Profile Audit Series #1: From overlooked to shortlisted, CV tips that work

A resume doesn’t get you the job. But it does get you in the room.

That’s where most remote job seekers get stuck: the very first step. You’ve got skills, experience, and motivation, but your resume isn’t getting shortlisted. Why?

That’s exactly what we unpacked in Profile Audit Series #1, our most requested session to date.

Together with Nadiya Khan, Head of Recruitment at Out of Office and a remote hiring expert with 10+ years of experience, we pulled back the curtain on what recruiters really look for. And we didn’t stop at advice, we also did live audits of real community resumes (with personal details removed, of course) to show what works, what doesn’t, and how to fix it.

Real talk from a recruiter who’s seen it all

Nadiya’s opening message was clear: “Recruiters are under time pressure. We don’t have the luxury to decode confusing profiles.”

She walked us through the two main hurdles every CV has to pass:

• ATS systems (automated filters that screen for keywords)
• Human recruiters (who skim for clarity, fit, and relevance)

And here’s the kicker: if your resume doesn’t match the job spec in language, skills, or industry context, it might never even get seen. That’s not personal, that’s just how the system works.

You could be amazing, but if your resume doesn’t reflect the right experience in the right words, you’re out before the race begins.

When clarity beats creativity

One big theme that came up? Format over flair.

Many job seekers try to stand out with bright colors, graphics, or complex layouts. But Nadiya made it clear:

“Visual resumes often break ATS systems and waste recruiter time. Simple, clean formatting wins every time.”

Your design should serve your story, not overshadow it. Especially for technical or corporate roles, a strong, well-structured resume will always outshine a pretty one that’s hard to parse.

The missing details that hurt your chances

Nadiya walked us through a resume from an experienced software engineer. The role history was solid, but it lacked one thing: context.

• No mention of the industries they’d worked in
• No clarity on the impact of their work
• No keywords tied to the jobs they wanted

So even though the experience was real and relevant, the resume would fail a recruiter’s first scan, or worse, never show up in a search at all.

If I’m hiring for a pharma tech role, I’m searching for pharma, life sciences, health. If your resume doesn’t have those words, you won’t show up. That’s the reality.

She also showed an example of someone transitioning into data science, with no explanation or story to guide the reader.

We’re not mind-readers. Tell us why this shift makes sense, what you’ve done to prepare, and what kind of role you’re looking for.

Live audits, lightbulb moments

The second half of the session was dedicated to three live audits submitted by community members. Each one was different, but the takeaways kept repeating:

• Add industry context to every role
• Match your resume to the job you want, not the one you had
• Cut the fluff. Focus on outcomes and relevant tools
• Skip the fancy formatting. Stick to clean, scannable design
• Make your objective clear, don’t assume recruiters will infer it

You could feel the lightbulbs going off in the chat. One attendee asked if all personalization should be removed from resumes. Nadiya’s take:  

“Not entirely but know when and where it helps. Your personality should show in your cover letter or portfolio; your CV needs to be strategic and skimmable.”

Missed the session?

Don’t worry. We’re already planning a follow-up session based on the overwhelming interest. And in the meantime? Start by reviewing your own resume with Nadiya’s lens:

• Are the right keywords there?
• Is your experience easy to understand?
• Does it show how you’re a fit for the jobs you’re applying to?

Because the truth is, your resume doesn’t need to be fancy, it needs to be clear, relevant, and intentional, and now you know how.

Want your resume reviewed next time? 👉 Keep an eye on the Events space in the Out of Office community.

Shared from one remote desk to another.