Short answer: A strong CV in 2026 should include five essential sections: contact information, professional summary, work experience, skills, and education. The best CVs are clear, achievement-focused, easy to scan, and optimized for both human recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems.
What Should a CV Include?
A CV is your personal marketing document. It should quickly show who you are, what you can do, and why you are a strong fit for the role. In today’s hiring process, your CV also needs to be easy for AI screening tools and Applicant Tracking Systems to understand.
The goal is not to list everything you have ever done. The goal is to highlight the information that helps an employer trust your experience and invite you to the next step.
Essential CV Sections in 2026
| Section | Purpose | Best practice |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Information | Helps employers reach you | Keep it simple and professional |
| Professional Summary | Gives a quick first impression | Use 2–3 clear lines |
| Work Experience | Shows your impact | Focus on achievements, not only duties |
| Skills | Supports keyword matching | Use skills from the job description |
| Education | Shows your academic background | Include degree, school, and graduation year |
1. Contact Information
Your contact information should appear at the top of your CV. It should be clean, accurate, and easy to find.
Include:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Professional email address
- LinkedIn profile, if relevant
- Portfolio or personal website, if useful for the role
Avoid:
- Full home address
- Personal details such as age, marital status, or religion
- Unprofessional email addresses
- Links that are not relevant to your application
2. Professional Summary
Your professional summary is your first impression. It should briefly explain your role, experience level, key strength, and the value you bring.
Example: Results-driven sales executive with 5+ years of experience increasing revenue, building client relationships, and leading high-performing sales campaigns.
Keep this section short. Two or three strong lines are usually enough.
3. Work Experience
Work experience is usually the most important section of your CV. Employers want to see what you did, where you did it, and what results you achieved.
For each role, include:
- Job title
- Company name
- Employment dates
- Key responsibilities
- Measurable achievements
Whenever possible, use numbers to show impact. For example, “Increased monthly sales by 30% within six months” is stronger than “Responsible for sales.”
4. Skills
Your skills section helps recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems understand whether your background matches the job. Use skills that are relevant to the role, and include keywords from the job description naturally.
- Hard skills: Excel, SEO, Python, project management, data analysis
- Soft skills: communication, leadership, problem-solving, teamwork
Avoid adding too many generic skills. Focus on the skills that support the job you want.
5. Education
Your education section should include your academic background in a clear format. For most job seekers, this section can be short and simple.
- Degree or qualification
- School or university name
- Graduation year
- Relevant coursework, if useful
- GPA, only if it is strong or requested
Optional CV Sections
Depending on your background, you may also include extra sections that make your application stronger.
- Certifications: useful for technical, marketing, finance, or project roles
- Projects: helpful for students, career changers, and portfolio-based roles
- Languages: valuable for international or customer-facing roles
- Awards and achievements: useful for showing credibility and recognition
- Volunteer work: relevant when it demonstrates transferable skills
What Not to Include in a CV
- Irrelevant work experience that does not support your target role
- Personal opinions or unrelated hobbies
- Salary expectations, unless requested
- References, unless the employer asks for them
- Complicated graphics that make the CV hard to scan
Pro Tips for a Better CV in 2026
- Keep your CV focused and easy to scan
- Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs
- Start bullet points with action verbs like “Led,” “Improved,” or “Achieved”
- Match important keywords from the job description
- Use measurable results whenever possible
- Choose a clean layout that works for both recruiters and ATS software
FAQ: What to Include in a CV
What are the main sections of a CV?
The main CV sections are contact information, professional summary, work experience, skills, and education. Optional sections can include certifications, projects, languages, awards, and volunteer work.
Should I include hobbies in my CV?
Only include hobbies if they are relevant to the job or show useful skills. Otherwise, use the space for stronger professional information.
Do I need a photo on my CV?
In most countries, you do not need a photo. Focus on your skills, experience, and achievements unless the employer or local standard specifically requires one.
Can I include projects instead of experience?
Yes. Projects are especially useful for students, beginners, freelancers, and career changers who may not have much traditional work experience.
Final Thought
A great CV is not about listing everything. It is about highlighting the information that matters most for the role you want. Keep it clear, relevant, achievement-focused, and easy to read.
If you want to build a clean, professional, and ATS-friendly CV faster, BuddyOI can help you organize your experience and create a stronger job application document with less stress.