Build a CV that gets you interviews

Your CV has one job: earn you a conversation. In a crowded market, clarity and impact win. Here’s how to show what you can do — in a way that gets you noticed.

Nail the layout

If it’s hard to scan, it won’t be read. Be clear, concise and consistent.

• The top third of your CV is the prime real estate: here you need your personal statement, key skills, recent role, biggest wins.
• Consistent formatting is essential – it shows you care. Use the same style across headings, dates (MM/YYYY), bullet style and spellings.
• Prioritise white space over walls of text. Two pages is fine if every line earns its place.
• Put your contact details at the top: name, location (region is enough), email, mobile, LinkedIn/GitHub/portfolio.

Open with a sharp personal statement (3 lines max)

Set the tone, then get out of the way.

• Who you are: “Senior Java engineer specialising in low-latency trading systems.”
• What you bring: “10+ years improving throughput and resilience in regulated environments.”
• What you want next: “Now focused on platform engineering roles in fintech.”

Lead with outcomes, not duties

Hiring managers will scan for impact. Show what changed for the better because you were there.

• Use 3–5 bullets per role. Start with strong verbs. End with results.
  For example:
  • “Led a cross-functional squad to ship a payments feature used by 120k customers within 90 days.”
  • “Designed and rolled out zero-trust controls; reduced security incidents by 80%.”
  • “Automated nightly ETL; cut data latency from 24h to 30m.”

Quantify wherever you can

Numbers make claims credible.

• Swap “worked on” for “increased, reduced, delivered, migrated, automated”.
• Add scale: mention users, revenue, latency, cost, uptime, tickets, environments.

Add proof: testimonials and references

Third-party validation builds trust.

• One or two short quotes from a manager or stakeholder are enough.
• Include any LinkedIn recommendations or links if they’re strong.

Keep it readable for humans and ATS

Write for both the hiring manager and the system that screens candidates.

• Use Plain English. Minimal jargon. No dense blocks of text.
• Use the key words from the Job Description (skills, methodologies, tools) and weave them in wherever they fit naturally.
• Avoid keyword stuffing — it sounds clumsy and can backfire.

Proofread and keep it current

• Errors kill momentum; stale content wastes it.
• Run a spellcheck, then read aloud. Ask a peer to sanity-check.
• Update your CV after each project, release, or certification so it stays fresh.

Final checks before you send

• Does the first third of the page capture your fit for this exact role?
• Can someone skim and understand your impact in 30 seconds?
• Are the right keywords present — and do they feel natural?
• Do the numbers prove your worth?

You bring the substance. We help you communicate it. If it helps, share your CV and the Job Description with us — can edit and optimize it – and get you interview-ready.