Applying for a Software Engineer role?
Let's get you past the first filter.
Is your CV speaking the ATS's language?
Here's what an ATS scans for in a Software Engineer CV, and how to use it without gaming the system.
Before you hit apply
What the ATS is actually scanning for.
An applicant tracking system can use your CV's content and structure to help match, filter, or surface candidates. For a Software Engineer role, these are the terms worth checking against the job description, drawn from the work itself and the language that commonly appears in postings.
Skills & responsibilities
Tools & platforms
Drawn from the role's skills and the tools that commonly appear in postings.
The honest way to use them
Match the language. Don't fake it.
Keywords get you read. They don't get you hired. Here's how to use them so the ATS and the human behind it both come away convinced.
List only the stack you can defend
“React” on your CV invites a React question. Put down the languages, frameworks, and tools you'd be happy to be tested on, not everything you've touched once.
Put tech in context, not a pile
Work the terms into real bullets about what you built and why. A bare list of technologies is what a recruiter skims past; a shipped project with the stack named lands.
Mirror the specific posting
Use the exact wording the ad uses, where it's true for you. “REST APIs”, “microservices”, and “backend” can be scored differently by the same system.
Keep the format clean
Odd columns, tables, and graphics can confuse older parsers. A plain, single-column structure reads cleanly to both the ATS and the human after it.
See your match
How many of these does your CV already have?
Drop your CV, add the job you're targeting, and see an honest, ATS-style match: which terms you've got and which are missing. Free, no account, and your CV carries straight over.
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A decent keyword match. You're strong on language and framework terms; a couple of high-value engineering ones are missing.
Straight answers
Software Engineer ATS questions people usually ask.
How do I get my Software Engineer CV past the ATS?
Mirror the language of the specific posting where it's genuinely true of you, keep the formatting simple and single-column, and lead each bullet with what you built and the impact. There's no trick beyond honestly matching what the role asks for.
What keywords should a Software Engineer CV include?
Terms like software development, APIs, testing, system design, and databases, plus the specific languages, frameworks, and tools (Git, and whatever stack the job uses) you've actually worked with. Only the ones you can back up.
Should I list every programming language on my CV?
No. List the ones you're genuinely competent in and would discuss in an interview, ideally shown in real projects. A long list of languages you've barely used reads as padding and invites questions you can't answer.
Does the ATS reject Software Engineer CVs automatically?
Many hiring workflows use software to rank, filter, or surface candidates rather than making a simple yes/no call on a CV alone. A weak keyword match can make you harder to find, which is why clear, relevant wording and a clean format matter.