ATS keywords: mirror the advert or get filtered

["

Most mid-size and corporate employers run an applicant tracking system (ATS) between your application and a human. It does one job: match your CV's language to the advert's language. Not the meaning — the literal words.

", '

The exact-words rule

', "

The advert says NEC3. Your CV says NEC. You have NEC3 experience — the ATS doesn't know that. It knows the string “NEC3” didn't appear. Same with “Primavera P6” vs “P6”, “Sage X3” vs “Sage”, “financial modelling” vs “modeling” (SA spelling: modelling, but if the advert wrote modeling, write modeling). Mirror their exact keywords where your experience genuinely matches — never where it doesn't.

", '

Where the keywords live

', "

Job title, headline, skills list, and the first two roles. The ATS weights the top third of your CV more heavily — which is also where the human's six seconds go. Two documents, same rule: front-load the proof.

", '

The honesty line

', "

Keyword-stuffing a CV with skills you don't have gets you the interview and then the rejection — worse than no interview, because you've burned the recruiter. Mirror only what's true. Our Pro apply tool does exactly this: it restructures your CV against the advert's keywords and marks honestly what's proven vs what's missing.

", '

Run the free audit first — it shows you where your profile drops off. Here.

']

Check how your profile scores on this.

Run my free audit