When putting together a job application, you want to make sure that you do everything you can to increase your chances of landing an interview. One of the best ways you can do this is by avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach with your CV and instead making sure that it's relevant to the role you’re applying for.
If you’re wondering exactly how to tailor a CV to a job, in this blog, we’re walking you through what you should write for each section, step by step.
Read and evaluate the job description
Before you tailor your CV for the job application, read the job description carefully. Make sure you understand what skills and experience the employer expects from the candidate. Once you know this, you can make your CV fit what the employer is looking for.
Pay attention to important words and specialist terms in the job description. This is a chance to use similar language in your application. Doing this, along with using industry terms, will demonstrate that know the company and understand the job.
The job description provides with you with all the skills and experience you need present in order to secure a job interview.
Rewrite your CV summary
Now that you have a good idea of what is expected from potential candidates, you can begin adapting your CV, starting with your summary or ‘intro’. This section is typically where you introduce yourself and give a brief overview of your career or employment history.
Where you may have previously had a generic introduction, you can now tailor it specifically to this job. This means alluding to the skills you possess that are relevant to the role and covering any experience you have working in the industry or similar roles.
Straight away this will tell the employer that you’re worth considering as a candidate, piquing their interest. This will then allow you to reinforce these claims with your specified skills list.
Tips for writing your CV summary:
- Lead your CV with this section
- Sell yourself with your relevant skills
- Set up your in-depth skills section
Tailor your CV with relevant skills
Whether you're writing an experience-based or skills-based CV, you want to make sure that the skills section is prominent on your CV. This may be a short and punchy list of the skills that would make you perfect for this role. Don’t be afraid to leave a few irrelevant skills off the list, even if they are impressive, as you want your more relevant skills to be prominent.
Refer back to the job description to make sure that you include as many relevant key terms as possible. Matching up the language and exact phrases used can help to show the employer that you're a direct fit for the position.
Once you’ve listed your most relevant hard skills, you should also back this up with your suitable transferable skills. For example, if you’re taking on a team leader role, you’ll want to make it known that you have great communication and leadership qualities.
Tips for writing your skills section:
- Use this to support claims made in your summary
- Layout your skills clearly and concisely
- Avoid any long descriptions
- Don’t be afraid to include infographics and diagrams to display your skills in a unique way
Tailor your CV with relevant experience
Your job experience is typically the meatier part of your CV as it will summarise what you worked on and achieved at each place you worked. This is your opportunity to further shape the overall feel of your CV and target it specifically for the role you’re applying for.
The best way to make sure you don’t overload information is to make sure that the first sentence of each description covers key points. For example, if planning and scheduling is a key part of the new job role, you should make sure that you include the times you have done this at each workplace.
This will make it easier to keep each description concise and if you decide to trim any further points to make it sharper, you know that you won’t be getting rid of any crucial information.
Tips for writing your job experience section:
- Always include the name of your workplace, your job title and your start and end date
- Ensure the font size is large enough and each section is spaced out so that it’s comfortable to read
- Use your skills list as a guide for writing your experience, providing context and insight into each point made
A job description tells you all you need to know about a job before you apply. So, it's really important to adjust your CV to match the job description. First, read the job description carefully. Then, change your CV summary, update your skills list, and ensure your job experience fits what the employer is looking for. Each part of your CV is important in showing you're the right person for the job.
For more tips on how to build your skills and pursue your passion, visit our Career & Skills Hub.
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