Your ultimate guide to writing the perfect CV…from first job to second-act role – get hired at ANY stage of your career

HUNTING for a job can feel like Squid Games. You’re battling against hundreds of other applicants, there are endless interview rounds, and the stakes feel high. The key to beating the crowd and getting hired is a standout CV… and there’s a formula to writing one that shines. Top career and recruitment experts reveal the recipe for success in getting hired for every stage of your career… from your first job to your last. Looking for a new job? Use our top experts’ tips to write a sparkling CV that will stand out from the crowd Credit: Getty The jobs market is brutal right now, but top careers experts explain how to beat the doom and gloom and get hired Credit: Getty The number of job vacancies plummeted to 707,000 in the three months to May – the lowest since April 2021. At the same time, the unemployment rate remains high at 4.9 per cent overall – but 16.4 per cent for people aged 16 – 24, the highest since 2014. When there are fewer job vacancies and a high number of people unemployed, competition for roles becomes fierce. That means you’ll need to use every trick in the book to outshine the crowd, and luckily our top experts have the tips to help you do this. Between them, our experts have DECADES of experience helping clients get their dream jobs. So dust off your CV and get tweaking – a role made for you could be just around the corner. If you’re an apprentice or applying for your first job… Calypso Rose, co-founder of Offscript Generation, says not to rely on AI to write your CV Credit: Supplied A weak jobs market is hitting young people hard. More than one million young Brits aged 16 to 24 don’t have a job, aren’t in school, or aren’t in training. That means you could be one of THOUSANDS going for the same role, and hiring managers will need to use the tech to whittle down numbers. Of course that can be a worry for job seekers of any age, but it can be particularly challenging for first jobbers going for popular apprenticeships and graduate jobs – especially as more entry-level roles are wiped out by Artificial Intelligence. One of the biggest challenges for first-jobbers will be getting your CV through an AI filter. So the trick is to tailor your CV for each role you apply for. “Use the same words as the job advert,” says Calypso Rose, co-founder of Offscript Generation, which runs careers events for young people. “If it asks for ‘customer service’, write ‘customer service’. “Keep the layout simple. Use clear headings and avoid logos, complicated columns and text boxes,” says Calypso. Don’t worry if you don’t have much work experience. Instead focus on what you’ve done at school, university or in your spare time. “Helping at home, playing sport, organising a school event, volunteering, looking after siblings, selling something online, making videos or building a website all count,” she adds. But don’t just list them, explain what you achieved specifically in relation to those experiences. “‘Helped with the school paper’ is vague. ‘Persuaded the local printer to print it for free’ is much better,” Calypso says. Don’t use AI to write your whole CV for you – your CV will just end up in the bin. To stand out, it must sound like it’s written by you. Only use AI to help you compare your CV against the job description, spot missing skills the role requires, and to research the company. If you’re going for a promotion… Katy Fridman, founder of Flexible Working People, says you need to prove you’re ALREADY doing the job you want Credit: Supplied Lots of people who are applying for a promotion will already have the skills to do the job. That means your CV needs to show that you’re doing the job already, says Katy Fridman, founder of Flexible Working People. Think about what will make you stand out. “If you have taken on extra responsibility, led projects, mentored colleagues, trained new starters or become the person people go to for advice, your CV should prove it,” she says. And if it’s a management role, employers won’t just want someone good at their job. “They’re looking for someone people will want to work for. Have you built strong relationships across the business, solved a problem or improved the way something is done?” Katy says. These are all things that show you are trusted, commercially-minded and ready for the next step, so make sure your CV shines a light on them. Don’t try and impress the boss by using flowery, technical language. Clearly explain the extra work you have taken on, and how it’s helped the business. If you’re returning after a career break… Hazel Little, CEO at Career Returners, provides tips to write a ‘comeback’ CV Credit: Supplied Left your job to have a baby or look after a sick relative? It can be daunting trying to find a new role after a big life change. Around 90,000 people take a career break just like this every year, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development A gap in your CV shouldn’t be a problem, says Hazel Little, CEO at Career Returners. The key is to write a ‘comeback CV’ – one that is perfect for your return to work – that includes any new skills you’ve gained from your time off, like launching a side hustle. “Include the dates of your break along with a brief description, if you feel comfortable doing so – a few words are sufficient, for example, a parental career break,” says Hazel. Make your CV as relevant to the role as possible, with experience most suited to the job description at the top. Hazel says: “An employer will quickly scan your CV and if it doesn’t hold their attention in terms of relevance, they will quickly reject you. “Your CV should look current and position you for the role you want today. Details such as date of birth and photographs are no longer used in today’s market and immediately make your CV dated.” If you want a mid-life career swap… If you’re hunting for a new career in your 40s or 50s, here’s how to write a winning CV Credit: Getty Lots of us will reach a point in our lives where we want to do something different. You might feel burnt out, bored, want more pay, or a more fulfilling job. In fact, a third of workers want to switch careers, according to a survey by financial advisors St James’s Place. This is particularly common for those in their 40s and 50s, who still have a while left in the workplace before they retire. Katy Fridman, founder of Flexible Working People, which is a group to help workers secure flexible working opportunities, says the key to moving into a new industry is to convince a new employer in your CV that the skills YOU have are exactly what they need. “For example, if you’re moving from retail into HR, don’t just write that you worked on the shop floor or served customers,” she says. “Think about the skills you’ve built that will be relevant for the HR role… “Have you interviewed or trained new starters, dealt with staff issues, managed rotas or handled difficult conversations? Those are all valuable HR skills. “Your CV should help employers see how your experience transfers to your new career.” What help is available to help me retrain? WANT to switch careers but can't afford to retrain? Luckily there's help out there. You can get an Advanced Learner Loan from your college to help with costs. You will have to pay this back though, and it works like a student loan for those over 19 years old. What you can get isn’t based on income, but the cost of the course. You start paying your loan back when you earn £21,000 or more. You can apply for grants and bursaries to help pay for courses and training – and you usually don’t have to pay this back. For example, you can get an NHS bursary for medicine, dentistry or healthcare, or a social work bursary for social work. Look at what help is available on the gov.uk. See if you can apply to a Skills Bootcamp, which is run by the government. These are free, flexible courses lasting up to 16 weeks. Courses include HGV driving, health and social care, early years, business and administration, and digital skills like data engineering and software. See if there’s a bootcamp running near you here. If you’re unemployed, Jobcentre Plus may be able to help provide funding or training as part of a return-to-work plan. Ask your local Job Centre Plus centre here. There are charities who may be able to help with a grant that you don’t need to pay back. For example, ABTA Lifeline helps people who worked in the travel industry get back into work with grants to help with the cost of interview clothes, IT, and travel. Some Armed Forces charities offer grants if you are or were serving personnel, such as the Royal British Legion and poppyscotland (for those in Scotland). Find if you could get a charitable grant here. If you’ve been made redundant… Don’t be disheartened if you’ve lost your job – make your experience shine in your CV Credit: Getty Redundancy shouldn’t put new employers off – in fact, it can be an advantage because it means you can start straightaway. But Katy doesn’t think you should say you’ve been made redundant in your CV. “We don’t usually explain why we’ve left previous jobs. We don’t write ‘left because I got paid more’ or ‘left because I didn’t get on with my boss’, so redundancy doesn’t need to be the exception.” “Keep your CV focused on what you accomplished in the role and the value you can bring to your next employer,” she says. “Your experience, your skills and the value you bring haven’t disappeared because a business restructured or cut costs.” It can be especially hard finding a new role if you’ve hit middle age. Government figures show unemployment in the 50 to 64 age bracket rose from 2.4 per cent in 2024 to 3.1 per cent last year. Meanwhile, the average age of someone who becomes undesirable to recruiters is 55, according to research from the not-for-profit Centre for Ageing Better. A good tactic is to “botox” your CV by leaving your date of birth off. Instead of outlining your entire career path, zone in on your most recent relevant experience for the role, which is a great way of disguising your age. “Leave the dates off your school and university education and simply include your qualifications and where you studied,” said Katy. I ‘botoxed’ my CV to appear younger when I lost my £63k-a-year job at 52 AFTER applying for endless jobs and receiving endless rejections, Lidia Peto knew she had to take drastic action. It had been nearly a year since the mum of one, 52, had lost her £63k a year job in logistics, and she was beginning to suspect it was her age that was stopping her from getting hired. It was time to “botox” her CV to make her appear younger – and she’s one of thousands doing it. ‘Botoxing’ your CV is a way of hiding your age when applying to a job to make you appear more hireable – like erasing your date of birth and only listing your recent job experience. This trend is on the rise. Up to 44 per cent of workers aged 45 plus have altered their age on CVs to combat ageism according to 55/Redefined, a firm that encourages companies to employ older workers. Lidia, who lives with her 22-year-old daughter near Woking, Surrey, had been helping to run a logistics department for a high-end London firm for over a year. After the company made job cuts, Lidia had to leave the business. Struggling to make ends meet, she had to apply for Universal Credit in August last year. Her take home pay was £3,780 a month – but she was scraping by on £600 a month from her benefit payments. With her glittering CV filled with years of experience, she assumed she’d easily find another role. But after months of applying for jobs, including roles advertising salaries £20,000 lower than what she earnt in her previous job, she STILL hadn’t been hired. Lidia began to suspect it was her age preventing her from being hired. “I’ve been ghosted,” she says. “Agents will chat on the phone and say you are a great fit, but you never hear back. “On occasion, I thought ‘I’ve finally done it’ but then the opportunity would disappear. I think most employers want someone cheaper – and younger.” Lidia began to leave off her date of birth and only included details of the past four years’ worth of job experience to make her age less obvious. Earlier in her career, she had taken a nine-year break to care for her daughter, during which she decided to train as a yoga teacher and personal trainer. These skills were perfect launching into a new career in the fitness industry. She decided to pick up small fitness teaching jobs to help her pay the bills, earning about £100 a month. Surprisingly, Lidia felt like the industry was less bothered about her age than other sectors. Her hard work has paid off – with her botox-ed CV at hand as well, she’s finally been offered a job as a personal trainer at her local gym. “I’ve had a massive confidence boost,” she says. “The pay isn’t ideal but it’s a great opportunity and it is far better than trying to survive on benefits. “At least I’ll have an income and I’ll work hard to find new clients.” Read her full story here.