Overall structure: Follow the Harvard CV template. This is a simple 1-column CV that is super easy to read and is universal. 2-column CVs might look nice but are often difficult to read and follow.
Sequence: The sequence of your CV should look something like—Education> Experience > Publications/Presentations > Skills> Miscellaneous > References [optional]
Education: It is important to highlight what courses are relevant for the program you are applying to. Additionally, you should also mention your CGPA. Lastly, if you already have a Master’s, you do not need to mention where you did your HSC/SSC/Alevels/Olevels from. It adds no value.
Experience: For each experience you have, it is important to outline what YOU did. And be specific about it. How did you contribute? What did you do? Which project was this? Anything quantifiable? Answering these questions will make it easier for others to understand the value you add.
Publications/Presentations/Articles: You are not expected to have any publications as undergrad students or fresh Master’s graduates. However, if you ever worked on an analytical piece for your assignment, presented at a student research conference, or wrote an OP-ED for a newspaper/LinkedIn, mention it here and hyperlink it. You can make it available online through Google Drive, SSRN, RePEc etc.
Skills: This will be only technical skills. Mention any statistical, programming, and visualizing tools you know. Refrain from mentioning Google Sheets/Excel/PowerPoint since it is assumed everyone knows these at this stage. Additionally, there’s no need to mention soft skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, etc., since these are implied.
Certifications: If relevant for the role and if you deem it adds value to your CV, mention any certification you have. If it’s a course you did on R/Python, just mention it under skills. There is no need to mention it under certifications.
Miscellaneous: Things not mentioned above can be included here. This can be languages you know (beyond English, and Bangla), volunteer work, ECAs etc.
The CV I used to apply can be found here.