How to Tailor Your CV for Every Job Application
Jan 21, 2026
Tailoring your CV has now become a prerequisite for employment. Applicants face the scrutiny of high expectations employers have with a CV that clearly reflects their role, their language, and their priorities. You’ll be glad to hear that tailoring a CV doesn’t mean rewriting it from scratch for every application.
In this bulletproof guide, we provide step-by-step guidance on tailoring your CV efficiently, so you can significantly improve your chances of securing an interview, save time, and apply methodically.
Why generic CVs don’t work for every job application
Put simply, a generic CV is a jack of all trades and king of none. It tries appealing to everyone and ends up appealing to no-one.
Most recruiters scan CVs in 10 seconds before deciding whether to read on. If your relevance isn’t immediately obvious, your CV will more than likely be rejected. A tailored CV signals alignment with the role.
Many employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan CVs for role-specific keywords. If your CV doesn’t reflect the language of the job description, it may never reach a human reviewer - regardless of your experience.
Tailored CVs signal interest, understanding of the role, and effort. This shows an employer you’re capable and willing to work to a high standard long-term, which is something employers value more than you might realise.
How to match your CV to the job description
Identify the core skills and language in the job description
It goes without saying when tailoring your CV that you should first identify the core skills and language in the job description. This means targeting the niche and specific language used. You can do this by reading the job description thoroughly and carefully to highlight:
Required skills
Repeated phrases
Relevant qualifications and experience
These are the key clues that show you exactly what the employer values most.
Mirror job-specific terminology (without copying and pasting)
It’s uber-critical to mirror the job-related-terminology used when tailoring your CV to a specific job. By using the employer’s language appropriately throughout your CV, it shows understanding and signals that you’re a compatible fit for the role.
This is particularly important when tailoring your CV for ATS screening.
Adjust your personal profile for each role
This part of your CV offers the highest return on investment for employers. Employers’ eyes jump here first, and it only needs to be 3-4 lines that should reflect:
The job title
Key skills the employer is seeking
Your most relevant experience
By including this, it immediately positions your CV as a strong match for the role.
Reorder your experience to match the employer’s priorities
When tailoring your CV, you don’t need to change your experience, rather just the order of presentation.
You should place the most relevant roles, responsibilities, or achievements first. This might sound basic, but you’d be surprised how many people overlook it.
Keywords to include in your CV
Keywords matter, but like everything, it’s all about balance. They must be used strategically and with intention.
For example, role-specific keywords come directly from the job description (e.g. tools, software, and methodologies). Transferable skills include listening, leadership, time management, problem-solving, and communication.
A strong CV uses both, but balance should always be the priority.
Where to place keywords naturally in your CV
When you’re tailoring your CV, the best sections to include keywords are:
In your key skills
Previous job descriptions and achievements
Personal profile
As a rule of thumb, clarity comes first, so you should avoid keyword stuffing. If you’re unsure, think back to the 10 second rule and keep it simple.
How many keywords is too many?
If you’re unable to skim your CV or you can’t maintain the flow when re-reading, you’ve probably included too many keywords. You don’t need to go overboard with your keywords - one or two uses of a specific keyword is enough.
Remember; tailoring your CV is about relevance, not repetition.
How long CV tailoring should take
One of the biggest misconceptions is that tailoring your CV takes hours. If it does, something isn’t quite right.
A well-structured CV can be tailored in as little as 30 minutes. You can use the following timeline to streamline tailoring your CV:
5 minutes analysing the job description
10 minutes adjusting your profile and skills
10 minutes refining your experience and keywords
What to change vs what to leave alone
When you tailor your CV, there will be elements that you will need to change every time and there will be parts that you can leave in for consistency. For example:
Elements to change every time
Personal profile
Skills emphasis
Keyword usage
Sections to leave for consistentency
Main experience
Qualifications
Employment history
Following this approach allows you to tailor your CV efficiently without having to completely rewrite it every time.
How to save multiple CV versions without losing control
If you need to tailor your CV for multiple job applications, it can be very easy to lose control of which CV is for the right job. To avoid this, you can use proper naming conventions so it’s clear to you which is which. For example, you could rename your documents like:
CV_Marketing_Manager
CV_Data_Analyst
This makes tailoring your CV for specific job roles easier and far more organised over time.
Get in touch for more advice on tailoring your CV
Learning how to tailor your CV is one of the most valuable job-search skills you can develop. By adapting - not rewriting - your CV for each role, you improve ATS performance, increase relevance, and show employers why you’re unique, the value you can add, and how the firm will thrive.
Tailoring your CV isn’t about changing who you are, it’s about presenting your experience naturally, in a way that catches the employer’s eye.
If you’d like more guidance on how to tailor your CV to a job, feel free to get in touch. Alternatively, you can explore our range of free-to-download CV templates if you’re ready to get started.