In this article
What is ATS and why does it matter?
ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System — software used by companies to automatically screen, sort, and rank CVs before a recruiter ever looks at them. Over 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS, and the majority of mid-sized companies do too.
The good news: once you understand how ATS works, passing it is straightforward. The rules are consistent, learnable, and entirely in your control.
How ATS actually works
ATS systems parse your CV — they read it like a machine, extracting text and matching it against criteria the recruiter set up. They're looking for:
- Keyword matches — specific skills, job titles, tools, and qualifications from the job description
- Relevant experience — job titles and employment history that match the role
- Education requirements — degrees, certifications, and qualifications
- Formatting compatibility — whether the ATS can actually read your document
How to find and use the right keywords
Step 1: Mine the job description
Read the job posting carefully. Highlight every skill, tool, qualification, and responsibility mentioned. These are your keywords. Pay special attention to words that appear more than once — the recruiter flagged these as priorities.
Step 2: Match your experience to their language
If the job says "stakeholder management" and you wrote "client communication" — you may be describing the same skill, but the ATS doesn't know that. Mirror their exact phrasing wherever you can honestly do so.
Step 3: Use a skills section
A dedicated skills section gives the ATS a clean list to parse. Include both technical skills (tools, software, certifications) and relevant soft skills that appear in the job description.
Formatting rules for ATS compatibility
✅ ATS-safe formats
- Standard .docx or PDF (text-based, not scanned)
- Clean single-column layout
- Standard fonts: Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman
- Standard section headings: "Experience", "Education", "Skills"
- Bullet points (• or -)
- Dates in consistent format: MM/YYYY
❌ ATS killers
- Tables and multi-column layouts
- Headers and footers (ATS often ignores them)
- Text boxes and graphics
- Logos, photos, and icons
- Fancy fonts or coloured text
- Scanned PDFs (unreadable by ATS)
- "Creative" CV templates from design sites
The optimal CV structure
Contact information
Name, phone, email, LinkedIn URL, location (city + country is enough). No photo, no date of birth, no marital status.
Professional summary (3–4 lines)
A tight paragraph describing who you are, your experience level, and your core value proposition. Include 2–3 keywords from the job description naturally.
Skills section
A bulleted or comma-separated list of hard skills. Put this near the top — ATS weights it heavily. Update it for every application to match the job description.
Work experience (reverse chronological)
Company name, your title, dates (MM/YYYY – MM/YYYY), and 3–5 bullet points per role. Start bullets with action verbs. Include numbers wherever possible (%, €, team size, time saved).
Education
Degree, institution, graduation year. Include relevant coursework or thesis if recent graduate. Certifications go here or in a separate Certifications section.
Optional: Certifications / Projects / Languages
Add sections relevant to the role. If applying for a data role, include relevant certifications. If international role, include languages with proficiency level.
Top 10 CV mistakes that get you rejected
- Generic CV sent to every job — tailor keywords for each application. One size fits none.
- Responsibilities listed, not achievements — "managed social media" is weak. "Grew Instagram following from 2K to 18K in 6 months" is strong.
- Vague language — "good communicator", "team player", "results-oriented". These mean nothing. Show, don't tell.
- Unexplained employment gaps — briefly address gaps with honest framing: freelance work, upskilling, family care.
- Missing contact information — no LinkedIn URL, or an unprofessional email address.
- Too long or too short — 1 page for under 5 years experience. 2 pages max for senior roles. Never 3+.
- Including a photo — in most markets this introduces unconscious bias and is unnecessary. Omit it.
- Spelling and grammar errors — run it through Grammarly. Have someone else read it. One typo can end your application.
- Wrong file format — unless told otherwise, send .docx or a clean PDF.
- Lying or exaggerating — background checks are routine. Skills you claim will be tested in interviews. Don't invent qualifications.