A CV that echoes the job advert gets further than one sent to every employer unchanged, and that is the job Claude does well: reading the advert, finding the overlap with your real experience, and rewording to match. Here are five steps that do it in about half an hour, with the checks that stop an AI adding things you never did.

Level: beginner. You need a free Claude account, your current CV as text, and the job advert. Nothing else. The same steps work in ChatGPT or Gemini if you'd rather use those.

The one rule that matters

Claude only knows what you tell it, and it is built to be helpful, which can mean filling a gap with something plausible. On a CV, plausible and untrue is the worst outcome. A skill you don't have, a number you didn't hit or a job title you never held will come up at interview, and you will be the one explaining it.

So every step below keeps the same rule: use only what is in my CV, and tell me where something is missing instead of inventing it. The four-part prompt method explains why a clear instruction like that works better than hoping.

Before you start: protect your details

A CV is personal data. Claude doesn't need your phone number, home address or email to rewrite your wording, so delete them from what you paste and add them back in your final document. If you're applying with a CV that includes your current employer's work, keep anything confidential out too, as the checklist for using AI at work safely explains.

The five steps

1. Paste the advert and ask what it really wants

Open a new chat and paste the full job advert. Then ask:

Read this job advert. List the five or six things the employer cares about most, in order, using their own wording. Separate the essentials from the nice-to-haves. Don't write anything for me yet.

This is the step most people skip, and it does the most work. You end up with a short list of what the employer is screening for, and the words they use for it. Those words matter, because many employers and recruiters scan applications for them, and a person skimming a pile of CVs notices them too.

2. Paste your CV and ask for the gaps

Now paste your current CV (contact details removed) and ask:

Here is my CV. Compare it with the list you just made. Tell me which of those points my CV already shows, which it only hints at, and which are missing. Use only what is written in my CV. Don't invent anything.

You get three groups: strong matches, things you've done but haven't spelled out, and real gaps. The middle group is where tailoring pays off, because people routinely leave out experience that is relevant simply because it didn't seem important last time. The real gaps are information, not failures. You'll deal with them in step 4.

3. Rewrite the profile and the top bullets

Don't ask for a whole new CV. Ask for the parts a reader sees first:

Rewrite my personal profile in no more than 60 words, and rewrite my three most recent job entries so the points that match this advert come first. Keep the facts, figures and dates exactly as they are in my CV. Plain British English, no buzzwords. Flag any sentence where you've had to guess.

Asking it to flag guesses is the safety net. Read the result against your original, line by line. If a bullet says you "led" something you only helped with, put it back. The National Careers Service advises tailoring your CV to the job and highlighting the skills the employer has asked for, which is exactly what this step does, and it keeps the work in your hands.

4. Fill the gaps honestly

For each real gap from step 2, there are three honest options. If you have genuine, relevant experience that you hadn't thought to mention, tell Claude the facts and ask it to word them. If your experience is close but not identical, say so in the CV in plain terms. If you simply don't have it, leave it out and cover it in the cover letter by showing you're learning it.

I don't have direct experience of [skill]. Here is what I have done that is closest: [your facts]. Suggest one honest line for the CV, and one sentence for a cover letter, without overstating it.

5. Write the cover letter from the same material

With the advert list, your CV and the gap answers already in the chat, the cover letter is a short job:

Write a cover letter of about 250 words for this role. Open with why I want this job at this organisation, give two specific examples from my CV that match their top priorities, and end with a clear sentence about availability. Use only facts from this chat. Sound like me, not like a template.

Read it aloud. If a sentence is something you would never say, change it. A cover letter that sounds like you is one of the few places a human reader can tell you took the time.

The checks before you send

  • Every claim is true. Check each figure, date, title and skill against what you actually did.
  • Length. Public bodies suggest keeping a CV brief. Transport for London says no more than two pages, and Thurrock Council suggests about two sides of A4.
  • Layout and plain text. The National Careers Service recommends a clear font at size 11 or above, consistent styling, and headings with bullet points. Don't let an AI turn it into a table or text box layout that is hard to read.
  • Leave out what isn't needed. The National Careers Service suggests leaving out your age, date of birth, marital status and nationality.
  • Your contact details are back in, and spelled correctly.
  • One version per job. Save each tailored copy with the employer's name so you can find it if they call.

When this goes wrong

If the rewrite sounds like every other CV, your prompt was too loose. Give it the tone you want and ask for plainer words. If it keeps adding skills you didn't mention, repeat the rule at the top of the chat and ask it to list anything it added. And if you are using a free tool, remember the conversation is stored by the provider, which is another reason to keep personal details out. Wondering what the free tiers allow? Is ChatGPT free? covers the same question for the best-known tool, and Claude Projects shows how to keep your CV and notes in one place so you don't paste them each time.

If you're new to all this, Your First 30 Days With AI is my beginner course, and its first two modules are free. For more on picking a tool, see the AI tools hub.

Want more plain-English AI guides? I send one practical guide a week to my newsletter. Sign up here and I'll send the next one straight to your inbox.

Questions people actually ask

Can Claude write my CV for me?

It can draft and tidy one, but it only knows what you tell it. Give it your real history and ask it to use nothing else. If you let it fill gaps, it may invent skills or achievements, and you would be the one answering for them at interview.

Is it okay to use AI on a CV?

Yes, many people use AI to tidy wording and match a CV to an advert. The CV still has to be true, so check every line, and rewrite anything that doesn't sound like you.

How long should a CV be?

Public bodies in the UK suggest keeping it brief. Transport for London, for example, says no more than two pages, and Thurrock Council suggests about two sides of A4.

Should I put my contact details into Claude?

You don't need to. Leave your phone number, address and email out of what you paste and add them back at the end, because a CV is personal data and the tool doesn't need it to tailor the wording.

Do I need to pay for Claude to do this?

No. A free account is enough for a CV and a cover letter. Plans and limits change, so check Claude's own pricing page.

Sources