The purpose of a CV is not to document everything you have ever done. It is to make a specific case for a specific role — clearly enough that whoever reads it in 30 seconds wants to speak with you. That requires choices about what to include, what to emphasise, and what to leave out.

Tailor every application, not just the cover letter

A generic CV optimised for nothing in particular is optimised for everything and nothing. For every role you genuinely want, spend 20 minutes adjusting the language, the ordering of your skills, and the emphasis of your experience to reflect what this specific employer is looking for. This is not dishonesty — it is relevance.

Read the job description carefully and mirror the language they use. If they describe a 'commercially minded operator', use that framing. If they value 'cross-functional collaboration', show it with a specific example. Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for signal that you fit — make that signal easy to find.

Lead with what matters most

The top third of your CV — what someone sees before they scroll — carries disproportionate weight. Use it well. A two or three sentence professional summary that positions you clearly is more effective than a long list of skills. Follow it with your most recent and most relevant role. Do not bury your strongest credentials halfway down the page.

Show outcomes, not just responsibilities

The most common CV mistake is listing responsibilities as if they are achievements. A responsibility is what the role required of you. An achievement is what you actually did. Wherever possible, replace 'responsible for managing a team of five' with 'led a team of five engineers through a major platform migration, delivered on time and under budget'.

  • Use numbers wherever they make your contribution tangible — revenue, team size, timeline, percentage improvement
  • Describe decisions you made, not just tasks you completed
  • Highlight moments where you went beyond the scope of the role
  • Include the context when it makes the achievement more impressive — a 20% growth figure means more if the market was contracting

Keep it tight

Two pages is the right length for most professionals with five or more years of experience. One page if you are earlier in your career. Three pages only if your experience is genuinely too rich to compress further — and even then, be ruthless.

For roles more than ten years ago, a one-line summary with employer and job title is usually sufficient. Detailed descriptions of work from 2008 rarely strengthen an application for a 2026 role.

The structure that works

  1. Professional summary — two to three sentences, specific and clear
  2. Core skills or competencies — a concise list, tailored to the role
  3. Work experience — reverse chronological, outcomes-led, progressively less detail as you go further back
  4. Education — qualifications, institutions, and dates
  5. Additional — languages, certifications, or anything genuinely relevant

Formatting and presentation

  • Use a clean, readable font at 10–12pt — no decorative typefaces
  • Leave white space; a cramped CV is harder to read
  • Use consistent formatting: same font size for all job titles, same indentation throughout
  • Save and send as a PDF to preserve formatting across devices
  • Use a filename that includes your name: Taylor-Jackson-CV-2026.pdf
A CV that says less but says it precisely will outperform an exhaustive document every time. Edit until it hurts, then edit again.