Guide

What to Include in a CV: Section by Section

A CV has six required sections and a number of optional ones depending on what you have to show. There are also things you should never include, regardless of what you have seen on international templates or old advice.

Required sections


Contact details

Name, city, phone number, email address. Add LinkedIn if your profile is up to date. Add a website or portfolio if relevant to the role.


Personal profile

3-5 sentences in the first person. Say what you do, how long you have been doing it, and what you are looking for. Tailor the profile for each application. It is the first section the recruiter reads and the one that determines whether they read on.


Work experience

Reverse chronological order. Current or most recent role first. Job title, employer, dates, and 2-4 bullet points about what you actually achieved. Do not skip this section. If you have no formal work experience, see our guide on CV with no experience.


Education

Reverse chronological order. Program or degree, institution, year of completion. If you are a recent graduate or student, place education high up, directly after the personal profile. You can also include your GPA if it is 3.5 or above, and any honors or relevant coursework if they are directly tied to the role.


Skills

Technical knowledge, software, and tools you are proficient in. Categorize if you have many. Be honest about your level.


Languages

All languages you can communicate in, with a level: native, fluent, advanced, basic. Always list your strongest languages.

Optional sections


Internships

Include if the internship is relevant to the role you are applying for. Write it the same way you would write a job.


Projects

Personal projects, open source contributions, freelance work. Particularly valuable in IT, design, and creative fields.


Certifications and courses

Formal certifications with the issuing organization and year. Relevant online courses if they are from well-known platforms and genuinely relevant.


Volunteer work and positions of responsibility

Particularly valuable if you lack formal work experience or if the involvement is directly relevant to the role.


Driver's license

Include if relevant or requested in the job listing. Specify the category (e.g. Category B).


Interests

Only include if genuinely relevant to the role or industry, or if they say something specific about you as a person. "Enjoys reading and exercise" is too generic to add value.

What to never include


National ID or date of birth

Remove it. It does not belong in a CV and employers should not have that information at this stage.


Photo (in most cases)

Not standard in most professional markets. Many large employers actively prefer CVs without photos. Leave it out unless specifically asked.


Marital status or nationality

Irrelevant - employers are not supposed to factor this in. Do not include it.


Salary expectations

That belongs in a negotiation, not in a CV.

Full address: Write your city, not your street address. You do not need to give your exact location in a CV.

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Written by Taeha, founder of Beom CV. Last updated 3 April 2026.