CVs and applicant tracking systems (ATS): what really matters

What is an ATS?

An ATS (applicant tracking system) is the software that receives the applications sent through a careers site or an online form. Its first job is to store and organise: one record per candidate, a status per vacancy, emails and the hiring team's notes.

In practice, it does three things with your CV:

1. It parses it: it tries to recognise your name, contact details, job titles, dates, qualifications and skills to fill in a candidate profile.
2. It makes it searchable: a recruiter can type a job title, a tool or a city and find the profiles that mention them, today or six months from now.
3. It lets the employer filter and rank on criteria the company chooses: knockout questions in the form ("Do you have the right to work in the UK?"), required degree, years of experience, sometimes a match score against the job ad.

These tools are everywhere in large organisations: Harvard Business School reports that 99% of Fortune 500 companies used applicant tracking software in 2019, and that more than 90% of the employers it surveyed that use such a system rely on it for a first cut or to rank applicants (HBS).

Myths and facts

What is true: a badly parsed CV lands in the database with an incomplete profile (missing job titles, jumbled dates), and a CV that avoids the words of the trade shows up less often in searches. That is what you can act on.

Standard section headings

The software finds the parts of your CV through their headings. Common headings are recognised everywhere; creative ones much less so.

Keep a predictable order inside each role too: job title, employer, location, dates, then achievements. Write qualifications and professional bodies in full followed by their abbreviation, as recruiters may search for either (University of Sheffield).

A layout the software can read

• One column is the safest choice. Some systems read the page line by line, from edge to edge: with two columns, a degree can end up in the middle of a job. A two-column template can parse well, but if you mostly apply through careers sites, one column avoids surprises.
• No text inside images, logos or charts: the software cannot see it. Skill bars and stars say nothing either: write "Spanish: fluent (C1)".
• Nothing important in the word processor's header or footer: many systems skip them. Your name and contact details belong in the body of the page.
• No tables or text boxes to lay out content: simple formatting with bullet points comes through better.
• A common font (Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Verdana…) at a readable size.

The right file and clear dates

Send the format the job ad or the form asks for. Some university careers services recommend a Word document when you are unsure (University of Sheffield); in any case, a PDF whose text can be selected (exported from your word processor) or a .docx file is far better than a photo of your CV or a scanned PDF.

For dates, pick one format and stick to it: "January 2020 – December 2023" or "01/2020 – 12/2023". Avoid "2020-23" or seasons, which are harder to interpret, and put dates in the same place for every role.

Keywords, used honestly

Recruiters search their database with the words of their trade: job title, tools, methods, certifications. Using those words when they genuinely describe your background helps you be found:

• The job title: if you did the same job under another name, the headline of your CV can use the ad's title ("Recruitment Consultant" rather than "Talent Partner"), as long as it really is the same role.
• The exact name of tools: write "Excel", "SAP", "Python" rather than "spreadsheets" or "ERP".
• In context: a keyword placed inside a role, with what you did with it, carries more weight for the recruiter than a stand-alone list.

This adjustment starts again with each job ad: our guide on tailoring your CV to a job explains the method, and the XYZ formula helps you describe concrete results.

Checklist before you apply

• Name, email and phone in the body of the CV, not in the header.
• Standard headings: Work experience, Education, Skills, Languages.
• For each role: job title, employer, dates in the same format.
• The target job title and the ad's tools present, if they are true.
• No important information inside an image, chart or skill bar.
• The PDF text can be selected and pastes in the right order.
• The format the ad asks for (PDF or .docx), with a clear file name.

Mistakes to avoid

• Keyword stuffing: repeating a term ten times or pasting the ad's requirements does not fool the recruiter who reads next, and it hurts your application.
• Hidden white text: copying the job ad in white on white is an old trick. The text reappears in the candidate profile and in any copy-paste: it looks like cheating.
• An all-graphic CV: lovely on screen, but an image or a scattered layout arrives empty or jumbled in the database.
• Skills you don't have: they may get you found, then cost you the interview.
• Rushing the form: knockout questions (notice period, right to work, driving licence) often weigh more than the CV, so answer them carefully.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Harvard Business School — How to Tap the Talent Automated HR Platforms Miss ("Hidden Workers" report)
2. University of Sheffield Careers Service — Applicant tracking systems
3. HR Gazette — Debunking the ATS Rejection Myth