UK applications Role-specific CVs Final checks and tailoring

CV Guides

Search CV guides by job title, career stage, UK application route, or CV problem so you can tighten the exact section holding an application back.

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Search by role, application type, or the part of the CV you need to fix.

Showing 2 of 78 guides for "ATS".

Browse targeted CV guides

Start with the exact section or application route you need to improve, then compare role-specific, UK, and final-check guides that explain what the CV needs to prove.

2 guides visible

Application assets 9 min read

Keyword Optimisation Guide

Keyword optimisation on a CV is really about relevance, not stuffing. The strongest CVs use the language employers search for, but they place those terms in the right sections, support them with believable evidence, and keep the document readable to a person scanning quickly. Good keyword work should make the match clearer, not make the writing feel artificial.

One thing to know

Pull keywords from the advert and prioritise the terms that are repeated, essential, or tied to the actual work rather than the company marketing language.

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CV fundamentals 10 min read

ATS-Friendly CV Guide

If you are trying to make your CV ATS friendly, focus first on whether the file can be parsed cleanly and whether the important evidence is written in plain, recognisable language. The strongest ATS-friendly CVs are not stuffed with keywords or built around awkward templates; they use stable formatting, standard headings, and role-relevant wording that still reads well to a human reviewer.

One thing to know

Use standard section headings, simple chronology, and plain text layouts so the ATS can read the document reliably.

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Popular paths

Common starting points

When you are still deciding what to search for, these topic clusters point you toward the most relevant guide family without forcing you to scan every card.

CV fundamentals

How to Write a CV, ATS-Friendly CV Guide, How to Structure a CV, Skills to Put on a CV

Career stage

First Job CV, Graduate CV, Executive CV, Career Break CV

UK applications

UK CV Format, Civil Service CV, Success Profiles CV, Supporting Statement vs CV

Industry guides

Software Engineer CV, Project Manager CV, Customer Service CV, Nursing CV

Use the advice in context

Pair writing guides with real CV examples

Use the guides to decide what evidence belongs on the page, then compare against public CV examples to see how that advice looks in a finished layout for a real role or level.

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