CV review: how well does your CV fit your target role?

When to use a role-based review instead of a job advert comparison

Not every job search starts with a specific advert. If you are exploring options, researching a career change, or building a CV before applications open, you still want to know whether your document reads as credible for the type of role you want. This review compares your CV against the general expectations, common requirements and typical vocabulary for that role.

What the review covers

• Relevance: how clearly your experience maps onto the target role
• Seniority signal: whether your CV reads as junior, mid, or senior level for that field
• Missing standard requirements: qualifications, tools or certifications typically expected
• Structure and clarity: whether a recruiter could understand your fit within 10 seconds of scanning
• Language: whether you are using the terminology recruiters in that field actually search for

Example: reviewing a CV for 'Data Analyst'

For a role like Data Analyst, the review would check for evidence of tools such as SQL, Excel or a BI platform, examples of turning data into a business recommendation, and a summary that positions the candidate clearly as analytical rather than purely technical or purely managerial. If the CV only lists 'strong Excel skills' with no example of what was analysed or decided as a result, the review will flag that as a missed opportunity to demonstrate impact.

Adjusting your CV for a career change

If you are moving into a new field, the review pays particular attention to transferable skills and how clearly they are framed. A retail supervisor moving into project coordination, for example, should highlight scheduling, stock forecasting and staff coordination in language a project management recruiter would recognise, rather than retail-specific jargon.

It also helps to add a short summary statement at the top explaining your transition directly: 'Retail team leader transitioning into project coordination, with five years managing schedules, budgets and teams of up to 15 people.' This removes any doubt about your intentions before the recruiter reads further.

How seniority is judged

Turning the review into action

Every review comes with specific, prioritised suggestions rather than generic advice. Start with anything flagged as a 'core requirement gap', since these are the items most likely to get a CV filtered out early. Then work through language and structure suggestions, which affect how convincing your CV is once it is actually read.

Combining this with the interview simulator

Once your CV reads well for your target role, it is worth rehearsing how you would talk about the same experience out loud. The interview simulator can generate role-specific questions so you are prepared to expand on anything your CV highlights.