How to make your CV ATS-friendly
An applicant tracking system reads the text inside your CV file and sorts it into fields. Your CV is ATS-friendly when that text comes out clean: selectable text, your name and contact details as text, standard section headings and a reading order that keeps each job together. A designed CV can pass as long as it keeps those intact.
What an applicant tracking system does
Many UK employers and recruitment agencies collect applications through an applicant tracking system (ATS). It extracts the text from your CV, files it into fields such as name, contact details, experience and education, and lets recruiters search and filter candidates. If the text comes out jumbled or missing, your experience can be filed in the wrong place or not found by a search.
The checklist
- Selectable text. Every page should contain real text. A scanned CV or one exported as an image has none. Test: open the PDF and try to select a line.
- Name and contact details as text. Put your name, email, phone number and location in the body of the CV as plain text, and keep them out of images and logos.
- Standard section headings. Use headings people expect, such as Profile, Experience, Education and Skills, each on its own line.
- A sensible reading order. Each heading should come before its section, and each job’s title, dates and bullet points should read as one unit. Two-column layouts are the most common cause of trouble, because a reader can jump between the columns mid-job.
- Embedded fonts and a standard page size. Fonts embedded in the PDF keep characters readable. In the UK, use A4.
A one-minute test you can do yourself
Open your PDF, select all the text, copy it and paste it into a plain text editor such as Notes. Read it from top to bottom. If your name is at the top, each heading comes before its section and every job reads in one piece, most systems will read it well. If lines from different jobs are mixed together, change the layout before you send it.
PDF or Word?
Send whatever the job ad asks for. If it doesn’t say, a PDF with selectable text is widely accepted and keeps your layout exactly as you designed it.
Keywords
Recruiters search their ATS for skills and job titles, so it helps when your CV uses the same terms as the job ad wherever they honestly describe your experience. Our guide to tailoring your CV to a job description covers this step by step.
A few UK conventions
- Two sides of A4 is the usual length.
- UK employers don’t expect a photo, a date of birth or marital status.
- Use British spelling if you are applying to UK employers.
How c-v.ai checks your PDF
Every PDF that c-v.ai previews or exports is read back on your iPhone, without a network connection or AI. The check covers the five points above: a text layer on every page, your name and contact details reading back exactly as text, each section heading on its own line, the reading order of every section and entry, and embedded fonts on an A4 or US Letter page. The reading order is checked two ways, including a method based on the open-source pdftotext tool, and both must agree.
The preview then shows that the CV is readable by applicant tracking systems, or explains what it found and how to fix it. Every exported version keeps its result. Both templates are built to pass and keep their design. If a particular CV might still be read out of order, the app shows you where.
The check doesn’t imitate any one ATS product, score how well your CV matches a job, or predict whether you’ll be shortlisted. Systems differ, so it checks what they rely on.
Questions
How do I know if my CV is ATS-friendly?
Copy all the text from your PDF and paste it into a plain text editor. If the text is all there, your name and contact details come first, each heading comes before its section and every job reads in one piece, most applicant tracking systems will read it well. c-v.ai runs a similar check on your iPhone for every PDF it exports.
Do two-column CVs work with applicant tracking systems?
They can, but they are the most common cause of problems. A reader may jump between columns and mix lines from different sections. Test a two-column CV by copying its text into a plain text editor before you send it.
Should I send my CV as a PDF or a Word document?
Send whatever the job ad asks for. If it doesn’t say, a PDF with selectable text is widely accepted and keeps your layout as designed.