Most CVs are sent as they are, to every job. Recruiters notice. A short, focused routine before each application makes your CV read as if it was written for that role, without rewriting it from scratch.

Start with the job post, not your CV

Read the post twice. The first time, read it as a candidate. The second time, read it as the hiring manager who wrote it: what problem are they trying to solve by hiring someone?

Highlight the duties and skills that appear more than once, or that sit at the top of the list. Those are what the shortlist will be judged on.

Match the top three requirements

Pick the three requirements that matter most. For each one, find a line in your CV that proves it, ideally with a number: a budget, a team size, a deadline met. If the proof is buried on page two, move it up.

Recruiters spend seconds on a first read. The proof they are looking for should be on the first half of page one.

Rewrite your summary for the role

Your summary is the one part worth rewriting every time. Three or four lines: who you are, the experience that matches this role, and what you would bring to it. Use the employer's own words where they are true for you.

Check it the way a recruiter would

Many employers use applicant tracking systems that read your CV before a person does. Keep the layout simple, use standard headings such as Experience and Education, and save it as a PDF unless the post asks for Word.

Finally, read only the top half of page one. If that half alone makes the case for this role, you are ready to apply.