Privacy · the resume gatekeeper
AI screening your CV
30-second gist~30s read
An AI reads your CV before any human does at most large employers. It scores you against the job description, looks for keywords, and ranks you against other applicants. Some systems are fair; some are biased; very few of the bottom 80% are reviewed by humans at all.
It's the modern reality of applying for a job. Once you understand what the AI is doing, you can write a CV that gets through to a person.
If you want more
How to get past the screen
- Match the job description's wording. If they say "customer success", don't write "customer service". The AI is matching keywords; small differences cost you.
- Use standard headers — Experience, Education, Skills. The AI looks for these to parse your CV. Custom or graphic-design layouts can confuse the parser.
- Avoid PDF-only formatting tricks — multi-column layouts, text-as-image, fancy fonts. Many parsers still fail on those.
- Write a clear summary at the top with role, years of experience, and three core skills. Often the only part the AI weights heavily.
What you can ask the company
In the EU and UK, you can usually request information about whether AI was used in a hiring decision and ask for a human review. Several US states (notably New York City) require similar disclosure. In most other places, no such right exists — but you can still ask politely, and a good employer will tell you.