Write a CV a Robot Can Read: The ATS Rules in Plain English
Before a person sees your CV, software decides whether to pass it on. Here is exactly what that software can and cannot handle, without the jargon.
ATS stands for applicant tracking system. It is the software a company uses to collect and sort applications. Think of it as a very literal clerk that reads your CV, types the contents into a form, and gives the form to a human.
If the clerk cannot read part of your CV, that part simply does not exist. Not "counts less". Does not exist.
What breaks it
- Two columns. The clerk reads left to right across the whole page, so your two columns get mixed into one another and turn to nonsense.
- Tables and text boxes. Often skipped entirely. If your contact details are in a text box, you have applied anonymously.
- Headers and footers. Many systems ignore them. Never put your phone number or email there.
- Graphics, icons, photos, skill rating bars. Invisible to the clerk. That five-star rating next to "Excel" communicates nothing.
- Unusual fonts and creative section names. "My Journey" instead of "Experience" means the clerk cannot find your experience.
What works
- One column, top to bottom.
- Standard headings: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills.
- Arial, Calibri, Helvetica or Times New Roman, size 10 to 12.
- Contact details as plain text at the top of the page body.
- Dates written the same way every time: Jan 2023 to Mar 2025.
- PDF, unless the listing specifically asks for Word.
The part most people miss: the words themselves
The clerk is also matching your words against the job description. Not cheating, just matching. So if the listing says "customer support", your CV should say "customer support" somewhere, not only "client care". If it says Zendesk and you have used Zendesk, the word Zendesk must appear.
Practical method: open the job description, list every tool and skill it names, and honestly tick the ones you have. Make sure each ticked one appears in your CV in the same words they used. Never add one you do not have — it will surface in the interview.
Rewrite your bullets while you are in there
Most CVs describe duties. Duties do not persuade anyone, because everyone in your role had the same ones.
Before: Responsible for handling customer complaints.
After: Handled about 60 customer tickets a day, cut average response time from 8 hours to under 2, kept satisfaction above 90 percent.
If you do not know your exact numbers, estimate honestly and say "about". An honest estimate beats no number at all.
Length
One page if you have under five years of experience. Two pages maximum, ever. Nobody reads page three.
You can test all of this in under a minute. Our free scan reads your CV the way the software does and shows you what is being dropped. Scan my CV free.