Never written a CV and don't know where to start? That's normal: nobody really learns it in school. The good news is that a first CV is always built in the same order, in six steps. This guide gives you that order, what to write at each step and how to make it readable by the software that screens applications.
If you'd rather be guided one question at a time, the Create a CV from scratch tool follows exactly this method: you answer in your own words, and the AI writes the CV from your information, without making anything up.
What a first CV needs to do
A recruiter reads three things first: the job you're targeting, what you can already do, and how to reach you. Your first CV should answer those three questions on one page, with simple section headings.
Before that recruiter even sees it, many companies run applications through screening software (an ATS). This software reads the text of your CV and looks for the words in the posting. It doesn't judge your age or your experience: it needs clear text, in sections it recognises. To understand what it looks at, see how the ATS score works.
Step 1: choose the target job
Start with a single phrase: the job you're looking for. "Sales associate at a sporting goods store", "Work-study sales assistant", "Restaurant server". It becomes the headline of your CV, right under your name.
A CV that targets everything targets nothing. If you're applying for two very different jobs, make two versions. If you have a specific posting, keep it handy: its keywords will help you in steps 3 and 5.
Step 2: your contact details
At the top of the CV, include:
- your first and last name;
- a professional email address (firstname.lastname@…, not a nickname);
- your phone number;
- your city (the full address isn't needed);
- your LinkedIn profile if you have one.
In France, a photo, date of birth and marital status are not required. If you're unsure about the photo, read should you put a photo on your CV. For a CV aimed at another country, the rules change depending on the country (see below).
Step 3: your experience, even if it's small
This is the step where most people get stuck, and they shouldn't. A summer job, babysitting, a ninth-grade work placement, volunteering, helping out in the family business: it all counts, as long as you present it as real experience.
For each one, write down the job title, the organisation, the dates and two to four duties that start with an action verb. Here's an example with the same experience:
- Before: "I worked at Decathlon last summer, I did a bit of everything."
- After: "Sales associate, Decathlon, June to August 2025. Advised customers on hiking gear. Stocked shelves every morning. Ran the register on Saturdays."
No experience at all? Replace the section with "Projects": a group project at school, organising an event, a website you built yourself, a club or nonprofit. Describe what you actually did, just like an experience. Our guide to the CV with no experience explains how to showcase these projects.
Step 4: your education
List your degrees from most recent to oldest, with the school and dates. A degree in progress is written simply: "BTS NDRC (two-year vocational sales degree), in progress (expected June 2027)".
When you're starting out, education carries a lot of weight. If a course, a thesis or a school project relates directly to the target job, add it in one line under the degree.
Step 5: skills and languages
List the skills you have truly mastered: know-how (customer service, handling payments, inventory management), software (Excel, Canva, point-of-sale software) and a few professional qualities related to the job.
Reuse the exact words of the posting when they match what you can do. That's what screening software compares first. Our article on CV keywords explains how to spot them.
For languages, use the European levels (from A1 for beginner to C2 for fluent), for example "English B1". It's clearer than "basic knowledge" or "good level".
Step 6: the summary, in two sentences
The summary goes under the headline and sums up who you are and what you're looking for. Two sentences are enough, with no "I" and no empty phrases:
"BTS NDRC student with first sales experience at Decathlon. Seeking a work-study position in sales starting in September."
Write it last: once everything else is filled in, you know what to highlight.
Formatting that gets past screening software
A good-looking CV that can't be read is useless. For a first CV, stick to:
- a single column, with no tables or text boxes;
- standard section headings: Profile, Work Experience, Education, Skills;
- a PDF that contains real text (not an image or a scan);
- a single page.
CVs made in Canva are often exported as images: the software can't read anything in them. See Canva CVs and ATS and PDF or Word for a CV. Free ATS-readable CV templates are available.
Applying abroad?
The rules change from one country to another. In the United States, no photo or age, one page in English focused on results: see the American CV. In Canada, the same habits apply, in English, or in French for Quebec: see the Canadian CV. In Germany, on the other hand, a photo is common. Start from a clean French CV, then adapt it to the target country.
The most common mistakes on a first CV
- A silly email address or a missing phone number.
- A two-page CV padded out to look fuller.
- First-person sentences ("I did", "I'm motivated").
- Made-up or exaggerated skills that fall apart in the interview.
- The same CV for every job, without the words of the posting.
- An image PDF or a two-column layout.
For the full list, see the CV mistakes that block ATS.
Write your first CV in a few minutes with CVpass
Create a CV from scratch turns these six steps into simple questions: the target job, the country you're applying in, your experience (or your projects if you don't have any), your education, your skills (with suggestions based on the job, which you check or leave unchecked) and your interests.
The AI then turns your answers into a one-page CV that screening software can read. It rephrases, but it doesn't add any company, degree or number you didn't provide. The CV opens in the editor: you review it, choose a template and a colour, and then you can compare it to a job posting.
The first draft is free and shows you the result as a preview. The full text, the rewrites and the PDF without a watermark are included in Pro, Premium or the 3-month Pass. Already have a CV? Analyse it instead to fix it.
FAQ
How many pages for a first CV?
One. Without long experience, a second page looks like filler. Recruiters and screening software go straight to the point.
What do you put on a CV when you've never worked?
Your projects (school, clubs, personal projects), your internships even if short, your education in detail and your real skills. Present each project like an experience: what you did, with action verbs.
Should your first CV have a photo?
In France, it's optional. If you include one, choose a simple, recent photo. For the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom, don't include a photo.
How do you list a degree in progress?
Write the name of the degree followed by "in progress" and the expected completion date, for example "Law degree, in progress (expected June 2027)".
What format should you send your CV in?
A PDF that contains real text, unless the posting asks for another format. Check that you can select the text in the PDF: if you can't, it's an image and screening software won't read it.
Can a tool write my CV for me?
Yes, as long as it starts from your real information and you review the result. On CVpass, the AI rephrases your answers without making anything up, and you stay in control of every line in the editor.