Let\u2019s be honest for a second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most CVs? They\u2019re… kind of lifeless. Like someone ironed out all the personality and left behind a list of chores. \u201cResponsible for this.\u201d \u201cManaged that.\u201d It reads like a robot describing a human. Which is ironic, because in 2026, robots are actually reading<\/em> your CV first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. That\u2019s where we are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So the question isn\u2019t just what have you done?<\/em> Because that\u2019s about how long you\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People still do this. They start from high school, list everything, stretch it to 3 pages like they\u2019re writing a memoir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your CV is not your biography. It\u2019s more like a highlight reel. Or even better \u2014 a trailer. The fast-cut version. The \u201cwait, who is this person?\u201d version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re not trying to say everything. You\u2019re trying to make someone pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You know that little summary at the top? Most people either skip it or fill it with\u2026 nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am a hardworking individual\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n No one believes that. Not because it\u2019s false, but because it\u2019s empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try this instead \u2014 and yeah, it might feel weird at first:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Say something specific. Something with teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I help small businesses turn boring websites into sales machines \u2014 increased conversions by 40% in under a year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Now suddenly, there\u2019s a picture. There\u2019s movement. There\u2019s a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not perfect. It doesn\u2019t need to be. It just needs to feel real<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is probably the biggest CV crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll see something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay\u2026 and?<\/p>\n\n\n\n That tells me what your job was<\/em>, not what you did with it<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Flip it. Twist it. Add some weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Numbers help. Even rough ones. Even estimated ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think: What changed because you were there?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s the real story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not a person. Not yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is scanning your CV before any human sees it. And it\u2019s not \u201creading\u201d like a person \u2014 it\u2019s hunting for patterns. Keywords. Familiar shapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So yeah, you have to play that game a little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the job says: Guess what should show up in your CV?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exactly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But don\u2019t go stuffing keywords like you\u2019re cramming a suitcase. It still has to sound natural. Like a person wrote it. Because eventually\u2026 a person will<\/em> read it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This part feels small, but it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A messy CV is like walking into an interview with a wrinkled shirt. Maybe unfair, but it matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep it clean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And please \u2014 no wild fonts. You\u2019re not designing a nightclub flyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simple works. Simple wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s always that section:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Skills:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s\u2026 fine. But it\u2019s also forgettable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re going to list skills, make them earned<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Better yet, show them somewhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of saying \u201cleadership,\u201d show a bullet point where you led something. Let the reader connect the dots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, if you include a section, organize it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nobody likes this part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It feels repetitive. You tweak a few lines, change a few words\u2026 apply again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But here\u2019s the thing: a generic CV is easy to ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A tailored one feels like it belongs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even small changes matter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s the difference between \u201cone of many\u201d and \u201cthis one fits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might feel like you don\u2019t have enough experience. Or your CV isn\u2019t \u201cimpressive enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But here\u2019s a better question: Most people aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They undersell themselves. They soften everything. They hide the good parts under vague wording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t need to exaggerate \u2014 just stop minimizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2026, saying you can do something is\u2026 okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Showing it? Way better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve got:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Include them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even a simple link can shift how someone sees you. It makes you real. Verifiable. Less of a guess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Typos happen. Everyone makes them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But on a CV? They hit differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They whisper, \u201cI rushed this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So take 5 minutes. Read it slowly. Maybe out loud (yes, it feels weird). You\u2019ll catch t<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not fancy words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not even experience, sometimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s clarity. Energy. A sense that there\u2019s a real person behind the page who knows what they bring to the table \u2014 even if they\u2019re still figuring it out a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your CV doesn\u2019t need to be flawless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It just needs to make someone think:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHmm. Let\u2019s talk to this person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And honestly? That\u2019s enough.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Let\u2019s be honest for a second. Most CVs? They\u2019re… kind of lifeless. Like someone ironed out all the personality and left behind a list of chores. \u201cResponsible for this.\u201d \u201cManaged that.\u201d It reads like a robot describing a human. Which is ironic, because in 2026, robots are actually reading your CV first. Yeah. That\u2019s where<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/phandaspani.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/phandaspani.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/phandaspani.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phandaspani.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phandaspani.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/phandaspani.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37,"href":"https:\/\/phandaspani.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36\/revisions\/37"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/phandaspani.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phandaspani.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phandaspani.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
It\u2019s more like: can you make someone care in 8 seconds or less?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nFirst thing \u2014 your CV is not your life story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
That opening paragraph? It matters more than you think<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Stop listing duties. Please. Just\u2026 stop.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Now here\u2019s the annoying part: AI is judging you first<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cProject management, Excel, data analysis\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nFormatting \u2014 boring topic, huge impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Skills\u2026 but not the way everyone does them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Tailoring your CV \u2014 yes, it\u2019s annoying, do it anyway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
A quick reality check (the slightly uncomfortable kind)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Are you explaining what you\u2019ve done in the strongest possible way?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nLinks, proof, evidence \u2014 show your work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
And please, read it one more time before sending<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
So\u2026 what actually makes a CV work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n