“I stopped trusting CVs the moment I saw candidates start sounding like they were reading from a script in interviews. What gets someone hired with me is proof they can actually do the thing, not that they can keyword a CV to beat an ATS.”
“I look for the moment a candidate lights up talking about something they actually built, not the credential they think I want to hear. The ones I push hardest are usually the people who almost didn't make it past the screen because their story didn't fit the template.”
“After 25 years of agency recruiting, I can tell you what actually moves the needle: it’s not perfection, it’s confidence and drive. Employers hire the person who shows they can solve a problem, fit the culture, and communicate it clearly in six seconds on paper and 30 minutes in a room.”
“What gets you hired is showing you can do the actual job, not just that you want it. I look for evidence of impact: what you built, what you learned when it broke, and whether you can tell me the numbers or the specifics without me pulling them out of you.”
“I look for evidence that you can do the job before I look for whether you want it. A resume that matches the role cleanly gets read; a cover letter rarely moves the needle unless the job tests writing.”
“I look for evidence that you can do the work, not that you can interview well. Give me a specific accomplishment most comparable to what the job requires, with dates, metrics, and the actual problems you solved, and you move to the top of my short list.”
“What gets you hired is showing the recruiter they won't have to guess. I look for impact over tasks: reduced build time by 40% beats worked on DevOps processes every time. The people who move fastest are the ones who make the match obvious in the first ten seconds.”
“I look for whether you can do the work they need done, whether you're in the right conversation at the right time, and whether you make it easy for them to see both.”