If you've been applying for jobs and hearing nothing back, your CV may be failing at the first hurdle — an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). These are the software tools most employers use to automatically filter applications before a recruiter ever lays eyes on them.
The good news: once you understand how ATS works, optimising your CV is straightforward.
What is an ATS and why does it matter?
An ATS is software that parses your CV, extracts key information, and scores it against the job description. Larger employers — and most recruitment agencies — use them as a first filter. Estimates suggest 75% of CVs are rejected by ATS before a human sees them.
The system isn't reading for nuance. It's scanning for:
- Keywords that match the job description
- Consistent formatting it can parse reliably
- Standard section headings it recognises (Work Experience, Education, Skills)
The five rules of ATS-friendly CVs
1. Mirror the job description's language
If the posting says "stakeholder management", your CV should say "stakeholder management" — not "relationship building" or "liaison with key stakeholders". The ATS does an exact or near-exact keyword match.
Build a keyword bank from the job description and weave those terms naturally into your experience bullets.
2. Use a clean, single-column layout
Fancy tables, text boxes, headers, and footers confuse most ATS parsers. The safest format is:
- Single-column layout
- Standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Georgia)
- No images, logos, or graphics
- No headers/footers for your contact details — put them in the body
3. Label your sections clearly
Use standard headings the ATS expects:
- Professional Summary (or Profile)
- Work Experience (or Employment History)
- Education
- Skills
- Certifications (if applicable)
Avoid creative headings like "My Journey" or "Where I've Been".
4. Save as a Word document (.docx), not PDF
This surprises people. While PDF preserves formatting, many ATS systems parse Word documents more accurately. Submit a .docx unless the application specifically asks for PDF.
5. Don't keyword-stuff
Adding invisible white text or pasting 50 keywords in size 1 font used to work — it doesn't now. Modern ATS systems detect this and will penalise your application. Focus on natural, relevant integration.
A quick ATS audit checklist
Before you submit your next application, run through this:
- [ ] Does your CV use the exact wording from the job description for key skills?
- [ ] Is your layout single-column with no tables or text boxes?
- [ ] Are your section headings conventional?
- [ ] Is your contact information in the main body (not a header)?
- [ ] Are you submitting as .docx?
- [ ] Is your file named professionally? (
Firstname-Lastname-CV.docx)
What ATS can't replace
Passing the ATS filter gets you in front of a human — but that's when your CV needs to impress on a different level. A recruiter typically spends 6–10 seconds on a first read. That means your opening profile, your most recent role, and your biggest achievement need to land immediately.
If you're unsure whether your CV is doing both jobs — beating the ATS and impressing the recruiter — a professional rewrite may be the fastest way to find out.
LandedCV rewrites CVs in 6 hours, optimised for both ATS and human readers. See our packages →