An applicant tracking system (ATS) helps employers collect and organize applications. Some systems extract text from a CV and make it searchable; their behavior differs by vendor and employer configuration. This guide focuses on producing a clear, accurate CV that is readable by humans and more straightforward for text extraction—not on promising an ATS score or guaranteed selection.
1. Choose a predictable structure
Use descriptive section titles such as Professional Summary, Work Experience, Education, Certifications, and Skills. List each job with title, company, location if relevant, and dates in a consistent format. Put the most relevant recent experience where a recruiter can find it quickly.
| Section | Include | Common problem |
|---|---|---|
| Contact | Name, professional email, phone, location and optional portfolio | Contact details embedded only in headers or icons |
| Summary | Role focus, relevant expertise, credible scope | Unverifiable superlatives and vague slogans |
| Experience | Role, employer, dates and relevant contributions | Missing dates or unexplained acronyms |
| Education | Qualification, institution, completion details as appropriate | Ambiguous degree names |
| Skills | Real tools, methods and capabilities relevant to the role | Keyword repetition without evidence |
2. Before-and-after: replace vague content with evidence
The examples below are fictional illustrations and are not claims about any actual candidate. Use only language that reflects your own experience.
Before — too vague
“Responsible for maintenance of machinery and solving problems.”
After — specific and supportable
“Coordinated preventive maintenance schedules for conveyors, pumps and gearboxes; reviewed work orders with production teams and escalated repeated equipment faults.”
Before — exaggerated
“Achieved outstanding plant performance and eliminated all downtime.”
After — evidence-first
“Led cross-functional reviews of recurring stoppages and introduced a documented corrective-action follow-up process.”
If you have verified results, add them with context, such as a documented reduction in recurring stoppages over a stated period. If you cannot substantiate a result, describe your responsibility, action, and deliverable instead.
3. Tailor a CV without inventing qualifications
- Extract the job's actual duties and essential requirements.
- Match each requirement to evidence from your own work or training.
- Place the strongest matching experience in your summary and job bullets.
- Use the vacancy's terminology when it accurately reflects your work—for example, preventive maintenance rather than an invented certification.
- Remove irrelevant claims, repeated keywords, and unsupported results.
4. Readability and file checks
Use readable text, conventional headings, consistent dates and a straightforward layout. Some ATS parsers handle tables, columns or complex text boxes imperfectly; others handle them well. There is no universal “ATS-proof” file design. Follow the employer's requested file format and test the final file by copying its text into a plain-text editor to check reading order.
| Check | What to look for | Suggested correction |
|---|---|---|
| Reading order | Experience appears mixed with sidebar text | Use a simpler one-column layout |
| Dates | Inconsistent or missing month/year | Apply one consistent date style |
| Headings | Unusual decorative section labels | Use recognizable labels |
| Links | Only icons show email or website | Add readable link text |
| Claims | Metrics with no supporting evidence | Verify or remove them |
5. Private CV text review tool
Paste plain text only from your CV. The checker runs in your browser, does not send the text to KHTech, and highlights structural signals for manual review. It cannot read a PDF or DOCX, measure real ATS compatibility, confirm qualifications, or predict hiring outcomes. Avoid pasting personal contact data if unnecessary.
Local-only analysis; your text remains in this page and is not saved or transmitted by this checker.
6. Final CV submission checklist
Example: a role-focused summary
“Mechanical maintenance professional with experience coordinating preventive maintenance, shutdown planning and equipment reliability activities in manufacturing operations. Familiar with work-order review, equipment inspections and cross-functional maintenance scheduling.”
This is an illustrative summary; adapt it only where the experience is genuine. Avoid statements such as “100% ATS compliant,” which no simple text checker can substantiate.
Further reading
Continue with Writing evidence-based CV achievements. Explore the Knowledge Center or KHTech's digital solutions.
Editorial note: This guide provides general career-writing advice. Recruitment systems vary, and individual employer instructions take precedence. All example profiles and statements are fictional.