Your CV should not read like a job description.

If you’re a specialist with a clear target role, relevant experience and a well-written CV–but you’re still not getting interviews–this may be why.

Most CVs I see describe what someone was responsible for:

• Managed X
• Coordinated Y
• Supported Z
• Led meetings
• Prepared presentations

There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. But to stand out, you want recruiters and hiring managers to understand:

📌 What difference did you make?

For example:

❌ Managed the preparation of regulatory submission documents.

To move beyond task-based bullet points, here’s one question that can help:

📌 So what?

In other words: Why should anyone care? Why does this matter

**Let’s take our earlier example & follow that thread**

🌱 Managed the preparation of regulatory submission documents.

So what?

🌱 It was a complex simultaneous submission for two major markets: EU & US.

So what?

🌱 Different authorities required different inputs, and the work had to be completed quickly to get ahead of a competitor.

So what?

🌱 The submission was delivered on schedule, approved in both markets, and helped make the treatment available to patients.

⭐️ Now we have the substance for a stronger bullet ⭐️

✅ Led a complex simultaneous regulatory submission for the EU and US markets, coordinating distinct Clinical, Safety and Technical Operations requirements under a time-critical deadline–securing approval in both markets before a competing product launch.

Obviously, only make claims that are true and that you can substantiate in an interview. Otherwise, you could also say:

✅ Led a complex simultaneous regulatory submission for the EU and US markets, coordinating distinct Clinical, Safety and Technical Operations requirements under a time-critical deadline–securing approval in both markets and enabling a timely product launch.

**So, a useful formula is**

📌 What you did + context or complexity + outcome / impact

You may have also noticed that not every achievement needs a percentage or a dramatic “saved X million” conclusion.

⭐️ Impact can be measurable or observable ⭐️

• A process became clearer or faster by X.
• A risk was identified or reduced by Y.
• A difficult project moved forward or delivered in X time rather than Y.
• A stakeholder was persuaded or X patients were reached.

The point is not to make your role sound grander than it was. It’s to make the value you created visible.

**So, take one bullet point from your CV today and ask yourself**

📌 Does this tell the reader what I did–or what changed because I did it?

So what?

⭐️ Specificity is (almost) always your best friend 😊 ! ⭐️

With love,

Dina 🫶🏽

P.S. Next week, I’ll tackle a persistent CV myth: the one-pager.

P.P.S. Once a week I try to focus on helpful CV tips. Anything you’ve always been curious about? Let me know in the comments and I’ll try to cover them next.

Resources:

• Previous related post: CV tip: How to tailor your CV for a target role

Is this you?

If you’re a mid-career professional in Pharma, have broad cross-functional experience, and your CV has already been rewritten three times without generating interviews, your next step is not necessarily a fourth rewrite. A polished document cannot compensate for an unclear direction.

☘️ I sometimes hear versions of the same concern: ‘I have a versatile background; I could do a variety of roles; I’ve applied across a wide range of jobs, and… nothing.’

And therein lies the problem.

To take a concrete example

You may have relevant experience for both Patient Advocacy and Chief of Staff roles. But the same CV should not try to make the full case for both at once.

A lack of focus dilutes your value and expertise—especially when competing in a sea of specialists whose experience looks more directly aligned to the advertised role.

☘️ The issue is not the breadth of your competencies; it’s trying to make one CV carry every possible version of your career. Because, what you’re ultimately doing, is asking a recruiter or hiring manager to work out why you’re a credible fit—work they most likely won’t have time for.

So, what do I suggest?

Instead of applying to different job families with one generic profile, use your CV to clearly demonstrate your capabilities and achievements for a defined target role.

📌 So, before rewriting it, I recommend you answer the following questions first:
* What specific role is this CV intended to support?
* Why does that role make sense as your next step?
* What makes you credible for it?
* Which experiences best show the value you would bring?

Get clear about your direction and the story you want your experience to tell first. Then, and only then, should you start your fourth rewrite.

☘️ And once you’ve rewritten it, do one final check:

“Could someone reading your CV explain, in a few sentences, what you’re aiming for, why you’re credible, and what you bring?”

And yes, this means that if you decide to target different types of roles, you’ll need a different CV for each one.

📌 Does your CV describe what you have done—or make a clear case for your next target role?

With love,
Dina 🫶🏽

P.S. Next week, I’ll be sharing more practical thoughts for those with a specialist CV.