12 CV tips to improve your CV instantly (2026 update)
A CV that passes HR software and recruiters isn't an art, but it is craft. The 12 tips below are the highest-impact ones you can apply today.
Recruiters scan your CV in 6-7 seconds. Before them, an ATS system has often already seen it. The 12 tips below are the high-impact improvements that make the difference between 'forwarded' and 'rejected'. No vague advice - concrete actions you can apply to your CV in 30 minutes.
1. Put your name and job title at the top, prominently
Recruiters read your name and current job title in 100% of first scans (eye-tracking, Ladders Inc.). Make them at least 1.5× larger than the rest of your text, and put the job title right under your name. No 'Curriculum Vitae' header at the top - redundant.
2. Replace your profile summary with numbers
'Driven marketing professional with passion for growth' = empty. Replace with: 'Marketing manager with 8 years B2B SaaS experience. Launched features that delivered €2.1M ARR. Cut CAC by 28% via SEO strategy.' Role + years + 2 strengths + 1 measurable result.
3. Start every bullet with a strong verb
'Responsible for' is not an achievement. 'Led', 'Reduced', 'Launched', 'Streamlined', 'Achieved' - those are achievements. A strong bullet has three elements: action verb, task, measurable result. 'Led team of 6 that hit €2.1M ARR target.'
4. Add numbers to at least 50% of your bullets
Numbers make vague achievements concrete. Time ('in 14 months'), amounts ('€2.8M budget'), percentages ('28% reduction'), counts ('200 customers'). No exact numbers? Estimate conservatively and be honest in interview.
5. Maximum 5 bullets per role
More than 5 bullets per role = recruiter stops scanning. Pick the strongest 3-5. For older roles: 2-3 bullets is enough. Older the role, shorter the treatment - focus on recent work.
6. Use standard section names
ATS systems recognize 'Work experience', 'Education', 'Skills' - not 'My professional journey' or 'What I can do'. Be predictable. Creativity belongs in your bullets, not your section names.
7. Avoid tables, columns and infographics
Beautiful design doesn't win a job if the ATS can't read it. Tables break text parsers. Two-column layouts often get read left-to-right instead of top-to-bottom by ATS. Keep it linear.
8. Use a readable standard font
Inter, Calibri, Arial, Lato, Garamond, Source Serif - all good. Comic Sans, Times New Roman (dated) and decorative fonts: no. Our 8 templates pick the font for you.
9. Write in active voice
'The budget was managed by me' = passive, weak. 'Managed €2.8M budget' = active, strong. Write as if you do things, not as if things happen to you.
10. Don't list outdated skills
'MS Office' in 2026 is like writing 'can read'. Cut basic skills every candidate has. Only list what really sets you apart: specific software, advanced tools, languages with level, certifications.
11. Have at least 2 people read your CV
Spelling errors are the #1 reason for instant rejection. Even with spell check: ask 2 people to read it. Ask specifically for things that are unclear or boring - not just typos.
12. Test your CV against an ATS before sending
Our 8 templates are all ATS-tested, but you can check your own CV: copy text from your PDF and paste into a blank document. Does everything come through cleanly? Then the ATS reads your CV. Scattered or incomplete text? Then your layout needs fixing.
Conclusion
None of the tips above takes more than 5 minutes to implement. Yet we see CVs over and over that do none of these 12. Walk through them, apply them, and your CV is instantly stronger than 80% of what lands in HR inboxes. Want to walk through it on an already-ATS-friendly template? Build your CV free at CVontwerper.
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