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Steps to create a 10/10 CV
As a fintech software engineer in London
Suprise: keep it BASIC
Stop over complicating it
1) General Principles
Keep your CV to one page.
If struggling for space remove
personal statement.
Make it easy for recruiters.
Basic design please.
You don't need references.
Don't Include:
No colour
No pictures
No fancy layout
They don't care
Include:
Name
City only
Email
Number
LinkedIn
It should look like this
Bonus tip
Your CV should speak the same
language as the role.
Identify keywords in the job ad
Weave those words into your
skills + experience
Prioritise bullet points that
match key responsibilities
This helps both recruiters + ATS
screening tools
Please don't title it CV or curriculum vitae
2) Education & Qualifications
If you're a recent graduate: put
near top.
Otherwise: list after work
experience.
Include:
Institution, dates, degree
Include grade if 1st
1-2 bullet points about relevant
modules or skills
Pick modules you're happy to
speak about in an interview
OR
modules aligned with the role
Important: your cv is an
icebreaker, anything you include
they WILL ask you about
3) Employment History
Most recent first (reverse chronological).
If lacking experience: include part-time jobs (e.g., retail) shows
skills + work ethic.
Bullet point structure:
Action verb + task/responsibility +
impact/result (if possible)
Avoid internal jargon.
Example:
"Reduced reconciliation time by
30% by automating reporting
templates in Excel."
ROLE TITLE — Company | Location
Month YYYY – Month YYYY
4) Other Sections
Technical skills
(E.g., Excel, Rider, Git)
List relevant tools and software.
Extra courses
Shows interest + initiative.
Helpful for interviews.
Languages
If applicable.
Interests
Optional; can be an icebreaker (be
specific).
Good if struggling to fill space.
5) Formatting
Keep consistent:
Font
Spacing
Alignment (justify text)
No spelling or grammar
mistakes, proofread - use
grammerly
USE LATEX