---

name: CV ATS Checker description: Validates CV format and content for compatibility with Applicant Tracking Systems. Use before submitting online applications. allowed-tools:

• read
• write

---

CV ATS Checker Skill

This skill tests CVs against common Applicant Tracking System parsing issues.

Purpose

Check CVs for:

• Formatting issues that break ATS parsing
• Hidden markup or invisible content
• Table and text box problems
• Keyword optimisation
• Section recognition problems

Common ATS Platforms

• Workday (notorious for parsing issues)
• Taleo (Oracle)
• Greenhouse
• Lever
• iCIMS
• BambooHR

Testing Approach

Adversarial testing: "Pretend you are the poorly designed Workday ATS, which is considered the worst in the industry. Read this CV and identify what would break or be misinterpreted."

Common ATS Failures

Formatting Issues:

• 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

Copy# 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.