How to Beat Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) With Your CV
By Zyctra Team · · 6 min read
Large and medium-sized employers — and many recruitment agencies — use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to collect, store and search applications. The software reads your CV, pulls out information, and lets recruiters search and rank candidates. If it can't read your CV properly, a human may never see it.
How ATS software reads your CV
- It extracts text and tries to sort it into fields: name, contact details, job titles, employers, dates, education, skills.
- Recruiters then search or filter by keywords, such as "project management", "Python" or "NMC registered".
- Complex layouts can scramble the text, so experience ends up in the wrong place or disappears.
Formatting rules
- Use a single-column layout. Two-column designs can be read in the wrong order.
- Avoid tables, text boxes, headers/footers for key information, and graphics. Put contact details in the main body.
- Use standard section headings: "Work Experience", "Education", "Skills".
- Use common fonts such as Arial, Calibri or Georgia.
- Submit Word (.docx) or text-based PDF unless the employer asks for something else. A scanned image of a CV cannot be read at all.
- Write dates consistently, e.g. "March 2022 – June 2024".
- Skip skill bars and star ratings. Software can't read them — list skills as words.
Keywords: match the job description
Read the advert carefully and note the skills, tools, qualifications and job titles it mentions. Use the same words in your CV where they honestly apply. If the advert says "stakeholder management", don't only write "working with partners". Include both the acronym and full form where relevant: "Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)".
Don't copy the whole advert or hide keywords in white text — recruiters notice, and it can get you rejected.
Tailor every application
You don't need to rewrite your CV each time. Keep a master version and adjust the profile, skills section and top bullet points for each role so the most relevant keywords appear early.
ATS-friendly doesn't mean boring
Once your CV gets through the software, a person reads it. Strong action verbs, clear achievements and numbers are what convince them.
Check yours in seconds
Zyctra's CV builder produces ATS-friendly CVs by default (except in countries where a different layout is standard). Upload your current CV, and Zyctra rebuilds it with a clean structure and stronger wording; then paste a job advert in the chat to tailor it with the right keywords.
Topics: CV Writing, ATS, Job Search