How to Optimise Your CV for Applicant Tracking Systems
A Jobscan research study revealed that 98.8% of Fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking systems to collect, sort through and manage the hundreds of applications they receive.
When competing against a high volume of applicants, optimising your CV can help ensure it actually makes it past the ATS and into the hands of a human!
By using the following three strategies, you'll be on your way to beating the ATS bots:
- Stick to a simple CV format
- Incorporate relevant keywords
- Use a conventional section titles
1) Stick to a simple CV format
Applicant tracking systems are often unable to correctly parse information from CVs with multiple columns, tables, charts or graphics.
As a result, we always recommend using a traditional CV format.
Online CV builders that promise to deliver “modern” documents that help you stand out with colors and symbols used to rank your skills on a five-point scale, for instance, may actually work against you.
Keep your formatting conservative and let your work experience speak for itself.
You'll be taken more seriously and convey a strong sense of professionalism.
2) Incorporate relevant keywords
When recruiters receive a high volume of applications for a position, they often use an ATS to narrow down the applicant pool, filtering CVs using keywords.
To help your CV make the initial cut, tailor your content accordingly by reading through the job description and naturally incorporating relevant keywords into your bullet points.
3) Use conventional section titles
When it comes to section headings, keep it simple.
To ensure that the ATS correctly pulls information from your document, you should use standard headings such as the following:
- Work Experience
- Education
- Qualifications
- Publications
- Skills
In Summary
In a competitive job market, recruiters have more than enough applicants to choose from.
Based on our conversations with recruiters, CVs with formatting gimmicks such as graphics, colors, photos and fancy designs aren't taken very seriously.
In fact, they’re often the reason a CV gets rejected during the initial screening process.
Remember that you only have a few seconds to make a strong first impression!
By keeping it classy and playing it safe when it comes to formatting, you'll increase your chances of landing interviews - both by beating the bots and impressing recruiters.
About CV Pilots
CV Pilots is an award-winning executive CV writing firm and a proud member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. Our previous clients include CEOs and senior executives at the world's leading companies.
As a professional services firm, we take your reputation seriously. We are committed to delivering writing excellence and superior service while operating with integrity and discretion. Recruitment firms we partner with also trust us to consistently deliver quality documents for their clients.
Our writers have studied at top-tier universities and have strong writing backgrounds coupled with industry experience.
Here's how we can help you:
CV, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Writing Services: If you are looking for end-to-end support, hire one of our professional CV writers to rewrite your documents from the ground up.
Executive CV Template Downloads: If you plan to prepare your own CV, consider using one of our classic, ATS-friendly CV templates for Microsoft Word.
To learn more about our services, book an introductory call with our founder here or email team@cvpilots.co.uk.
About the AuthorMatt Glodz
Matt Glodz is the Founder and Managing Partner of CV Pilots and a Certified Professional Resume Writer.
After studying business communication at Cornell University, Matt worked for global companies, where he noted that qualified candidates were frequently denied interview opportunities due to poorly written documents.
At CV Pilots, Matt combines his solid business and writing background to craft CVs that give his clients the best chance of landing interviews. He has lived in the UK, US and Italy.
Based in London, he currently works with applicants ranging from CEOs to recent graduates and has been writing CVs for over 10 years.
He has been quoted on numerous business and career-related topics in outlets including Business Insider, CNBC, Fortune, Glassdoor, The Ladders, The Times and Thrive Global.