6 tips to improve your CV and get a Job

Your CV is your very own self-marketing tool. If you are looking to get hired, improving your CV is the highest-return investment you can make in your job search.

Key Takeaways

• Presentation quality signals professionalism before a single sentence is read.
• Tailoring your CV to each specific role dramatically increases your hit rate.
• Storytelling — framing your experience as outcomes rather than duties — sets strong candidates apart.
• Power words convey drive and ownership; passive phrases do the opposite.
• Your cover letter is a separate but equally important marketing document.

Your CV is your chance to show you have got what it takes to do the job and to pique an employer’s interest enough to invite you in for that vital interview. Here are six concrete ways to improve it.

1. Presentation — It Is Not Just What You Say, But How You Say It

Nobody wants to hire someone whose CV looks like it was assembled without care. Spelling mistakes, inconsistent formatting, and walls of text signal exactly the opposite of the professional competence you are trying to demonstrate.

Your CV should look crisp and clean with sufficient white space and a professional font — Arial, Calibri, or Verdana at 10–12pt. Use black ink on white paper (or a clean white-background digital document). Always submit your CV as a PDF unless the employer specifically requests Word — PDFs preserve your formatting on every device.

Before you send anything, proofread it twice. Then ask a trusted friend or colleague to proofread it a third time. Typos that you have read past a dozen times become invisible; fresh eyes catch them immediately.

2. Tailoring — One Size Does Not Fit All

Study the job specification and the advertisement carefully, then make sure your CV speaks directly to what that employer needs. Generic CVs rarely pass ATS screening and rarely impress recruiters who can tell at a glance that you sent the same document to 30 employers.

For each application, adjust:

• Your professional summary to reflect the specific role
• The order of your skills to lead with the most relevant ones
• The language in your bullet points to mirror the terms used in the job description
• Any certifications or projects that are particularly relevant to that employer’s industry

This does not mean rewriting your entire CV from scratch every time. Build a strong master document, then spend 15–20 minutes adjusting it for each application. That time investment pays back many times over in interview conversion rates.

For a structured approach to tailoring — including how to handle ATS keywords — see: How to Write a CV That Gets Interviews in 2026.

3. Story Telling — Give Context, Not Just Chronology

A flat chronological list of education and jobs is easy to compile but tells the employer almost nothing useful about you as a professional. The candidates who get interviews are the ones who explain what they learned, what they changed, and what resulted from their work.

For each role, try to answer three questions:

• What was the situation when you arrived or took on the project?
• What specific actions did you take?
• What changed as a direct result?

Weak: “Worked on the customer service team.” Strong: “Redesigned the customer complaint resolution process, cutting average resolution time from 11 days to 4 and increasing customer satisfaction scores from 67% to 88% in six months.”

Even for roles where you are not yet senior, there are always stories to tell. A graduate who volunteered to lead a university project and grew attendance by 40% has a compelling bullet point. A junior analyst who identified a data error that saved the company from a compliance fine has a story worth telling.

4. Language — Power Words Over Passive Phrases

Avoid hyperbolic statements (“I am a visionary leader with extraordinary people skills”) but do use action-oriented language that signals drive and ownership. Power words like launched, led, negotiated, delivered, grew, redesigned, secured, and trained point to someone who gets things done — rather than someone who was present while things happened.

The rule is simple: every bullet point starts with a strong verb. Replace “responsible for managing the team” with “managed a team of eight.” Replace “involved in the product launch” with “co-led the product launch across three markets, hitting the go-live date two weeks ahead of schedule.”

Specificity matters equally. “Improved customer satisfaction” is weaker than “improved customer satisfaction scores from 72 to 91 on a 100-point scale.” Always ask: can I make this more specific?

5. Web — Your Online Presence Is Part of Your Application

Employers and recruiters routinely look up candidates online before, during, and after reviewing a CV. Make the most of this by ensuring your online presence supports your application.

A complete, well-written LinkedIn profile is now as essential as a strong CV — many recruiters search LinkedIn before reviewing submissions. Ensure your profile summary, experience, and skills sections are consistent with your CV and are keyword-rich for your target role.

If you are in a creative or technical field, a portfolio website or a curated GitHub profile can be more persuasive than any CV. Link directly to relevant work where you can.

6. Cover Yourself — the Covering Letter Still Matters

A well-crafted covering letter gives you the chance to speak directly to the company and the specific role in a way that a CV’s structure cannot accommodate. You can:

• Explain precisely why you want this role at this company
• Draw a direct line between your specific experience and the employer’s stated needs
• Address anything unusual in your background — a career change, a gap, an unusual career path — on your own terms
• Reference specific parts of your CV that most directly demonstrate your suitability

Keep it to three or four short paragraphs. Open with a hook — not “I am writing to apply for the position of…” — and close with a clear call to action. A strong cover letter signals that you have done your homework and that you genuinely want the role.

Common CV Improvement Mistakes

• Improving the presentation but not the content — a beautiful CV full of weak bullet points still fails
• Adding every possible skill regardless of relevance — prioritise and curate
• Failing to update the CV for each application, even slightly
• Writing the cover letter as a restatement of the CV rather than a complement to it
• Submitting without proofreading, particularly after tailoring edits introduce new errors

Here are some more tips to improve your CV. Once your CV is in shape, complete your application with a strong covering letter — see: Job Application Letter: Free Template + 3 Examples

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I tailor my CV to a specific job?

Read the job description carefully and identify the key skills and requirements the employer emphasises. Mirror their language in your CV, move the most relevant experience towards the top, and make sure your summary directly addresses what the role demands.

What are power words and should I use them on my CV?

Power words are action-oriented verbs that convey initiative and results — words like launched, led, negotiated, delivered, and secured. They are far more compelling than passive phrases like “responsible for” or “involved in,” and you should use them at the start of every bullet point.

How important is CV presentation and formatting?

Extremely important. A CV with spelling errors, inconsistent formatting, or illegible fonts signals carelessness before a word of your experience is read. Use a clean professional font, consistent spacing, and proofread carefully before submitting.

Should I include a cover letter with my CV?

Yes, whenever possible. A cover letter lets you speak directly to the company and role, explain why your experience is a match, and address anything in your background that deserves context. A well-written cover letter can be the difference between an interview and a rejection.

How can the internet help improve my job search beyond just job boards?

Beyond job boards, the internet lets you research companies deeply, follow industry publications, engage in professional communities on LinkedIn, and publish or share content that builds your professional reputation. A strong LinkedIn profile that mirrors your CV is now essential in most industries.