Cv Ats Checker

• Tables (often not parsed correctly)
• Text boxes (content may be lost)
• Headers/footers (skipped by many systems)
• Multiple columns (confuses reading order)
• Graphics or images (not parsed)
• Fancy fonts (may not render)

Hidden Problems:

• Invisible page breaks
• Hidden markup from PDF conversion
• Track changes or comments in Word
• Non-standard bullet characters

Content Issues:

• Non-standard section headings
• Dates in wrong format
• Contact info in headers (gets skipped)
• Skills in graphics rather than text
• Abbreviations without full terms

Checking Process

1. Visual Structure Check

   • Simple, clean layout?
   • Standard section headings?
   • Consistent formatting?

2. Parse Simulation

   • Read CV as bad ATS software
   • What would be skipped or misread?
   • Do dates parse correctly?
   • Is contact info extractable?

3. Keyword Analysis

   • Key terms present?
   • Mix of acronyms and full terms?
   • Natural keyword density?

4. Format Verification

   • File type (Word .docx or plain PDF)
   • Is PDF text selectable?
   • Consistent date format?

Output Format

# ATS Compatibility Report: [Filename]

## Overall Score: [X/10]

## Critical Issues (Will Break Parsing)
- [Issue 1] - [Location] - [Fix]

## Warnings (May Cause Problems)
- [Issue 1] - [Location] - [Fix]

## Optimisations (Good to Fix)
- [Suggestion]

## Strengths
- [What's working well]

## Keyword Analysis
- Keywords present: [List]
- Keywords missing: [List if job description provided]

## Recommendations
[Prioritised list of fixes]

## Workday-Specific Concerns
[Issues that would particularly affect Workday]

Example Issues

"Your contact details are in a header, which Workday often skips. Result: You appear to have no phone number. Fix: Move contact info into the main document body."

"Page 2 contains hidden markup showing this is actually page 3. You have an invisible blank page. Fix: Remove the hidden page break."

"Your 'Technical Skills' section uses a custom icon as a bullet point. This won't survive ATS parsing. Fix: Use standard bullets."

Testing Tips

• If the CV looks fancy, it probably won't parse well
• Simple formatting always wins over design
• Test by copying entire CV text - does it read correctly?
• Plain text PDF safer than complex Word doc

Critical Rules

• Test against worst-case (Workday)
• Flag anything that might possibly break
• Provide specific locations and fixes
• Prioritise by severity

This skill helps avoid beautiful CVs that never reach human eyes due to ATS failures.