For years we’ve been told the CV is dead. But it isn’t – it’s just changed jobs.

Once upon a time, you wrote your CV for the hiring manager. You chose your words carefully, you sweated over phrasing, you imagined them reading every line with interest. Today? Your CV’s first reader isn’t human. It’s a robot.

Meet Your New Gatekeeper: The Algorithm

AI recruitment tools now scan most CVs before a person even sees them. If your carefully crafted prose doesn’t tick the machine’s boxes, it never reaches a human eye.

Your CV might be brilliant. It might sing with experience and potential. But if it doesn’t look like what the machine is looking for, it gets binned.

So what do you do?

You learn to speak robot.

How to Write for the Robots (and Still Impress the Humans)

Use clear, keyword-rich language.
Scan the job ad like a detective. What words repeat? “Stakeholder management”? “Cross-functional teams”? Use them in your CV.

Ditch the creative job titles.
“Chief Happiness Officer” might sound fun, but the AI isn’t looking for fun. It’s looking for “Chief People Officer”.

Stick to standard formatting.
Tables, fancy graphics, and some PDFs confuse AI scanners. Keep it clean, simple, and structured.

Think like a search engine.
Say “project management experience” instead of “I’ve led many successful teams”. Machines match patterns – give them the patterns they’re looking for.

Because here’s the truth: humans hire for potential, AI hires for patterns.

But Don’t Lose the Human Touch

Here’s where many people panic. When we feel judged, we curl up like hedgehogs – we hide the soft bits.

CVs become sterile. LinkedIn profiles look identical. We strip out quirks, warmth, personality – all in the name of looking “professional”.

The result? The robot might pass you through, but when a human finally reads it, you’re forgettable.

AI won’t find your humanity. But the humans behind the hiring decision still need to see it.

Show the Soft Bits, Carefully

First, get through the gate. Optimise your CV for the scan. But then:

• Use your LinkedIn About section to bring YOU to life.

• Tell a short story that shows your values in action.

• Add a line about what energises you, or what your team says about you.

• Post your reflections on topics that matter to you – not just articles, but your own thoughts.

People hire people, not templates.

The Bottom Line

Your CV now has two jobs. First, convince the robot. Second, impress the human.

Update your CV for the algorithms. Show up online for the people.

And ask yourself: what soft bits have I hidden – and how could I let them show?