CV: 7 tips to catch recruiters' attention
75%. That’s the share of CVs that never reach a human recruiter’s eyes, filtered out upstream by automated screening software. And among those that pass the filter, nearly one recruiter out of two spends less than a minute reviewing it before deciding. In other words, every line, every word, every detail counts.
In a Belgian job market where competition is fierce and recruiters sometimes receive hundreds of applications for a single role, standing out is no longer optional. It’s a necessity.
At Kingsley, we support candidates every single day. We see what works, what makes the difference, and what sends a CV straight into the “no” pile. Here are our 7 tips to turn yours into a real gateway to your dream job.
1. Understand (and get through) the ATS filter
Before a recruiter ever lays eyes on your CV, software scans it first. It’s called an ATS (Applicant Tracking System). In 2025, 93% of recruitment professionals use an ATS, and according to data, these tools reject an average of 75% of CVs before a human ever opens them.
Why? Many candidates apply for roles that don’t match their profile, such as a senior position with no experience in the field, or a fully on-site role when they’re looking for remote work.
To pass this first filter:
- Optimize your keywords. Read the job description carefully and use the position’s key terms (skills, job titles, software) throughout your CV.
- Keep your layout simple. Tables, columns, graphics, fancy fonts, complex headers and footers: all of these can confuse the ATS.
- Stick to PDF format, which is readable by most modern ATS and preserves your layout across systems.
- Use standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Garamond), which are 20% less likely to cause parsing errors.
At Kingsley, we put human connection first. Our Career Advisors take the time to understand your background and ambitions. But before reaching us (or any internal recruiter), your CV has to pass this technical first step.
2. Stick to one page (two maximum for senior profiles)
According to a survey, 91% of European recruiters consider two pages the ideal CV length. For early or mid-career profiles, one page is enough. For senior profiles, two pages, no more.
A CV is not meant to be an exhaustive inventory of your professional life. It’s a relevant synthesis of your experiences and skills for the role you’re targeting. If a 15-year-old experience brings nothing to the application, it doesn’t belong. Select. Prioritize. Trim.
3. Tailor your CV to every application
More than half of candidates don’t tailor their CV to the job, which significantly reduces their chances of getting an interview. Generic CVs receive three times fewer responses according to industry data.
The method that works: build a “base” CV and then adjust each application to the specific needs of the role. Priorities to personalize:
- Your title at the top of the CV: it should reflect the role you’re targeting, not your current job title.
- Your pitch (or profile summary): 3 to 4 lines that summarize your background, key skills, and aspirations. It’s your “trailer”, what the recruiter reads first.
- The description of your most relevant experiences, to highlight the missions that resonate with the role.
A tailored CV speaks directly to the recruiter. They see immediately that you understood the role and that your profile fits.
4. Quantify your achievements
One of the most common mistakes we see: CVs that describe tasks without ever mentioning results. Yet including numbers on your CV boosts your chances of getting an interview by 40%.
Instead of writing “business development”, write “25% revenue growth over two years”. Instead of “team management”, write “managed a team of 8 across 3 simultaneous projects”. Numbers speak. So do action verbs: led, deployed, structured, united, negotiated.
Don’t forget soft skills either. Leadership, crisis management, ability to unite a team, collective mindset: if you have concrete proof, this is the moment to highlight it. They can make a real difference between two technically equivalent profiles.
5. Polish the form as much as the content
A clean, airy, consistent CV makes all the difference. Form is the first signal you send about your standards and attention to detail. A few simple rules:
- Adopt a neutral telegraphic style, avoiding first or third person.
- Be consistent in your alignments, fonts, bullets, capitals. A formatting mistake is an attention mistake.
- Proofread, and have someone else proofread. A typo on a CV remains a dealbreaker for many recruiters.
- Name your file correctly (“CV First Name Last Name Job Title.pdf”) and send it as a PDF.
6. Be specific about your interests and passions
Avoid the generic (“reading, traveling, cinema”) that says nothing about you. Go for precision: “Brussels Marathon 2024, finished in 3h52” or “Volunteer work with at-risk youth”. These details tell the recruiter who you are beyond the professional.
This is also the perfect spot for your mad skills: those abilities outside the strictly professional sphere that add something extra (theatre improv, playing in a band, skydiving…). Something that identifies you, defines you, and sets you apart.
7. Make your CV and LinkedIn a coherent ecosystem
Your CV and LinkedIn profile are not two separate documents. They form an ecosystem. According to ResumeGo, candidates who include a link to an active LinkedIn profile get 71% more interviews than those who don’t.
The recruiter who receives your CV will check your LinkedIn. The one who finds you online will ask for your CV. Both have to tell the same story, with the same consistency and quality of execution. If your profile isn’t up to date, check our tips to optimize your LinkedIn and attract recruiters’ attention.
And once your CV is sent and the interview booked, think about preparing what’s next: here’s how to approach your annual review with confidence.
Need a hand?
Optimizing a CV takes perspective. And perspective is something we rarely have on our own career.
At Kingsley, our Career Advisors support you in this process, free of charge. Specialized by sector (Finance & Private Banking, Legal, Real Estate & Engineering, HR) and by geographic zone (Belgium, Luxembourg, South of France and Monaco), they know exactly what recruiters and clients are looking for in your field.
Even better: in our approach, we present you directly to the employer. No algorithm, no platform between you and the final decision. A real meeting, a real partnership, from first contact to post-placement follow-up. And if you’re still wondering how a recruitment agency works, we’ve written an article that answers the most frequently asked questions.
Share your CV with us and let’s talk about your career goals. You might just discover that we already have the opportunity you’ve been looking for.