I once watched a friend submit her CV to 30 jobs in two weeks. She got 1 reply. She's brilliant, Stanford degree, 4 years at Google, but her CV used a two-column template with icons and a custom font. The problem wasn't her experience. The problem was the software that read her CV before any human did. That software is called an ATS, short for Applicant Tracking System, and it's used by an estimated 75% of companies with more than 100 employees. If your CV doesn't parse cleanly through it, you're rejected before a recruiter sees your name. This isn't about "tricking" the system. It's about not being filtered out by accident. Here are the 7 things ATS software actually looks for in 2026, based on what I learned from talking to recruiters who use Workday, Greenhouse, and Lever every day.
What an ATS actually does (in 30 seconds)
When you upload your CV to a job site, the ATS:
- Parses the text into structured fields (name, email, work experience, skills)
- Scans for keywords from the job description
- Scores you against other applicants
- Surfaces the top 10 to 20 percent to the human recruiter If your CV fails at step 1 (parsing), you never make it to step 4. Most rejected CVs are rejected here, not because the candidate is unqualified, but because the file structure is unreadable.
1. Use the right file format
ATS systems handle these well:
- PDF (most common, generally safe)
- DOCX (Microsoft Word) These often fail:
- Pages files (.pages from Mac)
- Images (.jpg or .png of a CV)
- Old .doc files (pre-2007) Use PDF unless the job posting specifically asks for Word. PDFs preserve formatting and parse cleanly through every modern ATS I tested.
2. Single column, not two
Two-column CVs look beautiful. They also break ATS parsers. When the ATS reads your CV left to right, it doesn't know there's a second column on the right. It mashes everything together. Your sidebar with "Skills" suddenly appears in the middle of your job description. Your name might end up after your education. The fix: use a single-column layout for any CV that goes into an online application form. Save the two-column designs for direct emails to recruiters or networking contacts.
3. Standard section headings
ATS software is trained to look for specific words. If you use creative section names, the parser won't find your work history. Stick to:
- Work Experience (or Professional Experience, Employment History)
- Education
- Skills
- Certifications Avoid:
- "Where I've been" (instead of Work Experience)
- "What I bring" (instead of Skills)
- "My journey so far" These get parsed as random text, and your work history disappears from the structured data.
4. Use the keywords from the job description
This is where most candidates fail. ATS doesn't understand context. It matches keywords. If the job says "Python", your CV needs the word "Python." Not "scripting languages" or "programming." Python. The simple test: paste the job description into ChatGPT and ask for the top 15 keywords. Make sure your CV uses each one at least once, in your actual experience or skills section. A 2024 Jobscan study found that CVs with at least 60 percent keyword match scored in the top 25 percent of applicants for that role. Below 40 percent match, you're in the bottom 30 percent.
5. Standard fonts only
ATS systems sometimes fail to read decorative or unusual fonts. Stick to:
- Arial
- Calibri
- Helvetica
- Times New Roman
- Georgia If you used Comic Sans or a Google Display font your designer recommended, the parser may convert it to gibberish. I've seen CVs where "Software Engineer" became unreadable Unicode characters because of font issues.
6. No headers, footers, or text boxes
This one surprises people. Many ATS systems literally skip the header and footer regions of a document. If you put your name and contact info in the header (like a Word template default), the system might not see them. Same with text boxes. They're treated as separate elements that get ignored or mis-parsed. Put everything in the main body of the document. Yes, it's less elegant. But your name needs to be where the parser will find it.
7. Consistent date format
Recruiters told me this is the silent CV killer. Use one consistent format throughout:
- Jan 2022 to Present
- Or 01/2022 to Present
- Or 2022 to Present Don't mix:
- "Q4 2022" with "March 2024"
- "Spring 2022" with "01/2024"
- Just "2022" for one job and "Jan 2022 to Dec 2024" for another Inconsistent dates confuse the parser. Some ATS software will skip a job entirely if it can't determine the start and end dates.
How to test if your CV is ATS-friendly
Three quick tests: Test 1: The copy-paste test Open your CV PDF, select all (Cmd/Ctrl+A), copy, paste into a plain text document. If the result is jumbled, missing sections, or in the wrong order, ATS will read it the same way. Test 2: Free ATS scanner Run your CV through a tool like CVmake's ATS score checker (free, no signup required). You'll get a parse-ability score and specific issues to fix. Test 3: Job description match Paste the job description and your CV into ChatGPT and ask: "What percentage of keywords from this job description appear in my CV?" If under 50 percent, you need to add more relevant terms.
Common mistakes I see in 2026
After looking at thousands of CVs through CVmake's ATS checker, the same patterns keep coming up:
- Skills as graphics (e.g. "Python ████████░░ 80%"). The bar charts don't parse. Just write "Python" as text.
- Tables for layout. Tables are fine for actual data, but using them to create columns breaks ATS readers.
- Logos and icons for company names. The parser sees an image, not text. Add the company name as text too.
- Acronyms only. If you write "SEO" but the job says "Search Engine Optimization," you might miss the keyword match. Use both: "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)."
FAQ
Do all companies use ATS? Most companies with 100+ employees do. Small businesses often don't. If you're applying to a 5-person agency, formatting matters less. For Fortune 500 companies, banks, consulting firms, and any tech company with more than 50 employees, assume ATS is in use. Is ATS the same as AI? No. ATS is rule-based software that parses and ranks CVs. Modern ATS systems include some AI for summarization, but the core function is still keyword matching and parsing. Will a designed CV from Canva pass ATS? Sometimes. Canva CVs that use a single-column layout with standard fonts can pass. The visual ones with sidebars and graphics usually fail. If you build with Canva, choose the simplest template. Should I include a photo on my CV? In the US and UK, no. Photos can introduce bias, and some ATS systems strip them. In Germany, France, Switzerland, and parts of Asia, yes. Photos are expected. Adapt to the country. Does PDF or Word parse better? In 2026, both work equally well in modern ATS systems. PDF preserves formatting better and is the safer default. Use Word only if the job posting specifically asks for it. How long should my CV be to pass ATS? Length doesn't directly affect ATS scoring. But human recruiters spend an average of 7 seconds on a CV. Keep it to 1 page if you have under 5 years of experience, 2 pages if you have more.
Bottom line
Beating ATS isn't about gaming the system. It's about removing the friction between your real experience and a human reader. The 7 rules:
- Use PDF or DOCX
- Single column, not two
- Standard section headings
- Keywords from the job description
- Standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica)
- No headers, footers, or text boxes
- Consistent date format If your CV does all 7, you'll score above 80 percent on every ATS scanner I've tested. That's enough to reach the human stage. Want a quick check? CVmake's free ATS score checker runs your CV against 14 ATS criteria and shows you exactly what to fix. No signup needed.