Your CV sits in a pile of 500 others. A recruiter has 23 hours to screen them all for a single position. That works out to roughly 2.76 minutes per application, though research indicates most spend six to seven seconds on initial scans. In those moments, they operate on a simple binary: highlights that warrant a closer look, or red flags that justify immediate rejection.
Recruiters are not reading your CV to discover your potential. They are scanning for reasons to eliminate you, pausing only when something catches their eye positively.
The highlight-red flag binary: Highlights include university names they recognise, company logos that signal quality, job titles matching what they are hiring for, specific technical skills listed in the job description, and quantified achievements that stand out visually. These earn you an extra 30 seconds of attention.
Red flags trigger instant elimination: typos or formatting inconsistencies, employment gaps without explanation, frequent job changes, generic objective statements, irrelevant experience taking up prime real estate, and university names they do not recognise. One red flag often outweighs three highlights because elimination is faster than evaluation.
The process works in reverse of what candidates imagine. If the recruiter's eye catches an unfamiliar university name before spotting your relevant experience, you have already lost. If your job title says "Associate" when they are scanning for "Analyst", applicant tracking systems filter you out before any human sees your actual responsibilities. Research indicates 75 per cent of resumes never reach human eyes because ATS reject them first.
The target university filter: Most large employers in Bangladesh maintain lists of target universities for campus recruitment. BUET, Dhaka University, North South University, BRAC University, and a handful of others receive on-campus placement drives and brand recognition that passes initial CV screens automatically. Everyone else faces steeper odds.
Candidates from target universities get their CVs read. Candidates from non-target institutions must work significantly harder to reach the same interview rooms, regardless of actual capability. The exclusion extends beyond universities to A-level institutions, previous employers, and sometimes even neighbourhoods based on CV addresses.
The target university system makes economic sense for employers. Recruiting from five to ten known institutions costs less than evaluating candidates from 100 universities. Fair or not, this shapes who receives serious consideration.
Circumventing the system: If you are not from a target university, you face structural disadvantages that hard work alone cannot overcome. The solution requires bypassing standard CV screening entirely.
Firstly, networking trumps credentials. Referred candidates are five times more likely to be hired than job board applicants. Internal referrals bypass ATS screening and receive human review. Build connections through LinkedIn, alumni groups, professional associations, and former colleagues. One internal advocate compensates for lacking the "right" university name.
Relevant experience also outweighs pedigree. Internships, volunteer work, freelance projects, and part-time roles in your target field demonstrate capability more convincingly than education credentials. A candidate with six months of hands-on experience often beats a fresh graduate from a more prestigious institution.
Advanced degrees can reset credentials. An EMBA/MBA from IBA, Dhaka University or a master's from a target university opens doors that undergraduate institutions cannot. Employers who would not consider your bachelor's degree will interview you based on graduate school.
Digital portfolios create alternative credibility. Technical professionals can showcase GitHub repositories, designers can maintain Behance portfolios, writers can publish case studies. When your LinkedIn profile demonstrates actual work, recruiters have something concrete to evaluate beyond university name.
Lastly, direct outreach bypasses HR entirely. Finding the hiring manager on LinkedIn and reaching out with a tailored message avoids standard screening. A well-crafted direct approach can get your CV read even if you would normally be filtered out.
Defensive CV structuring: Understanding the elimination mindset helps you structure CVs defensively. Put critical information in the top third of the first page where scanners look first. Use standard job titles even if your actual title was unique. Include exact keyword matches from job descriptions, particularly technical skills and software tools. Remove anything that invites questions better addressed in interviews: unusual formatting, unexplained gaps, irrelevant early career positions.
CV screening is not designed to find the best candidate but to reduce 500 applications to 20 as quickly as possible. The system rewards conformity, pedigree, and keywords over capability. This is not fair, but it is manageable. You cannot change the system, but you can understand its logic and work around its weakest points.
Highlights and red flags determine whether your CV gets read or rejected in seven seconds. Target universities, referrals, relevant experience, and strategic credentialing acknowledge that screening operates on shortcuts rather than thorough evaluation. Your goal is to either fit the shortcuts or bypass them entirely.
rounak.marium@gmail.com