The Most Common ATS Mistakes That Get CVs Filtered Out

The majority of ATS failures come down to a small set of repeatable mistakes. If your applications are not getting responses from large employers, one or more of these is likely the reason.

Mistake 1: Using a Designed CV Template With Columns or Tables

Two-column CV templates and templates that use tables to structure content look polished in Word or as a PDF. But most ATS systems cannot reliably parse them. The result is garbled data — your contact details in the wrong field, your experience section unrecognised, your skills missing.

Fix: Switch to a simple single-column layout. Clean and readable beats visually complex every time.

Mistake 2: Sending the Same CV to Every Job

A generic CV will underperform against every job description. ATS systems are configured with role-specific keywords, and a CV that scores 45% on keyword match is rarely surfaced to a recruiter.

Fix: Tailor your CV's skills section, personal statement, and top experience bullets for each application. This does not mean rewriting from scratch — it means making targeted updates.

Mistake 3: Using the Wrong File Format

Some employers or ATS systems have strong preferences for PDF versus DOCX. Submitting a PDF when the system expects DOCX (or vice versa) can cause parsing issues.

Fix: Read the application instructions. If no format is specified, PDF is generally safe for modern ATS systems. If in doubt, DOCX is more universally compatible with older systems.

Mistake 4: Burying Qualifications

If a job requires a specific qualification (e.g., CIMA, ACCA, PMP, or a specific degree) and you have it but it is buried or abbreviated inconsistently, the ATS may not register it.

Fix: List qualifications explicitly in your education section with full names. Include both the abbreviated and full form if both are used in the job description.

Mistake 5: Putting Key Information in Headers or Footers

Contact details placed in a Word header are often ignored by ATS parsers. Your email address and phone number may be missing from your parsed application.

Fix: Include all contact details in the main body of your CV, not in a header or footer.

Mistake 6: Not Including a Dedicated Skills Section

Some candidates list skills only within their experience bullet points. ATS systems benefit from a concentrated skills section where keywords can be scanned directly.

Fix: Add a Skills section with your relevant hard and soft skills listed explicitly. Update it for each application.

Mistake 7: Using Images, Icons, or Infographics

Any text inside an image — including skill bars, graphical timelines, or decorative icons — is invisible to ATS. This includes your name if it is presented as a styled graphic.

Fix: Keep everything in plain text.

Check Before You Submit

CVCircuit's free ATS checker will flag these issues before you apply. Run your CV through the checker for every application.

Check your ATS score free at CVCircuit.