Make Your CV a 'Value Document' Using AI: Tips from our Talent Acquisition Pros

In today's competitive job market, your CV is more than just a document - it's your personal marketing tool. But how do you make sure it cuts through the noise and lands you that interview?

We sat down with Equifax ANZ's TA (Talent Acquisition) experts, Patrick Lockington (TA Manager) and Kiran Verma (TA Partner), to bust common myths and get straight to the facts. They reveal what genuinely makes a CV memorable, what recruiters really look for in a quick review, and offer tailored advice for mid-career professionals, junior candidates, and those with long, varied career journeys.

What makes a CV memorable?

Kiran: Clarity, impact, and relevance. If I can see measurable outcomes and role alignment within a few seconds, it's memorable. Bonus points if they show decision-making, stakeholder influence or measurable results rather than buzzwords.

Pat: For recruiters, the most important thing is alignment to the role and clarity. We're reviewing a CV against a specific vacancy or skillset, so all you can do as a candidate is respond to the information in the advertisement as best you can, even if that information is sometimes a little generic. In a tight market, candidates need to be even more detailed about how they align with that advertisement. Clarity means making sure you clearly state the company, the role, and your tenure. Ultimately, a CV is just a communication document, so the best ones are clear and only include relevant information. I would say that we should all avoid just listing responsibilities and instead focus on impact and achievements, and if you can’t think of any then using AI or a friend to help talk through what to say in real life can help to shape it up before it goes on paper.  

What should and shouldn’t be included on a CV?

Kiran: Clear professional summary, recent and relevant experience, measurable achievements, key skills, and tools or systems used. Your CV should tell a concise story of what you can do and the value you bring.

You don’t need to include things that don’t support the story - outdated roles, overly personal details like marital status or photos, long paragraphs or generic statements with no evidence or outcome and anything that doesn’t help the recruiter make a decision. It's the relevance to the role you’ve applied for that makes a CV stronger.

Pat: For junior candidates that aren’t applying to something really specialised, it's really about highlighting projects. Whether it’s university projects, personal passion projects, or anything done in their own time, that needs to be front and center. There are many contradicting opinions on this topic, but for me, I ultimately believe a CV, at any level, should be clear and concise enough to read easily if it’s one of a hundred the recruiter is reviewing at that point.

For everyone, you have to remember that CV review is highly subjective. Because it needs to appeal to a broad audience of recruiters and hiring managers, I wouldn’t include unnecessary personal information. That means photos aren’t required, no marital status, and for security, we only need a suburb or city, not your exact address. When it comes to references on a CV, you certainly shouldn't put their personal phone number on there for privacy reasons.

Advice for people with long career journeys.

Kiran: I believe a CV is not a life history - it is a value document. My advice is don't try to fit everything in. A CV doesn’t need to reflect your entire working life, it needs to reflect what’s relevant now. What really matters is showing progression, impact and how your experience translates into today’s challenges. So curate your experience.

Pat: This is a tough one, especially given the current economic climate. The key is relevance and recency, which is especially important for recruiters who may not be able to spend as much time reviewing your CV as they’d like due to applicant volume. To do this effectively, you probably only need to flesh out the last 10 to 15 years of experience. You should do an audit to make sure the skills you list are up-to-date and apply to the role. For technical roles, for example, instead of a giant list of tools, the most valuable thing you can do is talk about the business problems you solved and condense the tech. People with long careers are usually around hiring and know what to look for, so they should tailor their CV to communicate the most relevant aspects of the job ad.

How to responsibly use AI in generating your CV.

Kiran: I think AI can be a powerful tool for improving a CV, but it should be used as an assistant, not as a replacement. Responsible use means the content must still be accurate, personal and truthful. AI shouldn't invent achievements, exaggerate outcomes, or remove the candidate’s voice. The most effective approach is to start with your own experience, use AI to refine and tailor it to the role, and then review it critically to ensure it still sounds like you and reflects real results.

Pat: The main rule is simple: it has to be true. You are submitting a document with your name on it, declaring it to be accurate, so you must be precise in double-checking the information AI generates. I'm okay with people using AI—it's like paying someone to write your CV, which used to be fairly common—as long as the information is accurate. The problem is if it's blatantly false or overly high-level and generic. You need to use your prompting skills to make the content specific, giving it real-life examples and that often takes as long as just writing it yourself. Honestly, the biggest impact AI has had on the job hunt is its ability to help people tailor their applications and assist with interview preparation, helping them to structure answers and build confidence.

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