𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐕𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬

As a Technical Lead, I often participate in the interview process. Given that the technical part of an interview usually lasts only 1–1.5 hours (besides technical assessments). A well-screened CV helps ensure that the candidate has the relevant technical skills for the position, saving time for both interviewers and candidates.
I divide my CV screening process into two main parts: 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 and 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭-𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜. Here’s how I approach each:

𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠:

𝟏. 𝐆𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
If the last job was in 2022 and the CV was used in 2024, what was the candidate doing then?
It’s helpful when candidates explain gaps, such as taking a personal break for instance.

𝟐. 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬
Changing jobs every 6–12 months is a major red flag. Long projects often require months for onboarding, so frequent changes can hinder making a real impact. Is the risk worth creating extra work for a team?

𝟑. 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬
It is not okay if I click a link in your CV and it does not work. Please check that all links are valid.

𝟒. 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐕
Please do not put all your experience into one page. A one to two-page CV highlighting relevant experience for a desired role is ideal.

𝟓. 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
Ratings like “C# — 7/10, Unity — 9/10” can be too optimistic in reality. It is strange to me.

𝟔. 𝐕𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
I feel confused when I see statements like “Increased engagement by X% in Y months” without context.
Clear information on Unity tasks, like optimizing build size or reducing memory usage, is better.

𝟕. 𝐔𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐬
Moving from junior to senior in 2–3 years is unusual. Mastering Unity and C# takes time and practice.
Deep expertise comes from many hours of coding and solving problems in different project contexts. I believe in the 10,000-hour rule for mastering a skill.

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𝟖. 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬
If English is the primary language in the company, the candidate should mention their proficiency.

𝟗. 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐙𝐨𝐧𝐞
I hardly believe in an optimal team working vibe when someone works with a +-5 timezone shift. Sometimes, an exception might be made. A ±2 hour time zone difference is ideal for real-time collaboration.

𝟏𝟎. 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
While helpful, I’ve seen great professionals without formal education who became experts through self-learning and discipline.
Hands-on projects are the best proof of skills.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭-𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝟏. 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 I look for actual Unity projects. Simply listing “Unity” without demonstrating real experience is a red flag. Experience with Roblox or Lua might be interesting for the future, but if the role is strictly Unity, I consider it less relevant.

2. Specific Project Requirements For projects using UniTask, DOTween, or dependency injection patterns, I look for experience with these tools and approaches in the CV. Experience with relevant tools and technologies in the last 3 years is most valuable.

3. Team and Company Size Moving from a small startup (3-person team) to a large company (100+ team) can be challenging. The smoothest onboarding can be when a candidate moves from a company with a similar development profile and processes. If hiring for a product company, having experience in product development is a plus.

4. Experience with Specific Game Types If we develop mobile match-3 games with life ops, it’s beneficial to see experience with long-life mobile titles. From my experience, a background in hyper-casual games can be a minus when developing mobile casual long-living games.

𝟓. 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥
I ensure that the candidate’s past roles and duties match our hiring level. If we’re looking for a lead developer, I look for experience managing teams, having face-to-face interactions, and impacting development quality.

This is my process for screening Unity developer CVs. A solid CV helps me decide if a candidate is worth inviting to an interview.

Now it’s your turn:
What do you pay attention to when you review a CV?
Do you agree with my red flags?
Please share your ideas, and let’s discuss!
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below!