What is the average ATS score of a first-submission resume?

The median first-submission ATS score across the free-checker data is 48 out of 100. Proper optimisation adds 17 points on average, with disciplined applications of the seven steps in this guide adding 30 to 35 points.

What score should I aim for?

80 or above. ATS scoring research from 2026 finds that resumes scoring 85 percent or higher are roughly three times more likely to result in an interview callback than resumes scoring below 50. Aim for 80 at the minimum, push for 90 if you are applying to a competitive function.

Will this work if I am applying through LinkedIn Easy Apply?

Yes. Easy Apply submits your CV to the company's ATS the same way a direct application does, and many of them are still Workday or Greenhouse on the back end. Your CV needs to parse cleanly there too.

How long does this actually take?

About 30 minutes for a focused first pass on an existing CV. The work is mostly cut-and-paste plus a few rewrites. The seven-step times sum to roughly 32 minutes including the two re-scores. Step five (keyword mirroring) is the largest single time sink.

Which step matters most?

Switching from two-column to single-column. That alone moves the score by 15 to 25 points for the typical designer-template CV. If you only have time for one fix, do that one. Then add the Skills section if you do not have one.

Should I customise per application?

2026 callback data points to roughly 89 percent more interviews from customised CVs. For roles you genuinely care about, mirror the keywords from each spec. For high-volume applications, optimise a strong base CV against the spec language you see most often in your function.

What if my score is still below 80 after these steps?

The free checker tells you exactly which dimension is dropping points and which fix moves the number most. Common culprits beyond the seven steps: too few quantified bullets, too many AI tells from a ChatGPT pass, or a Skills section that lists "communication" but no Experience bullet that demonstrates it.

Does this same workflow work if I use ChatGPT for rewrites?

Yes. Use ChatGPT for the bullet rewrites in step six. The full workflow for combining ChatGPT and ATS optimisation is in [How to use ChatGPT for your resume](/hub/how-to-use-chatgpt-for-resume).

The 30-minute fix

How to Optimise Your Resume for ATS

A seven-step workflow that takes the median CV from 48 to 80+ on ATS scoring. With the fixes ranked by impact, real before-and-after examples, and a free check that closes the loop.

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Before and after comparison of a CV: on the left, a messy scribbled CV with a red score ring showing 48 percent; an arrow labelled +35 points; on the right, a clean structured CV with a green score ring showing 83 percent — Before (median 48) and after (typical 80+) the seven steps. Most of the lift comes from steps 2 and 5.

ats optimisation workflow step-by-step guide free

What 30 minutes of optimisation actually changes

The median CV that first lands in our checker scores 48 out of 100. The same CV after a focused 30 minutes of fixes typically scores 80 or above. The gap is not knowledge, it is structure. Most CVs that score low do so because of a two-column layout, contact info in the wrong place, creative section names and missing keywords from the spec. Each one is a 5 to 25 point swing.

97.8 percent of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS in 2026, per the Jobscan ATS Usage Report. The systems they run (Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, Taleo, SmartRecruiters) each parse CVs slightly differently, but the seven steps below satisfy all of them at once.

Combine this workflow with our free ATS-friendly resume template and ATS resume keywords guide for the deep dives on the two highest-impact steps. When you are done, score the result in our free ATS resume checker.

The seven-step workflow

Total time: about 32 minutes. Steps are ordered by impact, do them in sequence and you compound the score gains.

01
3 minBaseline
Score your CV first
You cannot optimise what you have not measured. Run your current CV through a free ATS checker before touching anything. The median first-submission score is 48 out of 100. Note the dimensions where it loses points: keyword match, parseability, formatting, contact info, action verbs, quantified achievements. Those are your fix list.
Practical move
Upload your CV to our free checker. Take a screenshot of the score. You will compare against it at the end.
02
8 min+15 to +25 points
Switch to single column
If you are running a two-column template, this is the single highest-impact change. Workday and Taleo read strictly left-to-right, top-to-bottom, scrambling right-column dates and contact info into the bottom of the parsed record or losing them entirely. Greenhouse and Lever scramble about one in five two-column documents.
Practical move
Open the master template from our ATS-friendly resume template and paste your content into a clean single-column structure.
03
2 min+5 to +10 points
Move contact info into the body
Many parsers skip the document header and footer regions. Name, email and phone in the Word header bar disappear from the record. Move them to the top of page one as plain text.
Practical move
Delete the header bar entirely. Type your name in 18 to 20 point bold at the top, then one plain-text line with city, email, phone and LinkedIn URL.
04
2 min+5 to +10 points
Rename creative section headings
iCIMS and SmartRecruiters search by section. Rename "My Career Story" to "Experience". Rename "Things I Am Good At" to "Skills". Boring labels are searchable labels. The skills-based filtering trend in 2026 means your Skills block is now weighted higher than ever, so it must be named exactly that.
05
10 min+10 to +20 points
Mirror the keywords from the spec
Open the job spec next to your CV. Mark every skill, tool, certification and responsibility, and every word that appears three or more times. Then mirror that wording in your Skills section and across two or three bullets in Experience. Over 60 percent of companies now filter on skills before reviewing work history, per 2026 recruiter survey data.
Practical move
For the full deep dive on which keywords matter and where they go, see ATS resume keywords.
06
5 min+5 to +10 points
Quantify the first bullet of every role
Recruiter eye-tracking shows the first bullet under each role gets the most attention. Replace "Responsible for managing the team" with "Managed a 6-person engineering team across two product squads, delivering 4 major releases in 12 months." If you cannot honestly add a number, sharpen the verb and the scope.
Practical move
Use a prompt from 25 ChatGPT resume prompts to suggest the rewrite, then drop in your real numbers.
07
2 min+5 to +10 points (cumulative ship quality)
Re-score, ship as .docx, name the file
Run the new version through the checker. Confirm the score is above 80. Save as .docx for submission unless the posting specifically asks for PDF. Name the file FirstName_LastName_Position.docx, not resume_v7_final_final.docx.
Practical move
The Jobscan 2023 study found 75 percent of recruiters cite file type as a top factor in passing the initial ATS screen.

Real before-and-after edits

Five edits we make on every optimisation pass. Each one is small. Together they account for most of the score lift.

Section heading

Before

My Career Story

After

Experience

Contact line

Before

[Inside Word header bar with profile photo and icons]

After

Jane Doe | London, UK | jane@email.com | +44 7000 000 000 | linkedin.com/in/janedoe

Bullet

Before

Responsible for managing the social media team and growing audience across channels.

After

Led a 6-person social team across Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, growing combined audience by 180k in 9 months.

Skills

Before

Python ▮▮▮▮▯ (skill bar)

After

Python (Working knowledge, 4 years commercial)

File name

Before

resume_v7_final_FINAL.pdf

After

Jane_Doe_Marketing_Manager.docx

Score your CV before, then after

The free checker shows your starting score and the ranked fixes. Apply the workflow, re-upload, watch the number climb.

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Frequently asked questions

Everything we get asked about the workflow, the times, the order, and what to do when the score still will not move.

Related tools

ATS optimisation

ATS Resume Format: Layout, Sections, File Type

The three CV formats (reverse chronological, functional, hybrid) and how each parses across Workday, Greenhouse and Lever. With section order, file type, file naming, and the format Jobscan recruiters say is the top factor.

Open

ATS optimisation

What Is an ATS Resume? Plain-English Guide (2026)

A plain-English explainer: what ATS stands for, what the parser does with your CV, why 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies use one, and how an ATS resume differs from a regular CV. With the four rules that take you from a regular CV to an ATS-friendly one.

Open

ATS optimisation

ATS-Friendly Resume Examples by Role (2026)

Real ATS-friendly CV examples by role: software engineer, marketing manager, finance analyst, nurse, teacher, product manager and more. Each with a parser-tested layout, sample bullets that score, and what to change for your target role.

Open

How to Optimise Your Resume for ATS

What 30 minutes of optimisation actually changes

The seven-step workflow

Score your CV first

Switch to single column

Move contact info into the body

Rename creative section headings

Mirror the keywords from the spec

Quantify the first bullet of every role

Re-score, ship as .docx, name the file

Real before-and-after edits

Score your CV before, then after

Frequently asked questions

Related tools

ATS Resume Format: Layout, Sections, File Type

What Is an ATS Resume? Plain-English Guide (2026)

ATS-Friendly Resume Examples by Role (2026)

Read next

What is an ATS? A plain-English guide

Skills to put on your CV

The best fonts for an ATS-friendly CV

Sources and further reading