One of the most common questions from job seekers in Sri Lanka is: "What exactly should I put in my CV?" It sounds simple, but there is a big difference between filling space and filling it with the right information.
Many CVs have too much — pages of irrelevant details, long descriptions of school clubs from ten years ago, and skills that nobody asked for. Others have too little — just a name, a phone number, and a bare-bones list of jobs. Neither works.
This article goes section by section through a Sri Lankan CV, telling you exactly what to include, what to leave out, and showing you a real example of what good content looks like. If you have already read our guide on how to write a CV in Sri Lanka, this is the natural next step — a deep dive into every individual section.
The 8 Sections Every Sri Lankan CV Should Have
A well-structured Sri Lankan CV has eight core sections. Here they are in the order they should appear — and what each one should contain.
What to include:
- Full name — large and prominent at the top
- Phone number — a number you actively answer
- Email address — professional (firstname.lastname@gmail.com)
- Location — city and district is enough (e.g., Colombo 07, Western Province)
- LinkedIn profile — if it is updated and complete
- Professional website or portfolio — if relevant to the job
What to leave out: Your full home address, NIC number (unless specifically asked), religion, marital status, and date of birth are generally not required for private sector applications in Sri Lanka. Some government application forms may ask for these, but avoid including them in a free-format CV unless requested.
Kasun Perera 📞 077 123 4567 | ✉️ kasun.perera@gmail.com | 📍 Nugegoda, Western Province LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kasunperera
This is a short 3–4 sentence paragraph that sits directly below your contact details. It tells the recruiter who you are, what you bring to the role, and what you are looking for. It should be specific, not generic.
❌ Too generic: "A motivated and hardworking individual seeking a challenging position in a reputable organisation to utilise my skills."
✅ Much better: "Marketing executive with 4 years of experience in digital marketing and social media management for FMCG brands in Sri Lanka. Proven track record of growing Facebook page engagement by 120% and generating qualified leads through targeted campaigns. Seeking a senior marketing role where I can drive brand growth and digital strategy."
The second version is specific, uses numbers, mentions the industry, and communicates clear value. Tailor this section every time you apply for a different role — even if just the first sentence changes.
List your jobs in reverse chronological order — most recent first. For each position, include:
- Job title
- Company name and location (city)
- Dates of employment (Month Year — Month Year)
- 3–5 bullet points describing your responsibilities and achievements
The bullet points are where most people struggle. Avoid describing what the company does — describe what you did. Use action verbs (managed, developed, increased, reduced, led, coordinated) and try to include at least one number or result per role.
❌ "Responsible for customer service at a busy retail store."
✅ "Handled customer enquiries and complaints for a 200+ customer daily footfall store, maintaining a 92% customer satisfaction score. Trained 3 new staff members on company systems and service standards."
If you are a fresh graduate with limited work experience, focus on internships, part-time work, or project work from university. We cover this in detail in our guide on writing a CV with no experience in Sri Lanka.
Sales Executive — ABC Trading Co., Colombo 03 June 2022 – Present • Managed a portfolio of 40+ B2B clients across the Western Province • Increased quarterly sales revenue by 18% through targeted outreach • Coordinated with logistics team to ensure 98% on-time delivery rate • Prepared weekly sales reports and presented findings to senior management
List in reverse chronological order. Include:
- Degree / qualification name and field of study
- Institution name and location
- Year of graduation (or expected year)
- GPA or classification if strong (e.g., Second Class Upper, GPA 3.6/4.0)
O/L and A/L results: Always include these in Sri Lanka, especially for entry-level roles. For O/L, list the number of passes and relevant subjects. For A/L, include your stream (Science, Commerce, Arts) and results. Once you have significant work experience (5+ years), you can reduce how much space these take on your CV, but do not remove them entirely.
Professional certifications: Include AAT, CIM, CIMA, ACCA, NIBM diplomas, and other professional qualifications here or in a separate Certifications section. These carry significant weight with Sri Lankan employers.
Bachelor of Business Management (Finance) University of Kelaniya | 2019 – 2023 | Second Class Upper G.C.E. Advanced Level — Commerce Stream (2018) Accounting (A), Business Studies (B), Economics (C) G.C.E. Ordinary Level (2015) 9 subjects passed including Maths (A), English (B), Science (A)
📖 Related reading: If you are struggling with how to present your education section as a fresh graduate with no work experience, our article on fresher CV tips for Sri Lanka covers exactly this situation with practical examples.
The skills section is often the most wasted space on a CV. Generic claims like "hardworking," "good communication skills," and "team player" tell the recruiter nothing — because literally every applicant says the same thing.
Instead, list specific, verifiable skills. Group them into Technical Skills and Soft Skills if you have enough of each:
Technical skills: Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), QuickBooks, SAP, AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, Python, WordPress, Google Analytics, Tally ERP — whatever is genuinely relevant to your field and the job you are applying for.
Soft skills: If you must include these, be specific. Instead of "communication skills," write "presentation skills — delivered monthly reports to Board of Directors." Instead of "leadership," write "led a team of 6 in a cross-departmental project."
Look at the job advertisement carefully. The skills listed there are the ones you should mirror in your CV — using the same words where honest. Many companies use software to scan CVs for keywords before a human ever reads them.
Technical Skills: Microsoft Excel (Advanced — pivot tables, VLOOKUP, dashboards) SAP ERP (Accounts Payable module), QuickBooks Online Google Analytics, Meta Business Suite, Canva Languages: Sinhala (Native) | English (Fluent) | Tamil (Basic)
This section is often overlooked — but for fresh graduates and early-career candidates in Sri Lanka, it can be the most differentiating part of the CV. It shows initiative, leadership, and real-world engagement outside of formal employment.
Include things like:
- Awards and recognitions (academic prizes, Best Employee awards)
- Leadership roles in university societies or sports teams
- Volunteer work and community projects
- Competitions entered or won (hackathons, debate championships, essay competitions)
- Professional certifications or short courses completed
- Published articles, research papers, or notable projects
Keep each item to one or two lines. You do not need to explain everything — just enough to create interest.
• President — University of Kelaniya Marketing Society (2022–2023) Organised 4 industry events with 200+ student attendance • Volunteer — Colombo City Clean-Up Project (2021 & 2022) • Runner-up — National Business Plan Competition, NSBM (2023) • Completed: Google Digital Marketing Certificate (2023)
Sri Lanka is a trilingual country — Sinhala, Tamil, and English are all used in different professional contexts. Your language proficiency can be a significant advantage, especially for customer-facing, government, or national-scale roles.
Use clear descriptors rather than stars or bars (which are vague and unmeasurable):
- Native / Mother tongue — the language you grew up speaking
- Fluent — can speak, read, and write confidently
- Intermediate — comfortable in conversation, some limitations in formal writing
- Basic — can understand simple conversations
Be honest. Claiming fluency in a language and then struggling in an interview is one of the most embarrassing situations in any job application. Recruiters for senior roles will often test language skills directly.
Include two referees. Ideally:
- Referee 1: A direct supervisor or manager from your most recent job
- Referee 2: A university lecturer, senior colleague, or professional contact
For each referee, include their full name, current job title, organisation, phone number, and email address. Always — without exception — contact your referees before listing them and confirm they are willing to give you a positive reference.
If you are a fresh graduate and do not have a professional referee yet, a university lecturer or the head of a society you were part of is acceptable. We cover this in more detail in our article on writing a CV with no work experience.
If you prefer not to list referees directly, write "References available upon request" — though having actual names listed is generally stronger.
Mr. Rohan Fernando Head of Finance — ABC Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, Colombo 📞 077 000 1111 | ✉️ rohan.fernando@abcholdings.lk Dr. Nimal Jayawardena Senior Lecturer — Faculty of Management, University of Kelaniya 📞 011 000 2222 | ✉️ n.jayawardena@kln.ac.lk
All These Sections — Ready to Fill In
The free Resume Builder on Toolex.lk is structured with all these sections already built in. Just fill in each field, choose your template, and download a professional PDF — no design skills needed. It takes most people under 10 minutes.
Build Your CV Free →Sections You Do NOT Need
Equally important is knowing what to leave out. These are the sections that clutter Sri Lankan CVs but add no real value:
- "Hobbies and Interests" — only include if genuinely relevant (e.g., "Photography" for a media role, "Competitive Chess" for an analytical role). "Watching movies" and "spending time with family" tell an employer nothing useful.
- An "Objective" that is just filler — if your career objective says nothing specific, cut it and replace it with a strong personal statement or remove it entirely.
- Primary school details — listing your primary school on a CV is not necessary. O/L is the starting point.
- A list of every software you have ever touched — only list skills you can confidently demonstrate in an interview or on the job.
- A photo that is not professional — if you include a photo, it must be a proper headshot. A casual photo actively hurts your application.
Curious which CV sections trip up Sri Lankan job seekers most often? Read our article on the 5 CV mistakes Sri Lankan job seekers make — it covers the most common errors and exactly how to fix them.
Conclusion
A great CV is not about length — it is about relevance and clarity. Every section should earn its place by telling the recruiter something useful about you. If a section does not add value, cut it. If a section is there but vague, sharpen it.
Use the eight sections above as your template, fill them with specific and honest information, and always tailor the personal statement to each role. That alone will put your CV ahead of the majority of applications in any Sri Lankan job market.
Once your CV is ready, the next step is writing a strong job application email to go with it. Our guide on how to write a job application email in Sri Lanka covers that in full — with real email samples you can adapt.