How to write a CV that gets interviews.
A CV is not a life summary. It is a document written to answer one question in the reader's mind: is this person worth a conversation? Everything else is noise.
Write for a tired reader
Most CVs are read in under a minute, often on a phone, often at the end of a long day. The document that wins is the one that answers three questions before the reader has to look for them: what did you do, what changed because of you, and what are you looking for next. Everything on the page should serve one of those three.
Results, not responsibilities
Job descriptions describe responsibilities. CVs should describe outcomes. Replace every 'responsible for' with a concrete result — a number, a launch, a change, a saved cost, a team grown. If you cannot describe the outcome, question whether the line belongs on the page at all.
“Your CV does not need to say everything. It needs to make the reader want to ask.”
Design is an editorial choice
One column. Clear hierarchy. Consistent dates. No photograph unless the industry expects one. A CV that looks calm on the page reads as calm in the interview. Design is not decoration — it is a signal about how you think.
A short checklist
- One page for under ten years of experience. Two pages, maximum.
- Lead every bullet with a verb, then an outcome.
- Cut anything older than fifteen years unless it is decisive.
- Read it out loud. If a line does not earn its space, remove it.
In closing
A good CV is a small act of editorial confidence. It leaves the reader with a clear picture of one person, one direction and one obvious next step: to meet you.
Thinking about your next move?
Career Coaching at BTA is private, deliberate and honest. Bring the CV, the offer or the question — one conversation is often enough to see the next step clearly.
