How to Write a Targeted CV

Reading Time: 11 minutes

Over the last few months, almost every conversation I have had about CVs has started in the same place. Not with how to write one, but with a question.

“Do I really need a targeted CV for every application?”

It usually comes with a pause. Sometimes a sigh. People are juggling work, family, and everything else life throws at them. They are applying in the early mornings or evenings, often after a long day. The idea of spending hours rewriting a CV for each role feels unrealistic, especially when so many applications are met with an automated rejection email, or worse, nothing at all.

I understand that frustration because I see the impact of it up close. People are not short of motivation. They are short of time, energy, and patience for a process that often feels one-sided. When effort goes in and silence comes back, it wears you down.

What makes this harder is that the advice online rarely reflects this reality. Much of it assumes unlimited time and emotional bandwidth. In practice, most people need an approach that works alongside a busy life.

The good news is that writing a targeted CV does not mean rewriting everything from scratch or spending hours on every application. The people I have supported recently who started to see movement again made small, deliberate changes. They focused on helping the reader see the match faster.

That distinction matters. Because in the current market, relevance beats volume. And understanding how to show that relevance without burning yourself out is where targeted CVs actually earn their place

Why targeted CVs became part of the conversation

Over the last year, the volume of advice about targeted CVs has increased sharply. Much of it has been framed in urgent terms. If you do not tailor every application, you will not get through. If your CV does not match the advert exactly, it will be rejected by a scary monster called ATS (Applicant Tracking System). For people already stretched for time, that message can feel overwhelming.

What often gets lost in that noise is the evidence behind why this conversation started in the first place.

Recent data from Huntr’s Q2 2025 Job Search Trends Report gives useful context. The report analysed more than 461,000 applications, 285,000 job adverts, and close to 60,000 CVs. What it showed was a clear shift in how applications convert into interviews. People who adjusted their CVs to reflect the role they were applying for progressed at more than double the rate of those who sent the same CV each time. Since late 2024, tailored CVs generated around six interview opportunities per hundred applications, compared with fewer than three for generic submissions.

That difference matters because it explains why the advice has become louder. Hiring cycles have slowed, application volumes have risen, and shortlists have become tighter. In that environment, relevance is the filter. When a CV makes it easy for the reader to see a direct match, it moves forward more often. When it does not, it tends to stall early.

The problem is how this information is often interpreted. The data does not suggest that every application requires a full rewrite. It shows that small, relevant changes which surface the right evidence improve the odds of being shortlisted. Many people hear the message as a warning rather than guidance.

The 80/20 rule for a targeted CV

One of the biggest misunderstandings I see is the belief that a targeted CV means starting again every time. That assumption alone is enough to stop people from trying. It feels impractical, time-heavy, and out of step with how most people actually apply for roles.

In practice, the opposite is true.

When I look at CVs that begin to get traction, around 80% of the document stays the same. Career history does not change from one application to the next. Qualifications and training stay put.

The remaining 20% is where relevance comes into play.

This is the part that helps a reader connect the dots quickly. It usually sits in the profile, the key skills, and the first role or two on the page. Small shifts here can change how the entire CV is read. A job title that’s aligned with what they are looking for. Skills exhibted that reflect what the role will actually be judged on. Early experience that shows familiarity with the problems the hiring team is trying to solve.

Huntr’s data supports this approach. CVs that progressed did not look radically different from those that did not. They were not longer, flashier, or packed with new content. They made it easier for the reader to spot relevance early. That early signal is what determines whether a CV is read properly or skimmed and set aside.

This matters because most hiring decisions start with a scan. If the opening sections do not align with the role in front of them, the rest of the document rarely gets the attention it deserves. That does not mean the experience is wrong. It means the framing is off.

Thinking in terms of 80% stable and 20% focused helps reduce the pressure. It turns targeting into a practical adjustment rather than a full rewrite. For people balancing work, family, and a job search, that distinction makes the process manageable again.

The next step is understanding where that 20% has the biggest impact and how to adjust it without adding unnecessary effort.

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Where the twenty percent sits

When speaking with recruiters, they tell me that relevance lives in a small number of places. These are the sections that get read first and determine how everything else is interpreted.

The profile sits at the top of that list. This is where most CVs drift into general language. A profile that speaks broadly about experience and strengths (for example, self-motivated) often reads well, yet it does not anchor the CV to the role being applied for. A few focused changes here can signal alignment straight away. Job titles, scope, and the type of problems solved all help the reader place you faster.

The skills section carries similar weight. Many CVs treat this as a dumping ground. Long lists make it harder for the reader to work out what’s relevant. When the skills reflect the language of the advert and stay grounded in what is required, they encourage the reader to continue reading.

The first role on the page often carries more influence than people realise. This is where the reader looks for proof. They want to see familiarity with the environment, challenges, or outcomes the role demands. Adjusting the order of bullets or the wording of a few points can shift how that experience lands.

Huntr’s findings point in the same direction. CVs that progressed made their relevance visible early. They did not rely on the reader working through the whole document to find a match. The opening sections did the work.

This approach keeps effort focused and relevant. It avoids spreading time across the entire CV and concentrates on the areas that shape first impressions. Once those sections align with the role, the rest of the document reads with more intent.

The next step is how to identify what belongs in those sections for each role, without second-guessing or overthinking the process.

Start with a clear view of the role

Once you know where the 20% sits, the next step is deciding what should go into it.

Before opening your CV, read the advert with a pen or with your notes app open. You are not looking for everything. You are looking for what the role requires and how it describes success.

Pull out three things.

List the hard skills and tools that appear more than once. These might be systems, methods, frameworks, or processes. If they matter enough to repeat, they matter enough to reflect.
Capture the language. This could be industry terms, regulatory language, commercial focus, or functional detail. This shows familiarity with the environment rather than general capability.
Look for outcomes. Many adverts hint at what success looks like. Growth, delivery, risk management, launch readiness, efficiency, retention. These words point to how performance will be judged.

This exercise takes around ten minutes. It creates a reference point that keeps changes focused. You are no longer guessing what to adjust. You are responding to what the role requires.

Huntr’s data shows why this matters. CVs that progressed reflected the language of the role in a natural way. They made it easier for the reader to see alignment early. That alignment did not come from adding more content. It came from choosing the right content to surface.

With this view of the role in place, updating the profile and opening sections becomes far more straightforward. You are no longer rewriting your story. You are choosing which parts of it to bring forward.

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Update the profile so it does the right job

Once you have a clear view of the role, the profile becomes the easiest place to apply it. This section sets direction. It tells the reader what kind of professional they are looking at and why the CV is relevant to the role in front of them.

Many profiles try to cover everything. Years of experience, broad strengths, personal qualities, and career history all get packed into a few lines. The result often reads well but asks the reader to do too much work.

A stronger approach is to treat the profile as a positioning statement for this role.

Start by grounding it in the role itself. Use the job title language that appears in the advert. Keep it accurate to your background and seniority. This helps the reader place you quickly without needing to scan further down the page.

Next, anchor the profile in the problems the role exists to solve. These usually appear in the advert as responsibilities or priorities. Focus on two or three areas where your experience clearly overlaps. This is not the place to list everything you can do. It is the place to show relevance early.

Then add proof. Scale, scope, and outcomes matter here. Numbers help. The size of teams, regions covered, budgets managed, programmes delivered, or markets supported all give weight to the statement. This helps the reader trust what they are reading before they reach the detail.

Huntr’s data supports this approach. CVs that moved forward tended to make their case early. They did not rely on the reader reaching page two to understand fit and impact. The profile carried that signal at the top of the page.

When the profile clearly reflects the requirements of the role, the rest of the CV reads with more intent. Experience feels connected rather than broad. Achievements land with more meaning. That shift often comes from a few lines of relevant writing.

The next area to look at is how the first half page supports that message and helps the reader stay with you.

Make the first half page carry the weight

After the profile, attention drops quickly. This is not a judgement on the reader. It is a reality of how CVs get reviewed when time is tight and application numbers stay high.

The first half page decides whether someone keeps reading.

Start with the basics. Name and contact details should sit cleanly at the top. Make it easy to see who the CV belongs to and how to reach you.

The profile comes next, followed by key skills. This section works best when it stays tight and relevant. Each skill should link clearly to the role being applied for. Avoid listing everything you have ever touched.

From there, move straight into experience.

Write experience so it reflects how the role will be judged

A useful way to think about experience is this. Every role exists to deliver a small number of outcomes. Hiring teams review CVs with those outcomes in mind, even if they do not state them clearly. Your job is to help them see that connection without asking them to work it out for themselves.

Start each relevant role with a line that sets scope. This gives context before the detail appears. Team size, region, client type, product area, or responsibility level all help the reader place the role quickly.

Then focus on the bullets that follow.

Each bullet should show three things in a single line of thought. What you did. How you did it. What changed as a result. Keep the language grounded what you did. Systems used, stakeholders involved, decisions made, problems solved. Outcomes matter here, whether they relate to delivery, growth, efficiency, risk, or quality.

A simple bullet formula that works: Did X (what you did) using Y (tool, method, stakeholder) so that Z (measurable outcome).

Huntr’s data supports this method. CVs that progressed tended to include fewer bullets per role, with slightly more substance in each one. The reader gained a clearer picture of the impact. That balance helped experience land more effectively.

My top tip

Look at the last person in the role.

One of the simplest ways to sense-check a CV rarely gets mentioned. It comes from how recruiters shortlist in practice.

When a role opens up, the first point of reference is often the person who held it before. Their background and experience provide a useful reference point.

If you can find information about the last person in the role, take a few minutes to study it. Look at how they describe their experience. Pay attention to the areas they emphasised. Industry exposure, type of work, level of responsibility, or specific environments all leave clues.

Then compare that view with your own CV.

The goal here is to spot overlap that may not be visible on your page. In many cases, people already have experience that matches the role closely, yet they describe it in different terms or place it further down the document.

This is where small adjustments can make a difference. Bringing a relevant project forward. Adding context to a role that feels familiar to the hiring team. Using language that reflects how the work is understood inside that organisation.

Looking at the role this way helps you step out of your own head. It brings you closer to how decisions are actually made. That perspective sets you up well for a final check before sending an application.

Don’t Make it Harder For Yourself

When people raise the question of targeted CVs, it is rarely because they doubt their experience. It usually comes from frustration with how much effort goes into each application and how little feedback comes back. That gap creates uncertainty, and it is easy to assume the answer must involve doing more.

What tends to help is a shift in focus rather than an increase in workload. The approach outlined here works because it accepts that most of a CV does not change and does not need to. The value lies in making a small part of the document work harder by reflecting how you are the right person for the role.

Over time, that focus starts to ease some of the strain that builds up during a job search. Decisions about what to adjust become clearer. Most importantly, the CV begins to support the process rather than adding to it. That is usually where progress starts to return.

Let's work together and optimise your career

I’ve spent the past seven years writing CVs for professionals across the UK and Europe, helping them present their experience in a way that gets noticed by employers.

If you are interested in learning more about the CV Writing Services we provide, get in touch.

Best of luck,

Dave Crumby

Your Career Optimiser | Certified CV Writer

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