What You Need to Know
In Ladders' eye-tracking study, recruiters spent about 7 seconds on their first scan of a resume.
Two of the most common weaknesses: missing keywords from the job description and vague, unquantified achievements.
Specific, quantified achievements are easier for a recruiter to remember than a list of duties.
Most job seekers send the same generic CV to every job — and get the same result: silence.
Professional CV writing services often cost $100 or more and take days. An AI review is instant and free to start.
Tailoring your CV to the job description is the most reliable way to show relevance quickly.
Most Common Mistakes
The problems that most often keep a CV from being shortlisted.
Vague job responsibilities with no achievements
Listing 'responsible for sales' tells a recruiter nothing. They want to see 'Grew regional sales by 43% in 12 months, exceeding quota every quarter.' Numbers make you memorable.
Weak opening summary or no summary at all
The top third of your CV determines if a recruiter reads further. A weak or missing professional summary means you've lost them in the first few seconds.
One-size-fits-all CV
Sending the same CV to every job is the single biggest mistake. Recruiters can tell immediately. Tailoring your CV to each role is non-negotiable for competitive positions.
Outdated or irrelevant experience dominating the CV
A 2005 internship taking up half your CV signals a lack of recent relevant experience. Lead with what's most impressive and recent. Cut what doesn't serve your current target role.
Poor formatting and readability
Dense paragraphs, inconsistent fonts, and cluttered layouts make recruiters skip to the next candidate. Your CV must be scannable in a few seconds, with a clear visual hierarchy.
Expert Tips
Lead with a powerful 3-line professional summary
Your summary should answer: Who are you? What's your biggest achievement? What are you looking for? Write it last, after you've completed the rest of the CV.
Use the CAR formula for every bullet point
Challenge → Action → Result. Every bullet should describe a situation, what you did, and the measurable outcome. This transforms weak duties into compelling achievements.
Tailor for each job — minimum 20 minutes
Read the job description. Identify the top 5 requirements. Make sure your CV explicitly addresses each one with specific evidence. Use their exact language.
Keep it to 1-2 pages maximum
Unless you're a senior executive with 15+ years, one page is ideal, two pages maximum. Every word must earn its place. Ruthlessly cut anything that doesn't support your target role.
Make contact information scannable
Name, email, phone, LinkedIn, location (city only). No photos, no date of birth, no marital status (in most markets). Put it at the very top, not in headers or footers.
Include a skills section with hard and soft skills
List both technical skills (software, languages, certifications) and key soft skills relevant to the role. Recruiters and ATS keyword searches both rely on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is AI resume review different from human review?
AI review is instant and consistent: it checks your CV against the job description, common ATS parsing problems and recruiter best practice in one pass. A good human reviewer brings industry judgement an AI can't fully match, but costs far more and takes days. Many people run the AI review first and fix the obvious problems.
Will the AI understand my industry?
It works across industries, including tech, finance, healthcare, marketing and engineering, and it compares your CV with the job description you paste. For very specialised roles, check that the suggested keywords match how your field actually talks.
How long does the AI review take?
About a minute for most CVs. The AI checks ATS compatibility, keywords, achievement strength and formatting in one pass.
Can I use the feedback to improve my CV myself?
Absolutely. The free check gives you your score, your top issues and the first missing keywords, which is enough to make meaningful improvements yourself. The premium report includes a fully rewritten CV so you can see exactly what the improved version looks like.