Most CVs get rejected in seconds. Here’s how to pass the 10-second CV test and finally start getting interview calls.
Hey there 👋
Let’s start with the truth.
When your CV lands on a recruiter’s screen, we don’t read it first. We scan it. Fast.
Most recruiters decide in under 10 seconds whether a CV is worth reading further. If nothing stands out immediately, we move on to the next candidate.
After reviewing 35,000+ CVs during my career as a recruiter, I can tell you exactly what makes a recruiter stop scrolling.
This week I’ll show you real examples that turned silent CVs into interview calls.
Here’s exactly where my eyes go first when opening a CV:
✦Your current job title. Does it match the role you want?
✦The first 3 bullet points. Results or just responsibilities?
✦Industry keywords. Are you speaking the recruiter’s language?
✦Layout. Clean and easy to skim?
✦LinkedIn profile. Yes, we check it almost every time.
If those first signals don’t click instantly, the rest of the CV often never gets read. That’s where most candidates lose their chance.
Let’s take Emma.
She’s a strong project manager trying to move into the tech industry.
This is how her CV started:
“Experienced project manager with 10 years of experience across multiple industries.”
On paper that sounds fine. But to a recruiter, it raises problems instantly.
Why it didn’t work:
✦Too vague
✦No measurable results
✦No clear specialization
✦No strong hook
So the CV gets skipped.
We changed only one thing. The top section of her CV.
New opening lines:
•Led $2.5M software rollout across 3 countries, delivered 2 weeks ahead of schedule
•Improved internal process efficiency by 37% within 6 months
•Certified Scrum Master + PMP
That’s it. Same person. Same experience.
But now the recruiter immediately sees impact, scale and credibility.
Result?
Emma went from zero callbacks to two interviews in 7 days.
Recruiters react to specific results, not generic duties. Here are examples that immediately pass the 10-second CV test.
Finance Analyst
•Built automated reporting in Power BI, saving the team 10+ hours per week
•Identified $320K cost savings through vendor contract renegotiation
Marketing Specialist (Mid-Level)
•Led campaign reaching 1.2M users, boosting engagement 19%
•Grew email subscriber list from 12K to 47K in 6 months without ad spend
Healthcare Operations Manager
•Reduced patient intake time by 28% through process redesign
•Managed 25 staff across 3 clinics with 98% retention
Customer Success Manager (SaaS)
•Increased product adoption 42% within 3 months by redesigning onboarding
•Managed 60+ B2B accounts with 94% annual renewal rate
Software Engineer (Full Stack)
•Built internal tool reducing support tickets 35% in the first quarter
•Designed scalable architecture handling 4x traffic with zero downtime
These are the types of lines that make recruiters pause and read further.
If you want your CV to survive that first recruiter scan, start here:
✦Lead with impact, not generic summaries
✦Use numbers wherever possible (time saved, revenue, growth, cost reduction)
✦Align your job title and keywords with the role you want
✦Treat the first half page as your sales pitch
✦Make sure your LinkedIn profile matches your CV
These small adjustments can dramatically increase your chances of getting interview calls.
Your CV is not a job description. It’s your career story told through results.
I write these weekly tips so you don’t have to guess what recruiters look for. I’ll show you exactly what works based on real hiring experience.
If you want feedback on your CV’s top section, reply to this email. Every week I review a few and sometimes feature them here anonymously.
Next Monday we’ll break down how recruiters scan your LinkedIn profile and the tiny details that create instant doubt.
Talk soon, Simar
