How to make an ATS friendly CV that people want to read too

When you apply through a company careers page or a job portal, your CV is usually stored and searched by an applicant tracking system before a person reads it. An ATS friendly CV makes sure that software captures your details correctly, so the recruiter sees the real you. The good news: what works for an ATS also makes your CV easier for humans to read.

What an applicant tracking system actually does

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that helps employers manage applications. Large corporates, government departments, recruitment agencies and job portals in South Africa use them widely. When you upload your CV, the ATS typically:

1. Extracts the text from your file.
2. Parses it, trying to identify your name, contact details, job titles, employers, dates, qualifications and skills.
3. Stores it in a searchable database, often alongside your answers to application questions.
4. Lets recruiters search and filter, for example for candidates with a particular qualification, skill or location.

The important point is that an ATS is mostly a filing and search tool. A recruiter decides who to call, but if the system misreads your CV, you may never appear in their search results. You might have exactly the right experience and still be invisible.

Formatting rules for an ATS friendly CV

Use a simple, logical layout

Single column layouts are the most reliable. A simple sidebar for contact details and skills is generally fine with modern systems, but complex multi column designs can cause text from different columns to be read in the wrong order, merging a job title from one column with a date from another.

Avoid tables, text boxes and graphics for content

• Text boxes are sometimes skipped entirely by parsers.
• Tables used for layout can scramble the reading order.
• Images, icons and logos carry no readable text. If your phone number sits next to a phone icon, make sure the number itself is real text.
• Skill bars, charts and rating stars mean nothing to an ATS. Write the skill and level in words.

Keep key details out of headers and footers

Some systems ignore the page header and footer areas of a document. Put your name, phone number and email address in the main body of the first page.

Use standard section headings

An ATS looks for familiar labels to understand what each section contains. Creative headings like My Journey or What I Bring can leave it guessing. Stick to:

• Professional Summary
• Skills or Key Skills
• Work Experience
• Education
• Certifications or Professional Registrations
• References

Format dates consistently

Use one date style throughout, such as Mar 2021 to Present or 03/2021 to 06/2024. Put dates on the same line as, or directly next to, the job they belong to. Inconsistent dates make it harder for software to calculate your years of experience.

Choose common fonts and a sensible size

Standard fonts such as Calibri, Arial, Georgia or similar professional typefaces are safe. Keep body text between 10 and 12 point. Avoid decorative fonts and special characters used as bullets; simple round bullets are best.

Send the right file type

A text based PDF is the best default. It preserves your layout and is read well by most modern systems. If a portal or advert asks for Word (.docx), send Word. Never upload a scanned document or a photo of your CV: to software, it is an image with no words in it. A quick test: open your PDF and try to select and copy a line of text. If you cannot, an ATS probably cannot read it either.

Keywords: the honest way to match a job advert

Recruiters search their ATS using terms from the job advert: a qualification, a system, a skill, a registration. If those words appear in your CV, you are more likely to show up. Here is how to use keywords well.

1. Read the advert closely. Highlight required qualifications, software, technical skills and industry terms.
2. Mirror the wording where it is true. If the advert says accounts payable and your CV says paying suppliers, use the advert's term. If it asks for a BCom Accounting, write the qualification out in full rather than an abbreviation alone.
3. Include both forms of common acronyms once, such as Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) or Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA).
4. Place keywords in context. A skills list helps, but a keyword inside an achievement bullet is more convincing to the person who reads it next.

What not to do: do not paste the job advert into your CV, do not hide keywords in white text, and do not list skills you do not have. Recruiters notice, and interviews quickly expose padding.

Worked example: same experience, better match

Imagine an advert for a Debtors Clerk asking for debtors control, age analysis, Sage Pastel and client liaison.

The work is the same. The improved version simply uses the employer's language, adds specific detail and reads as achievement rather than duty. Only include numbers you can explain in an interview.

Common ATS mistakes on South African CVs

• Contact details in a header or inside an image of a letterhead.
• Qualifications written only as abbreviations, such as N.Dip HRM, with no full name.
• Registration numbers hidden in a footer or side note rather than in a clear Certifications or Professional Registrations section. Our nursing CV and teacher CV guides show where SANC and SACE details belong.
• Two column templates downloaded from design sites, where the second column holds your work history.
• Scanned or photographed CVs, often created on a phone.
• Unusual file names like CV final final 2.pdf. Use your name: Sipho-Ndlovu-CV.pdf.

Test your CV the way software sees it

You do not need special tools to check whether your CV is likely to parse well. Try these three quick tests before you apply:

1. The copy and paste test. Open your PDF, select all the text and paste it into a plain text editor such as Notepad. Read it from top to bottom. If your job titles, employers and dates appear in a sensible order, an ATS will probably read them in that order too. If sections are jumbled or missing, simplify the layout.
2. The search test. Use your PDF reader's search function to look for an important keyword, such as a qualification or software name. If it cannot be found, it may be inside an image or an unusual font.
3. The portal preview. Many job portals, including PNet and CareerJunction, fill in profile fields from your uploaded CV. After uploading, check what the portal has captured. Fields filled with the wrong information are a sign your layout is confusing the parser, and you should correct them by hand before submitting.

Fixing problems found this way usually takes minutes, and it can make the difference between appearing in a recruiter's search or not.

Do not forget the human reader

An ATS friendly CV is not a keyword list. Once you appear in a search, a recruiter reads your CV, and they want clarity, relevance and evidence. Keep your summary specific, write achievement focused bullets and keep to a sensible length. Our guide on how long a CV should be helps here, and how to write a CV in South Africa covers every section.

Quick ATS checklist

• Single column or simple sidebar layout
• No text boxes, layout tables, or text inside images
• Name and contact details in the main body, not the header
• Standard section headings
• Consistent date format next to each job
• Qualifications and registrations written in full
• Relevant keywords used honestly and in context
• Text based PDF (or Word if requested), sensibly named

How CVLift helps

CVLift is a professional CV improvement service that rewrites your CV into clear, achievement focused language and sets it in a clean, ATS readable design. Professional and Executive upgrades use ATS safe headings and section order and can optimise wording for a target role you give. Choose from our professional designs, see a partial preview before paying, and download your PDF instantly. Upgrades are once-off: Basic R49, Professional R99 and Executive R149.