But I am having trouble getting through the initial CV review, which is odd to me because I have solid experience and I am applying for jobs located in my hometown. I thought I would be a very strong candidate, but I don't even get to speak to the HR employee for the first stage. Not sure if some AI tools are being used for filtering CVs that I could optimise for?
Networking.
In my opinion, that's the only way to get through the electronic wall.
You may not know the HR person, but you might know someone inside who does.