Game Over For Cv-cracy… In 10 Signs

Too Big to Fail? Really?

Has the CV become such a sacred relic that we continue to worship it simply because “that’s how it’s always been done”? Like an old bilingual French-English dictionary we refuse to get rid of, fearing we might break some ancient tradition. “It might still come in handy.” And yet, if you take a closer look behind the scenes, you’ll quickly realize that everyone is trying to bypass it, “hack” it, or compensate for its shortcomings with an avalanche of technological tools.

Cynically speaking, one has to wonder: is this game really worth playing, or is it just a giant con where recruiters and candidates take on roles that no one truly believes in anymore? For once, let’s play devil’s advocate…

 

The Algorithm Circus

Let’s be honest: to cover up the limitations of the CV, we’ve deployed more or less sophisticated automated filtering systems (the infamous ATS that most HR departments now use). Candidates, in turn, compete in ingenuity to format their CVs, stuff them with keywords, and try to “slip under the radar”—or rather, “into the radar.” Not to mention the swarm of startups and career coaches promising to help you craft the perfect ATS-friendly resume, gamifying the system rather than challenging it.

But is anyone really winning in this mess? As the saying goes, during a gold rush, the only ones who get rich are the ones selling shovels and pickaxes.

It’s an endless race toward optimization, to comply with the rules of a game that everyone simultaneously criticizes.

 

So here’s the uncomfortable question: if we truly trusted the CV, why would we spend so much time verifying what it doesn’t say? Why are recruiters stalking LinkedIn posts, scrutinizing social media, and putting so much faith in the opinions of complete strangers?

At the end of the day, we want to know everything about a candidate—except what’s written on their CV. Ironic, isn’t it?

 

Here are 10 reasons why the CV might just be the most overrated tool in recruitment today.

 

1. The CV Traps Us in the Past

It lists what you’ve done—not what you want to do. Worse, it doesn’t even reflect what you’re capable of doing.

A software engineer who has coded in Java for five years might now want to switch to Python—but their CV betrays them. They’ll hear, “How dare you show up with this giant Java label stuck to your forehead?” They’ll try to explain, only to be dismissed with a “We’ll be in touch.” Java today, Java forever?

How can we believe that a candidate dreams of doing the exact same job (just elsewhere) for another 10 years, with a slightly better paycheck? This is the same candidate who mindlessly scrolls and switches between apps every night, craving digital stimulation. Are we really naive enough to think their ultimate career aspiration is doing the exact same thing, but for us?

Maybe it’s time to embed real aspirations in the hiring process. Are we truly looking for someone who has always done a job and will continue to do it for us for the next 15 years, or someone eager to learn, motivated, and ready to push themselves?

 

2. The Rigid Format Erases Soft Skills

Soft skills often make or break success in a company. We hire on hard skills, we fire on soft. They determine whether you stagnate, get promoted, or get shown the door.

Everyone acknowledges their importance. And yet, does anyone truly care? Too subjective? Too (or not enough) trendy? Too risky? Too new? We can come up with entire crates of excuses to avoid fully embracing them.

Compassion, creativity, emotional intelligence, critical thinking… all of this is often reduced to a single line in a CV (if mentioned at all), something like “Soft skills: team player, adaptable.” A throwaway line, added to match the job description. And we wonder why no one takes it seriously.

Maybe it’s time to inject some authenticity and finally treat soft skills as a serious, measurable part of recruitment rather than an afterthought.

 

3. A Magnet for Bias

Age, school, name, address—these are all unconscious bias triggers for recruiters. Goodbye diversity, hello stereotypes passing through the first filter.

Soufiane, 45, lives in the suburbs. His CV lays it all out: age, name, local university. Now let’s push this logic to its extreme:

• First ATS filter: Potential senior (over budget?) → Rejected.

• Second filter: Suburbs? Long commute, public transport issues, probable punctuality concerns. → Rejected.

• Third filter: Didn’t attend a Top 10 Uni → Rejected.

Meanwhile, in reality, Soufiane is a certified expert in Linux servers, the exact person you need. A true guru in his field.

 

4. Read in Six Seconds Flat

 

The average recruiter spends six to ten seconds on a CV. Reassuring, isn’t it?

If you’ve spent years crafting your career, you’ll love knowing that a recruiter skims through your life’s work faster than they can sip their coffee.

Unless you print your CV on neon pink paper, how exactly do you stand out in those six seconds? Understanding a candidate takes time. Too bad we rarely give it.

 

5. The ATS Standardization Scam

Candidates train to make their CVs ATS-friendly. They add just the right keywords, optimize job titles to match trends, even go as far as hiding keywords in white text to trick the system.

Online courses, CV-building tools, AI-enhanced templates—it’s all out there. It may not be neon pink, but it’s just as absurd. We’re gaming a broken system instead of changing the rules.

 

6. “Years of Experience” Means Nothing

Doing the same thing for 10 years does not automatically make you better than a newcomer who mastered it in 2 years. If anything, it might mean you’ve built bad habits or become too rigid to adapt.

Who would you trust more to develop a cutting-edge mobile app?

• A junior, self-taught, open-source contributor who spends nights on GitHub, wins hackathons, and stays at the bleeding edge of tech?

• Or a 25-year industry veteran who hasn’t written a line of code since Windows 98?

Maybe that junior deserves at least a fair shot.

 

7. Completely Out of Touch with Today’s Work Realities

 

Freelancing, side hustles, career shifts—the traditional CV tells you nothing about agility.

 

We continue forcing candidates into fixed categories: “Full-time employee” or “career gap.”

Anything outside that? Atypical. Unreadable. Unemployable.

Even though, ironically, non-linear careers are becoming the norm.

 

8. Self-Censorship Kills Opportunity

How many people never apply because they think:

“I don’t have the right degree.”

“I don’t have the required years of experience.”

The CV acts as a psychological barrier, screaming “Here’s what you lack.”

Instead of encouraging people to showcase their strengths, it fuels imposter syndrome before they’ve even started.

 

9. Even Recruiters Are Sick of It

 

They know the CV is flawed. The smartest companies have moved on: they use skills assessments, real-world simulations, and innovative recruitment methods instead.

 

And yet, the majority? They still cling to the “submit your CV” ritual—either out of habit or because they simply don’t know how else to filter candidates.

 

In reality, what matters is:

• How you solve problems.

• How you collaborate.

• How quickly you learn.

 

Not just a list of past jobs and degrees.

 

Reputation-based hiring, dynamic portfolios, and AI-powered skill-matching—that’s where we’re headed.

Conclusion: The CV Had a Good Run—But Its Time Is Up

 

It’s still here because we haven’t figured out what to replace it with. But make no mistake: the future of hiring won’t be built on outdated PDFs—it’ll be based on human potential, adaptability, and proof of real-world skills.

 

So, what comes next? Stay tuned for Part 2: What Now?