Before We Start

Before we get into Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS as they’re more commonly known, I think it’s only fair that I explain who I am and why I’m qualified to write this guide.

I’ve been writing Professional CVs for many years and, at the time of writing, I’ve received over 180 five-star reviews from clients across Google and Bark. More importantly, I’ve never had a client come back and tell me they failed to secure an interview after following my advice. That doesn’t mean everyone gets the first job they apply for, because recruitment simply doesn’t work like that, but it does tell me that the advice I give about CV writing, ATS and recruitment genuinely works.

I’ve also spent many years interviewing candidates, recruiting staff and leading businesses. I’ve sat on both sides of the desk, which means I understand what candidates are trying to achieve and what employers and recruiters are looking for.

One thing I want to make clear from the very beginning is that this guide isn’t about showing you how to beat ATS. You can’t beat it, and anyone who tells you otherwise is probably trying to sell you something. What I want to do is explain how ATS really works, why employers use it and, most importantly, how you can work with it instead of worrying about it. Once you understand that, you’ll approach every application with much more confidence.

Whether you’re looking for CV Writing Services, need an Executive CV, an Ex-Military CV or a Police Officer CV, the principles in this guide remain exactly the same.

What Is an Applicant Tracking System?

One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is that ATS exists to stop people getting jobs. Every week I speak to someone who believes their CV has disappeared into a black hole because “the ATS rejected it.”

The truth is far less dramatic.

An Applicant Tracking System is simply recruitment software. Employers and recruitment agencies use it because they have to deal with large numbers of applications, and without technology the process would quickly become unmanageable. Think of it as an electronic filing system. It stores applications, organises candidate information, allows recruiters to search for particular skills or experience and automates many of the repetitive tasks involved in recruitment.

The important point to remember is that ATS doesn’t make hiring decisions.

People do.

Recruiters still decide who they interview, who they reject and who eventually receives the job offer.

Why Employers Use ATS

Imagine advertising a management position and receiving two hundred applications within a week. Every CV needs to be stored, every candidate acknowledged, interviews arranged, emails sent and notes recorded throughout the recruitment process.

Without software, that would take an enormous amount of time.

That’s why ATS has become such an important part of modern recruitment. It allows recruiters to spend less time on administration and more time assessing candidates. It helps them search for relevant experience, organise applications and build a shortlist that they can review properly.

From your point of view as a job seeker, that’s actually good news. It means recruiters can concentrate on finding the right people instead of drowning in paperwork.

The Biggest Myth About ATS

If there’s one thing I’d like you to take away from this guide, it’s this.

ATS is not your enemy.

I see so many websites talking about beating ATS, tricking ATS or fooling ATS. Personally, I think that’s the wrong approach.

Recruitment software isn’t trying to catch you out. It’s simply helping recruiters find candidates who appear to match the role they’re trying to fill.

Instead of trying to beat the system, learn how it works and you’ll immediately put yourself in a much stronger position.

That’s exactly what I teach every client I work with.

How Does ATS Read Your CV?

This is where many people become confused because there isn’t one standard way for ATS to search a CV.

Every recruiter can decide what they’re looking for. One may search by location, another by qualifications, while someone else may search for leadership experience or industry-specific terminology.

Let’s take a simple example. One recruiter may search for “Commercial Acumen” because that’s the phrase they’ve used in the job advert. Another recruiter may search for “Business Acumen” or “Commercial Awareness”. All three phrases describe very similar qualities, but the wording is different.

This is why understanding keywords is so important. It isn’t about stuffing your CV with buzzwords. It’s about making sure you’re using the same professional language as the employer wherever it’s truthful and relevant to your experience.

Can One CV Ever Be ATS Friendly?

This is probably where I disagree with many other CV writers.

You’ll often see claims that every CV they produce is “100% ATS Friendly”. To be honest, I don’t really know what that means because there is no such thing as one CV that’s perfectly optimised for every vacancy.

A CV only becomes truly ATS friendly when it’s tailored to the specific job you’re applying for.

A good Professional CV gives you an excellent foundation, but every application should be adjusted to reflect the role, the employer and the language they’ve used in the advert.

That’s one of the biggest lessons I teach my clients because once they understand how ATS works, they know how to adapt their CV throughout their career instead of relying on the same document for every application.

How Do You Know If Your CV Is ATS Friendly?

People often ask me whether they should upload their CV to one of the many ATS checking websites.

Personally, I don’t place a great deal of value on those scores.

A website cannot tell you how suitable your CV is for a vacancy it hasn’t seen. Recruitment isn’t an exam where anything over eighty per cent earns you an interview.

The better question to ask yourself is whether your CV clearly demonstrates that you have the experience, achievements and skills the employer is asking for. If it does, and you’ve presented that information clearly, you’re already giving yourself a far better chance than someone who’s chasing an arbitrary online score.

Can AI Write an ATS-Friendly CV?

The simple answer is yes.

AI can produce a very professional-looking document in a matter of seconds, but there’s a significant difference between producing a document and producing your document.

When I work with someone, we don’t start with a questionnaire. We have a proper conversation. I’ll ask questions, challenge you, dig deeper into your career and often uncover achievements you’ve forgotten about completely.

AI can’t do that.

It only knows what you’ve told it, which is why so many AI-generated CVs sound impressive at first glance but often read like polished job descriptions rather than genuine career stories.

So How Can I Help?

This is where I believe my approach is different.

I don’t simply write Professional CVs and send you on your way.

I explain why your CV has been written the way it has. I show you how recruiters search for candidates, how ATS fits into the recruitment process and how to identify the right keywords for every application. I also help you optimise your LinkedIn Profile, produce effective Cover Letters and, most importantly, give you the confidence to tailor your own CV as your career develops.

By the time we’ve finished working together, you’ll understand modern recruitment far better than when we started. You won’t be guessing why one application worked and another didn’t because you’ll know how the process works from beginning to end.

That’s knowledge you’ll use for the rest of your career.