How to match your CV to a job description
The person reading your CV has the advert next to it. Your job is to make every thing it asks for easy to find, using only what you've really done.
Why one CV for every job doesn't work
A general CV lists what you've done. A matched CV answers the advert. Recruiters often have a lot of applications and a short time for each, so they look for the things the advert asked for. If they can't see them quickly, they move on, even if you have them.
Matching isn't about inventing anything. It's about choosing which true things to put first, and saying them in words the reader is looking for.
Step 1: list what the advert asks for
Copy the advert into a document and pull out every requirement. Put them in two lists:
- Must-haves: lines under "essential", "you will have", "required", or anything the advert says more than once. Qualifications, licences and checks (such as a DBS check or a driving licence) are usually here.
- Nice-to-haves: lines under "desirable", "bonus", "ideally" or "it would be great if".
Then read the duties section. Duties tell you what the job is day to day, and the best CVs show the same kind of work. Our guide to reading a job advert goes into this.
Step 2: find your evidence for each one
Go down the must-haves one at a time. For each, find the line in your CV that proves it. Be strict: a line proves something when a stranger would agree it does.
- Clear: the line names it and shows you doing it. "Administered medication to residents using an eMAR system" is clear evidence of medication experience.
- Unclear: it's implied but not said. "Supported residents with daily needs" might include medication, but the reader can't tell.
- Missing: nothing in the CV mentions it.
Unclear is the most common problem, and the easiest to fix, because you already have the experience.
Step 3: rewrite the unclear lines
For each unclear requirement, rewrite the closest line so it says the thing plainly. Name the task, the setting, the tool or the result. Keep it to one or two lines.
Before and after: fill the gaps with your own facts- Before: Responsible for customer queries.
- After: Answered [number] customer calls and emails a day about orders and refunds, using [CRM system].
Use the advert's own words where they're true for you. If it says "stakeholder management", and you managed stakeholders, say "stakeholder management", not "liaising with partners". See how to write CV bullet points for more.
Step 4: decide what to do about the gaps
For a missing must-have, ask: do I have it but left it off? (Old courses, a licence, a system you used once.) If yes, add it. If no, look for the closest true thing, or accept the gap. Our guide on what to do when you don't meet every requirement covers this.
Never add a skill, qualification or result you don't have. It can come out at interview, in a reference or a test, and it can lose you the job after an offer.
Step 5: reorder and cut
- Put the most relevant role, project or qualification near the top.
- In each job, lead with the bullet that matches the advert best.
- Cut or shorten lines that don't help with this job. A shorter CV that answers the advert is better than a long one that doesn't.
- Update your personal statement to name the job and two or three of its must-haves you clearly meet. See writing a personal statement for a specific job.
Step 6: check it again
Read the advert one more time and tick off each must-have against your CV. If you'd rather not do it by hand, SmashTheJob reads the advert, lists what it asks for, and shows a meter for how clearly your CV shows each one, so you can see what moved after each change.
Questions
How long should tailoring a CV take?
Once you have a good base CV, matching it to one advert usually takes a focused 20 to 40 minutes. Our 20-minute routine shows one way to do it.
Should I copy the job description into my CV?
No. Use the advert's words for things you've really done, but write your own lines. Pasting whole sentences from the advert reads as copied and proves nothing.
Do I need a different CV for every job?
You need a different version for each kind of job, and small changes for each advert: the order, the statement, and the wording of a few lines. Most of the CV stays the same.