There’s something strange happening in the job market right now: all the CVs are starting to sound the same.

Scroll through enough applications and you’ll see the pattern… buzzwords on repeat, identical opening lines, copy-and-paste job summaries. It’s not that people aren’t trying; it’s that they’re being drowned out by templates, clichés, and, increasingly, AI-generated paragraphs.

Somewhere between “highly motivated team player” and “excellent communication skills,” the actual person disappears.

In a world where ChatGPT can write a clean, keyword-rich CV in seconds, what recruiters and employers are now desperate to find is a real voice. Not perfection. Not polish. But presence. Someone who sounds human. Someone who stands out not because they said the “right things,” but because they said something true.

So how do you make your CV sound like you?

How do you bring your personality into a document that’s historically been formal, rigid, and dry without losing the professionalism you still need to get your foot in the door?

It starts at the top, with your personal profile. This is your first chance to speak directly to the person reading your CV. Instead of throwing in generic statements like “A highly driven individual seeking to leverage my skills,” try telling a short story about what drives you. Think of it like a 3-line elevator pitch that actually means something. Not a template. A sentence or two that makes someone say, “Now this is interesting.”

For example, instead of:

“Marketing graduate with a passion for social media,”
Try:
“I love helping good ideas get seen. During uni, I ran a TikTok series that helped a local start-up go viral and realised I’m passionate about turning content into community.”

That small shift, personal, specific, and story-driven, makes all the difference.

Next up: your experience.

Too many young professionals assume their part-time jobs, church events, charity, volunteering or school projects don’t matter. But employers aren’t only looking for job titles; they’re looking for transferable skills. If you led a group project, planned an event, started a side hustle, or volunteered, you’ve already demonstrated initiative, leadership, and responsibility.

The key is in how you write it.

Don’t just list what you did; show what changed because you did it.

🚫 “Helped with marketing” is vague.
✅ “Designed a social media campaign that grew our event’s attendance by 40%” is concrete.

It tells a story. It speaks of ownership.

Don’t Lose You in the Tailoring

Another trap is over-tailoring. Yes, your CV should be adapted to each role. But don’t tailor it so much that it loses you. It’s easy to fall into the temptation of rewriting your whole tone just to match a job spec, but you risk sounding like everyone else.

Meet the requirements, but in your voice. Use the keywords, but don’t be afraid to tell your story in a way that feels human, confident, even warm.

Design Still Matters

A clean, professional layout goes a long way. But avoid the flashy templates that prioritise aesthetics over clarity.

Keep it simple:

• Easy-to-read fonts
• Clear structure
• Plenty of white space

If you want to stand out visually, let it be through great content and clarity, not distracting graphics.

A Word About AI

Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, CoPilot, etc, are incredibly helpful. They can help you structure, reword, or even brainstorm parts of your CV. But they should never replace your voice.

The most memorable CVs aren’t the ones that check every box. They’re the ones that leave a lasting impression of the person behind the page.

Your CV Is a Mirror

Your CV isn’t just a list of achievements. It’s a window into your character, your growth, your drive, and your potential.

So yes! Write a CV that’s clean, professional, and relevant.

But more than that? Write one that sounds like you.

Because you are the part that makes it stand out.

Ready to Show the Real You?

At Accendere, we help young people build CVs that don’t just pass filters, but spark real conversations. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refreshing an old version, we’ve got tools and mentors ready to help.

👉 Join our CV Review Clinics
👉 Download our Stand-Out CV Checklist
👉 Or connect with a mentor who’s walked this road before

Let’s give your CV the revamp it deserves.