Tailoring a CV does not mean rewriting your career for every application.
It means making the most relevant evidence easiest to find.
Pull out the real requirements
Create three lists from the vacancy:
Must have - the role probably cannot work without it.
Important - useful capabilities that appear several times.
Nice to have - extras.
Then compare your CV with those lists.
Reorder your evidence
If your most relevant work is currently bullet four, move it to bullet one.
If an older project demonstrates the exact skill the startup wants, give it enough space to be noticed.
A CV is not a diary. It is a selection.
Use the employer's language accurately
If the vacancy says “B2B SaaS”, and you genuinely worked in B2B SaaS, use that phrase.
Do not stuff keywords you cannot defend.
The goal is clarity for a human reader and any recruitment software the employer uses.
Show transferable evidence
If you are moving from a large organisation to a startup, highlight situations where you:
- took ownership
- worked cross-functionally
- created a process
- handled ambiguity
- spoke to users or customers
- improved something measurable
- delivered with limited resources
If you are a graduate, equivalent evidence can come from projects, societies, part-time work and volunteering.
Cut irrelevant detail
A tailored CV often gets better by removing things.
If a six-year-old responsibility does not help this role, shorten it.
Give the space to the evidence that does.
Do one final test
Read only:
- your profile
- first bullet from each role
- skills section
Would someone understand why you applied to this specific job?
If not, tailor again.