George Gourley

George GourleyJun 22, 2026

I received over 300 CVs this weekend. The fastest way I could tell whether a CV template was up-to-date was the personal details block, even before I read a single line of experience. Most developers applying into DACH are still handing over information the hiring manager is legally not allowed to act on. Things like marital status and number of children. Controversial opinion, I also rarely ever read the hobbies section. If it is "travel, cooking, reading" it tells me nothing. Cut it. Here's what still earns its place in 2026: - date of birth - nationality - work permit status. That last one answers the first question every recruiter in DACH has about a non-EU candidate. If you need a visa, name it plainly. Blue Card eligible. Chancenkarte. In progress. You will be asked about it in the first thirty seconds anyway. Cut the rest. Familienstand, the word Lebenslauf in 24pt across the top, the signature and date at the bottom. Gone. Anything sitting in your personal details block you are not sure about? Drop me a message and I will say straight whether it helps or hurts.

George GourleyMay 8, 2026

Applying to tech jobs this weekend? Take a close look at the job descriptions. I scroll through hundreds of job descriptions a week, and these patterns keep showing up: ❌ Vague tech stacks and unrealistic experience requirements ("6+ years with ComfyUI"??) ❌ No salary transparency ❌ AI-generated descriptions with emojis and buzzwords everywhere The best engineering candidates are far more selective now, and these red flags do not go unnoticed... Example of a good description from OpenAI in Munich 📸 At Code Compass 🧭 we are always reworking how we write vacancies to make them clearer, more transparent, and more useful for developers. Currently looking for: 1. Web Devs in Germany 2. Java/Spring Boot in Zurich 3. Frontend in Lucerne I’ll drop the link in the comments 👇

George GourleyJun 30, 2026

Most developers have no idea what happens in the first 30 seconds after a recruiter opens their CV. Personally, I check the most recent role first. Title, company, and the first two bullets. Those alone can tell a hiring manager whether you're a match, so spend some time on them. Then the dates. Not to calculate your age, but to reconstruct your timeline. How long in each role, are there gaps, does the seniority match what you claimed. This should take seconds, which is why MM/YYYY on every role matters more than most developers think. The debate around date of birth on my last post raised some interesting points (link in the comments). I just wanted to add: it's a market convention, not a requirement. I include it in my templates because most traditional employers still expect it, and many application forms ask for it anyway. If a company doesn't ask for it, you can leave it off. Your CV's job is to remove friction, not create it. Not sure if you are making the most out of your CV? Drop me a message and I will do my best to help.