If you’re running a recruitment agency, you’ll know how quickly CVs can pile up and how inconsistent they can be. Different fonts, layouts, and formats can make it hard for consultants to compare profiles or share them confidently with clients. That’s why learning how to format a CV properly is such an underrated part of running an efficient recruitment business.
A consistent, branded CV template doesn’t just make your agency look more professional; it also saves time, keeps your brand front and centre, and makes life easier for both consultants and hiring managers.
Let’s explore exactly how to format a CV for your recruitment agency, and how Giig Hire’s Automated CV Formatting Tool can save you hours every week.
First impressions count, and that’s true for CVs too. When a hiring manager opens a candidate’s profile, they form an instant opinion based on layout and readability.
A well-formatted CV makes it easy to identify key information at a glance. It shows that your agency values presentation, organisation, and attention to detail before the interview process even begins.
On the flip side, poor formatting can instantly put a client off. Messy spacing, inconsistent fonts, and uneven layouts can make even the strongest candidate look unprofessional and, by extension, make your agency appear less polished too.
When deciding how to format a CV, focus on clarity, consistency, and compatibility. Here’s a checklist to follow:
Use a clear structure that includes:
Keep design minimal and professional; you want hiring managers to focus on the content, not colours or graphics.
Consistency builds trust. Use the same font, spacing, and heading styles throughout the CV. Stick to professional fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica, and use bold for headings only where necessary.
If multiple consultants edit CVs, make sure everyone follows the same template. This ensures your agency maintains a cohesive look across every submission.
Recruiters and hiring managers scan quickly. Use bullet points, short paragraphs, and white space to make information easy to digest.
When thinking about how to format a CV, readability should always come before design flair.
Dates, job titles, and company names should always follow a consistent format. For example:
Recruitment Consultant — Giig Hire | Jan 2020 — Present
This not only looks tidy but also makes comparing candidates simpler for clients.
Always export CVs in universally readable formats like Word (.docx) or PDF. PDFs maintain your layout and prevent accidental edits, perfect when sending to clients.
If your team is still manually reformatting CVs in Word, you’re spending unnecessary hours every week on admin. Each candidate’s CV needs to be cleaned up, standardised, branded, and saved before it’s even sent out, and that time adds up fast.
A CV formatting tool eliminates that pain completely.
It gives your consultants the ability to:
That means no more juggling fonts, fixing bullet points, or re-saving endless Word documents. Just clean, professional CVs ready to send to clients in seconds.
Giig Hire’s Automated CV Formatting Tool was built to solve one of recruitment’s biggest time drains: manual CV formatting.
With automation built right into your CRM, you can reformat and brand candidate CVs in just a few clicks. Whether your team is handling five candidates a day or fifty, Giig ensures every CV your agency sends out looks polished and consistent.
Imagine turning an unstructured Word document into a professional, client-ready CV in seconds, no manual editing required. That’s the power of automation.
Because it’s integrated directly into your CRM, there’s no need to leave the platform, download files, or copy and paste information. Everything stays in one place, simple, fast, and on brand.
Every CV your agency sends represents your brand.
When each document follows the same layout, includes your logo, and looks clean and consistent, clients immediately recognise your professionalism. It builds familiarity and trust. They’ll know exactly what to expect when they receive a candidate from your agency.
Branded CVs also strengthen your agency’s identity. Whether it’s the colours, layout, or logo, it keeps your business top of mind for clients and ensures every touchpoint feels cohesive.
So when thinking about how to format a CV, remember you’re not just showcasing candidates, you’re showcasing your brand too.
Learning how to format a CV the right way is about more than tidy documents. It’s about saving time, improving consistency, and building a strong, professional brand image for your recruitment agency.
Whether you format manually or use Giig Hire’s Automated CV Formatting Tool, the outcome is the same: clear, consistent, and branded CVs that make your agency stand out and your candidates shine.
