The art of an intentional CV

Over the last few months, more and more candidates have been telling me the same thing. They are applying for roles they are well suited to; they are using AI to help write their CVs in minutes, and they aren't getting any traction.

When I posted about this on LinkedIn, a lot of people in the comments hadn't come across it and some thought it only happened in HR. From where I sit, speaking to candidates every day, it is happening everywhere. AI makes CVs sound polished, and it also makes them sound like everyone else's.

One candidate I worked with recently wasn't using AI at all. Her CV was written in her own words and her personality came through on every page. She was getting more interviews than anyone else I was speaking to in her field.

That has stuck with me, especially for government contract roles. They are highly competitive, and so many of the CVs I see now read the same way. Panels are assessing your judgement and your experience, and a generic CV doesn't show them either of those. The fix is in your hands. Show the panel how you think, and sound like yourself while you do it.

My top CV and application tips

1. Use the position description as your guide

Your CV should clearly highlight the experience that lines up with the role you are applying for. It doesn't need to hold everything you have ever done. If the position description is broad, use your CV to tell the story of the work you are most proud of.

2. Address the selection criteria directly

If something is a named criterion, such as complex, large-scale delivery, say so plainly and give the example. A panel is reading a lot of applications, so make it easy for them to find instead of leaving them to work it out from what you've implied.

3. Lead with your strongest example

Open with the piece of work that best shows what you can do, and frame it as a problem you solved. Describe what was unclear or undefined at the start and how you worked out what was needed. That tells a panel far more about you than a list of what you delivered.

4. Show your reasoning and judgement

Panels want to see the outcome and how you got there. They are looking for how you approached a problem, especially one without an obvious answer. A sentence or two on why you made the call you did is often the most valuable part of an example.

5. Keep it focused

Anything that isn't core to the role, like niche vendor or tool-specific work, gets a line or two at most. Your suitability statement should be no longer than one page and focus on your experience, your capability and the outcomes you achieved.

6. Add something personal

Put a little of yourself in there, whether that's an interest, a value or your own take on the work you do. It is often the line a panel remembers, and it is the part AI can't write for you.

The mistakes I'm seeing most, especially with AI CVs

Buzzwords you would never say out loud

Words like spearheaded and pioneered show up in almost every AI-written CV. My rule is simple. If there is a word in your CV that you would never use in conversation, change it to the one you would.

Too little detail, or too much

Keep it succinct, with enough information that someone reading it understands what the project was and what you did on it. If a panel finishes a paragraph still unsure what your role was, it needs more. If they have to read three paragraphs to find out, it needs less.

No measures of success

Specific numbers bring an example to life. Add how much was saved, how many people were involved or the percentage improvement you made. Even one figure per role makes your experience easier to picture.

Once you get the interview

A strong CV gets you in the room, and the same principles carry through to the interview. This is what I share with every candidate before they meet a panel.

Refresh your examples. Read through your CV and the examples you used in your application before the interview, so you can speak to them confidently and connect them to the role.

Use STAR to structure your answers. Walk the panel through the Situation, the Task, the Action you took and the Result. It keeps your answer clear and makes sure your judgement comes through.

Check in on detail. If you are not sure you have given enough, ask, "Would you like me to go into more detail on that?" If you think you have gone on too long, it's completely fine to pause and say, "Apologies, I may have gone into too much detail. Did that answer your question?"

Research your panel. Knowing who you are speaking to helps you pitch your examples at the right level. I send my candidates the LinkedIn profiles of their panel before the interview so they walk in knowing who is across the table.

Sound like yourself. AI can be a useful starting point, and the candidates getting the most interviews are the ones who make the final version their own. Your experience, your reasoning and your personality are what a panel is hiring, so let them come through.