u/HomeworkChemical9853

So I rebuilt my CV a few weeks ago after that recruiter feedback post. Applied once. Got a callback within a week. Eventually got the job.

The whole time I was focused entirely on the CV. ATS keywords, clean format, achievement bullets. Never touched my LinkedIn.

Now my friends are spending hours optimising their LinkedIn SSI scores, posting content, tweaking profile headlines. Some of them are treating the LinkedIn score like it matters more than anything else.

And I'm sitting here like ..I never did any of that. Got the job anyway.

But I also can't tell if I just got lucky or if the CV was genuinely enough. Maybe the LinkedIn stuff matters more when you're applying to certain types of roles. Maybe it matters more when a recruiter is sourcing people rather than you applying directly.

Genuinely don't know. My experience says CV first. My friends' behaviour says LinkedIn is the whole game.

Has anyone actually tested this? Did optimising your LinkedIn make a real difference or did a strong CV do most of the work?

Applied for a project manager role in Manchester about 6 weeks ago. Got rejected but the recruiter actually called me rather than emailing, which was already unusual. I asked if she had any feedback and she was surprisingly candid. I was taking notes on my phone the whole time.

Here's basically what she said, paraphrased:

On format: "It's two columns and honestly our system just doesn't like that. The left column with your skills just doesn't get parsed properly. I could read it fine as a PDF but what our ATS spits out to me looks like jumbled text."

On the personal statement: "It's too general. You could be applying for 50 different roles with this.I want to know within 10 seconds why you want THIS type of role."

On bullet points: "You've got responsibilities listed not achievements. 'Managed a team of 6' tells me nothing. What did that team deliver? What changed because you were in charge?"

On length: "Three pages is too long for 7 years of experience. I'd get it to two. The stuff from your first job in 2016 doesn't need four bullet points."

On the skills section: "Microsoft Office is not a skill worth listing in 2025. Everyone has it. Use that space for something that differentiates you."

On references: "'References available on request' — you don't need this line. Everyone knows you have references. It just takes up space."

I rebuilt my CV from scratch based on all of this. Got a callback within a week on the next application.

I know not all recruiters will say the same things but this felt like genuinely useful insight from someone who looks at hundreds of CVs. Hope it helps someone.