You’re applying for jobs, maybe even a lot of them, and hearing nothing back. No calls. No interviews. Just silence.
Sound familiar?
Before you assume it’s the market or some secret tech blocking your applications, it’s time to take a proper look at your CV. Because if you’re not getting shortlisted, there’s a good chance your CV is the problem.
Here’s exactly why it’s getting rejected, and how to fix it.
You don’t have a job title at the top
If the first thing a recruiter sees is your name followed by “Curriculum Vitae”, you’ve already lost them.
Your CV needs a clear job title or headline. Something that tells them what you do in three seconds or less.
Think:
- Senior Digital Marketing Manager
- Finance Business Partner, ACA Qualified
- Software Engineer, Java, AWS, DevOps
Don’t make them guess what you do. If they’re not sure, they’ll just move on to the next CV.
You’ve not included your location
Even for remote jobs, many companies still care where you’re based. Time zones, legal requirements, tax, payroll, they all matter.
You don’t need your full address. Just your town or city is enough.
Leave it off and you’re making life harder for the recruiter. Most won’t chase you to find out. They’ll just move on.
Your professional summary isn’t doing you any favours
This is where most CVs go wrong.
Your summary isn’t the place for buzzwords or clichés. It’s a chance to position yourself.
A good one answers three simple questions:
- Who are you?
- What do you specialise in?
- Why should someone care?
Two or three short sentences. That’s it. Make it easy for someone to get a sense of your value, quickly.
Your skills aren’t aligned with the job
Recruiters skim for skills. If they can’t see them easily, you’re out.
You need:
- Six to eight key skills
- Listed clearly using bullet points
- Relevant to the role you’re applying for
Generic stuff like “communication” or “team player” won’t cut it. Tailor it. If the job ad mentions Agile, stakeholder management, or SQL, and you have those skills, include them.
Your experience reads like a job description
Recruiters don’t want to know what your job was. They want to know what you did with it.
If your most recent role is just a list of duties, you’re missing a big opportunity.
You need:
- Two short paragraphs explaining what the job involved and the context
- Two to four bullet points highlighting your key achievements
Use numbers if you can. Show your impact.
Think:
- Increased conversion rates by 35 percent through A/B testing
- Saved £120k per year by renegotiating supplier contracts
Responsibilities show what you were supposed to do. Achievements show what you actually did.
It’s hard to read
Two-column layouts, tiny fonts, graphics, headshots, all of that just makes your CV harder to scan.
Recruiters want:
- A single-column layout
- Clear section headings
- 11pt font or bigger
- White space
- No clutter
You’re not entering a design competition. You’re trying to get someone to read your CV. Keep it simple.
You’ve included too much irrelevant or outdated info
Only detail the last eight to ten years of relevant experience. Anything older than that? Just list the job title, company name and dates.
If it doesn’t support the job you want now, cut it down or remove it.
You’ve left in distractions that don’t help
Let’s clear this up. You do not need:
- A full address
- A photo
- Hobbies, unless they are directly relevant
- “References available on request”
If it doesn’t help you get the interview, leave it out.
What to do now
If you’ve read this and thought “that’s me”, don’t panic. Most CVs miss the mark the first time.
Now you know what’s wrong, you can fix it.
Start with the top half of your CV.
Make it clear what you do.
Lead with a strong summary and relevant skills.
Show achievements, not just tasks.
Then clean up the layout so it’s easy to skim.
And most importantly, write your CV for the job you want, not just the one you’ve had.
Your CV has one job
It’s not there to tell your life story.
It’s not about proving how busy you were ten years ago.
It’s just there to get you an interview.
If a recruiter can’t see your value in six seconds, they won’t keep reading. And they won’t be calling.
Not sure whether your CV has these problems?
The biggest mistake I see is people reading articles like this and assuming their own CV is fine.
The reality is that most candidates have no idea how their CV comes across to a recruiter.
That’s exactly why I built my AI CV Reviewer.
Upload your CV and it will assess it using the same recruitment framework I’ve developed over more than 20 years in recruitment and talent acquisition.
You’ll receive personalised feedback highlighting:
- What’s working well
- What’s holding your CV back
- Exactly what I’d change
- Suggested rewrites where appropriate
- Career direction recommendations
If you’re applying for jobs but not getting interviews, it’s probably the quickest way to find out why.
You can try it here: AI CV Reviewer