Layout the curriculum vitae

What kind of formatting should be used when sending a CV? How to lay out the curriculum in a way that is easily readable, both by the human eye and by ATS software, and that it is easy to understand? To attract attention, you have to pay attention to the editing of the CV, i.e. fonts, titles, texts, colors and everything else that contributes to improving the final document. In this guide, we tell you how to the best layout your CV.

What is meant by the layout of a CV?

The layout of a CV means the actual formatting, the one that follows the writing of the contents and that very often it is overlooked thinking that the form does not count when the content itself. In truth, the layout counts if not more than the contents at least as much as these: in fact, since those who deal with personnel selection constantly receive curricula, the filter to find the best candidates passes not only from what the document contains but also from how it presents itself. Taking care of the form of the curriculum vitae means trying to present yourself in the best possible way and making sure that the graphics are functional to the optimal presentation of information. It is therefore a fundamental step when looking for a job.

Why lay out a CV

Layout and care of the graphic and visual part of the curriculum vitae correctly has undoubted advantages, including:

• Shows the ability to know how to structure information: a well structured CV highlights the candidate’s ability to know how to organize himself and to be able to highlight the most important information. A skill that can also be useful at work, and not just for jobs that require analysis;
• It allows you to highlight the most important information: knowing how to lay out a complex document such as a curriculum vitae means knowing how to give importance to the elements that a recruiter presumably wants to find in the document. Highlighting the keywords related to the job offer that fit well with your experience means giving recruiters a clear and readable tool for evaluation;
• It makes reading the CV pleasant: a tidy CV is pleasant to read, regardless of the amount of information present.

The golden rules for designing your CV successfully

To do in order to get the maximum benefits from the CV, here are the things to do once written and in the layout stage:

• Review and shorten where possible: after the first draft, reviewing the CV and shortening it is essential to make it airy and easy to read. Once revised and shortened, adding line breaks, spaces, punctuation helps reinforce the concept of “spaciousness” and makes the document much more coherent and complete;
• Choose the right font: the font used in the CV greatly influences its visual appearance and its usability. For this reason, when you switch to the layout it is good to consider what type of font to use and also its size: always putting yourself in the shoes of the reader is essential to identify the perfect font, not too big and not too small;
• Structuring the various sections: giving meaning to information using headings, bolds, italics and whatever else necessary to draw attention to one element rather than another is essential to create a structure consistent and easy to read;
• Use graphics if necessary: to show your skills in a certain sector or to make the whole document more appealing, you can add some graphic elements as long as it does not weigh down the reading and is functional to the position you are applying for.

Recapitulating

• Properly lay out a curriculum vitae is essential to impress recruiters;
• Structuring information into blocks and titles is needed to create an easy-to-read document;
• Don’t overdo it with colors, creativity and superfluous elements to avoid having the opposite effect.