If you're applying for roles at mid-to-large companies right now, there's a good chance a human isn't the first one reading your CV. An algorithm is.
This isn't a future trend, it's already happening. LinkedIn's latest research shows 37% of organisations are actively integrating AI into their hiring process, up from 27% just a year ago. From what I'm seeing on the ground in finance and professional services, that number feels conservative.
So if you don't understand how this works, you could be getting filtered out of roles you're genuinely qualified for, and you'd never know.
It's basically a pattern-matching tool. It scans your CV for keyword alignment with the job spec, clean formatting it can actually read, a clear career history, and measurable outcomes. It then generates a match score against the role requirements.
What it can't do is read context. It won't understand that your sideways move into a commercial role was a smart career decision. It won't pick up on leadership, judgement, or commercial instinct. Those things matter, but they matter at the human stage, not the filtering stage.
I've seen candidates try everything, copying job descriptions in white text, keyword stuffing, getting creative with dates to hide gaps.
It doesn't work. The tools are smarter than that now, and even if you slip through, you'll get caught at the human review stage. Clarity always beats cleverness.
Keep the formatting simple. No columns, no graphics, no text boxes. I know the Canva templates look great, but they can genuinely prevent screening software from reading your CV. A clean document with clear headings is all you need.
Quantify your impact. Don't say you "improved reporting processes." Say you "reduced month-end close from 10 days to 6, saving approximately 200 hours annually." That's what algorithms and hiring managers both want to see.
Add a skills summary at the top that's aligned to the roles you're going for. Not a list of buzzwords — a clear, honest snapshot of what you bring.
Maintain a clean chronology. Gaps aren't a dealbreaker, but unexplained jumps and missing dates will flag you.
Once you're past the screening stage, everything shifts. Commercial awareness, communication, strategic thinking, the ability to walk into a room and influence a decision - no algorithm assesses any of that. That's still entirely human.
Get your CV right for the AI world, but don't lose sight of the fact that the interview is still where careers are made. At DMC, we help with both: making sure your CV performs in a screened process, and preparing you for the conversations that actually determine the outcome.