Creating just any CV won’t do; what you need is a CV that’s perfectly tailored for each job application. Find out how you can tailor your CV the right way.
The job market in the UK and Europe is incredibly competitive, so sending the same CV to every job vacancy you see isn’t going to cut it. Recruiters don’t have the time to go through an entire CV, and this means that a small tweak can determine whether your CV catches their attention or not. With CV tailoring, you can match your qualifications, skills and experience with what recruiters are looking for. This can help you make a strong impression on hiring teams and increase your chances of landing an interview.
Creating a tailored CV doesn’t mean that you need to make up skills or exaggerate your level of experience. Instead, it’s more about clearly highlighting the most relevant parts of your qualifications, helping recruiters understand why you’re the ideal candidate.
Review the job description
The first thing you need to do is carefully review the job description. Identify the experience, qualifications and skills that are the most relevant to the recruiter. Keep an eye out for specific phrases and terms, note down specific skills, soft skills and industry-related language. Your CV must be in line with these elements, but shouldn’t be overloaded with keywords. Make sure to highlight your experience and achievements that are related to the job using the right examples for maximum impact. For example, if you’re applying for the role of a project manager, highlight past projects you’ve worked on and what the results were.
Tweak your professional summary
Usually, your professional summary is the very first thing that recruiters see when they analyse your CV. So it’s important to tailor it specifically for each job application and not include anything that the job isn’t asking for. Focus on how your career objectives, background and strengths match the job description. A brief, to-the-point summary that reflects the job description can make it more relevant to recruiters. For example, if the job you’re after requires expertise in cloud technologies, make sure to highlight your experience in handling cloud-related projects as early as the first two sentences of the summary.
Relevant experience should come first
You need to keep in mind that not all types of experience have the same relevance for a job. Through CV tailoring, you need to make sure that the experience you mention is exactly what is needed for the job role. For example, if you’re a software developer who’s applying for a front-end role, you should consider putting experience involving user interfaces at the forefront of your CV, while the less important experiences should be mentioned briefly later on. Also, always use clear language and try to quantify your achievements with numbers. This approach can make it easier for recruiters to see what you’re bringing to the table.
Emphasise key skills
Make sure that the skills you’ve mentioned on your CV are the ones that the recruiter has specifically asked for. This may involve you having to update the skills section in your CV, making sure to specify certifications, soft skills and particular technical abilities. Also, try to add examples of how you’ll use these skills in real-life situations. For instance, don’t just mention that you’re a “team player”; instead, talk about a situation where your team skills lead to a positive outcome. This kind of detail will show the employer that you don’t just have the right skills; you can apply them effectively to real situations.
Strengthen job applications with a tailored CV
TaletntAid is an AI job matching platform that focuses on helping your CV-building efforts by analysing different job descriptions and pointing out areas in the CV that could be improved to reflect the requirements of the job better. By taking a careful approach, you can create a CV that is targeted, aligned with employer expectations. By tailoring your CV, you can position yourself better in a competitive job market and increase your chances of getting noticed by employers.