Stop designing your CV for Tech Leads (at least for now)

I spent last week at a job convention, and if there is one thing I brought back, it is this: developers and recruiters live in two completely different worlds.

I talked to dozens of Internal Recruiters and HR professionals, and their perspective on what makes a "good" CV might surprise you.
As a developer, you likely focus on the tech stack and your complex personal projects.
But: the technical person only sees your CV if HR decides to forward it.

In most companies, the tech lead acts as a Veto (if even that). HR is the one who actually opens the door.

The HR Perspective: Quality vs. Quantity

Recruiters are measured on metrics you might not be considering. While they need a high volume of applicants, they are ultimately judged on quality. It is in their absolute best interest to pass along "promising" candidates, but many developers make it unbelievably difficult for them to identify that promise.

When you spend weeks on a personal project, you see a technical masterpiece.
=> HR often sees a "hobby project."

They aren't looking for your ability to code in a vacuum; they are looking for a professional who can deliver value within a business structure.

The 4 Questions HR is Actually Asking

Whenever an HR person looks at your CV, they are mentally checking these four boxes:

1. ROI: Will our company benefit from this person financially (directly or indirectly)?

2. Speed: How fast can they ramp up? (Long onboarding = lost money).

3. Retention: Is this person going to leave in less than two years?

4. Culture: Are they a risky personality, or will they actually match the team?

If your descriptions are vague or "too technical" without showing business impact, you are creating doubt.
Doubt is the fastest way to get your application moved to the "Maybe" pile.

=> And the "Maybe" pile in our current market is basically the "No" pile.

New Services: Removing Doubt and Aligning Incentives

Speaking of removing doubt, I am practicing what I preach. I am currently redesigning my services at codingcareer.de (check it out as it evolves!) to better serve you.

I have decided to remove all subscription models. Subscriptions can sometimes feel like the coach is incentivized to keep you around longer rather than helping you get hired as fast as possible.

I don't work like that, so I am replacing them with Bundles.

I am also introducing a "Pay-on-Hire" model for those who need it:

• Pay a part now: Get started immediately even if you are low on funds.

• Pay the rest when you get hired: You only pay the big chunk once you actually have the job.

This ensures our incentives are perfectly aligned: I am fully invested in you getting that signature on the dotted line. :)

The "Perfect (German) CV" Project

Because the gap between "Tech CVs" and "Recruiter expectations" is so wide, I am also launching an Open Source "Perfect (German) CV" template.

It is designed to help you hone your CV so that an average HR person thinks to themselves, "Wow! My tech lead has to see this one!"

Stay tuned for more updates on this. I will be sharing the repository soon so we can build a standard that actually gets developers hired. :)

See you in the next one,

Andre