Your CV Probably Never Reaches a Human
According to a Harvard Business School study, automated screening filters out an estimated 75% of applicants before a recruiter reviews them. The software responsible is called an applicant tracking system (ATS), and if your CV is not ATS-friendly, your qualifications do not matter.
An ATS parses your document, extracts your skills and experience, and scores you against the job description. Get a low score, and your application disappears into a digital void. Getting past this filter requires knowing what these systems look for and what trips them up.
These 10 tips will make your CV ATS-friendly and get it in front of the people who actually make hiring decisions.
What Is an ATS?
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that employers use to collect, scan, and rank job applications automatically. The ATS parses your CV into structured data (skills, job titles, dates, education) and scores it against the job description. A low score means your application is filtered out before any human reads it.
1. Use a Single-Column Layout for Reliable CV Parsing
Two-column layouts, sidebars, and creative designs look great on screen but confuse ATS parsers. Most systems read documents top to bottom, left to right. A sidebar with your skills might be ignored entirely, or its content gets jumbled with the main column.
Stick to a single-column layout with clear vertical flow. Your CV can still look polished: clean typography, consistent spacing, and clear hierarchy do more for readability than any elaborate design.
2. Use Standard Section Headings the ATS Expects
ATS software looks for familiar section labels to categorize your information. Creative headings are a common reason for failed CV parsing.
Bad:
"Where I've Made an Impact" / "My Toolbox" / "Academic Journey"
Good:
"Work Experience" / "Skills" / "Education"
Stick with: Experience, Education, Skills, and Summary. Every applicant tracking system on the market recognizes these.
3. Mirror Keywords from the Job Description
This is the single most impactful thing you can do to beat ATS screening. The system matches your CV content against specific terms from the job requirements.
Proper keyword optimization works like this: open the job description, highlight every skill, technology, certification, and qualification mentioned. Then check that those exact terms appear in your CV, used in context rather than just listed.
Bad: "Experienced with container technologies"
Good: "Deployed microservices using Kubernetes and Docker on AWS EKS"
Be literal. If the job says "project management," write "project management." ATS systems are not sophisticated enough to reliably match synonyms. For more on this, see how to tailor your CV to each job.
4. Remove All Images, Charts, and Graphics
ATS cannot read images. Your headshot, skill-level bar charts, star ratings, and company logos are invisible to the parser. Any information conveyed only through graphics will be lost.
This includes icons used as bullet points and graphical section dividers. Use standard text characters instead. If you have a "90% proficient in Python" progress bar, replace it with a line in your Skills section: "Python, 4 years, production applications."
5. Stick to Standard, Embeddable Fonts
Most modern applicant tracking systems handle common fonts without issue, but there is no reason to risk it. Use Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, or Georgia. Avoid decorative fonts or anything that requires custom embedding.
Keep body text at 10pt or above. Tiny text hurts both ATS parsing and the recruiter who reads your CV after it passes the filter.
6. Submit as a Text-Based PDF
Unless the application asks for .docx, submit your CV as a PDF. Modern ATS handles PDF well, and it preserves your CV format across devices.
The critical caveat: your PDF must contain actual text, not a scanned image. Test this now. Open your CV PDF and try to select a word. If you can highlight individual words, the text layer is intact. If you cannot, the ATS sees a blank page and your application is dead on arrival.
7. Keep Contact Info Out of Headers and Footers
Many ATS parsers skip document headers and footers entirely. If your name and email are in the header area, the system might extract zero contact information from your CV.
Put your name, email, phone, and LinkedIn URL in the main body of the document, at the top of page one. This small fix prevents one of the most frustrating ATS failures.
8. Spell Out Acronyms, Then Abbreviate
Different ATS may search for either the full term or the abbreviation. Cover both by spelling out the acronym on first use.
Bad: "Managed SEO and PPC campaigns across 3 markets"
Good: "Managed Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns across 3 markets"
This is especially important for certifications. "Project Management Professional (PMP)" matches both search variants. Just "PMP" misses anyone filtering for the full name.
9. Write Bullet Points That Score High
Dense paragraphs are harder for both resume screening software and humans to parse. Use bullet points for achievements, and structure each one as: action verb + what you did + measurable result.
Bad: "Was responsible for various improvements to the deployment process"
Good: "Reduced deployment time by 60% by implementing CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions"
Quantified results are not just ATS-friendly. They are exactly what recruiters scan for when your CV reaches their desk. Use standard round bullets or hyphens. Some ATS misinterpret special Unicode characters.
10. Test Your CV with a Parser Before Submitting
Do not guess whether your CV is ATS-friendly. Test it. The quickest method: paste your CV into a plain text editor. If the structure is still readable and all information is present, it will likely parse well. If sections are scrambled or text is missing, you have a formatting problem.
For a more thorough check, MakeMyCV parses your uploaded CV and shows you exactly what information was extracted: skills, job titles, dates, everything. You can see how an ATS would interpret your document and fix problems before you hit submit. It is free to try and takes about 30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an ATS read PDF files?
Yes. Most modern applicant tracking systems parse text-based PDFs without problems. The key requirement is that your PDF contains selectable text, not a scanned image. To verify, open your PDF and try highlighting a word. If you can select individual words, the file will parse correctly.
Do all companies use applicant tracking systems?
The vast majority of mid-to-large companies do. According to Jobscan, over 98% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS, and adoption among smaller companies continues to grow each year. Even startups with 50+ employees often use tools like Greenhouse, Lever, or Workable to manage applications.
How do I know if my CV is ATS-friendly?
The fastest test is pasting your CV into a plain text editor like Notepad. If the text appears in logical order with all sections intact, your formatting is likely safe. For a detailed breakdown, upload your CV to a parsing tool like MakeMyCV, which shows you exactly what data an ATS would extract from your document.
ATS-Friendly CV Checklist
Run through this before every application:
- Single-column layout with clear top-to-bottom flow
- Standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills, Summary)
- Keywords from the job description used in context throughout your CV
- No images, charts, icons, or graphics containing information
- Standard font (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica) at 10pt or above
- Saved as a text-based PDF with selectable text
- Name and contact info in the document body, not in headers/footers
- Acronyms and certifications spelled out on first use
- Bullet points starting with action verbs and including measurable results
- Tested with a plain text paste or a CV parsing tool
Get these 10 fundamentals right, and you eliminate the most common reasons applications get filtered out by applicant tracking systems. Your CV will parse correctly, score higher on keyword matches, and actually reach the person doing the hiring.