You’ve read online that recruiters spend a few seconds screening resumes. That’s true, but it’s not useful on its own. To really understand how recruiters screen resumes, you need to look deeper into the actual resume screening process.
For context, I’ve worked as a recruiter at Google, and I help Software Engineering and IT professionals stand out during the resume screening process.
I'm often asked about resume screening, and I've noticed that most candidates do not understand how their CV will be reviewed. This causes them to make mistakes that unfortunately get them rejected.
So let me pull up the curtain, and take you through the resume screening process, through the eyes of a Recruiter.
Before you can optimize your resume, it’s important to understand where resume screening fits within the bigger picture.
All hiring processes are different, but most of them somewhat resemble this:
Here’s the first thing I want you to know:
In most cases, your resume goes through 2 rounds of screening:
first during the initial recruiter review, and again when the hiring manager shortlists candidates for interviews.
It happens first during the Initial Screening (3), and then during the Shortlisting (4).
The initial resume screening is handled by the recruiter alone. This a first filter to quickly sort through hundreds of resumes and filter out the ones that aren’t an obvious fit.
The goal is to eliminate irrelevant CVs and identify those which fit requirements.
This is why it only takes 10 seconds!
This step is where most resumes get rejected, because they are not optimized for it.
At competitive companies (think FAANG), they may end up with a list of 20–30 candidates, depending on the role.
Once the recruiter has enough relevant profiles, they’ll decide on a shortlist to interview. This is the second filter, and it is usually done in collaboration with the hiring manager.
This time, your resume will be read in more detail because the goal is now to select the best candidates.
Your resume usually won’t be read in its entirety, because they will still be sorting through a lengthy list. (The full review will happen as a preparation to an interview, if you are selected).
Depending on the company and role, the shortlist will usually be around 10 candidates.
Here’s a quick summary of the different types of resume screening:
| 🏁 Step | 🎯 Goal | 👔 Decision Maker | 🔍 Review Style | ⏱️ Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣ Initial Screening | Filter relevant CVs | Recruiter | Fast | 5–20 seconds |
| 2️⃣ Shortlisting | Select best resumes | Recruiter + Hiring Manager | Detailed | 1–5 minutes |
| 3️⃣ Interview Preparation | Prepare detailed questions | Hiring Manager | In-depth | 5–10 minutes |
The Pass-through Rate (% of candidates successfully passing a stage) is by far the lowest at the initial screening.
Yet most of the resumes I read aren't optimized for it, so I believe it to be the single most valuable opportunity to increase your chances.
I'll explain how to do just that, but first we need to talk about where recruiters spend the 5–30 seconds mentioned above.
Truth be told, recruiters usually don't like that part of their job.
They have other responsibilities, such as conducting interviews, meeting with hiring managers, analyzing hiring data, etc. All of which are more exciting than sorting through CVs.
For that reason, recruiters usually set aside dedicated time to get through as many resumes as possible and be done with it.
This is the context in which you'll be given a short amount of time, so here's an important principle:
The easier screening your resume is, the better your outcome will be.
Another key misconception is that recruiters read your resume from top to bottom. They don't, because it would take too much time and effort.
Instead, they do what you do when visiting a website: they rapidly skim through the content to identify key information.
So the key here is not to write shorter resumes, but to make key information obvious.
Here are a few low-hanging fruits that stem from this principle:
The above points will avoid an automatic rejection, but the real selection is made based on content.
Now that the surface is scratched, let's look at the screening itself!
While every recruiter has their own style, most look for 3 key pieces of information when screening resumes. Nail these and you’ve won!
Good recruiters don't judge resumes using their "gut feeling".
Before reviewing any CV, they'll have defined a clear list of requirements in collaboration with the hiring manager.
You can think of these as a checklist, with boxes to tick.
The game is to figure out which these are, and provide obvious proof as quickly as possible.
At this point, let's use a fictional job opening with a scenario:
TimeNest is a SaaS company that helps small businesses manage their online bookings. They're launching a new interactive onboarding experience that lets users configure their account step-by-step, without needing to contact support (currently, they're overwhelmed!).
Here's what the list of requirements would look like:
Using this senario, let's now cover all key sections. I'll explain why they are important. as well as how to optimize each of them.
The first question that pops in the recruiter's head is: "Is this CV even relevant?"
Most applications are irrelevant and even ATS don't filter them all out.
If your resume includes a title, this is the first piece of information they’ll read.
It should confirm that you're standing in the right line! But that's not all it can do for you...
Your resume title can be adapted to the job openings you're applying to, which is a neat psychological trick to influence a recruiter's perception without modifying your entire resume.
Doing this creates a situation of confirmation bias, where recruiters instinctively look for evidence supporting the claim in your resume title.
This ensures your resume is viewed positively.
Since the resume title doesn’t have to match an official job title, you have considerable leeway to influence perception from the start.
Based on our example, you could write your title as:
Front-End Software Developer | React Specialist
Doing this not only tells them you are a front-end dev, but that you have a strong React focus.
The recruiter hasn't even read the rest of your resume, but they're already pretty sure you've got the right experience. Now they'll be looking to confirm that initial opinion.
If you've included a Profile Summary, they’ll read that next.
As a Recruiter, this was my favorite section. As a resume writer, it hasn't changed.
Here's why: a Profile Summary is the opportunity for you to review your own resume.
Again, recruiters prefer making the least effort possible, so why not do their job for them?
This is the only resume section that commonly allows for subjectivity, which you should use to your advantage. You have the power to present your career in the most flattering light.
Busy recruiters will instinctively trust your assessment, until proven otherwise.
I've read many times that juniors don't need a Profile Summary because their career is too short.
This is misleading, because it implies that the Profile Summary is... a summary. It isn't.
A resume isn’t literature. It’s sales copy.
So your summary doesn’t serve a literary function. It's your key offer.
I know that some of us are reluctant to see themselves as a product (which is why resume writing is so hard). However, as a job seeker you are a (human) resource in a (job) market.
Ignoring this reality leads to poor results, so it is better to accept it and write your CV accordingly.
Remember the checklist we talked about? That's basically it, with all the boxes pre-ticked!
Again, using our example, here's how I would write it:
Think of the recruiter reading this: they've skimmed through 4 sentences, which describe exactly what they're after.
If you can do this effectively, their decision is made at 95% already. Before reading anything else.
Recruiters want a clear idea of the best you have to offer.
To speak in marketing terms again, this is your core product.
This would usually be the most senior position you've held to date, with the widest scope and most complex deliveries.
If you don't have work experience yet, you should position your most recent project here. Treat it as a job: write it in the same level of detail you would a paid experience.
Most of the time spent on work experience will be allocated to that most recent job.
For that reason, this job block should address most of a job description's requirements and target as many areas of the job profile as possible.
This means the job block will be longer than any other: that's absolutely fine!
If the screening is on the shorter end of the spectrum, it's possible that only the first bullet point is read.
Because of this, you should include an introductory bullet point that will give a complete overview of your role.
That first bullet point should address:
So that this article doesn't get too long, I'm not going to write a full job block here.
Instead, I'll write the first introductory bullet point, and list the key areas of contributions that should be addressed.
To learn how to write great bullet points, you can refer to my Secret Formula for Writing Resume Bullet Points)
I'll write another article soon about role profiles (how to know what to write about for a specific position), which I will link here when ready :-)
(1) The introductory bullet point shows that you've worked for a similar product and solved similar challenges, while using the same tech stack they are using.
This is of course an ideal case, which won't always be reality, but you should focus on highlighting aspects that fit requirements.
(2) – (5) Address the key requirements from the checklist.
(6) – (9) Are secondary requirements for a Front-End role. They often won't be listed in job descriptions, nor will they be addressed in resumes.
This is however an opportunity you shouldn't miss: it's a great way for you to differentiate yourself from all the other candidates who will also meet the main requirements.
To a recruiter, that's the icing on the cake: be generous :-)
Though the rest of your work experience will only be given a quick glance during the Initial Screening, 2 other sections may have a small weight in the balance.
If you are a junior, they may use your graduation date as a way to assess the actual length of your work experience.
You'll be at an advantage if you have a University Degree (rather than a Bootcamp), so you should provide the full information instead of keeping them guessing.
For seniors, Education won't be given much importance.
Technical Skills may also hurt you if not present, because recruiters want to know your tech stack.
Using different tools is not a deal-breaker, but you’ll score extra points if you use the same technologies as their team.
When I write a resume, I ensure all the above information is visible on the first page. This makes it extremely easy for the recruiter, increasing your chances.
Here’s the order I recommend:
For seniors, place the Education section at the end of your resume.
The rest of your work experience can go on page two.
By applying the strategies above, you’ll dramatically improve your chances of passing the resume screening process and making it to interviews.
However, understanding how recruiters screen resumes is just the starting point. There’s even more you can do to refine your resume across the later stages of hiring.
As mentioned above, your resume is reviewed several times, and with each review comes a set of optimizations.
These are beyond the scope of this article, which I wanted to focus on the few things you can do to improve your results quickly.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read me and please don't hesitate to ask questions!
Curious to see how your resume and LinkedIN profile looks to a Recruiter?
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1️⃣ Detailed recommendations on how to improve your CV.
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