Why So Many CVs Get Ghosted — and How to Bring Yours Back to Life

If you’ve been applying for tech roles and hearing nothing back, you’re not alone. We speak to skilled candidates all the time — cloud engineers, M365 specialists, DevOps contractors — who are getting zero replies despite having solid experience. You hit apply, sometimes get an automated “thanks,” and then silence. No feedback, no update, just a black hole. It’s frustrating, and yes, demoralising too.

So why does this keep happening?

Most of it comes down to scale and automation.

Hiring processes today are built for volume. According to a 2023 People Management report, 75% of UK candidates say they’ve been ghosted by employers after applying. That’s not because their CVs were bad — it’s because hiring teams are overwhelmed. For every tech role, there are hundreds of applicants, many of whom use AI to churn out polished-sounding CVs. The result? Everyone starts to look the same.

Recruiters — both in-house and agency — use software to filter CVs before a human ever sees them. A 2024 Standout CV report estimates that 98% of large UK employers use some form of applicant tracking system (ATS). If your CV doesn’t hit the right keywords or show the right structure, it may never make it through.

And when everyone’s applying to every vaguely suitable role with a near-identical CV, even strong candidates get lost in the shuffle.

So what makes a CV stand out?

Not fancy formatting. Not buzzwords.

What works is relevance.

Recruiters are looking for signs you’ve done the job before — or that you’ve done something similar enough to ramp up quickly. That means tailoring your CV to the role you’re applying for. It’s not about rewriting everything from scratch, but it does mean adjusting the headline, choosing which skills to highlight, and making sure your recent projects speak directly to what the role needs.

The other big differentiator is results.

It’s one thing to say you’ve “worked on cloud migration projects.” It’s another to say: “Led Azure migration for 1,200-user business, reducing infrastructure costs by 35%.” 

Results are how you cut through noise. They’re proof of impact. That’s what hiring managers remember.

Can AI help with all this?

Yes — but only to a point.

Using AI tools to get a basic CV structure or help with phrasing is fine. But if you let it do all the writing, it’s going to sound like everyone else’s. Generic. Over-polished. Vague.

The best use of AI is to speed up admin, not to take over your voice. Hiring managers can tell when they’re reading a CV that’s been copy-pasted from ChatGPT. It might look clean on the surface, but it lacks the detail and authenticity that make a real candidate stand out.

What works better is this: use AI to format, structure, or brainstorm. Then go back in and write like a human. Be specific. Be accurate. Use your own words. Make it obvious that you wrote it — and that you know what you’re doing.

Slowing down leads to better results.

It’s tempting to fire out 20 applications in a day. But in our experience, the candidates who get interviews are the ones who slow down and treat each application like it matters.

They take time to read the job description. They look at what the company does. They tweak their CV to highlight the right projects. And they make sure the application actually reflects the role.

That might mean applying to 5 roles a week instead of 25. But those 5 will be stronger — and you’re much more likely to get a response.

Following up helps, too. If it’s a role you’re genuinely interested in, a brief and polite follow-up — ideally 3 to 5 working days after you’ve applied — can make a difference. It doesn’t need to be long: a short email or a quick call just to confirm your application’s been received, and to express your interest, is often enough.

It shows intent. It shows you’re proactive. And in a sea of automated applications, a live human voice stands out. Even if you’re not right for that particular role, you’re more likely to be remembered when something better-suited comes up.

Just keep it professional. Don’t chase daily, and don’t expect an immediate update — but do make yourself visible. A well-timed follow-up is one of the simplest ways to move yourself from the pile of CVs into the back of someone’s mind.

Need a second pair of eyes?

If you’re not getting traction, we’re happy to help.

We offer a free CV review for candidates in tech — no catch, no pressure. It’s a human review, not automated. If we can spot anything holding you back, we’ll tell you directly.

Just use the Humnize contact form to send your CV over, and one of our team will take a look.