How to write a CV that gets a screen
A hiring manager skims the top half of the first page. Write that half for the role you want, and keep only lines you can defend out loud.
Start from the posting
Put the title you are applying for under your name. A headline like “Software professional” does not tell anyone which chair you want.
Copy five phrases from the posting that describe work you have actually done, and use those words in the top third. If you have not done the work, leave the phrase out.
One result per line
A line that only names a duty, such as “Responsible for the API,” does not help a stranger choose you. Write what you did, who it was for, and what changed.
Add a number when you have a true one: latency, revenue, tickets closed, people on the team, or time saved. If you do not have a number, name the outcome in plain words instead of inventing one.
Length and order
Most people with under ten years of relevant work fit on one page. A second page is fine when every line on it is still about this role. Put the newest role first, and shrink older roles to a line or two unless they are the proof the posting asks for.
On applications to companies that hire internationally, skip a photo, a date of birth, and marital status. A city and a timezone are enough. Name the file Firstname-Lastname-Role.pdf and send a PDF.
What to cut
An opening paragraph about being passionate rarely earns a call. A list of forty tools does not either. Keep the skills you can discuss for ten minutes.
Link to a portfolio, a code host, or a writing sample only when the work is yours and it matches the role. Take down anything you would not walk through in an interview.
Tailor once per application
Keep a full master CV, then cut a version for each application. Change the title, a three-line summary, and the bullets that match this team. Leave the rest stable so you do not invent a new career on every form.
Read it aloud once. If a line sounds like a job description instead of your work, rewrite it before you send it.