One CV, two job ads: what changes and why

One person, the same facts and two job ads with different requirements. We show how the CV changes for each one, which words from the ad go into the text and which requirements become visible. The person and the ads are fictional.

Facts about the candidate

Anna Example (fictional). Only this information can go into the CV:

• Since 2021: customer service at an online homeware shop, handling live chat and email, returns and complaints, and some inbound customer calls.
• Uses a CRM system and the shop’s order system every day.
• Before that (2018–2021): cashier and sales assistant in a supermarket, working shifts.
• Trains new team members; written and spoken English at C1 (CEFR), native Polish.

Starting point: one CV for every job

Summary: I have a background in customer service and sales. I am a good communicator, reliable and I enjoy helping people.

• Customer service for an online shop
• Till operator at a supermarket
• Helping new colleagues settle in

Job ad A: customer service adviser, live chat and email (online shop)

Customer Service Adviser (Live Chat and Email)
Requirements: live chat and email support, handling returns and complaints, experience using a CRM system, written English at C1 level, online retail experience.

Requirements in the ad: live chat and email support, handling returns and complaints, experience using a CRM system, written English at C1 level, online retail experience

Visible after tailoring: live chat and email support, handling returns and complaints, experience using a CRM system, written English at C1 level, online retail experience.

Job ad B: contact centre adviser (phone)

Contact Centre Adviser
Requirements: handling inbound customer calls, experience using a CRM system, shift work, training new team members, experience selling mobile phone contracts.

Requirements in the ad: handling inbound customer calls, experience using a CRM system, shift work, training new team members, experience selling mobile phone contracts

Visible after tailoring: handling inbound customer calls, experience using a CRM system, shift work, training new team members. Still missing: experience selling mobile phone contracts. This is not in the facts about the candidate, so it does not go into the CV.

What changed and why

• The profile talks about what each ad is looking for: live chat, email and complaints for A; inbound calls and shift work for B.
• The same duties are described in the ad’s words. “Customer service for an online shop” becomes “handling inbound customer calls” for B, because that is what she really did.
• The order of the bullets changes so that what matters most for each ad comes first.
• Nothing was added. She has never sold mobile phone contracts, so that requirement from ad B stays missing and does not appear in her CV.

Check your CV against a job ad Create a CV for your job ad

Questions

Is tailoring a CV the same as adding experience?

No. Both versions contain the same facts. What changes is the order, the wording and what goes into the profile. Requirements the person doesn’t meet stay missing.

How is “x of 5 requirements visible” worked out?

We check whether the words of each requirement from the ad appear in the CV text shown on this page. It is a simple check for illustration. Real ads are longer, and real systems and recruiters work in different ways.

Do I need to tailor my CV for every job?

It’s worth it for jobs you really want and when you move to a different kind of work, for example from live chat to phone support. For very similar ads, a small change to your profile is often enough.

Read next