How to Adapt Your CV for Different Industries (Without Rewriting It Every Time)
When applying to new roles, one of the biggest challenges is adapting your CV to fit different industries.
Should you create one version for consulting, another for finance, and another for tech?
Not necessarily - you just need to learn how to reframe your experience so that your achievements speak the language of each industry.
Whether you’re shifting from finance to strategy, or exploring growth roles in tech, this guide will help you identify what matters most to each audience and adapt your CV with confidence.
Step 1. Focus, Clarity, and Impact: The Core CV Principles
Before tailoring, start by sharpening the foundation of your CV.
Focus: Each CV should target one type of role or industry. A generalist CV rarely resonates because it doesn’t feel relevant.
Clarity: Use concise, punchy language. Recruiters scan CVs for patterns and results, not long descriptions.
Impact: Every bullet should answer: “So what?” - what changed because you did this?
Example:
❌ “Built investor relations strategy to raise first fund round (€5M).”
✅ “Built investor relations strategy that secured €5M in seed funding, fueling market expansion to three new regions.”
That small shift turns a task into a measurable business result - exactly what hiring managers look for.
Step 2. One Story, Many Versions: How to Adapt for Each Industry
You don’t need to rewrite your entire CV — you just need to adjust the emphasis of each story.
Here’s how to think about it, say you considering career in Consluting, Finance or Growth&Strategy roles
Consulting: emphasize analytical structure, leadership, problem-solving.
Finance: emphasize numbers, transaction experience, Excel/valuation, detail accuracy.
Growth / Strategy roles: emphasize metrics, experimentation, impact on revenue or efficiency
Pro tip: Use this simple ChatGPT prompt to help you decode what a specific job description is really asking for:
“This is a job description for [Company Name]. Can you dissect it into daily activities, KPIs, and likely challenges for this role?”
You’ll instantly see what’s behind the buzzwords - and what your stories should reflect.
👉 Download free worksheet: How to Tailor Your CV for a specific audience
Step 3. Go Deeper, Not Broader, in Your Job Search
When candidates feel stuck, they often start applying to more jobs. But what actually works is going deeper on fewer, better-matched opportunities.
Pick 2–3 target roles or companies and learn everything about them:
What’s their business model?
What challenges are they facing?
What kind of talent do they value most?
This depth helps you personalize both your CV and interview answers - showing that you truly understand their context.
If you want to network, don’t just ask for referrals. Instead, ask current employees about what skills matter most in their daily work. You’ll uncover insights that make your application stand out.
Step 4. Turn Insight into Confidence
Once you know what a role really demands, confidence naturally follows. You’ll know what stories to tell, which results to highlight, and how to connect your experience to the company’s goals.
That’s how you shift from “I hope I sound good” to “I know I’m a fit.”
Want Help Applying This to Your CV?
If you’d like tailored feedback or help preparing your stories for interviews, book a personalized session.
