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Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are now used by over 75% of UK employers with more than 50 employees. These automated platforms scan CVs for keyword relevance, formatting compatibility, and structural clarity before passing (or rejecting) them to a human reviewer. For job seekers, understanding how ATS works — and how to optimise your CV for it — is no longer optional. It is fundamental to your job search success.
How ATS Software Processes Your CV
When you submit your CV online, the ATS parses the document — extracting your contact information, work history, skills, and qualifications — and compares them against the job specification’s requirements. Your CV is then assigned a relevance score. Below a certain threshold, it is automatically filtered out, often without any human review taking place.
The most common reasons ATS rejects qualified candidates include: missing keywords from the job description, complex formatting that the parser cannot read correctly, non-standard section headings, and the use of tables, text boxes, or images that confuse the system.
8 Rules for an ATS-Optimised CV
Rule 1: Mirror the Job Description Language
Carefully read the job posting and identify the key skills, job titles, tools, and qualifications mentioned. Use this exact language in your CV — particularly in your skills section and experience bullet points. ATS systems match keywords literally, not conceptually.
Rule 2: Use a Simple, Single-Column Layout
Avoid tables, text boxes, graphics, headers, footers, and multiple columns. Use a clean, single-column layout with clear section headings. Save your professionally formatted version for emailing directly to a recruiter — for job board applications, prioritise ATS compatibility.
Rule 3: Use Standard Section Headings
ATS software is trained to recognise standard headings: ‘Work Experience’, ‘Education’, ‘Skills’, ‘Certifications’. Using creative alternatives such as ‘My Journey’ or ‘What I Have Done’ confuses the parser and may result in entire sections of your CV being missed.
Rule 4: Submit in the Right Format
Unless the application specifically requests a PDF, submit your CV as a .docx (Microsoft Word) file. While many modern ATS systems can parse PDFs, .docx provides the highest compatibility across all platforms.
Rule 5: Spell Out Acronyms the First Time
Include both the full name and the abbreviation for any important acronym — for example, ‘Content Management System (CMS)’ or ‘Application Programming Interface (API)’. ATS systems may search for either form, and providing both ensures you are not missed.
Rule 6: Include a Dedicated Skills Section
An explicit skills section — listing your hard skills as a clean, formatted list — gives ATS a concentrated keyword source. Include both the technology name and relevant certifications or proficiency context.
Rule 7: Do Not Use Headers or Footers for Contact Details
Many ATS parsers cannot read text placed in document headers or footers. Always place your contact information in the main body of the document.
Rule 8: Check Your CV With an ATS Simulator
Tools such as Jobscan, Resume Worded, and Enhancv allow you to upload your CV and a job description and see your keyword match score and ATS parsing results before submission. This takes 5 minutes and is one of the most effective optimisation tools available to job seekers.
After ATS: What Happens When a Human Reviews Your CV
Passing the ATS filter is the first hurdle, not the last. Once your CV reaches a human reviewer, the quality of your writing, the clarity of your achievements, and the overall professional impression you create all become paramount. An ATS-optimised CV that is poorly written will still be rejected at the human review stage.
At Techcited Ltd, every CV we write is optimised for both ATS performance and human impact — ensuring you pass the automated filters and impress the decision-makers who ultimately determine whether you are invited to interview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does every employer use ATS software for CV screening in the UK?
A: Most medium and large UK employers use ATS, as do many recruitment agencies for initial screening. Smaller SMEs may rely entirely on human review. Regardless, an ATS-optimised CV also tends to be cleaner and more readable for humans.
Q: Will using an ATS-friendly format make my CV look boring?
A: Not necessarily. Clean, professional formatting is not the same as boring. Techcited Ltd creates ATS-compatible CVs that are also visually engaging and well-structured — striking the right balance between software compatibility and human impact.
Q: How do I know which ATS system a specific employer uses?
A: You generally cannot know in advance. This is why universal ATS best practices — simple formatting, keyword optimisation, standard headings — are more effective than trying to reverse-engineer specific systems.
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Get an ATS-optimised CV written by Techcited Ltd’s specialist team. We ensure your CV passes both the automated filter and impresses the human reviewers who follow.
