Most medium and large employers collect applications in an applicant tracking system (ATS). The system turns your CV into text, sorts it into fields and lets recruiters search. If it can't read your CV, a recruiter searching for someone like you may never see it.
Layout
- Use a single main column. Two-column designs often scramble the reading order.
- Avoid text boxes, tables for layout, and icons in place of words.
- Keep contact details in the body, not in the document header or footer.
- Use standard headings: Profile, Experience, Education, Skills.
- Use real text. Never put information inside an image.
Content
- Mirror the job ad's wording where it honestly matches your experience ("stakeholder management", not "working with partners").
- Write job titles plainly. If your internal title is unusual, add the common equivalent in brackets.
- Use consistent dates ("Mar 2021 – Present") so the system can calculate experience.
- Skip skill-rating bars and charts. The ATS can't read them and recruiters don't trust them.
File
- Send a Word file or a text-based PDF (exported from a word processor, not scanned).
- Name it clearly: Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf.
ATS-friendly doesn't mean plain. It means clear enough for software and sharp enough for people.
Every PenworthCV document is written in a layout that parses cleanly and still looks professional when a person opens it.
