What 60,000 CVs Taught Steven Bartlett About Getting Hired

If you've ever sent out 100 job applications and heard absolutely nothing back - this one's for you.

Recently, Steven Bartlett (yep, the Dragon's Den one) released a behind-the-scenes episode of The Diary of a CEO where he dives deep into hiring: what makes a great candidate stand out, and why most CVs actually hurt more than they help.

As the founder of a salary transparency tool, I've looked at my fair share of resumes too, and Steven’s video hit hard. Here's what stuck with me, why it matters, and how you might rethink your approach to getting hired in 2025.

“Most CVs are noise.”

Steven opens with a truth bomb: he's received over 60,000 CVs. The vast majority? Boring. Bloated. Bland. They're either laundry lists of responsibilities or AI-written fluff that says nothing real.

But then he shares how one candidate stood out from a pool of 16,000. Not with a glossy design. Not with Ivy League credentials. But with a short, real message that cut through the noise.

"What got her the job wasn’t her experience. It was the clarity of her signal."

Lesson #1: Your CV isn't about you. It's about what signal you're sending.

The Signal vs. Noise Framework

Steven breaks it down into a 2x2 framework. On one axis: medium. On the other: message.

• High-signal medium: A personalized video message, a physical letter, or a DM to an exec. Rare, direct, and emotionally disarming.
• High-impact message: Specific, relevant, emotional, and tailored to the audience.

His point? Most people send generic CVs through generic channels. That's noise. And it gets ignored.

The candidate who stood out, Hari Walsh, recorded a 7-minute personal video and sent it directly to execs. It was authentic, funny, and compelling. She ended up hired as Head of Happiness.

The RICE Framework for Writing High-Impact Messages

Steven outlines four core human motivations - the RICE framework:

• Reward: Show what’s in it for the recipient - outcome, gain, benefit.
• Ideology: Appeal to values and mission alignment.
• Coercion: Use pressure or urgency carefully.
• Ego: Make them feel seen, important, validated.

Every great message speaks to at least one of these - and ideally two or more.

Why it Matters (and Why Most People Get Ignored)

If your message is buried in a generic CV template with no clear hook, no emotional resonance, and no effort to stand out - you're not unlucky. You're just forgettable.

Steven also reflects on his own hiring challenges:

• Even with 60,000+ applications, it’s still hard to find great people.
• Most hiring funnels filter out the signal instead of surfacing it.
• A-players are rare, and referrals from top teammates are gold.

This echoes a deeper truth: volume doesn't fix quality.

Beyond CVs: Culture, Consistency, and Drudgery

The video isn’t just about job search tactics. It’s a meditation on modern work:

• Culture = Behavior. It’s not what you write on the wall. It’s how you act when no one’s watching.
• Success ≠ Freedom. The thing that gets you success (discipline, obsession, long nights alone) is often the thing that prevents you from enjoying it.
• Consistency > Talent. Steven’s 90-day content challenge is a perfect metaphor: commit daily, learn fast, and let compounding do its work.

TL;DR

• Stop using high-noise, low-impact methods. That means generic CVs, job portals, buzzwords.
• Start using high-signal, high-impact approaches. Send better messages to the right people.
• Use the RICE framework every time you reach out.
• Reframe the job hunt from "please hire me" to "here’s why we’re aligned."

My Take as a Product Builder

At PayScope, we built a resume analysis tool because too many great people get overlooked for reasons that have nothing to do with their skills and everything to do with presentation.

Steven’s video is one of the best breakdowns I’ve seen on how to fix that. It’s honest, practical, and painfully real.

Watch the Video

Here’s the full episode - well worth your time:

Want to know what your CV actually says about you?

Try PayScope. Upload your CV or LinkedIn profile and get a free salary benchmark, skill profile, and compensation range based on real market data.

Because it’s not just what you’ve done. It’s how you signal it.


Further reading:
The One Line That’s Missing From Most Resumes
“They Said You’re Overqualified”
Why You're Invisible to Recruiters on LinkedIn