Long time no see! 😉
It’s been over a year since I published my first non-technical article, The Interview Under the Hood. Hiring, recruitment, and candidate evaluation have been integral parts of my career, as I’ve spent the last six years working as a technical interviewer.
I take great pride in being part of a team that helps shape the future of my amazing team, Valor Software.
The world is changing faster than ever, and the IT market is feeling the impact. AI advancements, financial instability, and company optimizations have led to fewer job openings and higher expectations for candidates. As a result, the number of CVs being reviewed has skyrocketed.
I’m sure my fellow recruiters understand this challenge all too well. As a technical interviewer, I review many CVs—but you handle even more. On top of that, technical interviewers must balance CV estimating with development work, making CV evaluation faster.
However, speed should never come at the cost of quality. We’re selecting our future colleagues! It’s just as important to identify the right candidates as it is to filter out the wrong ones—both are equally essential.
CV evaluation is the first step in recruitment, yet it’s often underestimated. It’s time to give it the attention it deserves.
In this article, I explore key patterns in CV evaluation and share my own insights tailored to the specifics of the IT industry. I’m excited to offer practical yet essential strategies to enhance the hiring process.
Before diving into the main topic, I’d like to highlight some key aspects of CV analysis. It’s important that we’re on the same page.
The goal
Although we evaluate the CV’s content rather than the candidate directly, our goal is to gain the clearest possible understanding of the person behind it.
The CV-related Antipatterns
Candidates sometimes exaggerate their skills or include irrelevant information, making it harder to assess their true qualifications. This can complicate decision-making and slow down the hiring process.
Let’s take a closer look at this issue by classifying some well-known CV anti-patterns.
💡 Tip: #1: Always keep this challenge in mind when reviewing resumes.
Technological Zoo
Some candidates list every possible technology used in their projects—even those they barely worked with—just to make their CVs look impressive. Sometimes, these lists are labeled as Technologies used on the project.
This raises a valid question: What part of this tech stack did you actually work with?
In other cases, we encounter even more misleading approaches, such as the following.
Example 1.
Foo Bar Ltd. 2023-01 -- 2023-11
...
Technologies used: TypeScript, Express.js, Nest.js, PostgreSQL, React.js, Redis, RabbitMQ, MongoDB, Golang, .NET, GCP, Jest, Chai, AWS, Lambda, Terraform, MS SQL server.The list above is not so long and could look relevant at first glance. However, we see a drastically wide list of technologies including different IT specializations like JS/TS, Golang/Devops, and .NET. Is it possible to use all of them deeply in the short period above (2023-01 - 2023-11) by one person? I guess not.
💡 Tip: #2: If you choose to address the Technological Zoo during the prescreening stage, politely ask the candidate:
Which technologies did you personally use?
How much time (ideally in hours) did you spend working with each?
Keep in mind that while this approach provides clarity, it can also extend the screening process.
"Water" Explanations in Job Descriptions
Let’s consider the following example.
Example 2.
Collaborated with the foreign to comprehend requirements and develop efficient solutions, resulting in a 15% increase in project productivity speed.
Demonstrated expertise in back-end technologies, contributing to the successful launch of over 100 major projects that improved user engagement.The descriptions above might be suitable for a managerial CV, where broader explanations are expected. However, for a technical candidate, this doesn’t suffice.
In technical CVs, we need clear, concise descriptions of decisions and contributions to properly assess the candidate’s expertise.
Example 3.
Backend optimizations, reducing data processing times by 30% using Node.js streams.
Developed and maintained unit and integration tests using Jest, improving test coverage.
Built authentication and authorization flow using KeycloakThe example above is very informative from a technical perspective. Isn’t it?
💡 Tip: #3: Pay close attention to metrics in a CV, such as "Improved data processing by 30%" or "Reduced load times by 15%."
A good way to verify these claims is to ask:
👉 "According to your CV, you reduced data processing times by 30% using Node.js streams. How did you measure this?"
If the candidate cannot explain how they arrived at the number, it’s a red flag—it could indicate exaggeration or irrelevance.
✅ A credible response might be:
I (or my DevOps/Product Manager) gathered this data from DataDog (or another monitoring tool). The system was already being monitored before I started working on the project.
🔹 For projects older than three years, the candidate should confidently recall the monitoring system used—otherwise, their claim may be questionable.
Third-person narration
We need to be mindful of We statements in CVs—yes, it’s a bit of a tautology, but an important one.
Some candidates use team-based phrasing to subtly exaggerate their contributions. This tactic helps them mask knowledge gaps while avoiding outright falsehoods. Instead of highlighting their individual impact, they shift focus to the team as a whole—this is a psychological trick.
This anti-pattern is particularly common during pre-screen introductions.
💡 Tip: #4: If you choose to address third-person narration during prescreening, ask the candidate politely:
👉 What were your personal contributions to this project?
Also, pay close attention to their reaction—hesitation or vagueness may indicate an attempt to inflate their role. However, keep in mind that this approach takes extra time.
An inconsistent set of Job positions
Experienced developers will likely agree that many of us must adapt to new tech stacks every 3 to 6 years. Migrations—such as PHP to Node.js, jQuery, and ExtJS to React or Angular, or C++ to Rust or Golang—are common in our fast-paced industry.
However, not all migrations are positive career moves—some can be anti-patterns. The key indicator for identifying whether a migration might be problematic is the time range of job positions in the candidate’s history.
Let’s look at the CV below.
Example 4.
Looking at the CV, it’s a Senior Java Developer. But if we dig much more precisely, we see that Jack’s relevant Java experience is only one year, and his previous 10 years of experience is mostly about the PHP stack. Should we consider this candidate as a Senior Java Developer? Probably not, because Java and PHP stacks are drastically different. If his experience were, say, .NET instead of PHP, it might be worth considering him as a Senior Java Developer because the .NET stack is much closer to Java than PHP.
💡 Tip: #5: Deepen your understanding of technological aspects!
Being familiar with tech stacks, frameworks, and industry trends will help you better assess CVs, spot inconsistencies, and ask the right questions during evaluations.
The patterns of CV scanning
After reviewing the anti-patterns, we can now move on to CV analysis.
As you may have gathered from the context of this article, we’re focusing on fast reading techniques—so instead of "reading," I’ll use the term "scanning."
Here are the key scanning patterns to consider. You can find more information regarding the patterns in this article: F-Shape Pattern And How Users Read.
F-Pattern
Z-Pattern
Layer-Cake Pattern
Love-at-First-Sight Pattern
Lawn-Mower Pattern
Spotted Pattern
Marking Pattern
Bypassing Pattern
Commitment Pattern
In this article, I focus solely on the F- and Z-patterns, as other approaches don’t seem well-suited for the fast scanning of IT-related CVs. I won’t dive into the reasons behind this choice, but if you’ve read the article so far, I trust you’ll understand my perspective.
The F-pattern
The F-pattern of CV analyzing refers to how recruiters and hiring managers visually scan a resume. This pattern is based on eye-tracking studies that show readers naturally follow an "F" shape when skimming text-heavy documents.
How the F-Pattern Works in CV Analysis:
Top Horizontal Scan Recruiters start by reading the top section, typically scanning from left to right. This includes the name, contact details, and professional summary.
Second Horizontal Scan Their eyes move down slightly and scan another horizontal section, usually where job titles, company names, and key skills are located.
Vertical Scan on the Left Finally, they move down the left side, quickly glancing at bullet points, dates, and section headings (like Work Experience, Education, etc.).
The spoiler. The feature of my using the F-pattern is slightly different from the above: I usually stop on the latest job position.
The Z-pattern
The Z-pattern of CV analyzing is another way recruiters scan resumes, but it’s more common in visually structured layouts, such as modern, two-column CVs or those with graphics and design elements.
How the Z-Pattern Works in CV Analysis:
Top Horizontal Scan (Left to Right) The recruiter first looks at the top section, scanning from left to right. This typically includes your name, contact details, and headline (or professional summary).
Diagonal Movement (Top Right to Bottom Left) Their eyes then move diagonally across the page, looking at job titles, key skills, or important highlights that stand out.
Bottom Horizontal Scan (Left to Right Again) Finally, they scan the bottom of the page, where they might see education, certifications, or additional skills.
The Psychology of Reading a CV / Resume - F & Z Patterns
F-Pattern vs. Z-Pattern in CVs:
F-Pattern = Best for text-heavy, traditional resumes (e.g., corporate, finance, law).
Z-Pattern = Best for modern, visually structured resumes (e.g., marketing, design, tech).
In F-Shape Pattern And How Users Read you can find the list of well-known reading patterns with brief explanations.
Based on the explanations above, each of the discussed scanning patterns has its own strengths and weaknesses. However, through my experience, I’ve found that neither fully fits the IT industry’s needs, especially when analyzing Senior Developer CVs.
As a result, I’ve developed my own approach—one that I’m excited to share with you, my dear reader.
Meet the E-pattern!
Let me explain how this method works.
Step-by-Step Process
First Motion (N1): Initial Scan
Look at the CV’s top section, focusing on: Candidate’s description, Contact information, Technological stack, Latest job position
Apply the F-pattern to quickly grasp key details.
This gives us an initial understanding of the candidate.
Second Motion (N2): Bottom-Up Analysis
Start from the bottom of the CV, where education details are listed.
Move upward, scanning each job position quickly but effectively by applying these rules:
✅ For each job position: - Check the date range → If it’s less than six months, it may not be worth much attention (depends on the role). - Identify potential anti-patterns → Use insights from the F-pattern scan. - Grasp the essence of the position as fast as possible.
💡 By the way, if you ask me which letter best represents this process, my answer is 100% "L"!
Why Scan from the Bottom Up?
You might wonder why we start from the earliest experience instead of reading top-down. Here’s the reasoning:
A CV isn’t just about reading experience—it’s about understanding the person behind it.
The best way to do that is by analyzing the candidate’s evolution and career growth step by step.
Since we already gathered key insights from the F-pattern scan, we’re now prepared to connect the dots and see the bigger picture.
This chronological approach helps us decode the candidate’s journey—not just their latest role, but how they got there. It’s like solving a puzzle with a structured, efficient method.
E = F + L is quite simple ;)
The key feature of the E-pattern is that it combines two essential perspectives:
F-pattern → Helps us quickly understand who the candidate is.
L-pattern → Reveals how the candidate got there.
By identifying anti-patterns along the way, we gain valuable insights to decide whether a pre-screen interview is necessary.
Why This Approach Saves Time
Top-down (F-motion) → Quickly scans critical details like skills, contact info, and the latest role.
Bottom-up (L-motion) → Provides a deeper understanding of career progression and consistency.
As you can see, the F-pattern works best for the top section, while the L-pattern is ideal for the rest of the CV.
Now, let’s explore some hypothetical practical examples to see this method in action.
Example 5.
In this example, we’re evaluating a Senior Back-End Developer using the E-pattern approach.
Step 1: Apply the F-Pattern
Scanning the top section of the CV:
✅ The summary information suggests relevance.
✅ Some fluff ("water") is present, but it’s not a dealbreaker at this stage.
Step 2: Apply the L-Pattern
Education → ✅ Looks fine.
Call Bank position → ❌ Not relevant (not related to development) → Skip.
R&B Consulting position → ❌ Only 4 months → Skip.
T&T Consulting position → ❌ 7 months isn’t enough for proper onboarding → Skip.
Descriptions → ❌ All roles contain fluff and at least two anti-patterns per position.
Final check under L-pattern → ❌ All positions had to be skipped.
Latest role is just 7 months long → Total relevant experience = 7 months.
Final Decision
Does this CV align with Senior-level expectations? ❌ No!
This candidate does not qualify for a Senior Back-End Developer role.
🔍 Key Takeaway: Even if a CV looks promising at first glance, applying structured scanning techniques like the E-pattern (F + L) helps us filter out unqualified candidates efficiently.
💡 Tip: #6: Time ranges matter!
Pay close attention to job durations—they can reveal a lot about a candidate’s stability, experience depth, and career progression. Short stints (less than six months) may indicate instability, while longer tenures can suggest commitment and expertise in a given role.
Example 6.
In the example above, we’re evaluating a Senior Full-Stack Developer using the E-pattern approach.
Step 1: Apply the F-Pattern
Scanning the top section of the CV:
✅ The summary information indicates that the candidate is generally relevant.
✅ There might be some fluff ("water"), but it’s not a major concern at this stage.
Step 2: Apply the L-Pattern
Education → ✅ Looks good.
Job positions → ✅ Time ranges and descriptions appear relevant.
Career progression → ✅ Shows a consistent evolution from Front-end Developer to Full-Stack Developer—a strong indicator of growth.
Final Decision
Is this candidate suitable for the pre-screen? Yes, absolutely!
Of course, my approach is not a strict rule—it’s simply a guideline. In some cases, anti-patterns might not be as critical as they seem, and a candidate could still be a strong fit.
Ultimately, the final decision should be based on your recruiter’s intuition and professional judgment. The E-pattern is just a tool to assist you—not a replacement for your expertise.
💡 Tip: #7: The Candidate’s CV Is NOT the Candidate!
📌 A poorly structured or messy CV does not necessarily mean a bad candidate.
📌 Likewise, a well-polished CV does not guarantee strong technical skills.
📌 In my experience, I’ve seen candidates with terrible CVs ace every interview stage—and others with flawless resumes fail completely.
I hope my experience helps you refine your CV screening process.
Happy recruiting! 🚀
