The Secret World of Recruiters Revealed: What Really Happens to Your CV

Let’s start with a fantasy many job seekers secretly believe.

You submit your CV. A recruiter somewhere receives a notification, drops everything, and rushes to open your beautifully crafted Word document. She reads every line, savours your 377 skills, whispers your name reverently, and immediately calls you because—of course—you are “the chosen one”.

Ring, ring…

Alright—wake up.

This is not how recruitment works. Not even close.

If you truly understand what happens behind the scenes, you can dramatically improve your chances of being shortlisted. So let’s lift the curtain.

The Reality: What Actually Happens When You Send Your CV

You find a job ad, tweak your cover letter, and send your CV. It immediately lands in a folder alongside anywhere from 50 to 300 other applicants—most of whom do not meet the basic job criteria.

The recruiter posted the ad yesterday. She already has ten other roles open. Reviewing CVs will have to wait. Maybe tomorrow. Otherwise, Monday.

Three days later—between two client meetings, a skipped internal meeting, and a frantic inbox—she finally gets to the applications.

There are 132 resumes waiting.

She does not have time to read each one. Nobody does. Instead, she hits Ctrl + F and searches for a key skill from the job description. If it does not appear in your CV, it is instantly skipped. No reading. No second chance.

If the keyword appears, she scans your work history at lightning speed:

• Have you worked for reputable companies?
• Are you a job-hopper?
• Does your experience align with the client?

This entire decision takes around six seconds. Yes—six.

If you pass the six-second test, congratulations. You enter the shortlist of around six candidates. You’ll receive a call for an interview with the recruiter. If you perform well, your CV joins three others sent to the client.

Why Recruiters Move Fast (and Often Seem Unresponsive)

Recruiters are not villains. They are not lazy. They are simply drowning.

Even a great recruiter may be juggling:

• 20–40 open roles simultaneously
• writing and posting ads
• searching LinkedIn and databases
• filtering ad responses
• calling candidates
• coordinating interviews
• delivering feedback
• conducting reference checks
• processing onboarding documents
• checking in with placed candidates

And all of this… every day.

So when you call after two days asking for an update, you are not ignored out of rudeness. More often than not, your recruiter is just overwhelmed.

Calling repeatedly, chasing aggressively, or demanding updates can actually hurt your chances. You risk being labelled as “high maintenance” or “time-consuming”—not ideal when recruiters are forced to prioritise efficiency.

How to Increase Your Chances of Being Noticed

1. Read the job description properly

Apply only if you genuinely match the core requirements. If you keep applying for roles you are not suited for, recruiters will eventually stop calling you altogether.

2. Identify the three non-negotiable skills and highlight them clearly

Recruiters search by keywords. If the essential skills from the ad do not appear prominently in your CV, you will be filtered out automatically.

This is why having a professionally written CV makes such a difference—it ensures your experience aligns with what recruiters actually search for.

3. Be patient (really patient)

Recruiters will contact you if you are shortlisted. If you are not contacted, it is often because:

• you are not the top candidate
• you are being kept as a backup
• the recruiter is waiting to see whether the preferred candidate accepts

It is frustrating, but it is the reality. A polite message or short LinkedIn note is fine. Just don’t expect immediate replies.

The Bottom Line

Recruiters are not ignoring you because they dislike you. They’re simply overloaded. Their priority is sending the best candidates to their clients as fast as possible.

If you want better results:

• Have a CV tailored to the role.
• Highlight the right keywords.
• Be strategic and patient.
• Understand how the system actually works.

A strong, well-written CV dramatically increases your chances of surviving the six-second screening test.

Had enough of the guessing game? Work with a professional Career Coach or CV Writer and give yourself the best chance of landing the interview.