There is a great deal of misleading advice about applicant tracking systems, most of it recommending tricks that either do not work or actively damage your application. This page explains what these systems actually do, how keywords genuinely matter, and how to use them honestly on a CV. The short version: write clearly, use the employer’s own terminology for things you have genuinely done, and ignore the tricks.
What an Applicant Tracking System Actually Does
An applicant tracking system is recruitment software that stores and organises applications. Larger South African employers, recruitment agencies and most corporate job portals use one. Its main functions are receiving applications, parsing CVs into structured fields, letting recruiters search the database, and tracking candidates through the hiring process.
The important correction is that most systems do not automatically reject CVs based on a keyword score. That belief drives most of the bad advice. What actually happens is that a recruiter searches the database for terms relevant to the role, and CVs containing those terms surface while others do not. Your CV is not rejected; it simply never appears in the search.
This matters because it changes the goal. You are not trying to beat an algorithm. You are trying to be findable by a human using a search box, and readable once they open your CV.
Where Keywords Genuinely Matter
- Job titles, since recruiters search on them directly.
- Software and systems, named specifically, such as Sage, SAP, Pastel, GoodX or Syspro.
- Certifications and licences, such as forklift, Code 14, PrDP, first aid or PSIRA.
- Registration categories, such as professional nurse or post-basic pharmacist assistant.
- Technical skills specific to the role, such as reconciliations, cycle counting or medical aid claims.
- Qualifications, written both in full and abbreviated where both are used.
- Industry terms the advert itself uses.
How to Use Keywords Honestly
The method is simple and takes about ten minutes per application.
- Read the advert and underline the terms that describe things you have genuinely done.
- Use those exact terms in your CV where they honestly apply, rather than a synonym.
- Put the most important ones in your skills block near the top, where they are easy to find.
- Repeat them naturally in your duty bullets, where they carry evidence.
- Where a term has two common forms, use both once, such as spreadsheets and Excel.
- Keep your job titles recognisable, adding a clarifying phrase if your internal title was unusual.
That last point matters more than people expect. If your official title was Operations Coordinator Level Two but the work was warehouse supervision, write the real title and add a short descriptor, because nobody searches for internal grading systems.
Tricks That Do Not Work
These circulate widely and are worth naming explicitly, because several of them can end an application.
- White text keyword stuffing, meaning hidden keywords in white font. Parsers read the text regardless of colour, and a recruiter who spots it will treat it as dishonesty.
- Pasting the entire job advert into the CV in tiny or hidden text. Same problem, same outcome.
- Keyword lists with no context, which look like padding and tell a recruiter nothing.
- Claiming software or certifications you do not have, which is verified before appointment.
- Stuffing the same term repeatedly, which makes the CV unreadable without improving searchability.
- Using elaborate templates with tables and text boxes in the belief they look professional. They frequently parse badly.
Formatting That Parses Reliably
This is where most applications genuinely lose ground, and it is entirely fixable.
- Use standard headings such as Work Experience, Education and Skills, since parsers look for them.
- Avoid tables, columns and text boxes, which frequently scramble when parsed.
- Keep important information out of headers and footers, which are often ignored entirely.
- Use a standard font and simple bullet points.
- Write dates consistently, such as March 2022 to June 2024.
- Save as PDF unless the employer asks for a Word document.
- Avoid graphics, logos, skill rating bars and photographs, which carry no parseable information.
- Name the file with your name and the word CV.
A Practical Example
Suppose an advert asks for a stock controller with SAP experience, cycle counting and stock accuracy improvement. A weak CV says managed stock and used computer systems. A strong one says controlled inventory of five thousand stock lines on SAP, conducted daily cycle counts and improved stock accuracy from 94 to above 99 percent.
The second version contains the searchable terms, in the employer’s own language, attached to evidence. No trickery is involved, and it reads better to a person as well.
Do Not Let Keywords Ruin the Writing
A CV still has to persuade a human. Once a recruiter opens it, the keywords have done their job and the quality of the writing takes over. A CV optimised until it reads like a term list performs worse in the part of the process that decides whether you are called.
Write for the person. Use the employer’s terminology where it fits naturally, and stop there. For turning an advert into CV wording, see CV Keywords From Job Description, and for role-specific duty wording see the duties for CV hub.
FAQs
Do applicant tracking systems automatically reject CVs?
Most do not reject based on a keyword score. They store and parse applications so recruiters can search the database. A CV missing the relevant terms is not rejected; it simply does not appear when the recruiter searches, which has the same practical effect but a different solution.
What keywords should I use on my CV?
Job titles, named software and systems, certifications and licences, registration categories, role-specific technical skills and qualifications. Take them from the advert itself, and use only those that honestly describe things you have done.
Does white text keyword stuffing work?
No, and it can end your application. Parsers read text regardless of its colour, so the hidden keywords are visible to the system, and any recruiter who notices will treat it as an attempt to deceive rather than as clever formatting.
How do I format a CV so it parses correctly?
Use standard headings, avoid tables, columns and text boxes, keep important information out of headers and footers, use consistent date formats and a standard font, and save as PDF unless asked otherwise. Skip graphics, rating bars and photographs.
Should I use different keywords for each application?
Yes. Read each advert and mirror the terms it uses for things you have genuinely done. It takes about ten minutes and is the single highest-return change you can make to an application, far more effective than any formatting trick.