How to tailor a CV to a job description

Read the job advert like a checklist

Separate the job description into must-have skills, nice-to-have skills, responsibilities, qualifications, and sector language. This gives you a clear map for CV tailoring.

• Highlight repeated words and phrases.
• Note specific tools, processes, or sectors.
• Separate required evidence from desirable extras.

Move the strongest evidence higher

Tailoring is often about priority. If your CV already contains relevant achievements or responsibilities, make them easier to find in the profile, key skills, and first few bullets of each relevant role.

Improve wording without adding fake claims

A CV rewrite can make duties sound clearer and more outcome-aware, but it should not add numbers, job titles, systems, qualifications, or responsibilities that are absent from your source CV.

• Keep employers, dates, and titles unchanged.
• Use job-description language where it is truthful.
• Flag missing evidence rather than hiding gaps.