The Dunning-Kruger Effect: The Hidden Mistake in Your CV

Dunning-Kruger? What on earth is that? It’s a fascinating psychological phenomenon that, surprisingly, plays a key role in how people present themselves through their marketing collateral — namely CVs, resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and the like.

At its core, the Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias. It occurs when individuals, quite understandably, put in a great deal of effort into their work and, as a result, feel a justified sense of pride in what they’ve achieved. Let’s assume for the purposes of this article that you’re among the very best in your field. There’s no one better. Naturally, you'd feel proud of your accomplishments.

So, when you sit down to write your CV or polish your LinkedIn profile, it’s easy to think: “I’ve done some fantastic work. I’ve collaborated with leading professionals and worked for impressive organisations. This will surely speak for itself.” The problem? That pride doesn’t always translate into a CV that resonates with recruiters.

Here’s a useful analogy. Think back to your childhood. At some point, you likely brought home a piece of art from school — perhaps a colourful crayon sketch or a bold attempt at watercolours. You were probably beaming with pride, convinced you’d created a masterpiece. Your parents or guardians may have nodded enthusiastically, but in reality, to an objective observer, it may have been little more than an abstract splatter of colour. Well-meaning, sincere, but… perhaps not quite gallery-worthy.

CVs are much the same. Professionals often spend a considerable amount of time crafting them, fuelled by genuine passion and pride in their careers. But when recruiters, hiring managers, and other decision-makers review these documents, the response is strikingly consistent: fewer than one in five CVs are considered truly effective.

That’s right — around 80% of CVs are viewed as weak, poor, or in need of significant improvement. This has remained a remarkably stable statistic over recent years and shows no sign of changing.

So, if we go back to the earlier assumption — that the people reading this are among the best hires in their sector — then most of you are not successfully communicating your value through your CV or LinkedIn profile. And that is the Dunning-Kruger effect in action. It’s one of the biggest and most common mistake jobseekers make.