CV guides by job
What goes on a CV depends on the job as much as the country: a nurse leads with registration, an electrician with licences and tickets, a designer with a portfolio, a researcher with publications. Pick your field for the sections, order and checks that employers in it look for.
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| Field | Lead with | Job titles |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine (doctors) | Put your medical registration and licence number near the top. | 39 |
| Nursing & midwifery | Lead with your registration (e.g. NMC PIN, AHPRA number, RN licence) and its status. | 28 |
| Dentistry | State registration (e.g. GDC number) and indemnity. | 11 |
| Pharmacy | Lead with registration status and number. | 9 |
| Allied health & therapy | Lead with your professional registration. | 32 |
| Veterinary & animal care | State veterinary registration; list species experience and procedures. | 10 |
| Care & support work | Background checks (e.g. DBS, Working with Children Check, NDIS screening) are often required; list yours and the date. | 23 |
| Childcare & early years | Child-safety screening and paediatric first aid are usually required; list them with dates. | 10 |
| Teaching & education | State teaching registration or qualified status and child-safety checks. | 32 |
| Academia & research | Education comes first; include thesis titles and supervisors. | 33 |
| Science & laboratory | List techniques, instruments and software (e.g. HPLC, PCR, flow cytometry, LIMS). | 31 |
| Software & IT | Group technical skills (languages, frameworks, cloud, tools) at the top for quick scanning. | 50 |
| Engineering | State chartered or licensed status (CEng, PE, P.Eng, CPEng) or progress towards it. | 39 |
| Architecture, construction & property | List projects with type, value, size, stage (RIBA / AIA phases) and your role. | 27 |
| Skilled trades | Put licences, trade certificates and safety cards first (e.g. Red Seal, journeyman, CSCS, White Card). | 56 |
| Automotive & mechanical repair | List vehicle types, brands and diagnostic tools. | 18 |
| Manufacturing & production | Name machines, processes and quality systems (CNC, lean, Six Sigma, ISO 9001). | 43 |
| Transport, logistics & supply chain | State licence classes and endorsements (e.g. CDL, C+E, HR/HC, Class 1, Code 95 / CPC, ADR / HazMat). | 38 |
| Aviation & maritime | Licences, type ratings and medical class go first, with expiry dates. | 25 |
| Hospitality, food & tourism | Food hygiene, allergen and responsible-service-of-alcohol certificates are valued. | 40 |
| Retail & customer service | Show sales figures, targets met, customer satisfaction scores and stock responsibilities. | 26 |
| Sales & business development | Numbers first: quota, attainment %, revenue, deal size, pipeline, rankings. | 22 |
| Marketing, media & communications | Show campaign results: reach, conversion, CAC, ROAS, follower growth. | 41 |
| Design & creative | The portfolio does the selling: link it prominently. | 38 |
| Performing arts | Acting CVs are one page, with credits by medium (film, TV, theatre) and a headshot. | 17 |
| Finance, accounting & banking | State professional qualifications and licences (CPA, ACCA, CA, CFA, FRM; FINRA or FCA registrations). | 43 |
| Business, management & consulting | Lead each role with outcomes: revenue, cost, headcount, delivery against plan. | 36 |
| Executive & board | Open with a 3–4 line executive summary of scale: P&L, headcount, geographies. | 17 |
| Human resources & recruitment | Show scale: employees supported, hires per year, time-to-hire, retention. | 19 |
| Administration & office support | List software precisely (Microsoft 365 / Excel level, Google Workspace, CRM, ERP) and typing speed if relevant. | 27 |
| Law & legal services | State admissions (jurisdiction, year) and practising status first. | 23 |
| Government, public sector & NGOs | Public-sector applications are often competency-based: show examples that match each criterion. | 33 |
| Social work & community | State registration (e.g. Social Work England, SWRB, state LCSW) and background checks. | 21 |
| Police, defence, security & emergency | State licences (e.g. SIA, guard card), clearance level and first-aid certificates. | 25 |
| Agriculture, environment & outdoor | List machinery, livestock or crops, and certificates (pesticide application, chainsaw, ATV). | 33 |
| Beauty, wellness & sport | State licences and insurance where required (cosmetology licence, fitness registration). | 25 |
| Cleaning, facilities & domestic | Short and clear: reliability, sites cleaned, equipment and chemicals (COSHH) training. | 19 |
| Students, graduates & first jobs | Education first: grades, relevant modules, dissertation or capstone. | 11 |
| Other / general | Not sure which field fits? This general format works for most jobs. | – |
Guidance checked October 2026. General information for most employers, not legal or immigration advice. A job advert’s own instructions always come first. CV Atlas is not affiliated with any regulator or professional body named.