Let it interview you, then write your CV
Writing about yourself is the worst writing there is. Talk about your job for ten minutes instead and get a CV that sounds like you.
By Nick
On this page
- Twenty minutes
- Nothing
- Beginner
Before you start
1. Start the interview
Paste this. If the app has voice mode, use it; talking about your job is easier than typing about it. This uses the same trick as making it ask questions first.
I need a CV for [the job or kind of job]. Interview me about my work before you write
anything. One question at a time, up to ten. Ask about what I actually did, what changed
because of me, numbers where I have them, and what I am proud of. Follow up when my answer
is vague. When you have enough, say "got it" and write a one-page CV using only things I
told you. Mark anything you had to guess with [CHECK]. Plain language, no buzzwords.2. Answer like you are talking to a friend
“I sort of ran the Saturday shift” is a fine answer. It will ask what that involved, and “well, rotas for six people and the cash-up” is the line that ends up on the page.
3. Read every line
Find the [CHECK] marks and fix them. Cut anything you would not say out loud in an interview. If a line is more impressive than the truth, tone it down; the interview is where that gets found out. Then, if you want the voice tightened, show it three things you wrote.
My answers about running a Saturday shift, plus the prompt above
Got it.
Sam Okafor, Saturday Shift Lead, Willow Garden Centre
- Ran the Saturday shift for a team of six and wrote the weekly rota.
- Did the end of day cash-up and kept the till balanced. [CHECK: how often, any figures?]
- Moved one person to the till at 11am, which shortened the queue. [CHECK: did you measure it?]
- Trained four new starters in their first month.
…
Every CHECK is a guess. Fix it or cut it before you send.
If it reads like every other CV, your answers were too polite. Run it again and tell the stories.
