5 HUGE CV Mistakes That Applicant Tracking Systems Will Penalise

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are a fact of life when you apply for a job these days.

What is ATS you’re probably wondering? Well simply, it is a type of software that companies use to filter through electronically submitted CVs and applications that they receive from candidates.

Whether you design your own CV from scratch or use a CV builder you need to plan ahead to deal with ATS. Not doing this can seriously slow you down when you’re applying for your next job. 

Some recruiters use hiring software known as an applicant tracking system (ATS) to shortlist candidates which means no human will ever see the actual CV itself as the information will be automatically extracted and entered into a candidate database. Once you have completed your CV you’ll need to run it through an app like Jobscan The Resume Optimization Tool so you can optimize your CV so it rises to the top of the automated shortlist tool in the ATS. This final optimization step to make your CV ATS-Friendly will maximize your chance of being invited to interview.

Click to optimize your CV/Resume for ATS using Jobscan The Resume Optimization Tool

Click to optimize your CV/Resume for ATS using Jobscan The Resume Optimization Tool

Below you’ll find the 5 biggest mistakes that candidates make on their CVs that Applicant Tracking Systems will instantly reject. Make sure to keep these points in mind next time you’re updating your document. You may also want to consider this step by step guide on, ‘What is an ATS‘ which provides info on how an ATS works to auto select CVs.

Not Including Enough Keywords

One of the biggest bugbears for ATS is a lack of relevant keywords. Employers want to see that candidates are as well suited as possible for their open positions and keywords are normally how they assess that. 

It is essential to make sure that you optimize your CV for the specific job you’re targeting. For example, if you’re applying for a job in finance in a specific type of accounting you’ll need to use specific terminology about your niche rather than generic finance keywords.

ATS is hot on your heels in this regard, so make sure you get enough terms the employer is looking for on paper. Yet, don’t go too far in the other direction.

Repeating and stuffing keywords into the text is also a bad idea. This will be penalised just as harshly by these systems. Only use these terms where they are relevant and provide information. 

Spelling and Grammar Mistakes

Silly mistakes with spelling and grammar can be really costly for your CV no matter the situation. However, with the extra pair of eyes that ATS gives employers, you can be sure it’s even more likely these sorts of errors will be spotted.

It is estimated that 98% of Fortune 500 companies now use ATS, so there’s nowhere to hide. It’s absolutely essential that you proofread your whole document once it is newly completed or updated. Little mistakes are all too easily made.  

Even an incorrect date format or too much spacing can throw things into disarray, so you need to be on the lookout for little issues like this that could set back your job search.

Non-Machine Readable Templates

Tables, custom graphics and fonts can all play havoc with the readability of your CV from an ATS point of view. As a result, it’s hugely important that you only use templates that are easy for machines to read and process.

If they can’t, you’ll simply end up rejected from the process, no matter if you have extensive experience.

The same is true when you save your document as a certain file type. In most cases candidates are recommended to submit their CV as one of the following files:

• .TXT
• .PDF
• .DOCX

Most systems are set up to read at least one of these types of documents. This is a small consideration that could prove crucial if you don’t want to be rejected before anyone’s read your CV.

Using Too Many Acronyms

ATS isn’t always programmed to be full-proof and as a result, won’t always recognise acronyms or abbreviations. HR teams will often program their software to be as customized as possible to the field they are hiring in, but this doesn’t always include acronyms, unfortunately.

The bad news is this will mean you have to use more space on the page to write the full unabbreviated name of the technique or organisation you are referring to. However, it can help you get more keywords on the page, as already discussed. 

Whether using acronyms throws up issues or not ultimately depends on the type of ATS being used by the company you’re targeting. Some will allow acronyms but, of course, as you usually won’t know what the business is using it’s better to err on the safe side. 

Inappropriate or Unprofessional File Names

This is another small but important point that you need to consider. ATS will often filter out CVs with strange or inappropriate file names.

This is especially the case if you save your original file with the name of a company in the file name. As a result, if you apply for other jobs using that exact same document with the unchanged name, you’re unlikely to see much success when applying for other companies.

A good solution is to simply use your name as the file title. This will help your application easily be identified and avoid any ATS faux pas. 

As you can see from these 5 crucial points there are a few very important, but easy to overlook, considerations you need to remember when writing your CV. However, it’s also easy to stop them from ruining your chances completely. All it takes is a careful eye and a bit of care.  

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