Recruiters Share Tips: How to Make Your Application Stand Out

Ever wondered what recruiters look for when they read your CV?

To help you put your best foot forward, three of our Senior Recruiters: Zienia Hamid Bascha, Mariano Xarrier, and Elif Cagatay, share what makes applications stand out for tech, product, senior and director roles, and top tips for career pivoters.

Throughout this article you’ll find video interviews with each recruiter, and key takeaways so you can quickly turn their advice into action.

What are tech & product recruiters really looking for?

When Zienia reviews applications for tech and product roles in our Logistics vertical, she’s looking for more than just a list of tools and titles.

Her main signals:

• Motivation: Show why you want this role and why Delivery Hero. A short, tailored summary at the top of your CV can go a long way.
• Clear communication: Your CV is your first communication. It should be structured, easy to scan, and free of jargon and typos.
• Relevant skills:  Don’t send a generic CV. Reflect the job description, and mirror relevant skills and technologies. Highlight projects that match the scope and responsibilities. Call out experience that aligns with the vertical (e.g. food delivery, logistics, marketplaces.)
• Scale & industry experience:  Zienia cares about scale (users, markets, traffic, revenue) and industry context e.g Have you worked in food delivery, logistics, or similar platforms? Mention scale in numbers: “Handled X orders/day” or “Served X amount of markets”. 

Zienia’s tips for career pivoters

If you’re pivoting from one function or industry to another:

• Explore internal moves first: If you already work at Delivery Hero or another company, consider an internal route as your first option. You already understand the culture and business. Delivery Hero has many opportunities and an entire program dedicated to internal mobility.
• List out your skills clearly: Don’t assume we’ll connect the dots! Add a dedicated skills section. Include both hard skills (tools, methods) and core skills (stakeholder management, communication, data literacy.)
• Talk to your recruiter and be honest: Be transparent about why you’re pivoting, what you already bring, and what you still need to learn. Recruiters appreciate clarity and realism!

How can you make your CV stand out for senior tech & product roles?

For Mariano, a strong CV is focused, outcome-driven, and tailored to the role. Replace vague bullets like “Responsible for…” with:

• What you tried to achieve
• What you actually delivered
• How you measured success

Highlight your strengths that match the role.

• Bring those strengths to the top of your CV
• De-emphasize less relevant details
• Use the job description as a guide for what to spotlight

For senior and director roles, Mariano is especially interested in:

• Cross-functional collaboration: How you worked with Product, Tech, Data, Marketing, Operations, etc
• Vision and strategic approach: How you shaped direction, not just executed tasks.

When describing your experience, include:

• Concrete examples of initiatives you led or influenced
• Measurable business outcomes
• Scale (number of stakeholders, teams, markets)
• Long-term impact (not just quick wins)

How to write a CV for senior & director roles?

Elif reviews a wide range of roles, especially senior and director positions. For her, the CV needs to show influence and impact, not just activities.

Tie bullets to relevant metrics, such as:

• Profitability
• Scalability
• Culture and engagement
• Risk reduction or mitigation

For senior profiles, Elif looks for clarity on:

• Industries covered: e.g. E-commerce, fintech, food delivery
• Team size and scope: How many people you led, functions you oversaw, regions you covered
• Leadership experience: Coaching, hiring, performance management, building culture, leading through change

Elif’s tips for career pivoters

Your CV should clearly show where you want to go, not just where you’ve been:

• Start with a sharp headline: Example: “Product Manager transitioning from Operations” rather than just “Operations Specialist”.
• Add a short summary: 3–4 lines that explain your background, your target role and the key skills that transfer.
• Put your skillset up front: Especially skills that are relevant to the new role (e.g. stakeholder management, experimentation mindset, people leadership).

Curate your CV so the projects you feature are those that:

• Look most like the work you want to do next
• Show relevant tools, methods, or stakeholder groups

Quick checklist before you hit “Apply”

Use this checklist to review your application one last time:

• I read the job description and tailored my CV specifically to this role
• My CV clearly shows my motivation and is easy to read
• I highlight relevant skills and examples that match the roleI include metrics and measurable business outcomesI show scale (users, markets, revenue, team size, etc.)
• I make my industry experience clear (especially if it’s food delivery, logistics, or marketplaces)
• For senior roles, I show leadership, strategy, and cross-functional collaboration
• If I’m pivoting to a new career area, my CV reflects where I want to go, not just my past
• I’m honest and transparent about my profile when speaking with the recruiter

If you’re about to apply, or update your CV, we hope these insider tips help you put your strongest application forward!