Contents6 sections
  1. Start with a master CV
  2. Translate, don't invent
  3. What to change for each vacancy
  4. Where the line is
  5. Where CareerSide fits
  6. Common questions
CV basics

Tailoring your CV for each job, without lying

People worry that tailoring a CV means embellishing it. Tailoring is choosing which true things to say first, and saying them in the words the employer uses. Done well, it makes you easier to find and easier to believe.

CareerSide team Updated 4 min read
your master CVtailored for this jobsame facts+ new skillnever
Two versions of the same CV: the same lines reordered for a new job, with nothing new added.

Key takeaways

  • Keep one long master CV with everything. Each tailored version is a selection from it, never an addition to it.
  • Translate your experience into the employer's vocabulary, especially if you are changing sector.
  • Numbers make claims believable: team size, volumes, time saved, error rates.
  • Never add a skill, tool or qualification you do not have. Interviews and reference checks find out.

Start with a master CV

A master CV is a long private document with every job, task, tool and achievement you have; every tailored CV is cut from it.

Write it once, without worrying about length. For each job, list what you did, what you used and what changed because of you. It is much easier to select from a full list than to remember under pressure while an ad is open.

Try thisFor each role in your master CV

Translate, don't invent

Rewrite what you did in the vocabulary of the job you want, keeping every fact the same.

Teacher's words
  • Taught a class of 28 pupils
  • Parent-teacher meetings
  • Planned the school year
Same facts, for an HR coordinator role
  • Coordinated a group of 28 stakeholders under fixed deadlines
  • Held regular feedback conversations, including difficult ones
  • Planned and scheduled a 40-week programme with shared resources

What to change for each vacancy

Change the headline, the summary, the order of bullets in your recent roles, and the key terms; leave the facts alone.

  1. HeadlineMatch the target title, if it honestly describes you. "Warehouse Supervisor" applying for "Operations Coordinator" can write "Warehouse Supervisor, operations and scheduling".
  2. SummaryTwo or three lines built around the ad's top three requirements, with one number.
  3. Bullet orderIn your last two roles, put the tasks that match the ad first.
  4. TermsUse their tool and task names where they are accurate for you.
  5. CutRemove what is irrelevant to this job. Two focused pages beat three complete ones.

Where the line is

You may choose, order and rephrase true information; you may not add skills, titles, employers, dates or qualifications you do not have.

Fine
  • Using the ad's term for a task you did
  • Leading with your most relevant experience
  • Leaving out unrelated jobs
  • Rounding "about 60 a day" from a real average
Not fine
  • Listing software you have never used
  • Upgrading a job title
  • Stretching dates to hide a gap
  • Hidden white-text keywords
Myth

Everyone exaggerates a bit, so I have to as well.

What is actually true

Exaggeration gets you an interview you then have to survive. Accurate, well-translated experience gets you interviews where you can talk comfortably about everything on the page.

Where CareerSide fits

CareerSide tailors your CV and cover letter per vacancy using only the experience already in your CV, and shows you every change for approval.

Common questions

Is tailoring a CV the same as lying?
No. Tailoring means selecting, ordering and rephrasing true information for a specific job. Lying means adding skills, titles, dates or qualifications you do not have.
How long should a tailored CV be?
Usually one to two pages. Cut experience that is not relevant to the vacancy rather than shrinking the font.
Can I use AI to tailor my CV?
Yes, as long as you check every change. A good tool rephrases your real experience in the ad's terms; a bad one invents achievements. Read the result as if an interviewer will ask about each line, because they might.

Written by the CareerSide team. Published , last updated .

Put it into practice

Tailored CVs, only from what is true

CareerSide drafts a CV and cover letter for each vacancy you pick, from your real experience, and you approve each change. Free starter pack, no card.

Tailor my first CV free See how it works
Searches 20+ boards as often as every 4 hours
Scores every match and says why, skill by skill
Tailors your CV from what is already true
Never applies without you you approve every application

Free starter pack at signup · no card

Keep reading
Applications Why sending the same CV everywhere stops working A generic CV matches no recruiter search in particular. Why mass-applying goes quiet, and how to tailor applications without it taking all evening. 4 min readRead the guide CV basics How an ATS reads your CV, and what makes it unreadable Applicant tracking systems parse your CV into fields. Tables, text boxes and headers can scramble it. How parsing works and a five-minute test. 6 min readRead the guide Applications How to read a job ad: must-haves, nice-to-haves and the real ask Job ads mix real requirements with wish lists. Learn to spot the must-haves, when to apply without ticking every box, and which ads to skip. 4 min readRead the guide