How to write a CV that actually gets read

Most CVs never reach a human. They get filtered, skimmed, and stacked into a "maybe later" pile. Here is what changes that.

Lead with outcomes, not duties

Recruiters do not care that you "managed a team of 5". They care what changed because of it. Replace duty statements with measurable outcomes:

• Before: Responsible for the customer support inbox.
• After: Reduced first-response time from 14h to 2h across a 600-ticket weekly volume.

If you can attach a number (revenue, time, conversion, retention, headcount), do it.

Optimise for the 7-second scan

A recruiter looks at the top third of page one. Make sure that area answers three questions in under 7 seconds:

1. What is your current role and seniority?
2. What is your strongest result?
3. Are you a plausible match for this job?

A short headline + a 2-line summary at the top is more effective than a long "Objective" paragraph.

Match keywords without keyword-stuffing

ATS systems rank you by overlap with the job description. Open the JD, find the 8-12 nouns and verbs that show up most often, and weave them naturally into your bullets. Do not paste them in white text — modern ATS strip styling and recruiters are used to spotting it.

Cut everything that doesn't earn its line

If a bullet point doesn't either prove a skill or a result, delete it. A 1-page CV with 12 sharp bullets beats a 3-page CV with 60 vague ones.

Final checklist before you submit

• File saved as Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf
• Phone, email, and LinkedIn URL are clickable
• No graphics, columns or text boxes that confuse ATS parsers
• Spell-checked in the language of the job posting