Match your CV to the job description, not just the job title
A strong CV makes the right evidence easy to find. Read what the job actually requires, then show the experience that proves you can do it.
Oxford, Berkeley and Harvard give the same basic advice. Tailor the CV to the position, separate required and preferred qualifications, and support relevant skills with clear examples of contribution and impact.
1. Start with the criteria, not the title
Job titles are inconsistent. Pull the real requirements from:
- Responsibilities
- Required qualifications
- Preferred qualifications
- Tools and domain knowledge
- Expected outcomes
2. Separate the job description into three groups
Must prove
Requirements stated as required, essential or minimum.
Useful advantage
Preferred experience, sector knowledge or additional tools.
Context
Company language, benefits, culture copy and background information that does not need to appear in the CV.
3. Map every important requirement to evidence
Use a simple table:
| What the job asks for | Evidence already in the CV | What is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Stakeholder management | Led weekly client reviews | Scale and outcome |
| SQL reporting | Built reporting queries | Business impact |
| Team leadership | Managed four analysts | Delivery result |
The point is not to mention every phrase. It is to make the strongest relevant evidence explicit.
4. Fix weak evidence before adding keywords
“Responsible for weekly reporting”
This only describes a duty.
“Built weekly SQL reporting used by sales and operations to track pipeline risk”
The stronger version shows the work, audience and purpose.
Do not invent numbers. Do not inflate ownership. Strengthen what is already true.
5. Use the employer’s language carefully
Use a term from the job description where:
- It accurately describes your experience
- The employer uses a more precise name for work you have done
- Your CV currently hides the relevant skill behind different wording
Do not paste lists of keywords into a skills section merely because they appear in the advert.
6. Final check
Before applying, ask:
- Are the three most important requirements easy to find?
- Is each claim backed by a real example?
- Are relevant outcomes clearer than routine duties?
- Are important job terms absent despite being accurate?
- Is anything included only because it “sounds right”?
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