Let’s face it—writing a CV isn’t anyone’s favourite task. We tend to put it off, especially when we don’t need it right away. Then, suddenly, a great job opportunity appears, and you realize your CV isn’t ready. And to make it worse, the deadline’s on Monday, and they want it in English! Aaaaaaah!!!

In moments like this, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. You start writing and quickly realize how long it takes to create a CV that truly stands out. Or maybe you’re not even sure where to begin. It’s tempting to turn to professional CV writing services, but often the results are impersonal, generic, and expensive.

Instead, here are three reasons why writing your own CV is absolutely worth the effort:

1. It Helps You Prepare for Interviews

Taking the time to write your own CV doesn’t just improve your chances of landing an interview—it helps you prepare for it. As you reflect on your achievements, skills, and the experiences you want to highlight, you’re setting yourself up for success in the interview process. You’ll feel more confident because you’ve already thought through your key strengths and how they align with the role you’re applying for.

And if you know the interview might be partly or entirely in English, writing your CV gives you the chance to learn and use key job-related vocabulary. This makes it an excellent way to prepare both professionally and linguistically.

2. It Showcases Your Individuality

When you take ownership of your CV, you ensure it represents you authentically. A personalized CV doesn’t just follow best practices; it aligns perfectly with your goals and career journey. It’s something you can feel proud to send to a potential employer.

There’s nothing worse than submitting a document you know deep down doesn’t represent you well. Sure, you can use ready-made templates for formatting or even AI tools to help with wording, but ultimately, your CV should reflect your unique experiences, skills, and career path. And the only person who can do that authentically is you.

3. Recruiters Are Getting Better at Recognising AI-Generated CVs

It’s tempting to hand over the task to AI, and yes, these tools are pretty good. However, a recent study found that 53% of recruiters had a negative reaction to CVs that were obviously generated by AI. They felt it showed the candidate hadn’t taken time to create something presonal and therefore had a lack of interest in the position and the company. I have become pretty good at spotting those types of documents so you can be sure that hiring managers, who see hundreds of applications, can quickly recognise generic, AI-crafted applications.

If you’re writing a CV in English as a non-native speaker, the risk is even higher that it may come across as robotic or overly formal. While AI can be a helpful tool for certain things like formatting or basic phrasing, it’s better to keep the AI part to a minimum. Ultimately, hiring managers want to know, “Does this candidate really want to work for us?” Putting in the time and effort to create a personalized CV shows you’re serious about the role.

Final Thoughts

By taking the time to write your own CV, you’re not only preparing for the interview and setting yourself up for success, you’re also showing potential employers that you’re genuinely want the job.

Still not sure what does and doesn’t belong in your CV? Check out my free CV checklist full of tips and practical info to get you started and listen to the latest episode of the podcast to hear me talk more about CVs and interviews. Or explore my CV and interview coaching services designed to help you present your best self.