Recently, I sent a client a shortlist for a senior IT role.

They interviewed a few of the candidates and regretted all.

They hadn’t asked me to meet the one I rated strongest for this role.

So, let’s talk about what happens to your CV after you hit send, particularly in South Africa’s IT job market, where one job advert can attract a flood of applications.

And why even the strongest candidate can be overlooked.

TL;DR: Better CVs and Better IT Hiring Decisions

CVs are often scanned before they’re read in detail, particularly when application volumes are high.

But the commonly quoted six-second rule isn’t the whole story.

Jan Tegze’s 2023 experiment with 114 recruiters found average review times of between 17 and 46 seconds across three different CVs.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀: Put your relevant skills and experience where they’re easy to find. Show your career progression, make your achievements clear and talk to your recruiter about the story behind your CV.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: Before you decide who to interview, discuss the whole shortlist with your recruiter, especially the candidates you’re about to pass on.

Sometimes the strongest candidate is the one whose CV deserves a second look.

FOR JOB SEEKERS

1. Your CV may be skimmed, not read

I knew this candidate. I’d placed him before. I’d seen his technical test results and how he’d performed at the client.

In a relatively short space of time, he’d progressed from mid-level to senior. But the client felt he didn’t have the right experience.

So, I picked up the phone. As we talked, I could hear the client opening his CV again and going through it properly.

“Oh, I didn’t see that.”

“Oh, and that as well.”

He agreed to meet him.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁.

The experience had been on the CV all along. It just hadn’t been read properly.

I’m not blaming the client. When you’re working through a stack of CVs, you naturally scan for certain skills, job titles and experience.

And sometimes, what you’re looking for is right there in front of you, but you miss it.

2. How long do recruiters actually spend reading a CV?

You’ve probably heard that recruiters spend just six seconds looking at a CV.

It’s a figure that’s been quoted for years.

But more recent research suggests it’s not quite that simple.

In 2023, Talent Acquisition Leader, Jan Tegze, ran an experiment with 114 professional recruiters.

He showed them three different CVs, alongside a job description, and timed how long they spent reviewing each one, without them knowing.

Here’s what he found:

• 𝟭𝟳 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀 on average for the shortest CV.

• 𝟮𝟳 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀 for the mid-length CV.

• 𝟰𝟲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀 for the longest CV.

The quickest individual review was 12 seconds. The longest was two minutes and 27 seconds.

Now, this wasn’t a South African study, and each recruiter reviewed just three CVs. It doesn’t tell us how long every recruiter or hiring manager spends on every application.

But it does challenge the idea that every CV gets just six seconds.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝟭𝟳 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝟰𝟲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗩, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

That’s exactly what happened to my candidate.

His experience wasn’t missing.

It had simply been overlooked.

And that’s why HOW you present your experience matters.

𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦: https://jantegze.com/blog/how-long-do-recruiters-spend-looking-at-your-resume/

3. Five practical CV tips for IT professionals in South Africa

If you’re applying for IT jobs, your CV needs to make it easy for someone to see why you’re a good match.

I would suggest the following:

𝗮. 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽.

Your professional summary, latest job title and core technical skills should give the reader a clear picture within the first few lines.

If you’re a developer, architect, tester or IT leader, make your relevant experience easy to identify.

𝗯. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱.

Don’t make a hiring manager hunt through page three to find the experience the job advert asks for.

If you’ve worked with the required technology, led a relevant project or delivered something similar, make sure it’s easy to spot.

And back it up with examples.

𝗰. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆, 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗼.

A move from mid-level to senior doesn’t always show clearly in your job titles.

Explain the scope of your work.

What systems did you own? What technical decisions did you make? What did you lead, build or deliver?

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.

𝗱. 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿.

This is something I can’t stress enough.

Tell your recruiter about your achievements, career progression and the work you’ve taken on that might not be obvious from your CV.

A recruiter who really knows you can explain your experience to a client and point them back to the right information.

But only if you’ve given them something to work with.

𝗲. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗩 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻.

Use clear headings, concise descriptions (but… don’t leave anything out) and a logical layout.

Make your technical skills, recent experience and achievements easy to find.

A tidy CV helps a busy reader.

A wall of text doesn’t.

And remember, the goal isn’t to squeeze everything you’ve ever done onto the first page.

It’s to make the relevant information easy to find.

FOR HIRING MANAGERS

1. Why CV screening doesn’t always tell the whole story

When you’re hiring IT professionals, it’s tempting to make quick decisions from a CV.

You’ve got a day job… Meetings, deadlines, projects and a team to manage.

I get it!

But a CV only tells part of the story.

If you’ve briefed a recruiter properly, they’ve usually spoken to every person on that shortlist.

They may know things the CV doesn’t make obvious.

For example:

• How quickly the candidate has grown technically.

• What responsibilities they’ve taken on beyond their job title.

• How they’ve performed in previous roles or technical assessments.

• What they’ve actually delivered, rather than just what their CV says they know.

• Why the recruiter believes they’re a good match for your role.

A written candidate motivation is a good start.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

2. Ten minutes with your recruiter could save you a missed hire

Before you decide who to interview, take a short call with your recruiter.

Go through the entire shortlist, including the people you’re thinking of passing on.

Ask a few simple questions:

• Why did you shortlist this candidate?

• What makes you believe they’re suitable for the role?

• Is there anything about their experience I might be missing?

• Why should I consider interviewing them?

You don’t have to interview everyone.

And I’m certainly not suggesting that every candidate deserves a second chance simply because a recruiter says so.

But if you’ve trusted someone to find suitable candidates, give them the opportunity to explain why they’ve recommended each person.

In my client’s case, one conversation changed the outcome.

The candidate they initially passed over turned out to be the one they wanted.

𝗔 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 “𝗻𝗼” 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆. 𝗔 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆.

FAQ: CV Screening and IT Recruitment in South Africa

𝗤: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗖𝗩?

A: There’s no fixed time. A 2023 experiment by Talent Acquisition Leader, Jan Tegze, involving 114 recruiters found average review times of 17 to 46 seconds across three CVs. Some reviews were considerably longer. How much time someone spends on your CV depends on the role, the application and the person reviewing it.

𝗤: 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗖𝗩?

A: Yes. A short professional summary and clearly organised core technical skills section can help recruiters and hiring managers quickly identify relevant experience. Make sure those skills are supported by examples in your employment history. Listing a technology isn’t the same as showing how you’ve used it.

𝗤: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗜𝗧 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆?

A: Explain the scope of your responsibilities. Mention the systems you’ve owned, the technical decisions you’ve made, projects you’ve delivered and teams you’ve led. Job titles can lag behind real career growth, so help the reader understand what you’ve actually been doing.

𝗤: 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗧 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱?

A: Sometimes, but there are no guarantees. A recruiter who knows your experience, has assessed your technical skills or has placed you before can offer context that isn’t immediately obvious from your CV. That conversation may encourage a second look. The hiring manager still makes the final decision.

𝗤: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿?

A: Because the recruiter may have insight that isn’t captured on the CV. A short conversation can highlight relevant experience, career progression or technical ability that might otherwise be missed. It doesn’t mean you need to interview everyone. It simply helps you make a more informed decision.

Over to You

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗖𝗩 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?

Maybe it happened to you.

Or perhaps you’ve been the hiring manager who took a second look and discovered the right person.

What changed the outcome?

I’d love to hear your experience in the comments.

𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲 for practical insights into IT recruitment, career development, CV writing and smarter hiring decisions in South Africa.

𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯.

About Therese Otten

Therese Otten is the founder of DataTech Recruitment, established in 2019, and a Senior IT Recruitment Consultant based in South Africa, with over 20 years of recruitment experience.

She specialises in connecting tech professionals with SMEs, start-ups and companies growing their IT teams. Her expertise covers software developers, architects, testers, IT leaders and a wide range of technical roles.

Known for her honest, consultative approach, Therese is passionate about candidate care, client partnerships and raising the standard of recruitment in the South African market.

𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗧 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮?

Get in touch: 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲@𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁.𝗰𝗼.𝘇𝗮