How to write a CV: structure, example and cover letter (2026)

A good CV is a readable one- or two-page document: contact details and target position first, then a short summary, work experience, education and skills. An employer spends only a few seconds on the first look, so the most important information has to be at the top. On 27 September 2026 Prayk's Vacancies section had 20,906 listings, and the median salary in recent vacancies that state one was 650 AZN — competition is high, and a tidy CV makes a difference.

Short answer: build your CV in this order: name and contacts, target position, a 2–3 sentence summary, work experience (most recent first, with results), education, languages and software. Keep it to 1–2 pages, send it as a PDF and write a short cover letter for each vacancy. Employers in Azerbaijan look especially at languages (Azerbaijani, Russian, English), software skills and real results.

Which sections should a CV have?

1. Name and contacts. Phone, a working email, your city or district. Choose a professional email address made of your first and last name.
2. Target position. One line: “Sales manager”, “Assistant accountant”, “Frontend developer”. Don't write “any job”.
3. Short summary. 2–3 sentences: years of experience, field, main strength. For example: “4 years in retail sales, worked with 1C and CRM, our team consistently met the monthly plan.”
4. Work experience. In reverse chronological order: company, position, dates (month/year), 3–5 bullet points. Each point should be a result, not a duty: “grew the client base”, “moved warehouse accounting from Excel to software”.
5. Education. University, degree, years. If you have little experience, put education above experience.
6. Languages. A level for each: “native”, “fluent”, “intermediate”, “basic”. If you hold an international certificate (IELTS, TOEFL, etc.), give the score.
7. Skills and software. Excel, 1C, CRM, design tools, programming languages — only what you can really use.
8. Courses and certificates. Those relevant to the position.
9. Additional information. A driving licence (with category) matters for driver, courier and sales rep vacancies.

What do employers in Azerbaijan look for?

• Languages. Vacancies often require Azerbaijani and Russian, and international companies require English. Don't overstate your level — it gets tested at the interview.
• Specific software. Excel and 1C for office and accounting roles, social media tools in marketing, a technology stack in IT.
• Where you live. In Baku the commute matters; your district or metro station is enough, no full address needed.
• Continuity of experience. If there is a long gap, explain it in one line (studies, family, project work).
• Photo and personal data. Some employers are used to CVs with a photo; if you add one, make it a neat portrait on a plain background. Your ID card number and FIN code do not belong in a CV.

The vacancy market in numbers: what salaries are listed?

Knowing what the market offers for your target position before writing the CV helps you prepare for the salary question. Below are Prayk figures measured on 27 September 2026. The median is the middle figure when salaries are sorted: half of the listings offer less, half offer more.

Two observations. First, two thirds of IT vacancies don't state a salary (“negotiable”) — in this field pay is usually discussed at the interview, so settle your own expectations in advance. Second, the lower end of the overall range includes day-rate jobs; check in the text whether the pay is monthly or daily. For a wider analysis of demand by field, see our piece on the most in-demand professions.

What are the most common CV mistakes?

• One CV for everything. Adapt the summary and the first bullet points to each vacancy — bring forward the experience that matches its requirements.
• Duties instead of results. Instead of “working with clients”, write something concrete: “served 40–50 customers a day with no complaints”.
• Too long. A 3–4 page CV won't be read. Shorten old and irrelevant jobs.
• Spelling mistakes. Read it aloud before sending, or ask someone else to read it.
• A Word file with an odd name. Send a PDF named “Name_Surname_CV.pdf”.
• Claims that can't be backed up. Language level, software skills and dates are checked at the interview.

How do you write a cover letter?

A cover letter (or the body of your email) should be 5–8 sentences:

1. To whom and for which vacancy: “I am applying for the ‘Sales manager’ vacancy posted on Prayk.”
2. Why you: in one or two sentences show experience that matches two or three of the requirements.
3. One concrete result: a number or a fact.
4. Availability: when you can start and that you are ready for an interview.
5. A polite closing and your contacts.

Put the position title and your name in the subject line. If the listing has a specific request (a portfolio link, expected salary), be sure to answer it in the letter.

How to search for vacancies on Prayk

All job listings are in the Jobs section: Vacancies are posted by employers and Looking for a job by job seekers. The vacancy list shows the salary instead of a price. You can post a “Looking for a job” listing about yourself — write it as a short version of your CV: position, experience, languages, working hours. If there is no suitable vacancy yet, save your search and you will be notified when a new listing appears.

Warning: don't respond to listings that ask for money up front for “documents”, “training” or a “uniform”. On such schemes and staying safe in online work: online work and protection from fraud.

Checklist before you send

• Does your target position match the one in the listing?
• Does the summary show the listing's 2–3 main requirements?
• Does every job have dates and at least one result?
• Are your language levels stated honestly?
• Are your phone and email correct, and is your phone on?
• Is the file a PDF, 1–2 pages, properly named?
• Is the cover letter written for this particular vacancy?

Frequently asked questions

How many pages should a CV be?

Usually one; two if you have more than 10 years of experience. The first look at a CV is very short, so the key information belongs in the top half of page one.

What should I put in my CV if I have no experience?

Put education at the top and list internships, volunteering, courses and student projects. Languages and software skills are your strongest argument in this case. On Prayk you can find vacancies with the word “təcrübəsiz” (no experience) through search.

Should I state my expected salary in the CV?

If the listing doesn't ask for it, it isn't necessary in the CV, but go to the interview with a number. On 27 September 2026 the median salary in Prayk vacancies that state one was 650 AZN, and 1,000 AZN in IT; work out a realistic range from listings in your field.

How is an employment contract concluded, and how long can probation be?

Under Article 44.1 of the Labour Code, an employment contract is concluded on paper in the cases the law specifies and as an electronic document otherwise; under Article 48.1 the employee presents an identity document. Under Article 51.1 the probation period is at most two weeks for contracts of up to six months and at most three months for other contracts. This is general information — check your own situation against the Code's text on e-qanun.az.

Which format is best for sending a CV?

PDF: it looks the same on any device and can't be changed by accident. Send a Word file only if the employer specifically asks for it.

Sources and methodology

Vacancy counts and salaries come from Prayk's public catalogue API on 27 September 2026: the “Jobs → Vacancies” section (with all its subsections), its “Sales” and “Information technology, telecom” subsections, and the “Looking for a job” section. In job listings the price field is the salary. For each section the most recent listings were used (300 for the whole section, 200 for subsections); the median and the 25th–75th percentiles were calculated only from listings with a salary in AZN, and listings without a salary are excluded. “Looking for a job” listings mix daily and monthly amounts, so we don't publish a median for them. The figures are salaries offered in listings, not statistics on actual earnings. Legal information: Labour Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (e-qanun.az), Articles 44, 48 and 51.