The 2025 Step-by-Step Guide to a Professional CV

TL;DR: Use a clean template, write measurable bullets, tailor your CV per role, and pass ATS with a simple structure and job-aligned keywords.

Why this CV works (ATS + Recruiter)

Most companies use an ATS to pre-screen resumes. Keep structure simple, headings clear, and include the right keywords. A recruiter scans the top third in ~6–10s for: title, skills match, and evidence of results.

Golden rules

Make the top third answer: Who are you? What do you excel at? Why you?
Lift 6–10 keywords from the job post and weave them in naturally.
Attach a metric to every key responsibility (speed, cost, revenue, quality).

Ideal one-page structure

Name + Professional Title (e.g., Front-End Engineer | React + Next.js)
Contact (City – Country | Phone | Email | LinkedIn | Portfolio)
Short Summary (3–4 lines focusing on value and outcomes)
Experience — impact bullets with metrics
Projects — great for juniors/career shifters
Education
Skills — Technical / Soft
Certifications (optional)

Bullet formula that convinces: Action ⇒ Task ⇒ Metric

Use a compact STAR variant: action + context/task ⇒ quantified result.

Improved LCP from 4.2s to 2.1s, boosting PageSpeed from 61 to 92 in 6 weeks.
Built a component library that cut development time by 30%.
Led SEO revamp that grew organic traffic 120% and reduced CAC by 18% in 3 months.

Action verbs (quick starter)

Improve/Efficiency	Build/Ship	Analyze/Decide	Lead/Collaborate
Improved, Optimized, Reduced	Built, Launched, Implemented	Analyzed, Measured, Decided	Led, Coordinated, Mentored

Copy-ready template

Full Name | Professional Title
City, Country | Phone | Email | LinkedIn | Portfolio

Summary:
[Discipline] specialist with [X] years; delivered [quantified outcome] by [how]...

Experience — Role | Company | Dates | City/Remote
• [Action verb] [task/context] ⇒ [metric/result]
• [Action] [tool/tech] ⇒ [impact]

Projects | Tech | Link
• [Name]: what it does, your role, measurable effect.

Education | Degree | University | Year
Skills: Technical (...), Soft (...)
Certifications: ... (optional)

Clean design that passes ATS

Readable fonts: Inter, Rubik, Cairo at 10.5–12pt.
Line-height 1.2–1.35, margins 1.5–2cm, one accent color max.
Avoid heavy tables/icons in core text; keep it parsable.

Do & Don’t (ATS)

✅ Do

Use clear headings: Experience / Projects / Skills
Spell techs as text: React, .NET, SQL…
Export a simple, well-formed PDF.

❌ Don’t

Heavy tables or image-only sections that break parsing.
Exotic fonts/styling inside the main text.
Complicated Word layouts with text boxes.

Common mistakes

Listing duties instead of outcomes: convert tasks into impact with numbers.
Generic language: tailor to each role.
Overlength: one page fits most (two for senior/lead profiles).

Start now

Start building your CV

Pro tip: after exporting to PDF, compare your keywords with the job post and tune bullets accordingly.