How to Tailor a CV for a Specific Job

If you have your heart set on a specific type of job, your current CV may not be doing you any favours if it is just a general rehashing of your qualifications and experience. You need something more targeted. Something that will get the attention of the people in charge of filling your preferred position. In this guide, the team at Triumph Consultants show you how to tailor your CV for a specific job. In particular, a specific public sector job.

A Comprehensive Guide Demonstrating How to Tailor Your CV for a Specific Job

While the following tips will be slanted toward securing a public sector job, you will find they apply just as well to obtaining the specific private sector job you’re after. That said, let’s get started.

Get to know what they’re looking for

• Read the job description carefully. Don’t ignore anything or brush anything aside. Note the specific qualifications, skills and experience they are looking for.
• Research the agency/company. Spend some time researching the agency that has listed the job. If you are seeking private sector work, learn as much as you can about the company.
• Learn about the core values of the department or agency. You want to be a good cultural fit, so familiarise yourself with the core values of the department, agency or business.

Revisit your current CV

• Review your current CV: Now that you know exactly what your target job is looking for, go through your CV and see if it reflects those qualifications, skills and experience.
• Rewrite: If your CV comes up short, rewrite it with your preferred job in mind. That does not mean making things up. It means emphasising those aspects of your skillset and experience that will make you a good candidate and de-emphasising those things that won’t.
• Include keywords: Make sure you incorporate some keywords from the job description into your CV to demonstrate your connection to the role.
• Update your list of skills: Include skills that are relevant to the position and eliminate some that could suggest you are a better candidate for a different position. (Remember, this rewrite is about controlling the narrative around you.)
• Tailor your experience: When it comes to listing experience, choose what you include carefully, emphasising those things that would make you a good candidate for the job you want.

Additional Tips

Make sure the layout of your rewritten CV is clear and professional. Use bullet points for qualifications and experience, and ensure everything is visually appealing, easy to read and logically laid out. Hiring managers sift through a lot of CV, so you need to make sure you keep things concise and on-point.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to tailor a CV for a specific job, be it in the public or private sector, you have a better chance of catching the eye of the hiring manager and securing an interview. And if it’s a public sector position you’re after, get in touch with Triumph Consultants, the public sector job experts.