How to Write an IT CV That Gets Interviews

Start with a short, specific profile

Two or three lines at the top should say what you do, at which level, and in which area. Avoid generic phrases like “passionate team player”. Compare “Motivated developer looking for new challenges” with “Backend developer with 4 years of Java and Spring Boot experience, building payment APIs used by 200k customers”. The second one tells the reader exactly where you fit.

Make your tech stack easy to scan

Group technologies instead of listing thirty logos. Many companies filter CVs with an applicant tracking system (ATS) that matches keywords from the job ad, so use the same names the ad uses — “PostgreSQL”, not just “databases”.

• Languages: TypeScript, Python, Java
• Frameworks: React, Node.js, Spring Boot
• Cloud & DevOps: AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, GitHub Actions
• Data: PostgreSQL, Redis, Kafka

Describe experience as results, not duties

For each role, write three to five bullet points. Start with a strong verb, name the technology, and end with a result. Numbers help, but honest qualitative results are fine when you don't have metrics.

• Weak: “Responsible for the backend.”
• Better: “Rebuilt the order service in Node.js and PostgreSQL, cutting average API response time from 900 ms to 150 ms.”
• Better: “Automated deployments with GitHub Actions and Docker, so releases went from weekly to several times a day.”

Projects matter — especially early in your career

If you are a junior developer, career changer or graduate, a projects section can carry your CV. Pick two or three projects that look like real work: an app with authentication and a database, a deployed API with tests, a data pipeline with a dashboard. Link to the code and, if possible, a live demo. One finished, well-explained project beats five half-done tutorials.

Format so both humans and software can read it

Use a simple one- or two-column layout, a standard font and clear headings (Profile, Skills, Experience, Projects, Education). Avoid putting key information inside images, icons or text boxes, because ATS software often can't read them. Save as PDF unless the employer asks for Word. Keep it to one page for under five years of experience and two pages maximum after that.

Tailor it for every application

You don't need a new CV for every job, but you should adjust the profile and the order of your skills to match the ad. If a job asks for Azure and you have both AWS and Azure experience, put Azure first. Tailoring takes ten minutes and noticeably increases your reply rate.

Common mistakes that get IT CVs rejected

• Listing every technology you have ever touched, so nothing stands out
• No dates, or unexplained gaps that raise questions you could answer in one line
• Spelling mistakes in technology names (“Javascript”, “Postgre”, “Kubernates”)
• Photos, age and marital status in countries where employers don't expect them
• Links to empty GitHub profiles or broken portfolio sites