What an ATS actually does

It is a database, not a judge

An applicant tracking system stores applications and lets recruiters search them. The filtering is keyword search, run by a person, not an automatic verdict.

The common fear — that a robot rejected you in six seconds — is mostly a myth. What actually happens is quieter: your CV was never in the results the recruiter looked at.

Which is why the exact words matter

If a posting asks for "stakeholder management" and your CV says "working with senior people", a keyword search will not connect the two. Say it the way they said it, where it is true.

This is not gaming the system. It is making a genuine match visible to a search box.

What does break parsing

Text inside images and graphics. Multi-column layouts that get read in the wrong order. Tables used for layout. Headers and footers containing your contact details. Unusual section names nobody searches for.

What does not work

White text stuffed with keywords. Keyword lists hidden behind images. Both are trivially visible to the recruiter who opens the file, and both end the application immediately — usually for every role at that company, not just this one.