Improving Your CV, Chapter 4: How recruiters and hiring managers read your CV

Part of Course 1: Improving your CV · Chapter 4 of 29 · 15 min

About this chapter

Most CVs are scanned rather than read. I explain what a five-to-ten-second scan looks like, why the top half of your first page matters so much, and what to do about AI screening. My advice is to write for a human first.

Key points

• Readers scan for interesting names and keywords, usually in the top half of the first page on screen.
• Some recruiters check for typos first and bin the CV if they find any, then look for two or three keywords.
• Reading is far better than scanning for you, but you should prepare for both.
• AI screening is overhyped. It's weak at judging real fit, and it depends on a job spec that is often badly written.
• Write for a human, include the relevant keywords and skills naturally, and don't over-panic about AI or try to game it.

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