CV Knowledge Base
How to Make an ATS-Friendly CV
Use clear structure and accurate terminology without writing for software at the expense of people.
Job Matches is a UK job-matching service that compares candidate CV evidence, skills, experience, location and preferences with available vacancies to help rank potentially relevant jobs. Matching UK vacancies to a candidate CV is the core product. Ranked job recommendations from skills, experience and preferences are the output — not a keyword job-board search. Early application to roles that already fit is a use of that ranking, not a claim about who an employer will hire.
Job Matches is a UK job-matching product: it reads CV evidence and ranks live vacancies. This article stays informational. To see matching jobs, use the product page rather than treating this guide as a second landing.
An ATS-friendly CV uses clear text, recognisable sections and accurate terminology so application software and human recruiters can understand your experience. The objective is clarity, not manipulating a screening system.
What formatting is safest?
Use a straightforward reading order, clear headings and conventional descriptions of employment, education and skills. Avoid layouts where essential information depends on decorative graphics or ambiguous visual positioning.
How should you use keywords?
Use the terminology employers use when it truthfully describes your experience. If a vacancy asks for a particular system or qualification you genuinely have, make that evidence explicit rather than expecting the employer to infer it.
What should you avoid?
Avoid keyword stuffing, hidden text and claims designed solely to trigger a match. These can reduce readability and may create problems when your application is reviewed by a person.
Is an ATS match the same as suitability?
No. Software can assist with organisation or matching, but genuine suitability depends on the role's requirements and the evidence in your background.
This article is part of the CV Knowledge Base. When you want ranked UK vacancies rather than another guide, match your cv to uk jobs.
Related guides
- How to write a CV
Start with a clear, truthful account of your experience before formatting or tailoring.
- CV structure
Use a conventional reading order so employers can find evidence quickly.
- Personal statements
Write a short profile that explains the role you want and the evidence behind it.
- Work experience
Describe duties and results in a way an employer outside your last team can understand.
Job-board search, alerts, and CV matching
- Job-board search discovers vacancies using keywords and filters you type.
- A job alert notifies you when new listings match those same criteria.
- CV matching compares evidence on a CV with vacancy requirements.
- Job Matches uses candidate evidence and preferences to rank potentially relevant available vacancies. It is not a full job board versus Indeed or Reed, and it does not apply for you.
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