You spent hours tailoring your CV to match the job description. It looks good, highlights your experience, and gets you an interview.
But when the interviewer starts asking questions about what you wrote, you struggle to answer.
That can cost you the opportunity.
I've seen candidates lose opportunities at the interview stage, not because they lacked experience or failed to meet the requirements, but because they couldn't confidently explain what was written on their own CV.
Tailoring your CV to match a job description is a good thing. It helps you highlight the experience and skills relevant to the role.
But please, read that CV before submitting it.
Read it from top to bottom.
Know your dates.
Know your experience.
Know the skills you've listed.
Know the achievements you've mentioned.
Understand the responsibilities under each role.
Imagine your CV says you graduated in 2022, but when the interviewer asks when you graduated, you say, "Umm... I think it was 2023."
You've just created an unnecessary problem for yourself.
Or imagine listing a particular skill or achievement and then struggling to explain how you used that skill or achieved that result.
The interviewer may begin to question the accuracy of the information on your CV.
Remember, your CV is not just a document you submit to get an interview. It is also a guide to the questions an interviewer may ask you.
Before your next interview, review your CV carefully. Practise explaining your experience, achievements, skills, and responsibilities in your own words.
If you've included figures or specific results, make sure you understand where they came from and can explain them honestly.
You don't need to memorise every sentence. You simply need to understand and confidently discuss your own professional history.
Don't let a good CV get you into the interview room only for you to lose the opportunity because you cannot explain what's written on it.
