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The 7 reasons
recruiters ignore your CV

And how to eliminate every mistake before you hit "send".

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1

Generic header: no visual connection to the company

Recruiters see dozens of CVs with the same grey header every day. If your CV looks exactly like everyone else's, you have already lost before they read a single word. A recruiter spends 6 seconds on a CV on average, and those 6 seconds go to the header.

Solution

JobAmmo automatically applies the company's brand colour throughout your CV.

2

Wrong bullets: copied from your previous job description

Most people copy their standard list of tasks. But a recruiter wants to see whether you have the specific skills listed in the job posting, not what you did somewhere else.

Solution

JobAmmo generates bullets that directly match the keywords and requirements in the job listing.

3

Weak salutation: "Dear Sir/Madam"

An anonymous salutation signals one thing: you did not look into the company or the person. In 2026 the hiring manager's name is findable within 30 seconds. A personal salutation increases your chance of a reply by 30%.

Solution

Always look up the recruiter or hiring manager on LinkedIn before you hit send.

4

ATS mistakes: keywords from the listing are missing in your CV

Large companies use ATS systems that automatically scan CVs for keywords. If you write "data driven" while the listing asks for "data-driven", you filter yourself out before a human ever sees you.

Solution

JobAmmo shows an ATS score: how many keywords from the listing appear in your CV.

5

Cover letter too long: recruiters read the first paragraph and stop

A three page cover letter does not get read. Recruiters read the first paragraph, decide in 10 seconds whether to continue, and archive the rest. Your first paragraph must contain your strongest argument, not an introduction about yourself.

Solution

JobAmmo writes a sharp, concise cover letter that opens with your strongest match argument.

6

Generic profile line: "I am a driven professional"

"I am a motivated, results-oriented professional with a passion for..." This says nothing. Recruiters read it 80 times a day and skip you. A profile line must prove in one sentence that you are the specific candidate they are looking for.

Solution

JobAmmo generates a profile line based on the job listing: concrete, specific and distinctive.

7

No call to action: your letter ends without asking for a conversation

"I look forward to hearing from you" is not a CTA. It is passive. A strong closing paragraph repeats your strongest match argument and explicitly asks for a conversation, with a concrete offer to discuss availability.

Solution

JobAmmo closes every letter with an active, confident CTA that matches the company's tone.

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Want the full story behind these mistakes? Read why ATS rejects your CV or look up any term in the glossary.