CV / resume guides
111 practical guides on getting interviews, matching your CV / resume to a job, and the keywords employers use for specific roles.
Guides by topic
Getting interviews
- Not Getting Job Interviews? Fix Your Resume and Get ResultsNot getting job interviews? Work out where your applications stall and fix the most likely cause, starting with how your CV / resume matches each job.
- Why Am I Not Getting Interviews?The real reasons you're not getting interviews, from targeting and timing to how your CV / resume shows the match, with a way to check each one.
- Applied to 100 Jobs and Got No Response?Applied to 100 jobs and heard nothing? Why silence is so common now, what it usually says about your CV / resume, and a practical way to fix it before your next application.
- How to Get More Job InterviewsPractical ways to get more job interviews: target the right roles, tailor your CV / resume, use referrals and apply early. No tricks.
- Resume Not Getting Responses? Fix Your CV and Get InterviewsYour CV / resume isn't getting responses? Check the job choice, the channel, the timing and the match before sending more applications.
- Resume Not Shortlisted?Why your CV / resume isn't shortlisted and what shortlisting depends on: must-haves on page one, the right title, eligibility and evidence.
- Why Is My Resume Not Getting Noticed?Why your CV / resume isn't getting noticed and how to fix the first page: headline, summary, relevant experience first and evidence a reader sees quickly.
- Overqualified But Not Getting Interviews?Overqualified and not getting interviews? Why employers hesitate and how to adjust your CV / resume so your experience reads as a fit, not a risk.
- Why Am I Not Getting Job Offers?Getting interviews but no job offers? The usual reasons at the interview stage and how to fix them, from preparation and examples to references.
Rejections
- Why Your Resume Gets RejectedThe most common reasons a CV / resume gets rejected, grouped by cause, with what to do about each.
- Resume Keeps Getting Rejected? Fix Your CV and Get InterviewsYour CV / resume keeps getting rejected? Find the pattern across your rejections and fix the cause, instead of rewriting everything.
- Resume Rejected Without Feedback?Rejected without feedback? Why it's so common, how to ask for feedback politely, and how to review your own CV / resume when no one tells you.
- Resume Rejection CheckerA checklist of the most common reasons a CV / resume gets rejected, so you can check yours before you apply, plus a free check against a real job ad.
- Resume Failed ATS? Here’s Why (And How to Fix It Fast)Think your CV / resume failed ATS screening? The likely reasons, how to tell them apart, and what to fix before your next application.
ATS and matching to a job
- How to Pass ATS and Get Your Resume SeenHow applicant tracking systems are actually used in hiring, the common myths, and what you can do so your CV / resume is found and read.
- How to Fix Your Resume for ATSPractical fixes that make your CV / resume easier for applicant tracking systems and recruiters to read: layout, headings, file type and job-specific content.
- Free ATS Resume CheckerWhat an ATS resume check can and can't tell you, which formatting problems to fix, and a free check of your CV / resume against a real job.
- ATS Resume Test – See If Your Resume PassesFour quick tests that show whether your CV / resume can be read by applicant tracking systems and whether it matches the job you're applying for.
- Match Your Resume to a Job Description and Get More InterviewsHow to compare your CV / resume with a job description side by side, find what's missing, and tailor it truthfully before you apply.
- Resume Doesn’t Match Job Description?When your CV / resume doesn't match the job description: the three kinds of mismatch and how to close each one honestly.
- How to Improve Your Resume Match ScoreWhat a resume match score measures and how to raise it truthfully: close real gaps, use the job's wording, add evidence and move relevant experience up.
- Resume Keyword Optimizer – Find Missing CV Keywords FastFind the keywords your CV / resume is missing for a specific job, decide which ones matter, and add them truthfully in the right places.
- Resume Match Tool – Check Your CV Against a Job DescriptionCheck your CV / resume against a job description: match score, missing keywords, the main gap and what to change. First check free, no account, CV / resume not stored.
- Best Resume KeywordsWhich resume keywords matter, the five types employers search for, how to find them in any job ad and examples by field.
Writing your CV / resume
- How to Write a Resume That Actually Gets InterviewsHow to write a CV / resume that gets interviews: structure, what to put in each section, how to write strong bullets and how to tailor it for each job.
- Best Resume Format (ATS-Friendly – What Actually Works)The CV / resume format that works best for most jobs: reverse-chronological, one column, standard headings. With an example layout you can copy.
- Free Resume Template (ATS-Friendly)A free, plain-text CV / resume template you can copy into Word or Google Docs, with guidance for each section. Simple, readable and easy to tailor.
- Resume Summary Examples That Get InterviewsResume summary examples for different roles and career stages, a simple formula to write your own, and how to tailor it to each job.
- Resume Objective Examples (That Actually Get Interviews)Resume objective examples for entry-level candidates, career changers and relocations, when an objective makes sense and when a summary works better.
- Resume Skills Examples That Actually Get InterviewsResume skills examples by category, how to choose the right ones for each job, and how to prove them in your experience instead of just listing them.
- Is Your Resume Too Generic?Signs your CV / resume is too generic and how to make it specific to the job: targeted summary, concrete results and the employer's own terms.
Examples
- Entry Level Resume Example (No Experience – ATS-Friendly)An entry-level CV / resume example you can adapt, what to include with little experience, and how to make projects and part-time work count.
- Resume With No Experience (How to Get Interviews)How to write a CV / resume with no work experience: what to include instead, an example you can adapt, and how to show you're ready for the job.
- Customer Service Resume ExampleA customer service CV / resume example you can adapt, the keywords employers look for and how to show volume, channels and results.
Sector guides
- Maritime Resume GuideHow to write a maritime CV / resume for sea-going, offshore, yacht and shore-based roles: structure, certificates, sea service table and how to describe your duties.
- Maritime Resume Keywords & CV GuideMaritime CV / resume keywords for deck, engine, hotel and offshore roles: certificates, sea service, systems and safety, with how to present them clearly.
- Finance Resume Keywords (Banking, Risk & Analyst Jobs)Finance resume keywords for banking, risk, compliance and analyst roles, grouped by area, with examples of how to show them truthfully in your CV / resume.
- Tech Resume Keywords & CV GuideTech resume keywords for developers, data and IT roles, grouped by area, with tips on matching the job's stack and showing proof of your work.
Keywords by job
How to use keyword guidesHealthcare
Maritime and offshore
- Able Seaman
- Chief Engineer
- Chief Officer
- Chief Steward
- Deck Cadet
- First Engineer
- Marine Electrician
- Marine Superintendent
- Marine Surveyor
- Master Mariner (Captain)
- Motorman / Oiler
- Offshore Installation Manager
- Offshore Steward
- Second Officer
- Steward
- Technical Superintendent
- Third Engineer
- Yacht Engineer
- Yacht Steward / Stewardess