75% of CVs are discarded by an algorithm before a recruiter reads it. Not by a person: by a software called ATS (Applicant Tracking System). If your resume isn’t built to pass this filter, it doesn’t matter how good you are: you’ll never get called.

In this guide we see how to write a effective CV in 2025, starting from the right structure up to optimization for automatic screening systems.

Why your CV isn’t getting responses

There are four most common causes. Before: The CV is not optimized for ATS systems and is automatically deleted before a human sees it. Second: the structure lists tasks instead of results, and a recruiter who reads “responsible for managing the team” doesn’t understand what you actually did. Third: there is a lack of clear professional positioning — who you are, for what type of role, with what distinctive value. Fourth: the format is not compatible with screening systems (tables, text boxes, colors, non-standard fonts).

How to optimize a CV for ATS systems

ATS optimization requires attention to four elements.

Ad keyword. Analyze the job advert and identify key words specific to the role. Use them in your CV, preferably in the same forms used in the advert. An ATS system that searches for “project management” may not recognize “project management”.

Simple format. Avoid tables, text boxes, headers and footers with critical information (name, contacts), images embedded in the text. ATS systems read text linearly and often do not correctly interpret complex structures.

Standard section titles. Use recognizable headings: “Work Experience”, “Education”, “Skills”. Creative titles like “My Journey” or “What I Can Do” are ignored by automated systems.

File in correct format. Save the CV in .docx or .pdf text (not scanned). A PDF created from a scanned image is not readable by the ATS.

The optimal structure of an effective CV

An effective CV for the Italian and international market has four fundamental sections, in this order.

Headline and professional summary. Three or four lines at the top of the first page that say who you are, for what type of role and with what specific value. Not “economics graduate with experience in the commercial sector”, but “B2B Account Manager with 7 years of experience in the software sector: +35% average turnover per customer.”

Work experience with quantified results. For each experience: company, role, period, and – above all – 3-4 measurable achievements. Not “Managed the sales team” but “Lead a team of 8 sales managers to 28% revenue growth in 18 months.”

Technical skills and soft skills. Clean list of tools, languages, methodologies, certifications. Soft skills must be demonstrated in achievements, not declared in a list.

Training and certifications. Qualification, university, year. Any certifications relevant to the target role.

The recruiter has 6 seconds: how to use them

Eye-tracking studies show that a recruiter spends on average 6-7 seconds on the first reading of a CV. In that time he must understand: who you are, for what role, with what relevant experience.

This means that your name, job title and the two or three most relevant achievements must be immediately visible at the top of the first page. Everything else is detail to be read at a later time – if the first reading is convincing.

A well-written two-page CV always beats a poorly written one-page CV. The goal isn’t brevity: it’s clarity and relevance.

How I help you build a CV that works

I work with professionals and managers who apply for senior positions, who change sectors, or who get no response after months of applying. The problem is almost never the person: it’s how they are presented.

Let’s analyze your current CV together, identify specific critical issues and build a profile that positions you differently from other candidates. With the ATS systems that find it, with the human recruiter that reads it all the way through.

If you want to understand how to improve your CV, start here.