Tailor Your CV – Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All. If you’re sending the same CV to every job, hoping one sticks you’re not alone. But here’s the truth that generic CVs rarely make it to interview.
To land more interviews, you need to tailor your CV for each role. It takes more time and effort but it will make all the difference.
When employers read your CV, they’re scanning for one thing:
“Does this person match what we need?”
If your CV doesn’t clearly reflect the duties, key skills and experience listed in the job advert, it may be overlooked even if you’re fully capable.
Every advert is a blueprint for your CV. It tells you:
Too often, people glance at the job title and hit apply, but the real magic happens when you take time to study the detail and match your CV accordingly.
List out the key duties, responsibilities and skills mentioned.
Use similar wording where appropriate – if they call it “stakeholder engagement,” don’t say “talking to managers.” Speak their language.
Make sure your work history shows that you’ve done similar things. Employers want to see evidence that you can handle the practical day-to-day role – not just high-level achievements.
Create a Key Skills section that includes what they’re looking for – assuming you genuinely have those skills. Don’t leave out crucial abilities just because they didn’t feature in your original CV.
This is your 30-second pitch at the top of your Professional CV. Make it clear who you are, what you offer and why you’re a strong fit for this specific role. Highlight years of experience, industry knowledge and standout skills relevant to this job.
Tailoring your CV isn’t about rewriting it from scratch every time – it’s about making sure what matters to each employer is clearly visible in your CV.
If you invest that time and energy up front, your chances of being shortlisted for interview increase dramatically.
The best CVs aren’t just well written – they’re strategically written. They reflect what the employer wants to see and make it easy for them to say:
“This is someone we need to meet and invite for interview.”
If you’re tired of applying and not hearing back, it may be time to look at how well your CV is aligned to the jobs you’re targeting and if you need help creating a CV which gets results – tailored, targeted and interview-ready – we’re here to help.
Get in touch to start crafting a CV that speaks directly to your next employer.
With over 25 years of expertise in the recruitment industry, we’ve helped thousands of jobseekers land their dream roles. We understand exactly what employers look for and specialise in crafting professional CVs which grab attention and secure interviews.
