Why Your CV Is Not Getting You Interviews (And How to Fix It)
February 19, 2026 · SeaVitae Blog
You have spent hours perfecting your CV. You have applied to ten, twenty, maybe fifty jobs. And you have heard almost nothing back. This is one of the most demoralising experiences in a job search — and it is far more common than people admit.
The hard truth is this: if you are not getting interview calls, your CV is almost certainly the reason. Not your qualifications. Not the job market. Your CV.
The good news is that this is fixable. Here are the most common reasons CVs fail — and exactly what to do about each one.
1. Your CV Is Not Passing the ATS Filter
Most large companies and many medium-sized ones use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter applications before a human ever sees them. If your CV is not formatted correctly, it gets rejected automatically — no matter how qualified you are.
ATS systems struggle with tables, text boxes, graphics, unusual fonts, and multi-column layouts. They also look for specific keywords that match the job description. If those keywords are absent from your CV, your application scores poorly and gets filtered out.
The fix is to use a clean, structured CV format with standard section headings, simple formatting, and language that mirrors the job descriptions you are targeting. Read our full guide on building an ATS-friendly CV to understand exactly what these systems look for.
2. Your Professional Summary Is Weak or Missing
The first thing a recruiter reads after your name is your professional summary. If it is generic, vague, or missing entirely, you have already lost their attention.
A weak summary sounds like this: "A hardworking professional seeking a challenging role in a dynamic organisation." This says nothing. It could describe anyone.
A strong summary sounds like this: "Operations manager with seven years of experience in logistics and supply chain, specialising in cost reduction and cross-functional team leadership. Proven track record of delivering projects on time in high-pressure environments."
Your summary should be specific, achievement-focused, and tailored to the type of role you are targeting. Two to four sentences is enough.
Ready to fix your CV? Create your ATS-friendly CV on SeaVitae for free →
3. You Are Not Tailoring Your CV
Sending the same CV to every job is one of the most common and damaging mistakes job seekers make. Employers can tell immediately when a CV is generic. And ATS systems penalise CVs that do not match the specific language used in the job description.
Tailoring does not mean rewriting your entire CV for every application. It means adjusting your professional summary, reordering your skills to lead with the most relevant ones, and making sure the language you use reflects the priorities of each specific role.
Even small changes — using the exact job title from the posting, mentioning a specific skill they listed — can significantly improve your application's performance.
4. Your Experience Descriptions Are Too Vague
Most CVs describe responsibilities rather than achievements. The difference is enormous.
"Responsible for managing client accounts" is a responsibility. It tells an employer what your job was supposed to involve.
"Managed a portfolio of 40 client accounts with a combined value of ₦120 million, achieving a 94% retention rate over two years" is an achievement. It tells an employer what you actually delivered.
Go through every bullet point in your work experience section and ask yourself: does this describe what I was supposed to do, or what I actually accomplished? Rewrite your responsibilities as achievements wherever possible, and use numbers to make them concrete.
5. Your CV Is Too Long
More pages do not mean more impressive. Recruiters spend an average of six to ten seconds reviewing a CV on first pass. A four-page CV full of padding is much harder to scan than a tight, focused two-page document.
For most professionals with under ten years of experience, one to two pages is ideal. Senior professionals with extensive experience may need two to three pages, but never more than that.
Cut anything that does not directly support your application for the type of role you are targeting. Secondary school results, hobbies with no professional relevance, and outdated roles from fifteen years ago can almost always be removed.
6. Your Skills Section Is Not Doing Enough Work
A skills section that just lists "Microsoft Office, teamwork, communication" is not helping you. Every candidate includes these. They add no differentiation and very little ATS value.
Your skills section should reflect the specific technical and professional competencies that are relevant to your target roles. If you are in engineering, list specific tools, software, and methodologies. If you are in finance, list specific platforms, frameworks, and financial instruments you work with.
Also ensure that your skills are consistent with the keywords used in the job descriptions you are targeting. If a role requires "financial modelling," make sure those exact words appear in your skills section if they apply to you.
7. You Are Applying to the Wrong Jobs
Sometimes the problem is not the CV — it is the strategy. If you are applying for roles that genuinely require five years of experience and you have two, no CV will bridge that gap. If you are applying outside your field without addressing the career change in your summary, most employers will not see the relevance.
Be honest about where you are in your career and target roles that are realistic. Apply to roles where you meet at least 70–80% of the listed requirements. Spend more time on fewer, better-targeted applications rather than mass-applying with a generic CV.
SeaVitae's free CV builder structures every section correctly from the start. Build your professional CV now →
8. Your CV Has Formatting or Grammar Errors
Typos, inconsistent formatting, and grammatical errors send an immediate signal that you are careless. Even one error can be enough for a recruiter to move on to the next candidate.
Proofread your CV multiple times. Read it out loud. Ask someone else to review it. Check that dates are consistent, that bullet points are grammatically parallel, and that there are no spelling errors.
How to Fix Your CV Today
If any of the above points apply to your CV, the fastest fix is to rebuild it properly from scratch using a structured, ATS-friendly format.
SeaVitae's free CV builder guides you through every section — professional summary, work experience, skills, education, certifications, and more — so nothing important gets left out and everything is formatted correctly from the start.
You can also read more about what ATS systems look for, explore our guide to professional CV templates, and see our article on the ten CV mistakes to avoid.
The job market is competitive. But a strong, well-structured CV puts you in a completely different position. Take the time to get it right — it is the most important document in your career.
Rebuild Your CV the Right Way
Create a free, ATS-friendly CV on SeaVitae and start getting the interviews you deserve.