7 Tips to Make Your CV Job Ready

A strong CV, paired with a professional online presence, is your first step toward landing a job interview.

Oct. 1, 2025

You know the feeling. You want to create a compelling CV that will shine light on your achievements and get your foot in the door for that next step in your career, but you don't know where to start.

When you share your CV, the average employer will spend as little as six seconds scanning it before deciding whether it's worth a closer look. Your CV is an opportunity to stand out to an employer, but it must also stand out to the Recruiter you are partnering with to ensure that it ends up with your target companies.

So, how do you get noticed?

Crafting a standout CV is more than just listing your experience, it’s about strategically presenting your value in a way that resonates with hiring managers. In a competitive job market, clarity, relevance, and authenticity can make all the difference. Below are seven helpful tips to increase your chances of going from inbox to interest, bypassing the recycle bin of recruiters.

1. Consider Layout and Length

The process of writing a good CV is both an art and science, and when creating and proofing reading it, you must adopt the skills of a visual designer. Clean lines, good margins and a strong, but simple layout are a must. From this framework, make sure that you maintain consistency in font style and tense and don’t forget to spell check. Unless you are applying for a job as a visual designer, avoid photos, logos and fancy graphics as this can distract your reader and take up valuable space. A good CV should be no more than 2 A4 pages, so use your space wisely.

2. Follow a Clear Structure

A well-structured CV helps recruiters scan for key information quickly. Consider using the following format:

• Objective or Brand Statement: Two to three lines summarising who you are, what you do, and what you’re aiming to achieve.
• Skills and Experience: Use bullet points and brief headings to highlight your core competencies. Include company names, job titles, and dates of employment.
• Professional Highlights and Achievements: Showcase standout moments—awards, promotions, or measurable results.
• Career History: List roles in reverse chronological order, focusing on their most important career highlights. Include a short description of each company to provide context.
• Qualifications and Education: List relevant qualifications near the top. Refresh this section periodically to reflect current industry trends.
• Contact Details: Include your name, phone number, email, and LinkedIn profile. Place this at the end or in a footer to save space.

It is natural to have a few versions of your CV and it’s recommended that you spend time tailoring these to the position you are applying for. It is also important to have a cut-off point, for example your early school certifications or early employment, while interesting, may now be of less relevance than your more recent skills and competencies.

3. Use Keywords Strategically

With many recruiters using ATS and Boolean search strings to filter CVs, keywords matter. Carefully study With advancements in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and job site technology, many recruiters are relying on the use of simple Boolean search strings to identify and filter through pools of relevant CV’s based on the inclusion of related buzzwords from the role profile.

Buzzwords don’t mean littering your CV with the latest trends to hit LinkedIn, but rather carefully studying the job specification. If a job description asks for “Agile experience” and you have this skill, then ensure your CV says so. While it may be tempting to embellish, doing so can damage your credibility and is likely to be uncovered during the hiring process. In fact, a 2024 report found that 48% of job seekers admitted to lying or considering lying on their resumes, with common exaggerations including job titles, employment duration, and skill levels .

4. Own Your Achievements

Applying for a job is a personal process. While teamwork is important, your CV should focus on your individual contributions. Avoid using “we” and instead highlight what you did. If you worked in a team, explain your role within it. Demonstrating flexibility and a broad skill set is valuable, but clarity around your specific impact is key.

5. Telling is selling

In most sales related jobs, you will be taught early on that telling is not selling, however in the art of CV writing it absolutely is. Try not to make assumptions of your reader, if you don’t state it on your CV how are they supposed to know you did it? That said, there is a balance; give enough detail that generates interest but leaves enough out that you can discuss further during an interview.

6. Remember to include your soft skills

Soft skills and personality are key, but often difficult to display in a CV. You can highlight these in your key skills section or through hobbies, interests, and extracurricular activities. These elements should be placed toward the end of your CV and can serve as engaging talking points during interviews. Additionally, consider weaving soft skills into your professional summary or bullet points under work experience to show how they’ve contributed to real outcomes. Demonstrating these qualities can help you stand out in a competitive job market.

7. Keep It Current and Consistent

Your CV should evolve with your career. Update it regularly and tailor it for each application. Remove outdated information, such as early school certifications or irrelevant early roles, and focus on your most recent and relevant experience.

In addition, maintain your online presence, especially on LinkedIn. Employers often check your profile before reaching out, so ensure it aligns with your CV and is up to date. By understanding the purpose of a CV, what recruiters are looking for, and following a few simple guidelines, you can create a document that gets you noticed. Keep it clean, concise, and relevant, and always tailor it to the role.