Writing a CV that passes ATS checks

How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and the plain formatting and wording habits that help yours get read correctly.

You send a good CV and hear nothing. Before blaming the CV, it helps to know how the first stage often works. Many employers collect applications in an applicant tracking system, or ATS. The system reads your file, pulls out the text and stores it in fields a recruiter can search.

Details vary between employers, and no one outside those companies knows exactly how each system behaves. What follows is general advice that costs you nothing and makes your CV easier for a person to read too. Don't assume every employer filters applications automatically. Many roles are read by a person from the start.

What the system actually does

An ATS tries to turn your document into data. It looks for your name, contact details, job titles, employers, dates, skills and education. If it cannot read the file, or puts text in the wrong place, a recruiter may see a messy record or nothing useful. The usual risk is a file that reads badly.

Pick a file type that reads cleanly

Follow the instructions in the job ad first. If it asks for a Word file, send a Word file. If it does not say, a PDF made from a text document is generally safe, because the words stay as real text. A PDF made from a photo or scan has no text for the system to read. A quick test: open your PDF and try to select a line with your mouse. If you can, a system can likely read it.

Keep the layout simple

Complicated layouts are where reading goes wrong.

• Use one column. Side columns and text boxes can be read in the wrong order.
• Put important details in the main body of the page, not in the header or footer, where some systems skip them.
• Avoid tables for layout, and avoid putting text inside images.
• Use a standard font at a readable size.
• Use ordinary bullet points.

Icons for phone or email can be dropped on import. Write the word or the plain number instead.

Use clear section headings

Name your sections the way most people do: Experience, Education, Skills. A heading such as "My story so far" may confuse a system and a human skimming the page. Use sentence case and keep the order sensible. Put your most recent job first within each section.

Write each job in the same pattern

For every role, give the job title, the employer, the location and the dates. Use the same date format throughout, such as "March 2022 to June 2024". Then add a few bullet points on what you did. Consistent patterns make it easier for software to pair titles with dates and for people to follow your history.

Use the words from the job ad, honestly

Employers often search for specific terms. Read the ad and note the skills, tools and duties it names. Where you really have done that work, use the same wording the ad uses. If the ad says "stakeholder reporting" and you wrote "sending updates to managers", consider matching its phrase.

Do not add skills you do not have. It rarely works, and it can fail at the interview. Do not hide keywords in white text either. Recruiters and systems can detect it, and it can get your application rejected.

Spell out abbreviations once

Write the full term and the short form together the first time, for example "Customer Relationship Management (CRM)". That way a search for either form can find you. After that, use whichever one you like.

Show results, not only duties

A bullet that says what you were responsible for tells a reader little. A bullet that says what changed tells them more. Use real numbers only when you know them, and never invent them. If you do not have a figure, describe the outcome in words. For example, "cut the time to close the monthly accounts" is better than a made-up percentage.

Match the country's habits

CV norms differ by country. A UK CV usually runs to two pages and leaves out a photo. A US résumé is often one page for earlier career roles. An Indian CV may include different personal details depending on the employer. Check what is normal where you are applying, and follow the instructions in the ad.

Check before you send

Run through this list.

• Copy the text from your PDF into a plain text editor. Does it read in the right order?
• Are your name and contact details in the main body?
• Do the section headings use common names?
• Does every role have a title, employer and dates in the same format?
• Have you used the job ad's wording only where it is true?
• Are spelling and dates consistent?

If the text copies out neatly, most systems should read it well.

Keep one master version

Keep a full CV with everything you have done, then make a shorter copy for each application. Change the summary, the order of bullets and the skills that matter most for that job. It takes a few minutes per application.

Next step

Start your CV in the Stepkite CV builder and keep it in a plain, single column layout, then keep track of each application in the job tracker.

This guide is general advice and not a promise of any outcome. Employers use different systems and different rules.