No real project experience yet — how do I write the CV?

List the technologies you learned and practised, plus work from coursework, internships or personal projects, with workplace, dates and main task. Do not present it as commercial project work — recruiters check before assigning a role.

I can use many technologies — how do I write the CV?

Pick your single strongest technology for the role line, and list the rest as separate one-line tasks. Do not write “can do everything” — recruiters need a specific technology and the work attached to it.

How long should an IT CV be?

One to two pages is enough. Recruiters read the technology and the things-you-can-do sections closely; pages three and four of a CV for a common role are usually skipped.

Should I put my expected salary in the CV?

No. The CV states what you can do, the technologies and the shifts you can cover; salary is negotiated directly after the recruiter contacts you. A salary figure in the CV can cost you the role if it does not yet match your technologies and shift coverage.

No certificate yet — should I still apply?

Yes — write the real work from internships, coursework or personal projects, with technologies and dates. Recruiters need to see exactly which tasks you can do; a false certificate claim gets you rejected on verification.

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Job seekers8 min read

CV for developers, testers and IT support: write it so recruiters call you

Keep it to 1–2 pages: one line with the role plus your strongest technology, the main technologies with what you used each for, 3–5 things you can do written as concrete action verbs, projects listed by workplace plus dates plus main task, and your shift availability plus start date. Skip vague lines like “passionate about technology” with no technology, work or result attached.

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How IT recruiters read a CV

Unlike office CVs, an IT CV is read closely in exactly two places: the technologies you can use and the real work you did in a project or system. Recruiters look for four answers: do you meet the technical requirements, which technologies and tasks can you handle, can you work the team's shifts, and when can you start. Missing any one of the four usually puts the CV behind others, even if you can do the job. So put the main technology right after the role line, then the things you can do, then the projects or systems you joined. The faster you answer the four questions, the more likely you get the call.

One role line: role + strongest technology + work mode

Open the CV with exactly one line: the role you want, your strongest technology, and the work mode. Examples: “Web developer, focused on interfaces and data connections, office-based in Thu Duc City.” For a tester: “Software tester, manual testing and bug logging by process, working the team's shifts.” For IT support: “Technical support, computers, office network and user accounts, on-call by rota.” One such line tells the recruiter at once whether you fit the opening. The most common mistake is writing it too generally (“applying for IT”) or naming the role without the strongest technology — both force the recruiter to ask, and when hiring urgently, people who need asking are usually skipped first.

Main technologies and certificates: be specific

This section is mandatory for IT CVs. List each main technology or language on its own line with what you used it for, supporting tools if any (for example a bug tracker for testers, a monitoring tool for IT support), and short courses completed with the year. If a certificate is still pending, write “pending” with the expected date — never write it as if you already have it. Recruiters check technologies before assigning a role; claiming a technology you cannot use gets you rejected at the technical interview, however well the CV is written.

List what you can do, one task per line

The most important part is the list of things you can do, one line each, written with concrete action verbs. For developers: build web interfaces from a given design; connect the interface to server data; fix display bugs on common browsers and phones. For testers: write test cases from functional requirements; run tests and log bugs with reproduction steps; re-test after fixes. For IT support: set up and configure computers and printers for new staff; fix office network and login issues; log incidents and hand over shifts by process. Claiming a technology you never used to “make the CV look good” shows up at the technical interview or on the first working day — and costs you the opportunity.

Projects or systems: workplace + dates + main task, no long descriptions

For each workplace or project, three facts are enough: the company, team or project name (no detailed address), the dates (month/year from–to), and one or two main tasks there. No long company description, no list of every small task. Recruiters care whether you really did the work — one line stating the main task answers that. If you did many short projects, do not hide them: list them all, one main task per project. Short stints are not automatically a weakness when the work is clear; hiding them and being found out is.

Shifts and start date: state them, do not make recruiters ask

Shift availability and start date are hard filters for this group — especially for IT support on incident duty and testers working to release schedules. State them right after the role line, for example: “Available for day shifts and evening on-call by team rota; can start this week.” If you can only work fixed hours or need a few days' notice, write exactly that — accepting a job and then constantly requesting shift changes wastes everyone's time.

Contact details and next step

At the end, only three things are needed: full name, phone number, and the area you live in. No detailed home address, no hobbies, no elaborate portrait photo. Recruiters in this group mostly call or message — the phone number must be one you actually use and answer during office hours. Next, create an account and upload your CV so recruiters can find it: register as a candidate on timviecde.vn (/register). Note: with an unverified email you cannot upload a CV or receive selection emails — verify your email right after registering, before uploading.

Do this next

One role line: the role you want + your strongest technology + work mode.
Main technologies listed with what you used them for; 3–5 things you can do, written as concrete action verbs.
Shift availability and start date stated; a phone number you actually use and answer.

Common questions

No real project experience yet — how do I write the CV?: List the technologies you learned and practised, plus work from coursework, internships or personal projects, with workplace, dates and main task. Do not present it as commercial project work — recruiters check before assigning a role.
I can use many technologies — how do I write the CV?: Pick your single strongest technology for the role line, and list the rest as separate one-line tasks. Do not write “can do everything” — recruiters need a specific technology and the work attached to it.
How long should an IT CV be?: One to two pages is enough. Recruiters read the technology and the things-you-can-do sections closely; pages three and four of a CV for a common role are usually skipped.
Should I put my expected salary in the CV?: No. The CV states what you can do, the technologies and the shifts you can cover; salary is negotiated directly after the recruiter contacts you. A salary figure in the CV can cost you the role if it does not yet match your technologies and shift coverage.
No certificate yet — should I still apply?: Yes — write the real work from internships, coursework or personal projects, with technologies and dates. Recruiters need to see exactly which tasks you can do; a false certificate claim gets you rejected on verification.

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