Most candidates don’t realize their CV never reached a recruiter. They send an application, wait for a response, and assume they were rejected by a human. In many cases, that’s not what happened. The CV was filtered out by software before anyone saw it.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used by most mid-to-large companies to manage recruitment. The system scans CVs, extracts key information, compares it to the job description, and assigns a score. Documents that don’t meet certain criteria are automatically rejected or deprioritized.

It’s estimated that 75% of CVs don’t make it past ATS. This doesn’t mean the candidates aren’t qualified. Often the problem is formatting, missing keywords, or a structure the system can’t parse correctly.

Why companies use ATS

Recruitment for popular roles generates hundreds, sometimes thousands of applications. Manually reviewing every CV is impossible. ATS does the initial screening, filtering out candidates who don’t meet basic requirements or whose CVs are poorly formatted.

The system doesn’t replace the recruiter. Its job is to narrow the pool to candidates who look like the best fit. The recruiter only reviews CVs that score high enough.

The problem is that ATS doesn’t understand context. If a job description mentions “project management” and your CV uses “project coordination,” the system may not recognize that as the same thing. If your CV has complex formatting, the parser might misread the text or skip it entirely.

How to get past ATS

Optimizing your CV for ATS comes down to a few deliberate choices about structure, language, and formatting. Here’s what works.

Use standard section headings

ATS systems are programmed to recognize common section names: “Work Experience,” “Education,” “Skills.” If you use creative headings like “My Journey” or “What I Bring,” the parser may not identify the section correctly and could skip the information it contains.

This doesn’t mean your CV has to be boring. It means the structure should be predictable. Recruiters and ATS both expect a certain layout, and deviating from it makes the document harder to process.

Match the language of the job description

ATS compares your CV to the job description and looks for matching terminology. If the job listing mentions “budget management” and your CV says “cost control,” the system may not recognize that as a match, even if you’re describing the same experience.

Read the job description carefully and pay attention to exact phrasing. If they require “project management,” use that term in your CV. If they mention a specific tool (e.g., Salesforce, Python, SAP), make sure it appears in your CV if you actually know it.

This isn’t about copying entire sentences from the job description. It’s about using the same key words and phrases naturally, in the context of your experience.

Keep the format simple and readable

ATS struggles with tables, columns, headers and footers, graphics, and text boxes. All of these can cause the text to be read in the wrong order or skipped entirely.

The safest layout is a single-column document with simple formatting. Use a standard font (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica), avoid decorative elements, and keep formatting consistent throughout.

If your CV looks like a work of graphic art, ATS will probably have trouble reading it. Simple doesn’t mean ugly. It means readable for both systems and humans.

Choose the right file format

Most modern ATS systems handle PDF and DOCX well. PDF preserves formatting and looks the same on every device. DOCX is easier to edit, but formatting can change depending on the software used to open it.

If the job description doesn’t specify a format, PDF is a safe choice. If they ask for DOCX, send DOCX. Don’t send files in formats like Pages, ODT, or RTF unless explicitly required.

Don’t try to game the system

Some candidates try to “hack” ATS by hiding keywords in white text or repeating phrases from the job description dozens of times at the end of the document. ATS systems are getting smarter and detect these attempts. If you’re caught, your application may be automatically rejected.

Instead of looking for tricks, focus on honest matching. If you have the experience and skills required in the job description, make sure they’re clearly listed in your CV. If you don’t have them, adding them to the document won’t help because it will come out in the interview.

Use specific numbers and achievements

Bullet points in your CV that include numbers and concrete achievements work well for both ATS and recruiters. “Increased sales by 35% over 6 months” is a sentence that contains keywords (sales), specific data (35%, 6 months), and shows measurable impact.

ATS recognizes these statements as relevant, and recruiters remember concrete achievements more easily than general statements.

Tailor your CV to each application

A generic CV rarely scores high in ATS. The system compares the document to specific job requirements, and if key words are missing or experience isn’t clearly linked to the role, the score will be low.

You don’t have to rewrite your entire CV every time. Just adjust the professional summary, reorder skills, and modify a few bullet points in your work experience to emphasize the most relevant elements for that role.

What ATS actually evaluates

ATS systems don’t all work the same way. Different tools use different algorithms and scoring criteria. But most consider a few common factors.

Keyword matching is the foundation. The system compares terms from the job description with terms in your CV and evaluates how many of the required elements match.

Document structure matters. If the parser can’t identify sections or extract key information (name, contact details, employment dates), the score will be low.

Completeness of information is considered. A CV that contains all standard sections (experience, education, skills) and is easy to read scores higher than a document with missing elements.

Fit to requirements is the final factor. Even if your CV is well-formatted and contains keywords, if your experience doesn’t match the job requirements, the score will be low.

When ATS optimization isn’t enough

Getting past ATS is the first step, not a guarantee of an interview. Even if your CV scores high and reaches a recruiter, it still needs to be well-written, specific, and convincing.

Also, not all companies rely solely on automatic scoring. Some use ATS only to organize applications and manually review all CVs. Others set low matching thresholds to avoid rejecting potentially good candidates.

ATS optimization increases your chances, but it doesn’t replace a solid, well-thought-out CV.

How AI tools help with ATS optimization

Manually tailoring your CV to each job offer and checking whether it meets ATS requirements takes time. AI-powered tools can speed up this process by analyzing the job description, comparing it to your CV, and suggesting specific changes.

FitMyCV’s ATS resume checker scores your CV against the job offer, identifies missing keywords, checks structure, and suggests improvements. Then it generates an optimized version of your CV that has a better chance of passing automatic screening and reaching the recruiter.

Try FitMyCV for free →