An ATS-friendly CV: format, keywords, and the mistakes that make it unreadable
You've sent dozens of applications, yet the calls never come. One often-overlooked reason: your CV may not be read properly by an applicant tracking system, or ATS, the software companies use to collect, sort, and filter applications.
Resmi.ID Team · 4 min read ·
Photo: Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash
An ATS is not a robot that automatically bins CVs. It turns your file into text data, and recruiters then search and filter by keyword, job title, or location. If your CV's text comes out jumbled when parsed, your job title or skills may not appear in those searches.
How common are ATS platforms?
Jobscan's 2026 annual research detected an ATS at 487 of the 500 Fortune 500 companies, about 97.4%. That data covers large US companies, but the pattern is similar in Indonesia: multinationals, state-owned enterprises (BUMN), banks, and tech companies usually take applications through a portal or recruitment system rather than a recruiter's personal email.
Formatting that machines can read safely
- One column, top to bottom. Two-column layouts or sidebars often parse in a scrambled order.
- Standard headings: Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications. Avoid creative titles like “My Journey”.
- Common fonts (Arial, Calibri, Inter) at size 10–12. Don't use icons in place of text, such as a phone icon without a clearly written number.
- Don't put key information in the document header/footer, tables, or images. Some systems skip them.
- Save as a PDF exported from a word processor (not a scanned photo), unless the ad asks for .docx.
- Write dates consistently, for example “Mar 2023 – Present”.
Keywords: take them from the ad, don't guess
Recruiters usually search using the terms written in the job description. So the best keywords are in the job ad itself. Read the qualifications and responsibilities, then mark the technical skills, tools, certifications, and job titles mentioned.
- 1Copy the job descriptionPaste it into a note and highlight terms that repeat.
- 2Match to real experienceKeep only the terms you genuinely master.
- 3Use the same wordingIf the ad says “Microsoft Excel”, don't just write “spreadsheets”.
- 4Write acronyms in full tooE.g. “Search Engine Optimization (SEO)” or “K3 (occupational health and safety)”.
- 5Put them in contextUse keywords in your experience bullets, not only in a skills list.
A strong bullet for a warehouse admin role: “Managed stock of 1,200 SKUs using SAP and Microsoft Excel; reduced stock-take discrepancies from 3% to 0.8% in six months.” It contains keywords (SAP, Excel, stock-take) and shows a result.
Common mistakes
- Stuffing keywords in white text or repeating terms without context. A human recruiter still reads your CV, and the trick is easy to spot.
- Using unusual internal job titles. If your official title is “Customer Happiness Hero”, add the common equivalent, such as “(Customer Service)”.
- One CV for every job. A finance admin role and a sales admin role need different emphasis.
- Careless file names like “cv final revision 3.pdf”. Use “CV_FullName_Position.pdf”.
- Photos, skill bar charts, or infographics in place of text. An “Excel 80%” bar means nothing to a machine or a recruiter.
A checklist before you upload
Take five minutes to check the following every time you're about to submit your CV to a recruitment portal. Small mistakes here often hurt more than a lack of experience.
- The job title you're applying for appears at least once in your summary or experience.
- Your phone number and email are written as plain text and still active.
- There are no typos in software names, certifications, or company names.
- Start and end dates for every job are complete and don't overlap.
- The file size is reasonable (usually under 2 MB) so the upload doesn't fail.
Machines filter, people decide
The point of tailoring your CV for an ATS is not to game the system but to make sure the right information reaches the recruiter. Once it passes screening, your CV is still read by a person who judges whether your experience is plausible and relevant. So back every keyword with a real example.
On KarirResmi you can store up to 5 PDF CVs, for example one for administrative roles and one for sales roles, and pick the best fit when you apply. Once your profile is at least 70% complete, the AI CV review can also give feedback on your CV's structure and clarity before you send it.
References
This information is general. For important decisions, check the latest rules at official sources or consult the relevant authorities.
