How recruiters in the Netherlands scan your CV
For English-speaking applicants, recruiters prioritize clarity, relevance, and evidence. They want to see role fit quickly, not long personal storytelling.
Your first half page should already show target role, strongest achievements, and relevant skills.
If your CV is too generic, callback rates usually drop even when your experience is solid.
Recommended CV layout and section order
Use this order: contact details, summary, work experience, education, skills, and optional certifications/languages.
One page is ideal for early-career candidates; two pages are acceptable for strong, role-relevant experience.
- Header: name, city, contact info, LinkedIn, optional work permit line.
- Summary: 3-4 lines with role focus, years of experience, and strongest value.
- Experience: reverse-chronological, 3-5 impact bullets per recent role.
Write stronger summary and achievement bullets
Avoid generic claims like "hard-working team player." Replace them with action and outcome statements.
For experienced candidates, focus on business outcomes, process improvements, and ownership scope.
- Reduced turnaround time by redesigning workflow and removing handoff delays.
- Improved quality by introducing clear review checkpoints and escalation rules.
- Increased delivery predictability through weekly planning and milestone tracking.
Example bullet structure
- Action: what you changed or built.
- Scope: team, process, customers, or budget affected.
- Outcome: measurable result or visible quality improvement.
Keyword and ATS strategy
Mirror the vacancy language in your summary, experience, and skills. This improves ATS pass-through and human scan relevance.
Do not keyword-stuff. Use each keyword where it naturally describes your actual experience.
- Use role terms from the vacancy in summary, recent role bullets, and skills.
- Avoid decorative CV elements that break text extraction in ATS parsing.
- Keep file naming clear: Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf
Final pre-apply quality check
Before submitting, verify that your CV is tailored to this specific vacancy, not a generic copy.
Small edits in title wording, top bullets, and keywords can materially improve interview conversion.
- Role fit is obvious in first two lines.
- Each recent role includes outcome-focused bullets.
- Language, terminology, and file naming are fully professional.
Quick checklist
- ✓Summary is concise and role-specific.
- ✓Experience bullets show actions and outcomes.
- ✓Section order follows Dutch recruiter expectations.
- ✓Keywords match the vacancy language.
- ✓Formatting is ATS-safe and easy to scan.
- ✓PDF export is clean and readable.
- ✓CV is adapted for this exact application.
FAQ
Can I apply in English in the Netherlands?+
Yes, especially in international companies and many tech roles. Confirm language expectations in the vacancy.
Should I keep my CV to one page?+
One page is preferred for starters. Two pages are acceptable for experienced profiles with relevant impact.
Does ATS matter in Dutch hiring?+
Yes. Many employers use ATS filtering, so keyword alignment and clean structure are important.
Should I include a photo?+
Usually optional. Include one only when it is professional and role-appropriate.
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