ATS-Friendly CV: How to Get Read and Found

What is an applicant tracking system (ATS)?

An applicant tracking system is the software employers use to receive and manage job applications. Whenever you apply through a form on a company careers page, entering your name and email and uploading a CV, your application almost certainly goes into one.

Large international employers often use platforms such as Workday or SAP SuccessFactors. In Denmark you will also regularly meet Danish systems such as Emply and HR-Manager, used by many private companies and public employers. The web address of the application form often gives away which one it is.

Most of what an ATS does is practical administration:

• Parsing: it extracts the text from your file and sorts it into fields such as name, contact details, job titles, dates, education and skills.
• Storing: it keeps your application as a candidate profile that the hiring team can view, rate and comment on.
• Searching and filtering: recruiters can search for terms like 'Python', 'IFRS' or 'registered nurse' and filter applicants by their answers to screening questions.
• Tracking: it records who has been invited to interview, who has been rejected and which emails have gone out.

Does an ATS automatically reject CVs?

You have probably read that most CVs are rejected by software before a human ever sees them. Figures like that circulate widely, but they are not backed by reliable evidence. In most hiring processes, a person reviews the applications and decides who moves forward. The software supports that person rather than replacing them.

When applications do drop out early, the reason is usually one of these:

• Knockout questions: if the role requires a work permit, a driving licence or a professional authorisation and you answer no, the recruiter can filter you out. Answer these honestly and carefully.
• Database searches: if a recruiter searches for a specific tool or job title and that word is not in your CV, you will not appear in the results.
• Poor parsing: if your dates or job titles are read incorrectly, your profile looks messy or incomplete when someone opens it.
• Volume: for popular roles, a person skims many applications quickly, and a clear, relevant CV wins that skim.

Some systems show a match indicator between CV and job description, but it is a sorting aid for the recruiter, not a verdict. So the goal is not to game a score. It is to be readable and relevant to both the software and the human.

What CV format is best for ATS?

A CV can look polished and still parse cleanly. What matters is that your text is real, selectable text and that it appears in a logical order. Follow these guidelines:

• Use standard section headings such as Profile, Work Experience, Education, Skills and Languages. Creative headings like 'My Story' make it harder for software to place the content.
• Put your contact details in the body of the document, not in the header or footer, which some systems skip.
• Avoid text boxes and do not build the whole layout from tables. A single-column layout is the safest choice; a narrow sidebar usually works in a well-tested template.
• Write dates consistently, for example 03/2021 – 08/2024 or March 2021 – August 2024, next to each role.
• Stick to standard fonts and ordinary bullet points. Icons for phone and email are fine as decoration, as long as the actual details are written as text.
• Never put important text inside an image. A photo is fine, but your skills must be selectable and copyable.
• Skip skill bars and star ratings. Software cannot read that three out of five dots means 'intermediate', and people are not sure what it means either.

How do you use keywords from the job description?

Keywords are the concrete terms a recruiter is likely to search for: job titles, tools, methods, certifications, licences and industry terms. You will find nearly all of them in the job description, especially under requirements and responsibilities.

1. Read the job description and highlight every specific skill, tool and requirement.
2. Compare it with your CV. Where do you have the experience but describe it in different words?
3. Use the employer's wording when it is accurate. If the ad says 'stakeholder management', do not only write 'worked with lots of departments'.
4. Write both the abbreviation and the full term the first time, for example 'SEO (search engine optimisation)' or 'CRM (customer relationship management)'.
5. Place the most important keywords naturally in your profile, your role descriptions and your skills section.

Only include keywords you can back up in an interview. Hiding words in white text or pasting the whole job ad into your CV is a bad idea: a human reader will notice, and it damages your credibility. For a full method, read our guide on how to tailor your CV to a job description.

A skills section is a good place to collect technical keywords, but they carry more weight when the same terms also appear in your experience with concrete examples. Our guide to skills for a CV has more ideas.

PDF or Word: which file format is ATS-friendly?

Modern applicant tracking systems read both PDF and Word (DOCX) files well, provided the file contains real text. A PDF keeps your layout identical on every screen, and it is the most common choice in Denmark.

• Always follow the job ad: if the employer asks for Word, send Word.
• Avoid scanned PDFs: a CV that has been printed and scanned, or exported as one large image, contains no text the system can read.
• Use a clear file name: for example Sam-Taylor-CV.pdf rather than document1_final_v3.pdf.
• Upload your CV and cover letter separately when the form has two fields, so each ends up in the right place.

How can you check if your CV is ATS-friendly?

You do not need an expensive scanner to get a reliable indication. Try this quick test before you apply:

1. Open your PDF, select all the text (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A) and copy it.
2. Paste it into a blank plain-text document, such as Notepad or TextEdit.
3. Check that your name, phone number and email are all there and correct.
4. Check that each job title sits with its employer and dates, and that the order makes sense.
5. Check that your key skills and keywords came through as ordinary words.

If the text comes out jumbled or something is missing entirely, an applicant tracking system will probably struggle in the same way. That is your cue to simplify the layout.

Every CVm8 template is built to be ATS-friendly, and when your CV is finished you get an ATS readiness check on the actual PDF that shows whether your contact details, dates and key skills are readable. You can browse them on our CV templates page.

What about the questions in online application forms?

Many employers, including most in Denmark, ask you to upload a CV and also fill in fields about your education, experience or eligibility. It can feel like duplicate work, but those fields are often what recruiters filter on, so give them the same care as your CV.

• Complete the fields even if the information is in your CV, and make sure the two match.
• Answer yes/no questions about requirements such as a work permit, driving licence or language level honestly. A wrong yes will surface later.
• Use free-text boxes for a short, specific answer rather than writing 'see attached'.
• Save a copy of your answers so you remember what you wrote if you are invited to interview.

If you are an international applying in Denmark, note that Danish employers often expect a CV that is shorter and more personal than in some other countries. Our guide to the Danish CV format covers those norms. And in the end, an ATS-friendly CV is simply a good CV: clearly structured, specific and tailored to the role.

Frequently asked questions

What does ATS stand for?

ATS stands for applicant tracking system. It is the software employers use to receive, store, search and manage job applications.

Can an ATS read a two-column CV?

Often yes, especially with a simple, well-tested layout, but a single column is the safest option. Run the copy-and-paste test to see whether the reading order holds up.

Is it OK to have a photo on an ATS-friendly CV?

Yes. A photo does not stop the text from being parsed, as long as all important information is written as text rather than being part of an image. Photos are common on CVs in Denmark, but they are optional.

Should I send my CV as a PDF or Word document?

A text-based PDF is the most common choice and parses well in modern systems. If the job ad asks for Word, send Word.

How many keywords should a CV have?

There is no magic number. Use the requirements and terms from the job description that you can genuinely back up, and work them naturally into your profile, experience and skills.

Do ATS scanners give an accurate score?

Online scanners can reveal parsing problems, which is useful. Their match scores are only estimates, though, and employers do not see them, so focus on clarity and genuine relevance rather than a number.

Related guides

• How to Tailor Your CV to a Job DescriptionLearn how to tailor your CV to a job description: read the ad, pull out requirements and keywords, and mirror them honestly. With a worked example.
• How to Write a CV: A Step-by-Step GuideLearn how to write a CV that gets read: structure, personal profile, work experience and skills explained step by step, with realistic examples.
• Skills for a CV: Hard and Soft Skills + ExamplesSkills for a CV: which hard and soft skills to list, how to show IT and language levels, and how to prove them. Includes skill lists for 6 roles.
• Danish CV Format: How to Apply for Jobs in DenmarkThe Danish CV format explained for internationals: structure, length, tone, language and getting foreign qualifications recognised. See examples.