How to Write an ATS Friendly CV

3 minute read

With the rise of AI and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) in recruitment, ensuring you have an ATS friendly CV is essential for landing that interview. Many employers, including those in the charity sector, now rely on automated systems to filter through applications. To ensure you make it past the initial screening, follow these crucial tips on optimising your CV.

Choose a clean and simple layout

When designing your CV, it’s vital to keep the layout clean and simple, as ATS software has difficulty parsing complex formats, such as text boxes, columns, and intricate designs.

Use a straightforward structure that presents your information clearly—begin with your contact details at the top, followed by sections like professional summary, work experience, skills and education. Avoid graphics, logos or images, as these elements are often unreadable by an ATS and could lead to your CV being discarded. Choose a readable font such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, and maintain consistent formatting throughout.

The key is simplicity—presenting your achievements and experience without unnecessary clutter ensures both an ATS and human recruiters can easily understand your qualifications.

Select the right file format

The format plays a significant role in whether you have an ATS friendly CV that will pass through screening. The best formats for an ATS are PDFs and Word documents, as ATS software can easily parse these, and many ATS systems struggle with more creative file types and non-standard formats. Before submitting, check the job description to see if there’s a preferred format.

Ensure that your document uses consistent formatting throughout—such as uniform font styles, sizes, and spacing. Avoid special characters, unusual symbols, or overly complex tables, which can disrupt how an ATS parses your CV. By sticking to commonly accepted formats, you reduce the risk of your CV being misinterpreted or disregarded entirely.
sending a speculative cv in the charity sector

Optimise your keywords

Optimising keywords is crucial to ensure you have an ATS friendly CV. Start by carefully reading the job description to identify relevant keywords. These are typically found in the skills, qualifications and responsibilities sections of the job advert.

Incorporate these keywords naturally throughout your CV, particularly in the professional summary, skills section, and under each relevant job role. However, avoid keyword stuffing (i.e. adding in lots of keywords for the sake of an ATS, rather than because they are actually relevant), as this can make your CV appear unnatural.

If you’re applying for a charity role, emphasise relevant skills such as ‘volunteering,’ ‘fundraising,’ or ‘community outreach.’ ATS systems are programmed to pick up on these terms, so including them can significantly improve your chances of making it to the next stage.

Include clear CV sections

A well-structured CV with clear sections not only makes it easier for recruiters to read but also allows an ATS to extract and process your information more efficiently.

Use traditional headings like ‘Professional Profile,’ ‘Work Experience,’ ‘Core Skills,’ and ‘Education’, as consistent and standardised section headers make it easier for an ATS to navigate your CV.

When listing your work experience, start with your most recent role and work backwards, using reverse chronological order. Include the company name, your job title and the dates you worked there, followed by a description of your responsibilities and achievements.

This conventional structure ensures ATS software can efficiently analyse and categorise your information, which in turn increases your chances of being shortlisted.
Woman sat on sofa with crossed legs and laptop on lap

Tailor your CV to each role

Tailoring your CV to each specific role you apply for is a key strategy for getting past an ATS and impressing recruiters. Generic CVs often get overlooked because they don’t reflect the unique requirements of a particular job.

When applying for a charity role, take the time to research the organisation and its values, and tailor your CV to reflect this. Highlight experiences that show your commitment to charity work or causes similar to those championed by the organisation. If the job advert stresses the importance of teamwork, ensure you include examples of your collaboration skills.

By customising your CV to match the job description, you’re showing both the ATS and human recruiters that you’re not only qualified but also genuinely interested in the role and organisation.

Making sure you have an ATS friendly CV is now a crucial step in the application process, especially for charity sector roles where competition can be fierce. By choosing the right file format, using a clean layout, optimising keywords, structuring your CV with clear sections, and tailoring your application to each role, you significantly increase your chances of passing the ATS screening.

Remember, your goal is to create a CV that not only showcases your skills and experience but also communicates effectively with automated systems.

With these strategies in mind, you’re well on your way to creating a CV that stands out both to ATS software and recruiters, helping you secure that all-important interview.

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Andrew Fennell

Andrew Fennell is the founder and director of StandOut CV, a leading CV builder and careers advice website. He is a former recruitment consultant and contributes careers advice to publications like Business Insider, The Guardian, and the Independent.

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