What exactly is an ATS?
ATS (Applicant Tracking System): software that automatically filters the applications a company receives. It extracts the text from the CV, compares it with the job posting, assigns a score and ranks candidates by relevance. Most large and mid-sized companies in France use an ATS.
The best known in France: Workday, Taleo, iCIMS, Greenhouse, Lever, SmartRecruiters, Bullhorn, BambooHR. Each platform (LinkedIn Easy Apply, Indeed, Welcome to the Jungle) uses its own system.
The logic is always the same: a CV only reaches a human recruiter after it has been scored. If the score is too low, the recruiter will never see it. No second chance, no call, nothing.
More definitions in the ATS glossary, and a full list of the software used in France in which French companies use an ATS.
Why so many good CVs never get read
A study by Harvard Business School and Accenture ("Hidden Workers", 2021, covering 8,720 candidates and 2,275 executives in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany) shows that more than 88% of employers acknowledge that qualified candidates are screened out because their CV doesn't exactly match the criteria in the posting. In practice, a CV can be rejected at several stages of screening:
| Screening stage | What makes the CV fail |
|---|---|
| Text extraction | Image CV or broken format: the text isn't read |
| Section detection | Non-standard structure (columns, text boxes) poorly recognised |
| Keyword score | Too few matches with the terms in the posting |
| Overall score too low | Combined criteria fall below the selection threshold |
In other words, a good CV may never reach a recruiter, rejected by the filter before it even hits the market. The market isn't necessarily what's tough: it's the invisible filter upstream.
How does an ATS read your CV? (step by step)
- Text extraction: the ATS opens the file and tries to read its text. If the CV is an image, extraction fails (score = 0).
- Section detection: it looks for familiar headings (Experience, Education, Skills). A heading like "My journey" isn't recognised by most systems.
- Experience parsing: for each role, it extracts the company, job title, dates and description. If the structure is unclear (columns, tables), it misses information.
- Keyword matching: it compares the terms in the CV with those in the posting. Density, placement (title vs. body), exact match.
- Final scoring: a typical 40/20/20/20 weighting (keywords / structure / sections / numbers). Final score out of 100.
- Ranking: CVs are sorted by score. The recruiter sees the list, often only the top 20.
The 4 pillars that determine your ATS score
| Pillar | Weight | Concrete action |
|---|---|---|
| Keywords | 40% | Reuse 8-12 terms from the posting, word for word |
| Formatting | 20% | Single column, Arial/Calibri, 10-12 pt |
| Clear sections | 20% | Standard headings (Experience, Education, Skills) |
| Concrete numbers | 20% | At least 1 number per bullet point |
A full breakdown of each pillar with worked examples in the dedicated article on ATS scores.
Which format to choose: PDF, Word, Pages?
Word (.docx): the safest format. Every ATS reads it, no exceptions. Downside: the layout may shift on the recruiter's screen (but the ATS doesn't care).
Text-based PDF: perfect if it's generated from Word, Google Docs or LaTeX. Test it by copying and pasting the content: if the text comes through, you're fine.
Image PDF / scanned PDF / Canva in "Print" mode: avoid. The ATS reads nothing.
.pages (Apple): incompatible. Always convert to .docx or text-based PDF before sending.
Detailed comparison: PDF or Word, which format gets through ATS better.
In practice
Test your CV against an ATS for free
ATS score out of 100, missing keywords compared with a job posting, AI rewrites of weak bullet points. 1 full scan free, no credit card required.
Scan my CV for freeMistake #1: the Canva CV
Canva is a great tool for creating visuals. For a CV, it's a trap. The default export produces a PDF where the text is often flattened into an image (especially columns and section icons).
What we often see on Canva CVs analysed by CVpass: part of the content is lost during extraction, and the ATS score takes a big hit.
If you really want to use Canva: export as "PDF Standard" (not "PDF Print"), stick to a single column, avoid icons, and test the result by copying and pasting the content into a blank document.
A test of the 7 most popular Canva templates and their ATS scores: why Canva CVs are invisible to recruiters.
Keywords: the exact rule to rank higher
The rule is simple and underrated: use the exact words from the posting. Not synonyms, not rephrasing. The exact words.
Example: the posting asks for "Agile project management". If you write "leading Scrum sprints", you're describing the same thing, but the ATS doesn't make the connection. Keyword score: 0 for that skill.
A 4-step method:
- Copy the posting into a document
- Highlight the 8-12 terms that come up most (tools, methodologies, hard skills)
- Work each term into your CV as is (in the summary, the experience section or the skills section)
- Check visually that each term appears at least once, ideally twice
Detailed method + the 50 most sought-after ATS keywords in France: the CV keywords ATS actually look for.
The CV structure that maximises your score
The structure that performs best (observed on CVs scoring >80/100):
- Header: name, title (exact title of the target job), email, phone, city, LinkedIn
- Summary: 3 lines, years of experience + 3 key skills + goal
- Experience: reverse chronological order, 3-5 quantified bullet points per role
- Education: relevant degrees, dates, institutions
- Skills: technical tools listed (Excel, SAP, Python…)
- Languages: level (C1, B2, bilingual…)
One column. No text boxes. No icons in headings. Arial, Calibri or Helvetica font. Size 10-12 pt.
The perfect title (the most important line)
The line under your name is the first thing the ATS and the recruiter read. It largely determines whether the rest gets read at all.
Avoid: "Curriculum Vitae", "CV", "Unsolicited application", "Looking for a new challenge".
Do: the exact title of the target job + years of experience + main keyword. Example: "Full-Stack JavaScript Developer, 5 years of experience, React, Node.js".
If you're applying for several types of roles, make one CV per type. A generic CV without a precise title loses a lot of points.
The 5 sections the ATS looks for
The ATS scans the document for standard headings. Use exactly these headings (no creativity with the names):
- Work Experience (or "Experience")
- Education (or "Studies")
- Skills (or "Technical Skills")
- Languages
- Certifications (if applicable)
Never use: "My journey", "About me", "My talents", "Soft skills". The ATS doesn't recognise them as sections.
Numbers and impact: why they change everything
Among the CVs analysed by CVpass, many contain no numbers at all. It's one of the most common silent mistakes.
Every bullet point should answer the question: what did I move the needle on? Number of people managed, size of the budget handled, growth percentage, duration, volume processed.
| Vague line | Line with impact |
|---|---|
| Team management | Managed a team of 8, €240K annual budget, turnover cut by two-thirds |
| Marketing manager | Led marketing strategy, €1.2M annual revenue, leads +45% in 12 months |
| Website development | E-commerce redesign, 450K visitors/month, conversion rate +18% |
Photo, colours, icons: what works and what breaks
Photo: neutral for ATS (they don't read it). A personal choice for humans. The United States, the United Kingdom and Canada effectively prohibit it (anti-discrimination laws).
Colours: fine if it's just 1-2 accents (headings, underlines). Solid coloured backgrounds break extraction in some ATS.
Icons in sections: ban them. SVG icons are often read as random characters or ignored, which breaks the section heading ("⚡ Experience" → not recognised).
Skill bars: useless for the ATS, which doesn't read graphics. A simple list is better.
Languages and technical skills
Languages section: format "Language, Level (CEFR)". Example: English, C1 (professional fluency), Spanish, B2. The CEFR is the European standard and is recognised by every ATS.
Skills section: list concrete tools. Excel (pivot tables, macros), SAP, Salesforce, Python, Figma, SEMrush, Google Analytics, HubSpot… The more relevant tools you list, the more postings you match.
Avoid vague skills: "rigor", "energy", "self-motivation". ATS don't reward them, and neither do recruiters.
Tailoring your CV to each job (the real method)
The "generic CV" that fits every posting doesn't exist. In 2026, either you tailor it to each posting or you don't apply. The 15-minute method:
- Minutes 1-5: read the posting and highlight 5-8 dominant keywords
- Minutes 5-12: adjust the title and work the keywords into your existing experience (without lying)
- Minutes 12-15: check spelling, save as .docx + text-based PDF
In practice, a few tailored applications get more responses than dozens of generic ones.
How to test your CV before sending it
Test 1, Copy and paste: open your PDF CV, press Ctrl+A, copy, then paste into a blank document. If the text comes out in order, the ATS can read your CV. If not, rebuild it in a single column.
Test 2, ATS score: run your CV through an ATS scanner. CVpass gives you a free score in 30 seconds.
Test 3, Comparison with the posting: count how many of the posting's 8-12 keywords appear in your CV. Fewer than 6 = your CV won't get through.
10 classic mistakes to avoid
- "Curriculum Vitae" as the title instead of the job title
- Canva CV exported as an image PDF
- Multiple columns that break extraction
- Floating text box for the name or summary
- Creative section names ("My journey", "Soft skills")
- No numbers in the experience section
- Synonyms instead of the posting's exact terms
- Vague skills ("passionate", "rigorous", "dynamic")
- Unusual font (Times New Roman, Comic Sans…) instead of Arial/Calibri
- Sending a .pages file or a scanned PDF
Each mistake in detail, with before/after examples and its measured impact on the score: the 10 ATS mistakes dragging down your CV.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ATS?
An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is software that automatically filters CVs before a human reads them. Most large French companies use one. It extracts the text from the CV, looks for keywords from the job posting and assigns a score. Below a certain threshold (often 60/100), the CV is never shown to the recruiter.
How do I know if my CV will pass the ATS?
The simplest test: open your PDF CV, select everything with Ctrl+A, copy, and paste into a blank document. If the text appears in order and is readable, your CV is ATS-compatible. If it's a jumble or nothing pastes, it's an image and no ATS will be able to read it. A tool like CVpass automates this test and gives you a detailed score.
Which CV format works best with ATS: PDF or Word?
Both work if the file contains text (not an image). A PDF generated from Word or Google Docs works perfectly. A Canva PDF is often an image and doesn't get through. Word (.docx) is the safest format: every ATS reads it, no exceptions. In 2026, go with .docx or a text-based PDF, never .pages or a scanned PDF.
How many keywords should a CV include?
There's no magic number. The rule: reuse the 8 to 12 terms that come up most in the job posting, word for word. If the posting says 'Agile project management', write exactly 'Agile project management', not 'leading Scrum sprints'. ATS don't always connect synonyms.
Do Canva CVs pass the ATS?
Rarely. By default, Canva exports a PDF with columns and graphic elements that ATS misinterpret. In many of the cases observed, a Canva CV loses a significant part of its content during extraction. To use Canva, export as 'PDF Standard' (not 'PDF Print'), stick to a single column and avoid icons in sections.
Should I put a photo on my CV?
For applications in the United States, the United Kingdom or Canada, never: anti-discrimination laws prohibit it. In France, it's up to you. Without a photo, you avoid unconscious bias and your CV is a lighter file (so it gets through ATS more easily). With a photo, you reassure some traditional recruiters. The 2026 trend leans toward 'no photo'.
Can ATS read tables and columns?
Poorly. Tables with several columns are often reassembled incorrectly: the ATS may read the content line by line and mix up the columns. Single-column layouts are much safer. Simple 2-column tables (e.g. 'Company name | Dates') can get through but aren't ideal.
What is the ideal CV length to pass the ATS?
One page for less than 5 years of experience, two pages max beyond that. ATS have no limit, but human recruiters spend only a few seconds on a CV. A 3-page CV loses out with the ATS (diluted keywords) as much as with humans (no time to read it all).