education and research lead because that is what a hiring committee reads first. In the real document, put your name in bold in each citation. For which posts need this version, see our guide to the curriculum vitae.
What do good CV examples have in common?
- Name as the heading, not the words "Curriculum Vitae" (Prospects, Oxford).
- A short profile just under the contact details (National Careers Service).
- Most recent first within each section.
- Bullets that show results, in line with Oxford's CAR approach (context, action, results).
- No date of birth, marital status or nationality on a UK CV (National Careers Service). Photo norms vary by country; Prospects says UK applicants don't need one unless they are applying for acting or modeling work.
- Two A4 pages or less, except for academic CVs.
To check the layout rules behind these examples, see CV format. To write your own from scratch, follow how to write a CV. Applying in the US? Most employers there want a resume; our resume examples by job title show that format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good example of a CV?
One a recruiter can scan in a few seconds: name and contact details, a short profile, the most recent and most relevant experience first, and specific skills, on no more than two pages. All four examples above follow that pattern.
What does a simple CV look like?
A single column of text with clear headings: profile, work experience, education, skills and references. The graduate example above is a simple CV.
Can I copy a CV example?
Copy the structure and headings, not the words. Every example here is an illustration; an employer needs your real roles, dates and results.
Which CV example should a career changer use?
The skills-based layout. It puts the skills the new job needs above a job history that may look unrelated.
Is a CV example the same as a resume example?
For UK and European jobs they look much alike; the main differences are length and personal details. In the US, a CV usually means the academic version. See CV vs resume.
Sources
- National Careers Service (UK government), How to write a CV — checked November 8, 2026.
- Prospects (Jisc), How to write a CV — checked November 8, 2026.
- University of Oxford Careers Service, CVs — checked November 8, 2026.
- MIT Career Advising & Professional Development, Curricula vitae (CVs) — checked November 8, 2026.