If your CV is going quiet — applications in, nothing back — the cause is usually not bad luck or a bad career. Most CVs that fail to land share the same handful of fixable problems. Here are seven of the most common, and how to fix each one. Work through them in order; you will probably recognise two or three.
1. It is not tailored to the role
The single biggest reason. A generic CV sent to every advert is optimised for none of them. Read each job description, identify what the employer most cares about, and make sure your most relevant experience is visible and worded in their terms. Fix: keep a master CV and tailor a copy for each application.
2. It leads with duties, not results
'Responsible for managing a team' tells a reader nothing about how well you did it. Employers want outcomes. Fix: rewrite your bullets to show what changed because you were there — a saving made, a process improved, a target hit — not just what you were supposed to do.
3. It is hard for the software to read
Many employers use applicant tracking systems, and clever layouts — columns, text boxes, tables, graphics — often get parsed wrongly, scrambling your experience before a human sees it. Fix: use a clean, single-column layout with standard headings, and save as a .docx unless told otherwise.
4. The top third is weak
Recruiters skim, and the first third of page one decides whether they read on. If it opens with a vague objective or a wall of text, you lose them. Fix: lead with a short, targeted summary and your strongest, most relevant recent experience, so the best of you is in view immediately.
5. It is too long or padded
A five-page CV, or two pages padded with irrelevant detail, buries your strongest points. Fix: keep it to two pages for most roles, give recent and relevant experience the space, and cut or compress the rest. Length should follow relevance, not seniority alone.
6. The language is generic
'Hardworking team player with excellent communication skills' says nothing, because everyone writes it. Fix: replace clichés with evidence. Instead of claiming you communicate well, show the presentation you gave or the stakeholders you managed. Specifics are persuasive; adjectives are not.
7. Small errors undermine it
Typos, inconsistent formatting, mismatched dates and gaps left unexplained all quietly erode trust. Fix: proofread carefully, check your dates line up, keep formatting consistent, and have someone else read it. Accuracy signals the same care you would bring to the job.
Where to start
It is rarely just one of these — most quiet CVs have a few working against them at once. If you only fix two things, make them tailoring and outcomes: they lift more CVs than anything else. A free, honest review is a quick way to find out which of the seven are holding yours back.
Common questions
Why is my CV not getting any interviews?
Usually a mix of not being tailored to the role, leading with duties instead of results, formatting that trips up applicant tracking systems, and a weak top third. Fixing tailoring and outcomes first tends to make the biggest difference.
Should I change my CV for every job?
Yes — tailor a copy of your master CV to each role. It usually takes 20–40 minutes and is the highest-return thing you can do to get more interviews.
How do I make my CV stand out to recruiters?
Lead with a targeted summary and your strongest relevant experience, replace generic phrases with concrete evidence and outcomes, and keep the layout clean so the best of you is visible in the first few seconds.