How to Build an ATS-Friendly CV That Gets Noticed

You could be the perfect candidate for a role and still never hear back. Why? Many employers and recruitment agencies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to manage applications, and if your CV isn't built with these systems in mind, it may never reach a recruiter.

The good news is that creating an ATS-friendly CV isn't complicated. Once you understand how these systems work, you can build a CV that's easy for both software and people to read.

What is an applicant tracking system?

An applicant tracking system is software that helps employers collect, sort and filter job applications. When you submit your CV, the ATS reads its content, pulls out key information such as your job titles, skills, qualifications and experience, and helps recruiters find the candidates who best match the role.

Recruiters often search or rank applications by keywords from the job advert. If your CV is hard for the system to read, or doesn't include the right terms, it can be overlooked, even if you're well qualified.

Choose the right CV structure

A clear, logical structure helps the ATS understand your CV and helps recruiters scan it quickly. Use standard section headings such as:

• Contact Details: your name, phone number, professional email address, location and LinkedIn profile.
• Professional Summary: three to four lines about who you are, what you offer and the type of role you're targeting.
• Skills: a focused list of relevant hard and soft skills.
• Work Experience: your roles in reverse chronological order, most recent first.
• Education: qualifications, institutions and completion dates.
• Certifications and Training: relevant short courses or professional certifications.

Avoid creative headings like "My Journey" or "What I Bring". The system may not recognise them.

Keep the formatting simple

Design-heavy CVs might look impressive, but they often cause problems for an ATS. To keep your CV readable:

• Use a clean, single-column layout.
• Choose a standard font such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman.
• Avoid tables, text boxes, graphics, icons and images, including photos.
• Don't place important information in headers or footers.
• Use simple bullet points.
• Save your CV as a Word document or PDF, depending on what the employer asks for.

Use relevant keywords

Keywords are the skills, qualifications, tools and job titles employers look for. The best place to find them is the job advert itself.

1. Read the advert carefully and highlight the skills and requirements that appear most often.
2. Include those terms naturally in your summary, skills and work experience, where they genuinely apply to you.
3. Use the exact wording from the advert where you can. For example, if it asks for "project management", use that phrase rather than only "managing projects".
4. Include both the full term and the abbreviation where relevant, such as "Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)".

Avoid stuffing your CV with keywords. It still needs to read well for the recruiter who sees it next.

Present your work experience effectively

Your work experience is often the most important part of your CV. For each role, include your job title, the company name, location and dates of employment, followed by bullet points that show your impact.

Focus on achievements rather than duties. Start each bullet with a strong action verb and add numbers where you can:

• Instead of: "Responsible for social media."
• Try: "Managed social media for three brands, growing combined followers by 35% in six months."

Tailor this section for each application, putting the experience most relevant to the role first.

Make it professional and easy to update

A strong CV is never really finished. Every time you apply for a new role, gain a new skill or achieve something at work, your CV should reflect it. That's why it helps to have a solid foundation you can return to and adapt quickly.

• Keep it to two pages where possible.
• Proofread carefully for spelling and grammar.
• Keep formatting consistent throughout.
• Save a master version, then tailor a copy for each application.

Get noticed for the right reasons

An ATS-friendly CV gives you the best chance of getting past the first round of screening and in front of a recruiter. With a clear structure, simple formatting, relevant keywords and achievement-focused experience, you'll be well on your way to more interviews.

If you'd like a head start, the Premium ATS CV Blueprint gives you a ready-to-use ATS-friendly template with step-by-step guidance, so you can create your own professional CV and keep updating it for every opportunity.