How to Write a CV That Gets Past ATS Systems

You spent hours crafting the perfect CV. You hit submit. And then... silence. No interview call, no rejection email, just nothing. Sound familiar?

There's a good chance your CV never made it to a human. According to recent research, over 75% of CVs are rejected by Applicant Tracking Systems before a recruiter ever sees them. These automated systems scan, parse, and rank your application — and if your CV isn't optimized for them, it disappears into a digital void.

Here's how to fix that.

What Is an ATS?

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software that companies use to manage job applications. Think of it as a gatekeeper. When you submit your CV online, the ATS:

1. Parses your document — extracting text, contact details, work history, and skills
2. Categorises the information into structured fields
3. Scores your application against the job description
4. Ranks you alongside other candidates

Only the top-ranked CVs get forwarded to a human recruiter. The rest are filtered out — regardless of how qualified you actually are.

Popular ATS platforms include Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, and Taleo. Each parses CVs slightly differently, but the core principles for beating them are the same.

The 5 Most Common ATS Mistakes

1. Using Creative Formatting

Tables, columns, text boxes, headers/footers, and graphics look great to humans but confuse ATS parsers. The system reads your document linearly, left to right, top to bottom. Multi-column layouts scramble the reading order.

Fix: Use a single-column layout with clear section headings. Keep it simple.

2. Submitting the Wrong File Format

Some ATS platforms struggle with PDFs, especially those exported from design tools like Canva or Figma. Others reject .pages or .odt formats entirely.

Fix: Submit in .docx format unless the job posting specifically requests PDF. DOCX is the most universally parsed format across ATS platforms.

3. Missing Keywords

The ATS matches your CV against keywords from the job description. If the posting asks for "project management" and your CV says "led cross-functional initiatives," the system may not make the connection.

Fix: Mirror the exact language from the job posting. If they say "Python," write "Python" — not "programming languages." If they say "stakeholder management," use that exact phrase.

4. Using Non-Standard Section Headings

ATS systems look for standard headings like "Work Experience," "Education," and "Skills." Creative alternatives like "My Journey" or "What I Bring" confuse the parser.

Fix: Stick to conventional headings:

• Work Experience (or Professional Experience)
• Education
• Skills
• Certifications (if applicable)
• Summary (or Professional Summary)

5. Stuffing Your CV with Irrelevant Keywords

Some candidates try to game the system by hiding keywords in white text or cramming in every buzzword they can find. Modern ATS platforms detect this, and it can flag your application as spam.

Fix: Only include keywords that genuinely reflect your experience. Quality over quantity.

How to Optimise Your CV for ATS

Start with the Job Description

Before writing a single word, read the job description three times. Highlight:

• Hard skills (tools, languages, methodologies)
• Soft skills (communication, leadership, problem-solving)
• Qualifications (degrees, certifications, years of experience)
• Action verbs (managed, developed, implemented)

These are your target keywords.

Structure Your CV Correctly

A clean, ATS-friendly structure looks like this:

1. Contact Information — Name, phone, email, LinkedIn URL (no tables or text boxes)
2. Professional Summary — 2-3 sentences with key skills and experience level
3. Work Experience — Reverse chronological, with company name, job title, dates, and bullet points
4. Education — Degree, institution, graduation year
5. Skills — A clean list of relevant hard and soft skills
6. Certifications — If applicable

Use the Right Keywords Naturally

Weave job description keywords into your bullet points naturally. Compare:

Bad: "Responsible for various tasks related to marketing activities"

Good: "Managed digital marketing campaigns across Google Ads and Meta, increasing lead generation by 35% in Q3 2025"

The second version includes specific keywords (digital marketing, Google Ads, Meta, lead generation) while also demonstrating impact with numbers.

Quantify Your Achievements

ATS systems don't just look for keywords — recruiters who review the top-ranked CVs look for impact. Numbers make your achievements concrete:

• "Reduced customer churn by 18% through targeted retention campaigns"
• "Managed a team of 12 engineers across 3 time zones"
• "Delivered €2.4M project 2 weeks ahead of schedule"

Keep Formatting Simple

• Use standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)
• Avoid images, charts, or icons
• Use bullet points (•) not custom symbols
• Don't use headers or footers for important information
• Ensure dates follow a consistent format (e.g., "Jan 2024 – Present")

Testing Your CV

Before submitting, test your CV:

1. Copy-paste test — Select all text in your CV and paste it into a plain text editor. If the content appears garbled or out of order, the ATS will have the same problem.
2. Keyword check — Compare your CV against the job description. Are the key terms present?
3. File format check — Save as .docx and re-open to verify formatting holds.

The Bottom Line

ATS optimization isn't about tricking a system — it's about communicating clearly. A well-structured CV with relevant keywords and quantified achievements will pass the ATS and impress the recruiter on the other side.

The good news? You don't have to do this alone.

Ai-Vitae uses advanced AI to rewrite your CV with ATS optimization built in. We analyse job market trends, optimize your keywords, and format your CV to pass any ATS — all while keeping it compelling for human readers.

Get your ATS-optimized CV →