How to Improve a Low CV ATS Score (Without Guesswork)
You’ve already run your CV through an ATS checker and the result was disappointing: a low CV ATS score that explains why you’re not hearing back. You’re not alone. Research suggests that up to 75% of CVs are rejected by Applicant Tracking Systems before a human ever sees them, largely due to formatting and keyword issues (Source: Jobscan, 2023). The good news: a low score is not the end of the road – it’s a roadmap. With the right structure, targeted keywords and clean formatting, you can turn a failing ATS score into a CV that consistently passes initial screening and lands in the recruiter’s short‑list. ZAPZAP’s ATS‑friendly CV builder shows you exactly what to fix so your next application isn’t silently filtered out. Instead of rewriting your CV from scratch or copying generic templates, ZAPZAP helps you systematically improve your ATS score for each role, while still looking professional to hiring managers across the UK, Europe and the Commonwealth.
Why Low CV ATS Scores Happen
A low ATS score doesn’t mean you’re not qualified; it usually means the software can’t properly read or understand your CV. Modern Applicant Tracking Systems like Workday, Greenhouse and SAP SuccessFactors scan CVs for specific keywords, sections and structures. If your CV isn’t machine‑readable, it’s effectively invisible – no matter how strong your experience is.
According to LinkedIn and industry surveys, more than 90% of large organisations now use some form of ATS to manage applications, and many roles attract hundreds of CVs within days. The ATS becomes a filter: if your CV doesn’t match the job description and basic formatting rules, it’s scored low and pushed to the bottom of the pile. That’s why you can apply to dozens of roles and still not receive a single reply.
Non-ATS-Friendly Formatting
Columns, tables, text boxes, graphics and icons can break ATS parsing. Many popular design-heavy CV templates look great to humans but confuse ATS software, which reads from left to right in a simple linear structure. If the system can’t correctly identify your job titles, dates or skills, your CV will receive a low score regardless of your actual fit.
Missing or Weak Keywords
ATS tools rank CVs based on how closely they match the job description. If your CV doesn’t include the same terminology, acronyms or skill phrases that appear in the advert, you’ll be scored as a poor match. Many professionals describe their work in general terms, while the ATS is looking for specific keywords like “stakeholder management”, “Python”, “GDPR”, or “IFRS”.
Unclear Structure and Section Headings
ATS systems are trained to look for standard headings such as “Work Experience”, “Education”, “Skills” and “Certifications”. If you use creative headings like “My Journey” or “What I Bring”, the system may not map your content correctly. This can result in key information being ignored or misclassified, dragging down your ATS score.
Overuse of PDFs, Images and Special Characters
Some ATS platforms struggle with certain PDF exports, embedded images (such as logos or skill charts) and unusual symbols. For example, rating your skills with stars or icons instead of text can mean the ATS doesn’t register them at all. Even minor issues like headers, footers or page borders can interfere with parsing and lower your score.
If you recognise any of these issues in your current CV, you already know why your ATS checker flagged a low score. The next step is to fix them systematically. That’s exactly what ZAPZAP is designed to do, with guided optimisation based on how real ATS systems read CVs. You can learn more about ATS best practices in our resources on /blog and /how-it-works.
How Our Tool Solves This
1. ATS-Safe Layout That Still Looks Professional
ZAPZAP uses layouts engineered to be fully ATS‑compatible while remaining clean and modern for hiring managers. Behind the scenes, we remove problematic elements like complex tables, text boxes and decorative graphics that often cause parsing errors. Your sections are arranged in a logical, linear order with standard headings such as “Profile”, “Work Experience”, “Education” and “Skills”. This ensures that Applicant Tracking Systems can reliably extract your job titles, dates, employers and skills, boosting your CV ATS score without sacrificing visual appeal.
2. Job-Specific Keyword Optimisation
Instead of guessing which keywords to add, you paste the job description into ZAPZAP and our engine highlights the skills, tools and phrases that matter most. We then show you where your current CV is missing crucial terms or using weaker alternatives. For example, if the role emphasises “stakeholder engagement” and your CV only says “communication”, we’ll prompt you to upgrade the wording in a way that remains honest and accurate. This targeted keyword matching is one of the fastest ways to improve a low CV ATS score and align your profile with each role.
3. Section-by-Section ATS Guidance
ZAPZAP doesn’t just give you a score; it tells you exactly what to change. For each section of your CV, you see clear suggestions: add measurable achievements, include relevant tools and technologies, standardise job titles, or clarify dates and locations. Our guidance is based on how major ATS platforms evaluate relevance and completeness. This turns a vague “your score is 38/100” result from a checker into a concrete action plan you can follow in minutes.
4. Instant Re-Scoring and Multiple Role Targeting
Every time you tweak your CV, ZAPZAP instantly reassesses it against the target role, so you can see your ATS score rise in real time. You can save different versions of your CV for different roles or markets – for example, one optimised for UK roles referencing UK regulations and another tailored for EU positions highlighting language skills and cross‑border experience. This makes it practical to submit highly targeted applications without manually rebuilding your CV from scratch each time.
CV-Friendly Features
ATS-Ready CV Templates
Choose from templates built to pass Applicant Tracking Systems used across the UK, Europe and the Commonwealth. Every template uses standard headings, clean fonts and a structure designed for accurate parsing, so your information is captured correctly.
Built-In ATS Score Checker
See a clear, numerical ATS compatibility score for each CV you create, along with a breakdown of what’s helping or hurting your result. This turns a low CV ATS score into a measurable optimisation challenge instead of a mystery.
Job Description Scanner
Paste any job advert and ZAPZAP automatically identifies the most important skills, tools and keywords. We then compare them to your CV and highlight gaps, helping you align your content with the role in a compliant and honest way.
Achievement-Focused Bullet Suggestions
Our builder nudges you to replace vague responsibilities with quantified achievements, such as “Increased sales by 18%” or “Reduced processing time by 25%”. This improves ATS keyword density and makes your CV more persuasive to human reviewers.
Region-Aware Formatting
ZAPZAP supports UK, European and Commonwealth conventions, from date formats and spelling (e.g. “organisation” vs “organization”) to education and qualification naming. This ensures your ATS-friendly CV also feels local and credible in your target market.
Export Options Trusted by Recruiters
Download your CV in ATS-safe formats like properly structured PDF and DOCX. Our exports avoid problematic elements such as embedded text in images or unreadable headers and footers, helping maintain your improved ATS score when you upload to portals.
All of these features are designed to work together: from template choice to keyword targeting and export. To see a full overview of what’s included, visit our /features page or explore practical guides on ATS optimisation on the ZAPZAP /blog.
The Results: Before vs After
❌ Generic CV (Problems)
- Low ATS score (often below 40/100), meaning your CV is filtered out before a recruiter ever opens it.
- Irrelevant or missing keywords, so the system assumes you’re not a strong match even when you are.
- Inconsistent formatting and creative headings that confuse parsing and hide your experience.
- Dozens of applications sent with little to no feedback, leaving you guessing what went wrong.
✅ Optimised CV (Benefits)
- Significantly higher ATS score (often 80/100 or more), increasing the chances your CV is shortlisted.
- Clear alignment between your skills and the job description, with targeted, role-specific keywords.
- Clean, ATS-friendly structure that recruiters can scan in seconds, highlighting your best achievements.
- More interview invitations from the same number of applications, giving you real options and momentum.
Real Impact: If you apply to 50 jobs
Generic = 2-5 interviews Optimized = 15-20 interviews
Based on aggregated industry research from ATS providers and job search platforms indicating that tailored, ATS-optimised CVs can generate 3–5x more interview callbacks compared with generic submissions.
Create Your CV in 3 Simple Steps
Import or Rebuild Your Existing CV
Start by uploading your current CV or pasting its content into ZAPZAP. Our system quickly converts it into an ATS-safe structure, separating your Profile, Work Experience, Education and Skills. Any problematic formatting (such as columns or text boxes) is automatically removed, so you begin with a clean, machine-readable foundation instead of a risky design-heavy layout.
Target a Specific Role and Fix Your Score
Next, paste the job description of a role you want to apply for. ZAPZAP scans it, identifies critical keywords and compares them to your CV. You immediately see your ATS score and a list of recommended improvements: missing skills, weak wording, or unclear job titles. You can then edit your CV directly in the builder, guided by prompts that help you add relevant achievements and terminology without exaggerating or misrepresenting your experience.
Download and Apply with Confidence
Once your ATS score is where you want it, download your CV in a recruiter-approved format and apply through company portals or job boards. You can save multiple tailored versions for different roles or sectors and come back any time to update them. With each new application, simply repeat the scan-and-optimise process so your CV remains tightly aligned with the role, maximising your chances of making it past the ATS filter.
Common Questions About Improving a Low CV ATS Score
Is a low CV ATS score really why I’m not getting interviews?
In many cases, yes. Large employers and recruitment agencies across the UK and Europe rely on Applicant Tracking Systems to handle high application volumes. If your CV scores low, it may never be seen by a person, even if you’re highly qualified. However, ATS is only one part of the equation. Your content also needs to be compelling to humans. ZAPZAP focuses on both: we help you raise your ATS score by fixing structure and keywords, while also improving clarity, achievements and impact. For more insights into how ATS works, see our articles on /blog.
Will using an ATS-friendly CV builder make my CV look boring?
Not with ZAPZAP. Our templates are designed to be clean, modern and professional while still being easy for ATS software to read. We avoid unnecessary graphics and complex layouts that hurt parsing, but we still use thoughtful typography, spacing and hierarchy so your CV looks polished to recruiters. The goal is balance: visually appealing for humans, structurally simple for machines. You can preview multiple templates before downloading to choose the style that best fits your sector.
Do I need a different CV for every job to improve my ATS score?
You don’t necessarily need a completely different CV, but you should tailor it for each type of role. ATS systems compare your CV to the job description, so adjusting keywords, skills and emphasis can significantly improve your score. With ZAPZAP, you can create a strong core CV and then quickly generate tailored versions for specific roles by scanning each job description. This lets you efficiently adapt your CV without rewriting everything from scratch. Our /how-it-works page explains this workflow in more detail.
Can I trust ZAPZAP’s ATS score compared with other checkers?
ZAPZAP’s scoring model is based on industry best practices, research from leading ATS providers, and analysis of common rejection reasons reported by recruiters. While no third-party tool can replicate every ATS exactly, our scoring focuses on the core factors that matter across systems: keyword relevance, section structure, readability and formatting. Most users see consistent improvements in interview rates after following our recommendations. If you’ve already used another checker, ZAPZAP helps you go beyond the score to specific, actionable changes.
Will optimising for ATS make my CV less honest or too keyword-stuffed?
It shouldn’t – and with ZAPZAP, it won’t. We encourage accurate, evidence-based wording and discourage keyword stuffing or misrepresentation. The aim is to describe your real experience using the language employers and ATS tools expect. For example, if you already manage stakeholders, we’ll help you phrase it clearly as “stakeholder management” and back it up with concrete examples. This approach keeps your CV truthful, compliant and more persuasive during interviews.
Is ZAPZAP suitable for early-career or career-change CVs?
Yes. Whether you’re a recent graduate, an experienced professional changing sector, or returning to work after a break, you can still benefit from ATS optimisation. ZAPZAP helps you highlight transferable skills, relevant coursework, certifications and volunteer experience using ATS-friendly language. Our templates and prompts are designed to work for different seniority levels and industries. You can explore role-specific advice and examples on the ZAPZAP /faq and /blog pages.
Stop Losing Out to Low ATS Scores – Start Getting Seen
Every time you submit a CV with a low ATS score, you risk being filtered out before anyone reads your story. With ZAPZAP, you can quickly transform that same CV into an ATS-optimised, recruiter-ready document that finally reflects your true value. Scan the role, fix the issues, watch your score rise and apply with confidence – all in a few minutes, not weeks of trial and error. Get started now and turn silent rejections into real interview opportunities.
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If you’re searching for how to improve low CV ATS score, boost an ATS CV match rate or fix a poor ATS compatibility result, ZAPZAP gives you a practical way to create an ATS-friendly CV tailored to each role. Our ATS CV builder and CV checker help you optimise keywords, structure and formatting so you can pass ATS filters used by employers across the UK, Europe and the Commonwealth. Whether you call it an ATS CV, ATS-compliant CV or simply an optimised CV for online applications, ZAPZAP helps you improve your ATS score and increase your chances of landing interviews.