Tips to Write an ATS Compliant CV

Technology has changed not only how people work but also how organisations identify and recruit talent. Recruitment software now plays a significant role in managing job applications, creating a new dimension to the relationship between candidates and employers.

Understanding the requirements of an ATS compliant CV is therefore part of adapting to the changing conventions of professional recruitment.

What Is an ATS and How Does It Work?

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a recruitment software used to manage or process job applications. When you apply for a role online, your CV/resume is usually stored in an ATS before it reaches a recruiter.

Understanding what happens to your CV after you submit it can make it easier to prepare an application that works within an employer's recruitment process. An ATS typically performs several functions as it processes and organises applications, for example:

CV Scanning and Parsing

The ATS reads and extracts information from your CV and organises it into fields such as employment history, education, skills and qualifications. How clearly your information is presented can affect how accurately the system interprets it.

Job Description or Keyword Analysis

The system may compare the information in your CV with the requirements and terminology in the job description, focusing on factors such as relevant keywords, skills, job titles, responsibilities, and years of experience. You tend to rank higher if your CV contains key terms.

Application Screening

Employers can configure an ATS to automatically filter or reject applications that do not meet their predefined requirements. These may include minimum years of experience, required certifications, work authorisation, location or other eligibility criteria.

Some employers include knockout questions in their application form to screen candidates against essential requirements. For example, an applicant may be asked whether they have the required certification, work authorisation or availability. A response that does not meet a mandatory requirement can cause the application to be screened out automatically.

Tips for Writing an ATS Compliant CV

Even qualified candidates can miss out when their CVs are difficult for an ATS to interpret. The following tips can help you prepare an ATS friendly CV that is easier to process and review.

1. Use Standard Section Headings

Make it easy for the ATS to identify the main parts of your CV. Use familiar headings such as:

• Professional Summary
• Career Objective
• Work Experience
• Skills
• Education
• Certifications

Avoid replacing standard headings with creative alternatives that could make the document hard to scan and interpret.

2. Tailor Your CV to the Job Description

Read the job description carefully and identify recurring industry terminology related to qualifications, skills, tools, responsibilities, and job titles, among others. Where those keywords accurately describe your experience, incorporate them naturally into your CV (eg, in your professional summary, career objective, skills and work experience sections).

If an important qualification or technology has both an acronym and a full name, consider including both, for example, Project Management Institute (PMI). This gives the ATS and recruiter more ways to recognise the information.

For remote roles, highlight relevant remote-work skills and tools when they genuinely reflect your experience. For example, if a remote project coordinator position requires project management, stakeholder communication and Jira, those terms can appear within your skills, work experience and certifications sections.

Tailoring is useful for both automated screening and human review. It shows that your application is relevant rather than generic.

3. Avoid Keyword Stuffing

Keywords help connect your experience with the requirements of the vacancy. However, adding a long list of repeated terms is not a substitute for demonstrating actual experience or genuine competence.

Do not place lots of keywords simply to increase the number of matches. Keyword stuffing can make the CV unnatural and unprofessional. Context matters, so naturally incorporate relevant terms into appropriate sections of the document.

4. Use Conventional Bullet Points

Use the standard black dot bullet points throughout your CV wherever they help organise information. They can make CV sections (such as work experience, skills, and certifications) easier to scan and interpret.

Avoid non-conventional alternative bullet points, such as diamonds, checkboxes and stars. While these may add visual interest, they can sometimes be interpreted inconsistently by recruitment software. Standard bullet points provide a cleaner structure for both ATS parsing and human readers.

5. Show Achievements, Not Only Responsibilities

Your CV should explain what you accomplished, not simply list what you were expected to do.

Wrong: Managed social media accounts.

Correct: Managed social media accounts and increased engagement by 57% in six months.

Using action verbs and measurable results (if possible) gives employers stronger evidence of your contribution. It also provides opportunities to include relevant skills and terminology naturally within your work history.

6. Keep Dates and Job Titles Consistent

Use the same date format throughout your CV. For example, if you write "January 2024 – March 2025" for one position, avoid switching to an entirely different format for another.

Your job titles, employer names and employment dates should also be clearly associated with each position. Consistent formatting makes the career timeline easier for parsing software to interpret.

7. Choose a Simple, Professional Layout

A CV does not need elaborate design to look professional. Use a clean layout, readable font, consistent spacing and clear alignment.

Avoid putting important information inside tables, text boxes, or using excessive graphics, including images and large icons. Some ATS platforms may have difficulty extracting information from these elements correctly.

8. Keep Information Relevant

An ATS-friendly CV should still be a focused CV. Including every job, course, hobby or outdated skill can make the document longer without making it more relevant.

Prioritise information that supports the role you are applying for. Older experience can be shortened or removed when it no longer contributes meaningfully to your application. Similarly, certifications, awards and skills should be included when they are relevant to the position.

The appropriate length depends on your experience and the role. Early-career applicants may have enough relevant information for one page, while some experienced professionals may need two pages to present their background properly. The priority should be relevance rather than reaching a particular page count.

9. Check how Your CV Reads

One of the earlier functions of an ATS is to parse your CV. The system can then compare this parsed information with the requirements in the job description. Applicants who don't rank well often stand little or no chance of progressing further.

Before submitting your application, you can use the Remote4Africa Job Fit Analysis tool to see how well your CV aligns with specific roles and get recommendations to improve your job match.

10. Proofread Before Submitting

A CV can pass ATS scoring and still hurt your application if it contains spelling, grammar or typing errors.

Read the document several times, preferably with breaks between editing sessions. You can also use grammar-checking software and ask someone else to review the CV before submitting it.

11. Use the Employer’s File Format

Finally, follow the employer's instructions about file type. If the vacancy specifically requests a DOCX or PDF, use that format. If no format is specified, choose one of the above. See PDF and Word CV comparison article for more information.

Final Thoughts

A candidate may have the experience and qualifications required for a position, but those strengths still need to be communicated effectively through the application process. An ATS friendly CV can help bridge the gap between a candidate's professional background and the technology used to process applications.

The tips in this article will help candidates approach CV preparation with greater awareness of how their information will be received and processed.

RECOMMENDED: CV Samples/Templates for Remote Workers