How to Optimise Your Resume for AI and ATS 

Use a reverse-chronological format (best resume format for AI)

For almost every profession, the reverse-chronological format is the safest and most effective choice. It places the most recent work experience at the top of the CV, exactly what both AI and human reviewers look for first.

This format works best because it:

• Highlights recent, relevant achievements
• Makes career progression easy to follow
• Matches the structure that AI systems are trained to read
• Feels familiar to hiring managers

Functional or skills-based CVs can be useful in certain situations, such as when you have limited experience or are changing careers. However, they can confuse screening systems because the job history is harder for ATS to parse. If in doubt, stick to a reverse-chronological format as it is the most widely accepted and easiest for employers and ATS tools to read.

Keep the layout clean and consistent

AI tools don’t “see” your resume the way a human does. They scan the underlying text, so the layout needs to support that process. The goal is to keep formatting simple enough for software to interpret while still looking modern and professional.

Best practices for an AI-friendly CV layout:

• Margins: Use standard margins (around 1 inch) for a clean, balanced look.
• Headings: Stick to conventional labels such as CV Summary, Work Experience, Skills, and Education. Use a larger font size or bold the headings. 
• Spacing: Keep spacing consistent; avoid cramped or overly spread-out sections.
• Fonts: Choose clear, readable fonts (no decorative scripts or compressed text).
• Length: Aim for a 2-page CV.
• Colour: Use colour sparingly to highlight structure, not distract from content.
• Avoid: Text boxes, columns with uneven alignment, icons, graphics and logos.

AI-friendly CV example with correct formatting

Create my CV

For more AI-friendly CVs, check out our other templates here.

Save the CV in a format that AI can read

Most AI scanners read PDF and .docx files comfortably, but always follow the employer’s instructions if a specific file type is requested.

• PDF is best for maintaining layout consistency
• DOCX is preferred by some older ATS tools
• Avoid formats like RTF, ODT, or scanned PDFs, as they may break parsing

A good rule of thumb: if the text can be highlighted and copied, AI can read it.

Use keywords the smart way (not just stuffing)

AI screening tools compare your resume to the job description to determine whether your skills and experience align with the employer’s requirements. Keywords matter, but not in the “copy-and-paste everything” way older advice suggests. Modern AI looks for meaning, not just repetition.

The goal is simple: use the right keywords, in the right places, in a way that still sounds like you.

How to find the right keywords

Use the job description as your guide. Look for:

• Required skills (e.g. “customer support”, “budget management”)
• Tools and technologies (e.g. Salesforce, Excel, Python)
• Responsibilities (e.g. “managing stakeholders”, “handling enquiries”)
• Industry language (e.g. “compliance”, “due diligence”, “campaign optimisation”)

These terms show what the employer values, and AI tools expect to see them reflected in your resume.

Where to place keywords for maximum impact

1. CV summary: Include two or three keywords that reflect your strongest, most relevant skills.
2. Experience section: Use keywords within your achievements, not as lists on their own. This helps AI understand context and shows a human reviewer real evidence of your abilities.
3. Skills section: List core skills clearly and match the employer’s preferred phrasing where appropriate.

Good vs ineffective keyword usage

Good example:

Poor example:

Tailor your CV to each job description

AI screening systems are designed to spot relevance. If your resume looks too generic or doesn’t reflect what the employer expects, it may be filtered out before anyone reads it. Tailoring your resume doesn’t mean rewriting everything — it simply means highlighting the parts of your experience that matter most for this role. Think of it as making your strengths easier to recognise. Here’s how to tailor your resume effectively:

1. Study the job description carefully

Look for patterns:

• What skills are mentioned more than once?
• What responsibilities seem most important?
• What tools or qualifications are essential?

These clues show what the employer prioritises, and therefore what AI will scan for.

2. Adjust your CV summary to match the role

Your summary is the first thing both AI and recruiters see, so make it clear that you fit the role. Highlight 2–3 key skills or achievements that directly connect to the job.

Example:

If the job emphasises stakeholder communication and project delivery, your summary might reflect:

“Project coordinator with experience leading cross-functional teams and managing client communication across complex, multi-phase projects.”

3. Reorder your bullet points for maximum relevance

You don’t need to rewrite your entire job history — just ensure the most relevant points appear first.

For example:

If the role focuses on data analysis but your current resume lists admin tasks first, reverse the order:

• Good: “Analysed weekly performance data to identify trends and support decision making.”
• Less effective: “Managed team inboxes, scheduled meetings and maintained documentation.”

Put what matters most at the top.

4. Remove or shorten unrelated experience

If a job isn’t relevant to the role you’re applying for, keep it brief or remove it entirely. AI and recruiters are looking for alignment, not everything you’ve ever done. This is especially helpful for those with a mix of part-time, freelance, or early-career roles.

5. Match terminology when appropriate

If the job description says “client support” and your resume says “customer service”, you can safely match their phrasing (as long as it accurately reflects your experience). This helps AI make the connection instantly.

Write achievements that AI and humans both understand

AI screening systems and recruiters look for the same thing: clear, specific achievements that show the impact you made in your previous roles. Duties alone aren’t enough. AI tools look for signs of progression, measurable results, and relevant skills, while human reviewers want evidence that you can deliver real outcomes.

The strongest CVs combine both. They use short, focused bullet points that highlight what you achieved — not just what you were responsible for. Here are some tips for writing AI-friendly achievements: 

1. Start with an action verb

Begin each bullet with a clear verb that shows what you did. Examples include:

“Led, improved, delivered, increased, reduced, supported, created, managed, developed, implemented.” 

This instantly makes the sentence easier to scan.

2. Focus on impact, not tasks

AI tools can recognise the difference between a duty and an achievement. A duty describes the work. An achievement shows the result.

Duty: “Responsible for handling customer enquiries.”
Achievement: “Resolved an average of 40+ customer enquiries per day while maintaining a 95% satisfaction rating.”

Recruiters gravitate toward achievements too.

3. Add numbers whenever possible

Metrics help AI understand scale and help recruiters measure your impact. You can quantify:

• Amounts (e.g. “£200k budget”, “15 clients”)
• Timeframes (e.g. “completed 2 weeks early”)
• Improvements (e.g. “reduced processing time by 20%”)
• Volumes (e.g. “managed 100+ orders per day”)

Even rough estimates are better than none.

4. Keep each bullet short and focused

One achievement per bullet point. One or two lines maximum. 6 to 8 bullets for your most recent roles, fewer for older ones. Short bullets improve readability and reduce the chance of important details being missed by AI or humans.

Before: “Responsible for overseeing social media channels and writing content for campaigns.”
After: “Managed social media campaigns across four platforms, increasing engagement by 28% and supporting product launches with targeted content.”

Before: “Worked on administrative duties, including scheduling and documentation.”
After: “Streamlined scheduling and documentation processes for a 12-person team, reducing meeting prep time by 30%.”

Avoid common AI filtering mistakes

Even strong resumes get rejected when small formatting or wording issues confuse AI screening tools. The good news is that these mistakes are easy to avoid once you know what triggers them. Fixing them can immediately improve your chances of getting through the initial scan.

Here are the most common AI-related pitfalls — and how to avoid them:

1. Overly complex layouts

Text boxes, decorative icons, unusual columns or graphics can break parsing and cause entire sections to be missed. Check our CV examples to see what a good AI-friendly layout should look like. 

2. Inconsistent dates or job titles

AI systems track your career progression. If your dates use different formats or your job titles are overly creative (“Office Ninja”, “People Wizard”), the software may not understand them.

Use clear titles (“Office Administrator”, “Marketing Manager”) and a consistent date style, such as January 2022 – March 2024.

3. Walls of text

Large paragraphs make it harder for AI to understand what is most important — and humans will skim straight past them. Use short bullet points when describing work experience, education and skills.