How to write a CV that gets past the first screen in 2026
Hiring teams spend under a minute on a first read. Five changes that get more CVs to interview.
A strong CV is a short, targeted argument for why you fit this role, not a list of everything you have done.
Five changes that work
- Open with three lines written for the job you want next.
- Turn duties into results: numbers, outcomes and scale.
- Mirror the key skills from the listing, honestly.
- Keep it to two pages.
- Use a simple layout that applicant tracking systems can read.