Four technical ground rules: (1) Single-column and linear — no table layout, no multi-column (ESCO Q014: ATS reads linearly). (2) Standard formats for section headings: 'Work Experience', 'Education', 'Skills' — no creative labels like 'My Journey'. (3) No graphics, logos, or icons as text carriers — ATS ignores them. (4) Use keywords from the job posting in context — not only in the skills section, but in work experience descriptions. Beyond the technical: content relevance — ATS systems under the current EU AI Act standard must operate transparently and may not reduce decisions solely to keyword matching. AGG: ATS decisions must not be discriminatory.
Sources & Data
Want to know how well your CV matches your target role?
Should I tailor my CV individually for each position?
Why should I avoid table layouts in my CV?
What does ATS-optimised mean and do I need to pay attention to it?
What is the difference between ATS and human screening?
What is an ATS and why is it important for my application?