By Jess Gazda, Business Consultant
Your CV has one job. Get you an interview.
It is not a career autobiography, a list of every task you have ever performed, or a document you send to dozens of employers unchanged. It is a targeted piece of communication, and the best ones are written with a specific role in mind.
In 2026, most CVs pass through an applicant tracking system before a human ever reads them. That means getting past the software is step one. Making a strong impression on a hiring manager is step two. You need to do both.
The personal profile sits at the top of your CV and is the first thing anyone reads. Most candidates waste it on lines like 'highly motivated professional with excellent communication skills.' That tells a hiring manager absolutely nothing.
Write two to four sentences that state who you are, what you specialise in, and what you are looking for. Be specific. 'Finance professional with eight years in management accounting across manufacturing and logistics, looking for a Financial Controller role in the Sheffield region' is immediately useful. 'Hardworking team player seeking new opportunities' is not.
Avoid describing yourself as passionate, driven, or results-focused. These are claims, not evidence. Use the space for facts.
One of the most common mistakes candidates make is sending the same CV to every application. Hiring managers can tell. Recruitment consultants can tell even faster.
Read the job description before you apply. Identify the key skills and requirements and make sure your CV reflects them. Your personal profile, your most recent role, and your key skills section should all speak directly to the position you are going for.
Many applicant tracking systems filter by keyword. If the job description says 'SAP experience essential' and your CV never mentions SAP, it may be screened out automatically, even if you have years of relevant experience.
List your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent position. For each role, include the job title, company name, dates, and a concise description of what you did and what you achieved.
The achievements are the part most candidates miss. Instead of 'responsible for managing the finance team,' try 'managed a team of six, reducing month-end close from ten days to five.' Numbers and outcomes carry far more weight than a list of duties.
Keep each role description focused. For recent positions, four to six bullet points is enough. Roles more than ten years ago rarely need more than a line or two.
Two pages is the standard. One page works for early-career candidates. Three or more pages almost always need cutting.
Remove anything that does not add value. Old roles do not need a full breakdown. Interests and hobbies are optional and only worth including if they are genuinely relevant or noteworthy. You do not need a photograph, your date of birth, or a line saying references are available on request.
Use a clean, readable font between 10 and 12 points. Arial and Calibri both work well. Avoid decorative fonts, heavy use of colour, and complex layouts. Your CV may be printed in black and white or read on a small screen.
Use white space to break up sections. Bold your job titles and company names so the structure is easy to scan. Proof-read carefully. A spelling mistake on a CV can end an application before it has started.
If you are working with a recruitment consultant, they will give you feedback on your CV before it goes anywhere. Use that feedback. They know what hiring managers in your sector respond to and a small adjustment can make a significant difference to your response rate.
Working with a specialist consultant also means your CV reaches the right people directly, not just the job boards. If you are ready to explore what is available, get in touch with the Elevation team.
Contact us at https://www.elevationrecruitmentgroup.com/contact-us
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