How to Keep Your Tone Consistent

Tailoring your CV doesn’t mean changing who you are. The best outcomes happen when your CV stays consistent in voice, while shifting emphasis based on the role.

What “consistent tone” means

Consistent tone looks like:

• the same level of confidence in every CV
• similar style of bullet writing (action + impact)
• stable terminology for your core strengths

Inconsistent tone looks like:

• wildly different adjectives and intensity per job
• switching between “humble” and “overhyped” language
• generic buzzword-heavy summaries

Step 1: Pick your default mode

If you want a consistent baseline, choose one:

• Balanced as your standard
• Hyper when you intentionally want a punchier variant

See: /docs/how-to-choose-a-writing-mode

Step 2: Create a “tone anchor” checklist

Keep 3–5 rules you apply every time, for example:

• avoid “expert” unless it’s truly defensible
• prefer “built / led / shipped” over “responsible for”
• include 1 metric in each recent role if possible
• keep summary to 2–4 lines

Step 3: Reuse consistent phrasing for your core strengths

For your signature strengths (e.g., “data platform”, “stakeholder management”, “product analytics”), keep consistent wording and tailor only:

• which examples you highlight
• which tools or outcomes you emphasize

Step 4: Compare versions when in doubt

Many users generate:

• one Balanced version
• one Hyper version

Then keep the one that feels most “you”.

FAQ

Can tailoring make my CV sound generic?

It can if your base CV lacks specific proof points. Add metrics and concrete examples to keep your voice grounded.

Should I use different tones for different industries?

Slight shifts are okay, but keep your baseline consistent so you don’t feel like a different person per application.