What are the rules of a good CV in 2026?
In short: a clear CV that can be read in 6 seconds, with numbers, targeted at the job you want and readable by recruiting software. Here are the 5 principles to apply.
- Clarity > creativity. A CV should be readable in 6 seconds. No original design that wastes the reader's time.
- Impact > description. Don't say what you did, say what you changed (numbers, results).
- Targeting > completeness. A specific CV for each type of job you're after, not one generic CV.
- Machine readability. ATS filter before humans do; the layout has to work for both.
- Honesty. Never lie. But choose your words. A student project becomes “led a 6-month project in a team of 4”.
Ideal length: 1, 2 or 3 pages?
| Profile | Length | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 0-5 years of experience | 1 page | Not enough material to justify 2 |
| 5-15 years of experience | 1-2 pages | Focus on recent, relevant experience |
| 15+ years, manager/executive | 2 pages | Track record, achievements, internal references |
| Academic research | 3-6 pages | Publications, conferences, teaching |
Three pages for a non-academic CV is almost always a bad idea. Recruiters usually make up their minds on the first page.
Format, font, size, margins
Font: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica or Geist. 10-12 pt for body text, 14-18 pt for headings, 18-24 pt for your name.
Margins: 1.5 cm to 2 cm on each side. Leave breathing room without wasting space.
Line spacing: 1.15 or 1.2. Never 1.5 (too loose) or 1.0 (cramped).
Colours: 1 accent colour max (green, dark blue, black). No rainbow.
File: .docx or text-based PDF. Never .pages or a scanned PDF.
The CV title (the golden rule)
Under your name, a single, precise line. It's the most-read and most decisive line on the page.
| Avoid | Do |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Vitae | Digital Project Manager, 6 years of experience |
| Unsolicited application | Full-Stack Developer, JavaScript / React |
| Looking for a challenge | General Accountant, IFRS / SAP |
| Motivated professional | B2B SaaS Marketing Manager |
Header and contact details
- First and last name: large (22-28 pt)
- Target job title: under your name, 14-16 pt
- Professional email: firstname.lastname@gmail.com (or your own domain)
- Phone: French mobile number (format 06 12 34 56 78)
- City: just the city (or département if relevant). Not your full address
- LinkedIn: custom URL (linkedin.com/in/firstname-lastname)
- Portfolio / GitHub: if relevant to your field
Leave out: date of birth, nationality, marital status, an outdated ID photo, full address. All of these introduce bias and serve no purpose.
The 3-line summary that makes the difference
Right below the header, before your experience. Three lines that answer: who I am, what I do best, what I'm looking for.
Template: [Job title] with [X years] of experience in [field]. Specialised in [differentiating skill]. Looking for [type of role] at [type of company].
Good example: Backend Python/Django developer with 7 years of experience in B2B SaaS. Specialised in microservices architecture and performance optimisation (APIs at 10k req/sec). Looking for a tech lead role at a Series B/C scale-up.
Bad example: Dynamic and passionate young professional with a keen eye for detail and strong adaptability, seeking a new opportunity in a stimulating environment. (Zero useful information.)
Experience section: the ACQR method
Each position is built from 4 elements: Action + Context + Quantification + Result.
Action: an action verb in the past tense (“Led”, “Developed”, “Launched”). Context: what, and at what scope. Quantification: numbers, percentages, durations. Result: measurable impact.
Example: “Led (A) the redesign of the e-commerce checkout flow (C) over 8 months with a team of 5 developers (Q), conversion rate +22%, average order value +€14 (R).”
3 to 5 bullet points per position. More than 5 and you dilute your message. Fewer than 3 and your experience looks thin.
In practice
See what score your CV gets with an ATS
Score out of 100, strengths, weaknesses and AI rewrites of your bullet points. 1 full scan free, no credit card required.
Scan my CV for free →Quantify every position (concrete examples)
Many of the CVs analysed by CVpass contain no numbers at all. It's one of the most common mistakes, and the easiest to fix.
| Role | Type of number to add |
|---|---|
| Sales | Revenue generated, number of clients, closing rate, pipeline |
| Marketing | Budget managed, leads generated, conversion rate, cost per acquisition |
| Dev / tech | Application traffic, performance (req/sec), team size, infrastructure budget |
| HR | Number of hires, average time to hire, turnover, headcount managed |
| Finance | Budget, revenue, savings achieved, size of the accounting scope |
| Project | Budget, team, duration, deliverables, ROI |
| Customer support | Tickets handled, customer satisfaction (NPS, CSAT), resolution time |
How to present your education on a CV
In short: from your most recent degree to the oldest, with the degree title, institution, city and year. Put it before your experience if you're a recent graduate.
Reverse chronological order. For each entry: degree title, institution, city, year (or date range).
Mention honors, specialisation or thesis only if they're relevant to the job. “Master's in Finance, Université Paris Dauphine, 2022” is enough in most cases.
For recent graduates: education can go before experience if your studies are more impressive than your internships.
With 10+ years of experience: education moves to the end of the CV, 2-3 lines.
Skills section: tools vs soft skills
Split it into two clear subsections:
Technical skills (tools): Excel, SAP, Salesforce, Python, Figma, SEMrush, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Power BI, Jira… The more relevant tools you list, the more job postings you match.
Methodologies: Agile/Scrum, OKR, Lean, Six Sigma, Design Thinking, SMART goals. Concrete and verifiable.
Soft skills: include them only if they set you apart and can be verified. “Public speaking (50+ conferences)” beats “Good communicator”. Otherwise, leave them out.
Languages and certifications
Standard format: Language, CEFR level (context).
- French, Native
- English, C1 (fluent professional, international environment)
- Spanish, B2 (client communication)
- Italian, A2 (basic)
Certifications worth mentioning if recent (under 3 years) and relevant: TOEIC (score), IELTS, PMP, Scrum Master, AWS Certified, Google Ads, HubSpot Inbound…
Design: minimalism that performs
In 2026, the trend is toward clean, readable CVs with no frills. Colourful, heavily designed Canva CVs are losing ground (and they trip up ATS).
The 3 designs that perform:
- Classic Word: one column, bold headings, subtle dividers. The safest option for ATS.
- Google Docs “Modern” template: understated, professional, exportable to .docx.
- LaTeX (for tech/science): moderntex, awesome-cv. Very clean, very readable.
Should you put a photo on your CV?
In short: in France it's optional and increasingly left out. In the US, UK and Canada, never. In Germany, it's often expected.
Applying in France: your call. Without a photo, you avoid bias. With one, you reassure some traditional recruiters. 2026 trend: no photo.
Applying in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia: never include a photo. Anti-discrimination laws effectively rule it out.
Applying in Germany or German-speaking Switzerland: often expected.
If you do include a photo: a recent one (under 3 years old), neutral background, professional attire, a measured smile. No selfies or vacation shots.
Handling gaps in your CV
Gaps are no longer taboo in 2026. But they need a one-line explanation.
Sample wording:
- 2023-2024, Parental leave
- 2022-2023, Career change (RNCP-certified web development training)
- 2021, Break for personal reasons, returned to work
- 2020-2021, Trip around the world (personal project documented on a blog, 15k followers)
- 2019, Burnout, gradual return with medical support
What bothers recruiters isn't the gap, it's the silence. One clear line defuses the issue.
More info: Career-change CVs and ATS.
Tailor your CV to every job posting (15 min max)
- Minutes 1-5: read the job posting, highlight 8-10 keywords (tools, methods, skills)
- Minutes 5-10: change your CV title, work the keywords into your summary and existing experience
- Minutes 10-13: reorder your positions if needed (put the most relevant one where it's seen first)
- Minutes 13-15: proofread, save as “Lastname-Firstname-CV-Job.pdf”
5 tailored CVs beat 30 generic ones. Tools like CVpass do this tailoring automatically by comparing your CV with the job posting.
Examples by profile (recent graduate, manager, career change)
Recent graduate: education at the top (before experience), detailed internships, student projects highlighted, technical skills listed. Length: 1 page.
Professional, 5-15 years: experience at the top (reverse chronological), 3-5 bullet points per role, quantified results, education at the end. Length: 1-2 pages.
Career change: reverse chronological order + a “Transition projects” section grouping training, internships and side projects linked to the new field. The summary clearly explains the pivot. Length: 1-2 pages.
Senior executive (15+ years): 4-5 line pitch-style summary, condensed experience (last 10 years in detail, earlier roles listed), major achievements in a highlight box. Length: 2 pages.
See also: How to write a CV with no experience · APEC executive CVs and ATS filters.
The 15 mistakes that sink a CV
- A “Curriculum Vitae” title, or none at all
- A silly email address (cooldude92@hotmail.com)
- A 10-line summary full of “passionate, dynamic, motivated”
- No numbers in your experience
- Bare infinitive verbs (“manage, develop”) instead of the past tense
- Spelling mistakes (always run a spell checker)
- Date of birth and marital status
- An outdated or inappropriate photo
- More than 2 pages (except academic CVs)
- Columns and icons that break ATS
- Generic hobbies (“reading, travel, movies”)
- Vague skills with no numbers (“good communicator”)
- A CV title that doesn't match the job posting
- Cluttered design (multicolor Canva)
- Wrong file format (.pages, image PDF)
Frequently asked questions
Should a CV be 1 or 2 pages in 2026?
One page if you have less than 5 years of experience. Two pages maximum beyond that. Never three, except in academic research (scientific CV) or for some senior executives with 20+ years of career. In France, the 2026 norm is clearly 1 page for most candidates.
What font should I use on a CV?
Arial, Calibri, Helvetica or Geist. 10-12 pt for body text, 14-18 pt for headings. Unusual fonts (Comic Sans, Times New Roman, fancy serifs) should be avoided: hard to read on screen and penalised by ATS.
How do I write a good CV summary?
Three lines maximum. Structure: years of experience + field + 2-3 key skills + goal. Example: 'Full-Stack Developer with 5 years of experience (React, Node.js, AWS). Specialised in high-traffic e-commerce applications. Looking for a tech lead role at a B2B scale-up.' No 'passionate', no 'dynamic', no 'rigorous'.
Should I put hobbies on my CV?
Only if they're relevant or remarkable. 'Reading, travel, movies' adds nothing and drags your CV down. 'Marathon (3:42), film photography exhibited at Gallery X, tech podcast with 10k listeners' says a lot more. If it's generic, cut it.
How do I handle a gap in my CV?
Don't hide it, it shows anyway (dates don't lie). Add one line: 'Year, Break for personal reasons / Career change / Parental leave, returned to work'. What bothers recruiters isn't the gap, it's the silence. One line of explanation is enough, not a paragraph.
Should I put my date of birth on my CV?
No. It isn't required in France and is actually discouraged to avoid age bias. Just give your city (no street or number) and your professional contact details (email, phone, LinkedIn).