The 7.4-Second Rule That’s Killing Your CV

Recruiters spend exactly 7.4 seconds on your CV before deciding your fate.

Not 10 seconds. Not “a quick glance.” Precisely 7.4 seconds, according to eye-tracking studies from TheLadders.

In less time than it takes to tie your shoes, your career prospects are determined. Harsh? Yes. Reality? Absolutely.

What Happens in Those 7.4 Seconds

Using eye-tracking technology, researchers mapped exactly where recruiters look, and the results are sobering. Your name gets a mere half-second glance—just enough to register who you are. Then their eyes jump to your current job title and company, spending two full seconds assessing whether you’re at the right level and working somewhere impressive.

Next comes your previous role, earning 1.5 seconds of scrutiny. Are you progressing upward? Making lateral moves? The trajectory matters more than the details. Education gets a cursory one-second check—enough to spot a red flag or prestigious institution, nothing more.

The final 2.4 seconds? A frantic keyword scan, hunting for terms that match the job requirements. That’s it. Everything else—your carefully crafted personal statement, your volunteer work, your hobbies—remains invisible.

The F-Pattern That Decides Everything

Recruiters scan CVs in an F-shaped pattern:

Horizontal movement across the top (your header)
Horizontal movement slightly down (current role)
Vertical scan down the left side (dates and titles)

If you haven’t hooked them by the bottom of that F, you’re in the rejection pile.

The 7.4-Second CV Makeover

Here’s how to optimise for reality, not wishful thinking:

1. Load Your Top Third

Your CV’s top third is Manhattan real estate—every pixel costs. Start with your name in confident 14-16pt font. No need for “Curriculum Vitae” as a header; they know what they’re reading. Directly below, position a professional title that mirrors the job posting’s language. If they’re seeking a “Senior Marketing Manager,” that’s exactly what you are—not a “Marketing Leader” or “Growth Specialist.”

Your contact details should flow naturally: email, phone, LinkedIn, and location (city is enough). Then comes the secret weapon most candidates miss: a one-line value proposition. This isn’t a fluffy objective statement—it’s a concrete claim about the value you deliver.

Here’s what exceptional looks like:

Sarah Mitchell
Senior Marketing Manager | B2B SaaS Specialist
London, UK | sarah@email.com | linkedin.com/in/sarahmitchell
Scaling revenue 300% through data-driven growth strategies

In four lines, Sarah has communicated more value than most CVs manage in two pages.

2. Make Titles Pop

Bold your job titles
Italicize company names
Use consistent formatting throughout
Include dates in a subtle gray

3. Front-Load Achievement Keywords

Recruiters’ eyes are trained to catch specific power words that signal achievement. Starting your bullets with weak phrases like “Responsible for” or “Duties included” is CV suicide. Instead, lead with action verbs that demonstrate impact: Increased, Decreased, Improved, Managed, Led, Developed, Achieved, Delivered, Exceeded.

But here’s the nuance—match your verbs to the role’s level. Entry-level roles respond to “Supported” and “Assisted.” Mid-level thrives on “Managed” and “Developed.” Senior positions demand “Directed” and “Transformed.”

4. Use the CAR Formula for Bullets

The Context + Action + Result formula transforms boring job descriptions into compelling achievement stories. Context sets the stage, Action shows what you did, and Result proves why it mattered.

Consider the difference:

❌ “Responsible for social media marketing”
✅ “Increased social engagement 312% in 6 months through data-driven content strategy”

The first tells them your job. The second sells your impact. In 7.4 seconds, which would you remember?

5. Strategic White Space

1-inch margins minimum
Line spacing at 1.15
Clear section breaks
No walls of text

Test Your CV Right Now

Time yourself reading your own CV. If you can’t identify your value in 7.4 seconds, neither can a recruiter.

Better yet, hand your CV to someone unfamiliar with your work. Give them 7 seconds. Ask what they remember. If it’s not your biggest achievements, you have work to do.

The Tool That Changes Everything

Want to see exactly how your CV performs? Jobscan shows you:

ATS compatibility score
Keyword match percentage
Readability analysis
What recruiters see vs. skip

(No affiliation, just a tool that works.)

Your 15-Minute Action Plan

Stop what you’re doing and fix your CV right now. Open your current version and grab a highlighter—physical or digital. Spend three minutes marking only what a recruiter would see in their 7.4-second scan. Be brutal. If it’s not your name, current title, previous title, education, or a keyword, it doesn’t count.

Disappointing, isn’t it? Now spend five minutes rebuilding your top third using the template above. Make your name larger, add that professional title, craft your value proposition. The goal is to communicate “I’m exactly who you’re looking for” before their eyes even reach your experience section.

Next, three minutes to add visual hierarchy throughout. Bold every job title, italicize every company name. This creates visual anchors that guide the recruiter’s eye to what matters. Finally, test it. Hand your CV to someone, start a timer, and stop them at exactly 7.4 seconds. What do they remember? If it’s not your core value, iterate until it is.

Fifteen minutes of focused editing beats hours of random tweaking. Your future self will thank you when the phone starts ringing.

Remember: Recruiters aren’t heartless—they’re overwhelmed. When you’re reviewing 100+ CVs daily, rapid scanning becomes survival.

Make their job easier, and they’ll make your phone ring.

What’s your biggest CV challenge? Reply and let me know—the best questions become future posts.