How to format a candidate's CV for a client, step by step

Here's how to format a CV for a client. Get the candidate's agreement and the latest version of their CV. Write down the client's format rules. Copy the facts word for word into the right agency template. Add your own notes in a clearly labelled section. Remove the contact details the client shouldn't see, including the hidden ones. Check every fact against the original. Then export an editable Word file and a PDF with a sensible file name. Below is each step in the order an experienced resourcer would work, with the checks that catch the errors clients notice and the parts worth automating.

How to format a CV for a client: before you start

Have four things to hand before you open the template:

• The candidate's agreement to be put forward for this role at this client. Agreeing to be put forward in general isn't the same thing, and duplicate submissions start fee arguments.
• The latest CV, ideally in Word. Word files are easier to copy from accurately than PDFs, especially two-column PDFs.
• The client's format rules. If they've never been written down, now is the time. A rule that lives in one consultant's head will be broken by the next.
• The job description, so your summary can speak to the brief.

Step 1: Confirm permission and the version

Ask the candidate to confirm the role, the client and that the CV you have is current. Note the date they agreed. If the CV is more than a few weeks old, ask whether anything has changed: a new contract, a certification passed, a notice period served. Updating a CV after it has gone to the client looks careless.

Step 2: Write down the client's rules

Most clients' requirements fall into a few categories. Capture them once, per client, in a shared place:

If you work with several clients, our recruitment agency CV template guide covers which sections to standardise and which to vary.

Step 3: Start from the right template variant

Open the template for this client, not last week's submission with someone else's details deleted. Reusing a previous candidate's file is the most common way a stranger's name, phone number or tracked change ends up in a client's inbox.

Step 4: Transfer the facts word for word

Formatting changes how a CV looks, not what it says. Copy employers, job titles, dates and qualifications exactly. Paste as unformatted text (in Word, use Paste Special or the Keep Text Only paste option) so the candidate's fonts and hidden formatting don't come across.

Pay particular attention to the small words that carry meaning:

• Qualifiers on education: "withdrawn", "not completed", "expected 2027", "ongoing", "part-time".
• Employment type: contract, interim, fixed-term, acting, secondment.
• Negatives: "no experience of SAP" must not become an SAP skill.
• Numbers: team sizes, budgets, percentages, years of experience, including any "+" or "approx."

If the source says "2019 – 2021", don't invent months to make the dates line up. If the end date is missing, ask the candidate rather than assuming "Present".

Step 5: Standardise the layout, not the content

This is where formatting earns its keep. Make it consistent:

• One date style throughout, using only the precision the source gives you.
• Reverse chronological order, unless the client asks otherwise.
• Bullets for responsibilities and achievements, kept in the candidate's words.
• The client's heading names and section order.
• No photos, graphics or skill-rating bars, unless the client wants them.

You can tidy grammar and turn long paragraphs into bullets. Don't add achievements, skills or metrics the CV doesn't support. If you think something is missing, ask the candidate.

Step 6: Add your notes in a labelled section

Your view of the candidate is valuable. Keep it separate from the candidate's own CV, under a heading such as "Recruiter's summary", or on a coversheet. Include the things the client always asks about:

• Why this candidate fits the brief, with each point traced to the CV or your screening call.
• Notice period, availability and interview slots.
• Salary or day-rate expectations, if the candidate has agreed you can share them.
• Anything you've verified, and anything you haven't.

A candidate profile template gives you a structure for this summary.

Step 7: Remove contact details, including the hidden ones

Delete the personal email, phone number, home address and personal links that the client agreement says to remove. Then check where they hide: headers and footers, text boxes, hyperlinks, comments, tracked changes, document properties and the file name. Our step-by-step guide to removing contact details from a CV walks through Word's Document Inspector and the PDF export settings.

Step 8: Check against the source

Put the original and your version side by side and check:

• Every employer, job title and date range.
• Every qualification, with its status (completed, withdrawn or in progress).
• Certifications, with expiry dates if the source gives them.
• Numbers and named tools in the achievements.
• That no role, course or section has gone missing.

The fastest check is one that doesn't rely on memory. Read the source line by line rather than reading your formatted version and nodding along.

Step 9: Check pages, properties and file name

Open the final file, not just the editing view:

• No orphaned bullets at the top of a page, and no empty rows such as a blank "Nationality" field.
• The page count is within the client's limit.
• File > Info shows your agency in the document properties, not the candidate.
• The file name follows the client's convention, for example "REF-2041_Senior-Data-Engineer_Agency.pdf".

Step 10: Export and send

Send what the client prefers. Many agencies attach a PDF and keep the editable Word file for quick changes. Make sure both come from the same final version. Then write the submission email; our candidate submission email templates cover single candidates, shortlists and anonymised profiles.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Doing the same steps in CVPitch

The manual steps above still apply. CVPitch handles the repetitive parts and keeps the checks visible. You set up a client variant once, covering layout, branding, section order, headings, required sections, page limit, privacy preset, optional coversheet and file-name pattern, or you upload your own Word template with placeholder tags. For each CV you upload the file (a PDF, Word document, scan or photo) or forward it by email, and the extracted facts appear beside the source passages they came from. Anything uncertain is flagged. You choose which contact details to remove, and removal covers the generated DOCX, the PDF and hidden metadata. Approval is tied to the exact revision, so an edit made after approval needs approving again. The step-by-step guide shows each screen.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a CV be when you submit it to a client?

Follow the client's rule if there is one. Two pages suits most permanent roles. Contract and interim CVs often run longer because each assignment needs its own context. Never cut roles to hit a page count. Tighten the layout instead.

Should a recruiter rewrite the candidate's CV?

Change the layout and wording for readability if you like, but not the facts. Employers, titles, dates, qualifications and achievements should stay as the candidate wrote them. Put your own assessment in a labelled summary.

Do I need the candidate's permission to send their CV to a client?

Yes. Get the candidate's agreement for each client and role before you submit. It's basic good practice, it avoids duplicate submissions, and data protection and agency regulations in many countries expect it.

Should I remove the candidate's name?

Only if the client agreement or your process calls for it, for example in blind shortlisting or speculative approaches. Remember that removing names and contact details doesn't make a CV anonymous, because career history can still identify someone.

Bottom line

Formatting a CV for a client is mostly discipline: the right template, facts copied word for word, your notes clearly labelled, contact details removed everywhere, and a final check against the source. Automate the copying and layout, and keep the checking.