Many experienced candidates have their CVs screened by an ATS before being reviewed by an employer. Preparing a CV that meets ATS standards ensures the success of the initial selection process.
The ATS (Applicant Tracking System) can be the deciding factor in whether or not your application is seen by a company’s human resources officer. Studies show that 75% of suitable candidates are rejected by ATS software due to unnecessary information or illegible text. In today’s digital and modern world, where developments shape our daily lives, these developments also affect the CV you prepare for job applications.
What is an ATS-compliant CV?
An ATS-compliant CV is a CV that is designed in a way that can be easily scanned and analyzed by a candidate tracking system.
ATS-compliant CV Templates
Before we go through the step-by-step process of preparing your CV, you can take a look at the CV template below that has been designed with ATS compliance in mind.
Created using a well-established format with standard headings and additional keywords, these CV samples maximize ATS compliance. By preparing your CV with templates approved by HR professionals, you can start the race with a 1-0 advantage.
ATS technology sorts and filters candidate CVs according to certain criteria when evaluating applications it receives. Therefore, a CV that is ATS-compliant should generally have a simple design, standard headings, and a proper format for the system to easily understand, while also matching the keywords, skills, and qualifications listed in the job posting.
ATSs also scan incoming CVs for keywords. These keywords are often the skills listed in the job description. If a resume doesn’t contain keywords that are important to the employer, it may be rejected by the system before it reaches human resources.
In the past, when companies received a large number of applications for a job posting, employers simply couldn’t keep up with the number of resumes. As a result, candidate selection often went something like this:
1. A company receives 200 applications.
2. The recruiters review the first 50 resumes and invite 5-10 candidates for interviews.
3. If no one is a good fit after the interviews, the recruiters go back to the remaining 150 applications.
It turns out that most of the CVs are not reviewed. This is the same in these days when employers receive more applications than they expect.
The selection process with an ATS is completely different:
1. The company receives 200 applications.
2. The ATS evaluates each candidate’s suitability for the job and filters out the unsuitable CVs.
3. The ATS ranks the remaining candidates by relevance and creates a shortlist of the most promising candidates.
The employer conducts interviews and hires the right candidate.
Steps to an ATS-compliant CV
Step 1. Job Title
Include the job title you are applying for and the job titles that match your most recent job.
❌ Your job title: "Marketing Manager"
Incorrect: This is your own statement. In the marketplace, this position may be called "Marketing Director", "CMO". The ATS will not find your resume for these queries.
✅ Your job title: "CMO / Marketing Director"
Correct: All job title variations are on one line. ATS will count any of them.
[Function/Job title] + [Customer segment or industry]
Example for a senior-level candidate: "CFO/CFO, Holding A"
Example for a mid-level candidate: "Product Manager, B2B SaaS, Company B"
This allows the employer to immediately understand your role and experience, increasing your chances of landing the right role.
Step 2. Keywords
ATS scans the "Skills" section and looks for matches to the job posting. If the keywords are not present, the resume is not filtered.
❌ CFO skills: "Strategic planning, budget management, team management, IFRS"
Incorrect: General terms. Specific technologies and methodologies are not specified.
✅ CFO skills: "FP&A, IFRS, RAS, Budget control, SAP ERP, liquidity management, M&A, tax optimization, EBITDA management"
Correct: These are the specific terms that ATS looks for. The employer sees the depth of experience.
Step 3. Resume Structure
A "boring" resume template works better than a beautiful design. ATS does not understand cumbersome designs and complex tables. The system only reads texts with clear headings.
What to do:
Use standard headings: "Work experience", "Education", "Skills", "About me". Don’t prepare your CV in slide or image format. Use Word or PDF format. Experience should be listed from most recent to oldest. Put your most recent job at the top.
10 years of experience = 1 CV page. If your experience is really extensive, then a maximum of 2 pages.
Avoid complex formatting: tables, columns, images, unusual fonts. Keep the structure simple and readable. Do not add different fonts, colors, text sizes, and images to your CV.
Step 4. Experience Description - Specific Words Instead of General Phrases
“Coordinated the team,” “participated in planning,” “managed stakeholders” – these are standard phrases found on all CVs.
Use the following experience description formula:
[Period] [Job Title] - [Company] [Scale]
3-6 key tasks in your area of expertise
1-3 achievements
Scope of work (team/budget/company)
❌ "2020-2023 | Finance Director — Manufacturing LLC
Coordinated finance, participated in strategic planning, and liaised with banks"
Incorrect: It is unclear exactly what was done, what the results were, or what the scale was.
✅ "2020-2023 | Finance Director — Production LLC (turnover 1 million manat, 300+ employees)
Financial Services Management (accounting, FP&A, control)
Strategic Planning and Budgeting (annual budget 1 million manat)
Liquidity Management and Franchising
Achievements:
18% reduction in operating expenses year-on-year (savings 100 thousand manat)
250 thousand credit lines obtained at 12% per annum
Automated budget: SAP implemented, reporting period reduced from 10 to 2 days
Correct: The employer sees concrete numbers, scale and achievements.
If you have worked for the same company for a long time, demonstrate career growth and changes in responsibilities. This demonstrates diverse experience and development.
Step 5. One CV = one target position
If you are looking for more than one position, create more than one CV.
❌ Desired position: "Marketing Director / Product Manager / Business Development"
Incorrect: The ATS will reject it due to inconsistency.
✅ Three separate resumes:
"Marketing Director" resume — focus on team management, budget management, and strategy
"Product Manager" resume — focus on product launches, analytics, and teamwork
"Business Development" resume — focus on sales, partnerships, and scaling
Additionally:
Connect with other professionals: Human resources is perhaps the most powerful group in the corporate world. Here you can find a lot of advice and life hacks that will save you time, effort, and money. Ask other professionals for examples of the ATS systems they use, so you can learn how they work.
