Create a CV online — free, and live the moment you publish it
Fill in your details, pick a template, and you have a CV you can download as a PDF, send as a link, and keep updating for years without emailing a new version again.
Most CV builders hand you a file. A file goes stale the day after you send it — a new job, a new qualification, a corrected phone number, and the copy sitting in a recruiter's inbox is wrong forever. My Live CV keeps one CV at a permanent address, so the link you sent last year still shows the version you have today. If you would rather hand over a file, the same page prints to a clean A4 PDF.
What you get when you create a CV
Six real templates
Classic, Modern, Minimal, Professional, Creative and Compact. Switching style never touches your content — and the three single-column styles keep the text machine-readable for screening software.
A live link, not just a file
Your CV gets its own address. Send it, and every later correction is already there.
Access codes that expire
Share with a code that dies after 24 hours, 7 days or a set number of views. Revoke any code the moment you no longer want that person to have access.
Certificates attached
Add diplomas, certificates and licences as PDFs, Word files or images, so a recruiter can check the qualification instead of taking your word for it.
PDF download
Save as PDF prints the exact A4 page from the preview — the same layout a recruiter opens, not a re-flowed approximation of it.
You decide what is shown
Hide your email, phone number or home address from viewers. The server leaves those fields out of the page entirely — they are not hidden with styling, they are simply not sent.
How it works
- Sign in with an email code. No password to invent or forget — you enter your address and a six-digit code that arrives by mail.
- Fill in the sections. Personal details, work history, education, skills, and a professional summary. Every change saves as you type, so closing the tab does not lose your work.
- Choose a style and colour. The live preview shows exactly what a visitor will see through your link.
- Publish and share. Copy your link or generate a time-limited access code, then send it to whoever needs it.
Writing a CV that actually gets read
A recruiter spends a few seconds on the first pass. What survives that is not a clever layout — it is specifics. Name the result, not the duty: “cut month-end close from nine days to four” says more than “responsible for month-end close”. Put the most recent role first, keep your dates consistent, and use the job advertisement's own words for skills you genuinely have.
Keep the contact details correct and at the top. If you are sending a PDF, name the file properly — Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf — because that filename is visible in an inbox before anything else is.
CV or resume? In the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and most of Europe the document is called a CV and usually runs to two pages with your full education history. In the United States and Canada it is a resume and usually one page. The conventions differ enough to be worth writing separately — see how to create a resume.
Questions people ask before they start
Is it free to create a CV?
Yes. Creating a CV, choosing a template, downloading it as a PDF and sharing it by link are all free.
Do I need an account or a password?
You need an account so the CV can be saved to you, but there is no password. You type your email address and enter a six-digit code that is mailed to you.
Can I download my CV as a PDF?
Yes. The preview offers Save as PDF, which prints the exact A4 page you see, laid out at the size a recruiter will open.
Who can see my CV?
Only people you give a link or access code to. You can make an access code expire after a set number of hours or views, and revoke it at any time. Your email address, phone number and home address can be hidden from the viewer entirely — the server leaves them out rather than hiding them on the page.
What is the difference between a CV and a resume?
A CV is usually longer and lists your full history, education and qualifications, and is the normal term in the UK, Ireland, South Africa and most of Europe. A resume is the US and Canadian term for a short, targeted summary, usually one page. My Live CV builds both from the same account.