A useful starting point
Label the year as a dated block with what you actually did (work, travel with a job, volunteering, a course). One page. Skip a travel diary. Skip this if the year was unemployment with no activity — use the gaps guide and one honest line instead.
These examples illustrate structure, not a real applicant’s history. Replace every sample detail with your own evidence. Follow the employer’s instructions on qualifications, registration, document length and file format.
Evidence to consider
- Dates of the year
- Paid work or volunteering
- A skill you can defend
- What you are applying for now
Illustrative achievement bullets
- Six months hostel work in Spain: 20-bed dorm, English/Spanish check-ins
- Three months UK warehouse picking, hitting a 98% accuracy target
- Four-week conservation placement: logged daily habitat checks
- Returned and completed an online bookkeeping course with a dated certificate
Relevant skills to substantiate
Customer check-in · Shift work · Basic Spanish · Physical work · Record keeping · Independence
What to leave out
- Photo montages
- Unpaid job titles you gave yourself
- A two-page itinerary
Choose a layout
Explore the compact template or use it in the CV builder. This is a suggested layout; follow the vacancy’s requirements.