Why designing for the “F” might be the smartest career move you make

Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth.

Recruiters don’t read your CV.

They scan it.

At Love Recruitment Group, we review hundreds of CVs every week across fitness, leisure and wellness leadership roles. From General Managers to Pilates Instructors to senior commercial hires.

And most CVs get less than 10 seconds of attention before a decision is made.

Not because we don’t care. Because it’s human behaviour.

And it’s backed by research.

The science behind how CVs are read

Eye-tracking studies from Nielsen Norman Group — one of the world’s leading usability research firms — show that people read documents and screens in an “F-pattern”.

Users typically:

Forming the shape of an “F”.

In multiple studies, they found that readers rarely read word-for-word, instead hunting for visual cues like:

Sound familiar?

That’s exactly how recruiters behave.

So what does this mean for your CV?

If your best information isn’t sitting in those three zones…

It might never be seen.

That long personal statement you spent hours writing? Probably skimmed.

That beautifully written paragraph about your passion for fitness? Missed.

Meanwhile, the CV that clearly shows:

Gets the interview.

Because it’s easy to scan.

The 6–10 second reality

Recruitment studies consistently show initial CV screening happens fast.

Very fast.

Some estimates suggest 6–8 seconds for first review.

Which means your CV isn’t a biography.

It’s a billboard.

Its job isn’t to tell your whole story.

Its job is to make someone stop scrolling.

How to design for the F

Here’s the simple structure we recommend candidates follow:

First — read the TOP

This is prime real estate.

Make it instantly clear what you do and your level.

Then — across the MIDDLE

This is where impact lives.

Metrics catch the eye faster than words.

Then — down the LEFT

This is how recruiters orient themselves.

If these aren’t easy to spot, the CV feels messy.

And messy CVs get skipped.

Final thought

Stop writing your CV like an essay.

Start designing it like a landing page.

Because sometimes the most professional advice we can give candidates is:

F** your CV.

Format it for how humans actually read.

Not how you wish they did.