What is a CV (Curriculum Vitae)?

CV (short for Curriculum Vitae) is the Latin word for “course of life.” In a nutshell, a CV is a summary of who you are as a professional, including your work history, education, and skills. Done right, a CV is supposed to “sell you” to potential employers and land you a job.

#2. What’s the Difference Between a CV and a Resume?

Technically speaking, a CV and a resume are the same exact document, the only difference being that Americans call it a “resume,” whereas Europeans (and most other countries) call it a CV. Here’s the catch, though. A European CV can be between one and three pages long, depending on your career level and work experience. A US resume, on the other hand, should (optimally) not be longer than one page (or two pages maximum, if you’re a seasoned professional with a lot of work experience to show for it). For more on the CV vs Resume topic, check out our article.

There’s a lot that goes into writing an attention-grabbing CV , so you’re better off reading our comprehensive guide to improve your chances of getting hired. That said, here are some effective tips to get you started: Pick a Templates for Cover Letter that works for you and suits your industry. Get the CV layout right by keeping your section headings consistent, leaving enough white space around the margins, and using a professional font. Add all the must-have contact details (e.g. name, job title, phone number, and email), as well as other relevant contact details, such as your LinkedIn profile. Include a concise CV summary that highlights your top achievements to grab the hiring manager’s attention from the get-go. Show off your work experience by including as many quantifiable achievements as possible. Keep your education section short and to the point by only mentioning your highest degree. List each and every soft and hard skill you have that is relevant to the job. Include optional CV sections, such as certificates and awards, languages, personal projects, or hobbies and interests. Follow the tips in our CV builder to help you polish your CV.

What to Include in a CV?

Some of the essential sections to include in your CV are: Contact Information - This is where you include all your contact details, such as your phone number, email, name, title, and relevant social profiles (e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.). Resume Summary (or Resume Objective ) - A three-four sentence summary of your experiences, key skills, and top achievements that is positioned at the top of your resume. Work Experience - All your relevant job positions, starting from your current or most recent job and going backward in time from there. The work experience section is also where you list your achievements and/or responsibilities for each role. Skills - A list of any hard and soft skills you possess that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Education - This section should mirror your education history. If you’re not a recent graduate with little-to-no work experience, you should keep it short by only including your highest and most recent degree. Optional section - Anything else that may improve your chances of getting hired, such as your awards, certificates, personal projects, internships, foreign languages you speak, etc.

How to Make a CV With No Experience?

If you’re a recent college graduate applying for an entry-level position, you likely have little-to-no work experience to add to your CV - and that’s totally OK. The hiring manager won’t expect you to have much work experience anyway. There are other things you can add to your CV to stand out from other applicants, such as: Academic achievements Completed internships Volunteering experience Personal projects Hobbies and interests

How Long Should a CV Be?

For most jobs, a CV can be between one and three pages. That said, we always recommend keeping your CV short and to the point (i.e. one page long). The more concise you make your CV, the more likely it is for the hiring manager to read it from start to finish. If you’re based in the US, though, and you’re applying for a job or admission in academia, your CV can be as long as it needs to reflect your lengthy academic career (i.e. eight pages or more).

Templates for Cover Letter

/ For any level of experience

Pick your perfect Cover Letter Template

A well-crafted cover letter enhances any application by effectively showcasing skills and experience. Aspire’s professionally structured Cover Letter is designed to capture recruiters' attention, it helps candidates stand out in a competitive job market and increases their chances of securing opportunities.

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Premium

Innovator

Most preferred

1/16

Make a lasting impression with a bold, modern cover letter that highlights your skills and personality, ensuring you stand out to recruiters.

Free

Simple

2/16

Craft a clean and professional cover letter in just minutes, ensuring a polished and impactful first impression.

Premium

Expertise-Driven

3/16

Highlight your expertise with a well-crafted cover letter that showcases your specialized skills and demonstrates your ability to excel in any field or industry.

Premium

Early Professionals

4/16

A well-structured and professional cover letter—perfect for early professionals aiming to make a strong and lasting first impression.

Premium

Hybrid-Style

5/16

This cover letter aligns with the resume, combining functional and reverse-chronological formats to highlight key skills and professional experience effectively.

Premium

Well-Rounded

6/16

A well-structured cover letter that highlights both skills and professional experience equally, ensuring a balanced and compelling presentation to potential employers.

Premium

All-Rounder

7/16

Customize this adaptable cover letter to highlight your unique skills and personality. Showcase your strengths, experiences, and accomplishments to make a lasting impression.

Premium

Contemporary

8/16

A well-structured and visually appealing cover letter, designed to meet modern hiring standards while effectively highlighting skills and expertise.

Premium

Corporate

9/16

Showcase leadership, strategic vision, and key achievements with a well-crafted cover letter that highlights your executive expertise and measurable impact in senior corporate roles.

Premium

Tech Pro

10/16

Showcase your IT expertise, technical skills, and industry experience with a well-crafted cover letter that complements your CV—ideal for technology-driven roles and careers.

Premium

Classic Style

11/16

A well-structured cover letter with a clear format, professional tone, and engaging content—designed to effectively highlight your skills and expertise across industries.

Premium

Function-Oriented

12/16

A well-structured cover letter designed to emphasize key skills and professional experience gained over the past decade.

Premium

IT Consultant

13/16

Showcase your skills, experience, and accomplishments in a well-structured cover letter that grabs recruiters' attention and strengthens your candidacy in the tech industry.

Premium

Premier Cover Letter

14/16

A professionally written cover letter that effectively highlights the candidate’s expertise, achievements, and leadership, helping them stand out in a competitive job market.

Premium

All-in-One Cover Letter

15/16

Effectively showcase your skills, experience, and accomplishments in a well-structured cover letter, tailored to complement your CV and align with diverse roles and industries.

Premium

Emerging Talent

16/16

A cover letter template tailored for college students pursuing internships or part-time positions, and for recent graduates seeking their first full-time role.

Why Aspire?

Free AND Premium

All the Templates for Cover Letter on this page are free to start with. If you want to take advantage of some of our premium CV builder features, you can also upgrade to Aspire Premium.

Creative & Professional Templates for Cover Letter

Whatever type of job you’re applying for, we have a template for you. Student applying for your first job? Use our college Templates for Cover Letter. Advertiser looking for something more imaginative? Pick our creative Templates for Cover Letter.

NO Hidden Fees

Tried any of the other CV builders? You probably spent an hour or ten trying to make that perfect CV, and the moment you’re ready to hit “Download,” you get a notification: “Upgrade now to download your resume!”

At Aspire, we don’t do that. We have NO hidden fees - upgrade to Premium if you LOVE our CVs!

ATS Friendly

We offer both free and premium Templates for Cover Letter, so whatever your budget might be, you can still take advantage of our CV builder.

Free Templates for Cover Letter to Copy and Use

CONTACT INFORMATION

Name: [Your Full Name]

Job Title: [Your Current Job Title or Professional Designation]

Email Address: [Your Professional Email Address]

Phone Number: [Your Contact Number]

LinkedIn: [LinkedIn Profile URL]

Optional: [Personal Website], [Twitter Handle], [Other Relevant Links]

RESUME SUMMARY

Results-driven and [Choose one: dependable/detail-oriented/creative] [Your Job Title] with over [X] years of extensive experience in the [Your Industry/Niche]. Proven track record of [choose one: increasing revenue/cutting costs/training employees/other significant achievements], improving operational efficiency by [X]% within [Your Previous Company]. Eager to bring expertise in [specific skills or areas] to [Company Name], aiming to [choose one: enhance customer satisfaction/drive ROI/ensure timely project delivery], and contribute to the company's success.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

[Most Recent Job Title]

[Company Name]

[Employment Dates: Month/Year – Month/Year]

Briefly describe your primary responsibilities, emphasizing your role and contributions.

Achieved [specific result], resulting in [quantifiable outcome or improvement] by [specific actions you took].

Spearheaded [project or initiative], enhancing [specific area] by [quantifiable outcome].

Collaborated with [teams/departments], leading to [positive outcome].

[Previous Job Title]

[Previous Company Name]

[Employment Dates: Month, Year – Month, Year]

Summarize key responsibilities and achievements.

Implemented [strategy or process], which [resulted in/led to] [quantifiable outcome].

Recognized for [achievement or contribution], contributing to [company goal or milestone].

EDUCATION

[Degree Type, e.g., BA/MA in Your Major]

[University Name], [Graduation Year]

[If applicable] GPA: [Your GPA] (Only include if 3.5 or above)

[Relevant coursework, academic achievements, or extracurricular activities]

SKILLS

[List all relevant skills for the position you are applying for.]

[If more than 5 of Hard and Soft skills, consider creating a different sections.]

[Hard Skill #1]: [Level – 1 to 5 - Beginner to Expert]

[Hard Skill #2]: [Level – 1 to 5 - Beginner to Expert]

[Hard Skill #3]: [Level – 1 to 5 - Beginner to Expert]

[Soft Skill #1]

[Soft Skill #2]

[Soft Skill #3]

ADITIONAL SECTIONS:

CERTIFICATIONS:

[Certification Name], [Issuing Organization], [Year]

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE:

[Role], [Organization], [Year(s)]

CONFERENCES:

[Conference Name], [Role/Topic], [Year]

HOBBIES & INTERESTS:

[Brief description of hobbies or interests]

Expert Reviews

Biron Clark

Former Executive Recruiter

“”

Aspire's Templates for Cover Letter are modern, eye-catching, and professional-looking. As a former Recruiter, I would be impressed if a job seeker sent their CV using one of these formats.

The layouts are interesting and will grab an employer's attention, without ever being too distracting. This is something that a lot of Templates for Cover Letter struggle to get right - they're either too simple and plain, or too colorful and distracting, which can end up costing you jobs. Aspire did a great job of finding a balance with their Templates for Cover Letter, which I believe will help you get more interviews.

Gabriela Tardea

Career Strategist, Coach & Trainer

“”

Even for professionals, with 5+ years of experience, Aspire has a variety of templates with different options for layouts. What I love about this section is that the end result is nevertheless professionally crafted, easy to read and eye-catching.

The common challenge I encounter in my work with ambitious professionals is the struggle to comprise many years of work experience in max. 2-3 pages. Not only the design alone but the content and the structure of such templates on Aspire's website makes a CV writing a constructive and fun experience.

Oana Vintila

Career Counselor

“”

Aspire's Templates for Cover Letter bring some order into your professional history and moreover helps the recruiter help you.

Cover Letters Resources

What’s the Best Templates for Cover Letter in 2025?

There’s no one-fits-all answer to this question. A better one to ask is: what’s the best Templates for Cover Letter for you?

Here’s our take on this:

Applying to a company that values innovation and creativity? Pick a creative Templates for Cover Letter.
Are you applying to a more conservative company, such as a bank or law firm? Pick a more traditional and professional Templates for Cover Letter.
Does the company you’re applying for fall somewhere between the two types we mentioned? Then pick a modern or simple Templates for Cover Letter.

Top Tips for Picking a Templates for Cover Letter

If you’re still having trouble picking the perfect Templates for Cover Letter for you, check out some tips that can help you get it right:

Consider and understand your industry and its standards.
Take into account the culture at the company you’re applying for.
Think about the image you wish to project as a candidate.
Assess your chosen template in terms of presentability and reader-friendliness.
Think about which CV sections carry the most weight. Pick a template that puts extra emphasis on them.
Make sure to pick a Templates for Cover Letter without graphics, symbols, or any other unnecessary visuals.
Make sure the template you choose has space for a photo (if you’re planning on including one, anyway).
Finally, choose a template that feels right for you and that you genuinely like!

Get Inspired with Our Cover Letters Examples

Browse More Examples

Templates for Cover Letter FAQ?

Who Created These CV Samples?

All of our Templates for Cover Letter are created by our team of graphic designers and HR experts. We put a LOT of care into making sure that our CV samples are as good as they possibly can be.

When creating new Templates for Cover Letter, we always:

Interview recruiters and employers to learn what they look for in a good CV.
Analyze the world’s most popular applicant tracking systems (ATS) to ensure that they work with our Templates for Cover Letter.
Polish each CV example to be easy to read and follow.

We always go the extra mile to make sure that our Templates for Cover Letter have just the right contents to land you your dream job!

Are These Templates for Cover Letter Free?

Yes, most of the Templates for Cover Letter and features are free. If you want your job application to truly stand out, though, you can also upgrade to benefit from our premium features, such as more personalization options, access to premium cover letter templates, and more.

Can I Make an Academic CV With These Templates?

Yes, you can definitely make an academic CV with our Templates for Cover Letter.

Novoresume Templates for Cover Letter are customizable, which means that you can add as many pages as you need to describe your academic career comprehensively.

Are These Templates for Cover Letter ATS-Friendly?

Yes. All our Templates for Cover Letter work well with popular Applicant Tracking Systems.

But that’s just a part of the process. The best way to meet ATS requirements is to also learn how to tailor your CV content to each job. Check out our guide on creating an ATS-friendly resume for more help with this.

What Is the Best CV Format in 2025?

The two most popular CV formats in 2025 are the chronological and the functional formats.

In 95% of cases, though, we recommend that you go for the chronological resume format. It’s the most popular format among recruiters worldwide and it does a great job highlighting your most recent achievements and work experiences.

That said, if you really believe that your strongest point as a candidate is your set of skills, then you might want to try the functional resume format instead.

How is a US CV different from an EU CV?

In the United States, a CV is used solely for the purpose of applying to jobs or openings in academia. As such, it’s a much more comprehensive overview of your career that can take as many pages as needed (i.e. 8 pages or more).

In Europe, on the other hand, a CV is the equivalent of a resume. It is used to apply for jobs and is meant to provide a more “relevant” view of your work experience that meets the job's requirements. CVs are typically 1-2 pages long.

PDF Templates for Cover Letter vs Word Templates for Cover Letter

All our Templates for Cover Letter are in PDF format because it looks much better across all devices and is a lot more secure than Word.

Word Templates for Cover Letter were the standard a few years back because most Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) could not read PDFs.

This is not true for 2025, though, as PDF is currently the better and most widely preferred CV format for any job.

Do I Need to Submit a Cover Letter With My CV?

Yes, it’s always a good idea to submit a cover letter along with your CV.

Even if the job description doesn’t specifically ask for one or if the hiring manager never gets to read it, submitting a cover letter with your CV will show the hiring manager that you are a serious and professional candidate.

Struggling with your cover letter? Make sure to check out our guide on how to write an effective cover letter!

Templates for Cover Letter

Why Aspire?

Free Templates for Cover Letter to Copy and Use

Expert Reviews

Cover Letters Resources

What’s the Best Templates for Cover Letter in 2025?

Top Tips for Picking a Templates for Cover Letter

Get Inspired with Our Cover Letters Examples

Templates for Cover Letter FAQ?

Who Created These CV Samples?

Are These Templates for Cover Letter Free?

Can I Make an Academic CV With These Templates?

Are These Templates for Cover Letter ATS-Friendly?

What Is the Best CV Format in 2025?

How is a US CV different from an EU CV?

PDF Templates for Cover Letter vs Word Templates for Cover Letter

Do I Need to Submit a Cover Letter With My CV?

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