What Makes a Good CV? How to Make Your CV Stand Out in 2026
The qualities every good CV shares, good versus bad examples, and practical ways to make yours stand out, even without experience.
Alexander Phillip
Career Coach and Recruitment Expert
Short answer: a good CV is relevant, clear and true. It is aimed at the job you are applying for, easy to scan in one column, shows what you did (not just your duties), and every line can be backed up in an interview. Standing out comes from fit and specifics, not from design.
What makes a good CV?
- It is aimed at the job. The summary and first bullets match the advert.
- It is easy to scan. Standard headings, one column, bullet points, white space.
- It shows what you did. Verbs and specifics instead of "responsible for".
- It is true. Titles, dates and results you can explain.
- It is complete. Contact details, dates for every role, education and skills.
- It is error-free. No spelling mistakes in names, places or headings.
- It reads well for software. Plain text that applicant tracking systems can read.
Good CV vs bad CV: examples
| Bad | Good |
|---|---|
| "Hardworking team player seeking a challenging role." | "Sales assistant with retail experience in electronics, confident explaining products and handling payments. Looking for a senior sales role." |
| "Responsible for stock." | "Counted incoming stock against delivery notes and reported shortages to the manager." |
| "Skills: Microsoft, communication, leadership, teamwork, honest, punctual." | "Skills: Microsoft Excel (stock sheets), point-of-sale systems, customer complaints, English and French." |
| Three fonts, two columns, a skills chart. | One font, one column, standard headings. |
How to make your CV stand out
- Lead with your best match. The top third of page one should answer "why this person for this job?"
- Be specific. Name the tools, systems, products or customers you worked with.
- Show progression. A promotion or extra responsibility says a lot.
- Add results you know. If you have a real number, use it. If not, describe the outcome.
- Cut the filler. Every line should help with this job.
How to make your CV stand out without experience
Show initiative: projects, attachments, volunteering, short courses, leadership in school or the community. Describe them like jobs. See how to write a CV with no experience and how to put an internship on your CV.
How to make your CV stand out to AI screening
Clear structure and honest, relevant wording matter more than ever when software summarises your CV. Use the job's terms where true, standard headings and plain text. Our guide to ATS-friendly CVs covers this.
Check yours
Run your CV through the free ATS CV checker and our CV checklist. Want to start over? Pick a CV template or let the AI CV Agent ask the questions and build it with you.
Want a good CV without starting from a blank page? Build your CV with the AI CV Agent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a good CV?
A good CV is aimed at the job, easy to scan, shows what you actually did, is true and complete, free of errors, and readable by applicant tracking software.
How can I make my CV stand out?
Put your strongest match with the job in the top third, be specific about tools and tasks, show progression, include results you can prove, and cut anything irrelevant.
What is the difference between a good CV and a bad CV?
A bad CV is general, vague and hard to read. A good CV is aimed at one job, uses clear specific bullet points, and has a clean one-column layout.
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