Use familiar sections
Experience, education, skills, and contact information should be clearly labelled.
Practical CV guide
How to make an ATS-friendly CV without writing for a robot.
An ATS-friendly CV is easy to parse, easy to search, and still easy for a person to read. Clear structure and truthful, role-relevant language matter more than decorative tricks or a supposed universal score.
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Built for a practical job search
Keep text selectable
Important information should be real text, not flattened into an image.
Write for relevance
Use job terminology only where it accurately describes skills and experience you have.
01
Start with a predictable hierarchy
Use one clear heading for each section, consistent employer and date formatting, and concise bullet points. Avoid placing essential contact details only in decorative elements. A recruiter should understand the page in a quick scan.
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Use familiar sections
02
Use keywords as evidence
If a job asks for stakeholder management, cloud infrastructure, or financial reporting, show where you used that skill and what happened. A disconnected keyword list is weaker than a specific, truthful example in your experience.
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Keep text selectable
03
Choose formatting that survives export
Check that the PDF contains selectable text, pages break cleanly, and headings stay with their content. Columns can work, but simpler layouts are safer when you do not know the employer’s parsing system.
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Write for relevance
04
Review the final file
Open the exported PDF, copy a paragraph into a plain-text editor, and check the reading order. Then proofread names, dates, links, and job-specific wording before applying.
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Use familiar sections
Questions, answered
Does an ATS-friendly template guarantee that my CV passes?
No. Systems and employer settings differ, and screening also depends on the role and your actual qualifications. Good structure reduces avoidable parsing problems.
Should every CV be one page?
No. Use the space needed to present relevant experience clearly. One strong page can suit an early career profile, while an experienced or academic candidate may need two or more.
How to make an ATS-friendly CV without writing for a robot.
Start free. No card required.