How to tailor your CV for SEEK job ads

Most people apply to jobs on SEEK with one CV. They write it once, save it, and fire it at every listing. It feels efficient. It is also why so many strong candidates never get a call.

Tailoring sounds like a lot of work. Done well, it takes about ten minutes per application, and it is the difference between being filtered out and being shortlisted. Here is the method.

Step 1: Read the ad like a checklist, not a story

A SEEK ad is really two lists hiding inside paragraphs: what they need (requirements) and what they would love (nice-to-haves). Go through it and pull out:

The job title exactly as written.
The must-have skills and tools (often in the "About you" or "Requirements" section).
The responsibilities that describe the day-to-day.
Any repeated words. If "stakeholder" appears four times, it matters.

Write these down. This is your target list.

Step 2: Match your experience to their language

Now look at your CV next to that list. For each requirement you genuinely meet, make sure your CV says it in their words.

If the ad asks for "stakeholder engagement" and your CV says "liaised with senior managers and clients", change it to name stakeholder engagement directly. You are not lying. You are translating your real experience into the terms the ATS and the recruiter are scanning for.

Do not claim skills you do not have. A keyword you cannot back up in an interview will cost you more than it gains.

Step 3: Rewrite your professional summary for this job

The summary at the top of your CV should not be generic. In three or four sentences, it should mirror the role. If you are applying for a Customer Success role, lead with customer outcomes, retention and relationship management, not a catch-all paragraph about being a "passionate professional".

Step 4: Lead your bullet points with results

Australian recruiters skim. Front-load each bullet with the achievement, then the context:

Weak: "Responsible for managing the social media accounts."
Strong: "Grew Instagram engagement 62% in six months by shifting to short-form video."

Numbers make you concrete and credible, and they survive the skim.

Step 5: Keep it ATS-safe and Australian

Use a single-column layout, standard headings, and a .docx or text-based PDF.
Use Australian English: organise, realise, colour, enquiry.
Use state abbreviations: NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, ACT, TAS, NT.
Leave off your photo, date of birth and marital status. They are not expected here and can trip up the parser.
Aim for two to three pages. Australian CVs run longer than the US one-page rule.

Step 6: Check your score before you hit apply

The piece you cannot see is how the software will actually score your tailored CV. CVelo closes that gap. Paste the SEEK ad and your CV, and it gives you an ATS match score, the exact keywords you are still missing, and a rewritten, ready-to-send version. You can practise the interview for that specific role too.

Tailoring is not about writing a new CV every time. It is about making small, targeted edits so the version you send is unmistakably right for the job in front of you. Ten minutes, every time. It works.