How to write a CV that gets interviews
Recruiters skim. A CV that leads with results, not duties, is easier to say yes to.
Put the target role in the first lines
The top of the CV should say what job you want and the two or three skills that match it. A generic “motivated professional seeking opportunities” could belong to anyone.
If you are applying to two different kinds of roles, keep two versions. One CV that tries to be both will read as neither.
Turn duties into results
“Responsible for social media” does not help. “Posted three times a week and lifted event sign-ups from 40 to 110 in a quarter” does.
If you do not have a number, use a scope: team size, number of clients, languages, or how often you did the work.
Keep it to the work that supports this job
Two pages is plenty for most people. One page is better early in a career. Cut internships and coursework once you have solid roles, unless they are the proof you need.
Order bullets by relevance, not by how much you liked the task.
Make it easy to scan
Use a normal font, clear dates, and the same tense. Put the employer, title, city, and dates on one line. Save design experiments for a portfolio, not the file a recruiter opens on a phone.
Export a PDF with your name in the file name. “CV final new.pdf” is harder to find in a shared folder.
Check it against one job post
Before you send it, highlight the skills in the post that you actually have. Each one should appear in your summary or a bullet. If it does not, either add the proof or do not claim it.
Then read only the first half of the first page. If the fit is not obvious there, move a bullet up.
