Tailoring a CV means changing it so the employer can see, quickly, that you have what this job asks for. It doesn't mean rewriting it from scratch for every application, and it never means adding things you haven't done. This guide shows a simple way to do it: pull out what the advert wants, match each point with something true from your history, use the advert's words, and move the best matches to the top.
The short answer
- Read the advert and the person specification first, and list what they ask for.
- Mark each point essential or desirable. Cover every essential one you honestly can.
- Match each point with a fact from your history: a job, a course, volunteering.
- Use the advert's words where they genuinely describe what you did.
- Move the best matches up: into your profile, and to the top of each job's bullets.
- Leave out what you can't back up. Mention it in the cover letter if you're working on it.
Why it's worth the effort
The National Careers Service (England) says you should tailor your CV to the job or opportunity you're applying for, and highlight the skills they've asked for. The University of Sheffield is blunter: a general CV that isn't targeted stands little chance of success.
The good news is that it's quicker than it sounds. Reed points out that you don't need to rewrite your entire CV every time. Most of the work is choosing which true facts lead.
Step 1: pull out what the advert wants
Get the full job description and, if there is one, the person specification. Manchester's careers service suggests listing the important keywords and phrases, then asking whether each requirement is essential or desirable.
Write them as a short checklist. For a customer service adviser job, it might be:
- Handling customer queries by phone and email (essential)
- Using a CRM or case system (essential)
- Meeting targets for response times (essential)
- Experience in utilities or telecoms (desirable)
If there's no job description at all, Manchester suggests building your own checklist from the company's website and similar adverts elsewhere: the technical skills they want, and the behaviours or personal qualities they value.
Step 2: match each point with a fact
Go down the checklist and, next to each point, write where you've done it and one fact about it. Manchester's advice is reassuring: you don't have to have everything the employer is asking for, but the more you can evidence the better.
- Customer queries: handled about 15 complaints a week by phone and in person at the store.
- CRM or case system: partly. Set up and kept the store's complaints log, and used the stock system daily. It isn't a CRM, so say what it was.
- Targets: not obviously covered. Think about any time limits or targets you actually worked to. If there's nothing honest, leave it.
- Utilities or telecoms: no. That's desirable, so it's fine to leave it.
Anything you can't match honestly stays off the CV. If it's essential and you're close (you're doing a course, say), mention that in your cover letter.
Step 3: use the advert's words
Reed says to use the employer's terminology where appropriate. Edinburgh's careers service suggests linking your CV directly to the language in the person specification.
So if the advert says "customer queries" and your CV says "dealt with customer complaints", you can write "Handled customer queries and complaints by phone and in person". Same fact, the employer's words.
The test is simple: would you be happy explaining it at interview? Don't add a keyword because it's in the advert. Add it only when it describes something you've actually done. Reed notes that using the right keywords can help your CV get noticed by automated systems as well as people. That's another reason to use the advert's words, not a reason to stretch the truth.
Step 4: reorder so the best matches come first
Sheffield's advice is to make sure your most relevant experience appears early in the CV. In practice:
- Your profile names the job you're applying for and leads with the two facts that best match the essential criteria. Reed suggests revising your personal statement to show how your experience matches. Our guide to writing a personal statement for a CV has examples.
- Within each job, move the matching bullets to the top.
- Your skills list puts the ones the advert asks for first.
- If your most relevant experience isn't your latest job, Edinburgh suggests a "Relevant experience" section to bring it forward.
Keep your jobs in date order, most recent first, and keep every date as it is.
Worked example
This is a made-up example, not a real person. The advert is for a customer service adviser at an energy supplier.
Before, written for retail:
Store Supervisor, Northgate Home Stores, Mar 2019 – Present
- Open and close the store as keyholder
- Plan the weekly rota for 22 staff
- Deal with around 15 customer complaints a week, in person and by phone
- Set up a complaints log to spot repeat problems
After, tailored to the advert:
Store Supervisor, Northgate Home Stores, Mar 2019 – Present
- Handle around 15 customer queries and complaints a week, by phone and in person
- Set up a complaints log to record each case and spot repeat problems
- Plan the weekly rota for 22 staff
- Open and close the store as keyholder
Nothing new has been added. The complaints work moved to the top, and it's described in the advert's words ("customer queries", "case"). The profile at the top would end: "Looking for a customer service adviser role."
FAQ
Do I need a different CV for every job? You need a version for each application, but most of it stays the same. Usually you change the profile, the order of bullets and skills, and a few words. Reed says you don't need to rewrite the whole CV from scratch every time.
What if I don't meet all the essential criteria? That's your call. Manchester's careers service says you don't have to have everything the employer asks for, but the more you can evidence the better. Don't claim the rest.
Should I copy phrases from the advert word for word? Use the advert's words for things you've genuinely done. Don't paste in a list of keywords or hide them in white text. Your CV has to make sense to the person who reads it.
What about the cover letter? Tailor that too. It's the place to explain a gap in the essential criteria, or why you want this job in particular.
Sources (checked 14 Nov 2026)
- National Careers Service (England): How to write a CV
- University of Manchester Careers Service: Step 3: Tailoring your CV for a job
- University of Edinburgh Careers: Adapting your CV
- Reed: How to tailor your CV to a job description
- University of Sheffield: Writing a CV
This isn't careers or legal advice. Check the National Careers Service (England) or a careers adviser for your situation.
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