Short answer: ATS software usually organises, parses and prioritises applications, while human recruiters make the final judgement about your fit. The safest strategy is to write a CV that both systems can read and a person can believe.
If you are a student or recent graduate, the hiring process can feel like a black box. You submit a carefully written CV, receive an automated email, and then hear nothing. It is tempting to imagine a single piece of AI deciding your future. The reality is more complicated and more useful to understand.
An Applicant Tracking System, or ATS, is generally a recruitment database and workflow tool. It collects applications, extracts information from CVs, stores candidate records, applies filters, and helps recruiters manage a large pool of applicants. Some modern systems also include ranking or AI assisted features. But the system is not the same thing as the recruiter, and there is no universal ATS score that determines every application.
What an ATS actually does
First, the ATS tries to parse your CV. It looks for fields such as your name, contact details, education, employment history and skills. If your document uses unusual formatting, text inside images, complex tables or multiple columns, the information may be extracted incorrectly or not at all.
Second, the system helps the employer organise applications. Recruiters may search for terms, filter by requirements, move candidates through stages, and record notes. The exact process depends on the employer, the software and the role.
Third, some employers use automated questions, knockout criteria or ranking tools. These may identify missing qualifications or bring potentially relevant applications to a recruiter's attention. They do not necessarily understand your experience in the way a person does.
This is why the phrase “beat the ATS” can be misleading. There is no magic font, hidden phrase or universal keyword percentage that guarantees an interview. What you can do is make your experience easy to extract, easy to match and easy for a recruiter to understand.
What a human recruiter does
A recruiter brings context. They can recognise that “managed client relationships” may be relevant to a role asking for stakeholder management. They can understand a career change, a gap, a university society role or a project that does not fit neatly into a standard job title.
They also assess evidence. A list of skills is less persuasive than a clear example of using those skills. “Social media” is a label. “Created a content plan that increased event registrations by 35 percent” gives the recruiter something concrete to evaluate.
Recruiters also compare your application with the brief. A technically strong candidate may not be right for a particular level, location, salary range or team. That decision is not simply a keyword match. It involves judgement, communication and the needs of the employer.
Where students are most often filtered out
Unreadable structure: A highly designed CV can be attractive to you but difficult for software to parse. Use a clear, single column layout, conventional headings and a readable font. Avoid placing essential information in graphics, headers, footers or text boxes.
Language that does not match the role: You may have relevant experience but describe it using different language from the job posting. Read the description closely and use accurate terms that reflect your actual experience. Do not copy the advert or add skills you do not have.
Responsibilities without evidence: “Helped with marketing” gives a recruiter very little to work with. Explain what you did, how you did it and what changed as a result. Numbers help, but a specific outcome is useful even when it cannot be measured precisely.
A generic application: A CV written for every job is usually specific enough for none of them. Tailor the summary, skills and most relevant experience to the role. You do not need to rewrite your whole history for every application, but you do need to make the match visible.
How to write for both the system and the person
Start with the job description and identify the recurring requirements. Separate essential qualifications from desirable language. Then review your CV and make sure the relevant terms appear naturally in the sections where a recruiter expects to find them.
Keep standard headings such as Experience, Education, Skills and Projects. Put dates, employers, role titles and locations in a consistent format. Use bullet points that begin with clear verbs and focus on outcomes. Save the file in the format requested by the employer and check the final document by selecting and copying its text. If the copied text is jumbled, the parsing may be too.
Then read the CV as a human. Can someone understand what you are good at within a few seconds? Is the role you want obvious? Does every major claim have evidence? A CV can be technically readable and still fail because it gives the recruiter no reason to remember you.
Do ATS systems reject candidates automatically?
Sometimes an application can be screened out by an eligibility question or an employer defined requirement. In other cases, the ATS may simply help a recruiter sort and prioritise a large number of applications. The exact process is not visible from the outside, so be cautious about anyone promising a guaranteed ATS score or claiming that every company rejects CVs in the same way.
The practical lesson is not to panic or stuff your CV with keywords. It is to remove avoidable barriers, use the language of the role honestly, and give the human reader strong evidence of your ability.
For a broader overview, read The Complete Guide to Getting Hired in the Age of AI. You may also find How to Get Past ATS Software useful when checking your CV format and keywords.
When career coaching can help
If you are applying repeatedly without reaching interviews, an outside review can help you identify whether the problem is your positioning, your evidence, your formatting or the roles you are targeting. The useful kind of coaching is specific to your actual CV and profile. It should explain what to change and why, rather than offering another list of generic job search tips.
In the live session Careers in the Age of AI: Getting into the Yes Pile, Alessandra Di Lorenzo breaks down how ATS tools, LinkedIn Recruiter and AI screening fit into the wider hiring process. The session includes hands on CV and LinkedIn guidance, followed by a personal review of your profile. See the career coaching session details.
Frequently asked questions
Is an ATS the same as an AI recruiter?
No. An ATS is a system used to manage recruitment applications. Some ATS products include AI assisted features, but the technology and the employer's process vary.
What CV format is safest for an ATS?
Follow the employer's instructions. In general, use a simple, readable layout with standard headings and no images, tables or text boxes containing essential information.
Should I include keywords from the job description?
Yes, where they accurately describe your experience. Use the employer's terminology naturally, but never claim a skill or qualification you do not have.
Can a recruiter understand synonyms that an ATS misses?
A person may understand the connection more easily than a basic search or filter. This is why it helps to use both the precise term from the advert and a clear example of what you did.
How do I know whether my CV is being filtered?
Usually you cannot know for certain. A lack of response may reflect competition, timing, internal changes or screening. Improve the parts you can control and track which tailored applications lead to progress.
