How to Win Over a Recruiter in 7 Seconds

You Only Get a Few Seconds — Here's How to Make Them Count

Recruiters decide within seconds whether to keep reading your CV or move on. Here's how to grab their attention fast and stay in the game.

Yes, it’s true — you have about 7 seconds

Several studies confirm it: recruiters spend just 6–8 seconds scanning a CV before deciding if it’s worth a deeper look.
🔗 TheLadders Eye-Tracking Study
🔗 Business Insider summary

That’s the window where they spot red flags or decide to keep reading. Why so short? Because they often go through hundreds of applications for a single role — and have to make fast, practical decisions.

In those few seconds, they typically scan for:

• Relevant job titles
• A clean, readable layout
• A short summary or headline
• Clear career progression
• Obvious mistakes or mismatches

If your CV doesn’t give them a reason to stay — they move on. Even if you're a great candidate.

Make your value pop instantly — without overthinking it

You don’t need a flashy design or a quirky intro to stand out. What you do need is clarity, focus, and relevance. Here’s how to front-load your CV with impact:

✅ Start with a short, tailored profile — show what you do and what you’re aiming for
✅ Use clear, recent job titles and reverse-chronological order
✅ Highlight key achievements or metrics in your top 1–2 roles
✅ Make sure your layout is clean and easy to scan (no tiny fonts, no blocks of text)
✅ Cut anything that doesn’t serve your current application

The goal? Make it effortless for the recruiter to say:
"This person could be a great match — let’s look closer."

Want real feedback? Let a recruiter scan it like they would on the job

The truth is, most people can’t judge their own CV the way a recruiter would. You’re too close to it. You’ve lived every job, every line, every bullet point — but a recruiter hasn’t. They see your CV the way a hiring manager will: fast, focused, and a little skeptical.

So if you want to know whether your CV passes the 7-second test, there’s one simple solution: let a recruiter review it — just like they would for a real position.