ATS-Optimised · Real Text · Machine Readable
ATS-Friendly
CV Maker. Free.
Build a CV that applicant tracking systems can actually read — and that hiring managers actually want to see. Free, no signup, instant PDF.
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Layout
Sections
Turn sections on/off and reorder them. Great for students (put Education first) or short CVs.
Theme colors
Presets apply to Modern (sidebar + accent) and Executive (header band + accent). The first picker label switches with your template.
Personal info
Common on Pakistani/Gulf CVs. Stored only in your browser. Best on the Pakistan and Two-column templates.
Links / social
Name it anything (LinkedIn, GitHub, Portfolio, Dribbble…). Links stay clickable in the downloaded PDF (opens in your browser).
Work experience
Education
Skills
Projects (optional)
What is an ATS and why does it matter?
ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System — software that companies use to automatically screen CVs before a human ever reads them. If your CV fails the ATS scan, it gets rejected instantly — no matter how qualified you are.
of CVs are rejected by ATS before a human reads them
of Fortune 500 companies use ATS software for hiring
average time a recruiter spends scanning a CV that passes ATS
ATS rules your CV must follow
Use real text — not images of text
Many CV templates use fancy graphics or text inside image boxes. ATS can't read these. Kodotools generates real, selectable PDF text that any ATS can parse.
Standard section headings
Use "Work Experience", "Education", "Skills" — not creative names like "My Journey" or "What I Know". ATS systems match against standard heading names.
Simple, standard fonts
Fonts like Inter, Arial, Calibri, and Georgia are ATS-safe. Kodotools uses Inter — a clean, professional font that renders perfectly in both screen and print PDFs.
No tables, columns (or minimal)
Multi-column layouts confuse many ATS parsers. For maximum ATS compatibility, use Classic or Minimal — both single-column. Modern is two-column but still uses real text.
Keywords from the job description
ATS systems scan for keywords. Mirror the exact language in the job posting — if they say "project management" don't just write "managing projects." Use their words.
Which template is most ATS-friendly?
Classic
Best ATSSingle column, clean headings, no decorative elements. The safest choice for large corporates and government applications using Workday or Greenhouse.
Minimal
Best ATSUltra-clean layout, generous white space. Single column. Excellent ATS compatibility. Great for tech and startup applications where clean design matters.
Executive
Good ATSSidebar layout with accent colour. Still uses real text throughout. Most modern ATS systems handle this well. Good for senior roles or creative fields.
Modern
Good ATSTwo-column with colour header band. Visually striking. Uses real text — most ATS can parse it. Best for design, marketing, or tech roles where visual impression matters.
Two-column
Good ATSLight sidebar for contact and skills, main column for experience. Real text throughout, so modern parsers read it fine — but a strict, older ATS reads single columns more reliably.
Pakistan
Use with careSingle column and readable, but it carries a photo — and photos can confuse some ATS parsers. Great for local and government applications; for a strict corporate ATS, remove the photo or switch to Classic.
The ATS CV format, section by section
An ATS reads your CV top to bottom and drops each part into fields — name, contact, experience, education, skills. The safest ATS CV format keeps that order simple and predictable, so nothing gets misread or dropped. Build yours in the tool above in this shape:
- Contact block — name, phone, email, city on separate lines. Keep it out of the header/footer margin; some parsers ignore those.
- Professional summary — two or three lines using the exact job title from the posting.
- Work experience — job title, company, dates, then bullet points. Reverse chronological order.
- Education — degree, institution, year.
- Skills — a plain list that mirrors the keywords in the job ad.
Match the words in the job description. If the ad says “project management” and your CV says “managed projects,” a keyword-matching ATS may score you lower — so echo their phrasing where it’s honest to do so. Save and submit as a PDF from real text (which is what this tool exports), not a scanned or exported image.
Writing a CV summary for freshers
No experience yet? Your summary does the heavy lifting. In two or three honest lines, name your degree, one or two strengths, and the kind of role you want — with the job title spelled out so the ATS picks it up. Skip empty phrases like “hardworking team player looking for a challenging opportunity”; they add nothing and every fresher writes them.
Example — fresh graduate
“Computer Science graduate (University of the Punjab, 2026) with hands-on final-year work in Python and SQL. Looking for a junior data analyst role where I can turn messy data into clear reports.”
FAQ
ATS CV questions answered
Will the PDF from Kodotools pass ATS systems?
Yes. The PDF is generated from real HTML text — not a screenshot or image. The text is fully selectable and searchable. Classic and Minimal templates in particular pass all major ATS systems including Workday, Greenhouse, and Lever.
Should I use a photo in an ATS CV?
No — for international or ATS-scanned applications, skip the photo. Photos are images and ATS systems can't read them. For applications in Pakistan specifically, a photo is culturally common but won't hurt your ATS score since it's a separate element.
How do I know if a company uses ATS?
Any large company (50+ employees) likely uses ATS. If you apply through a portal like Workday, Taleo, Greenhouse, Lever, or SAP SuccessFactors — you're going through ATS. When in doubt, always use an ATS-safe format.
What is the best ATS CV format?
A single-column layout with standard headings (Work Experience, Education, Skills), real selectable text, a normal font, and reverse-chronological order. Mirror the keywords from the job ad in your summary and skills, and export as a text-based PDF. On Kodotools, the Classic and Minimal templates match this format exactly.
Can I use this on mobile?
Yes. Kodotools works in modern mobile browsers, so you can create or edit files directly from your phone without installing an app.
Guides
Read before you apply
Plain-spoken guides to help your CV land in front of a real human.
ATS-friendly resume guide
Make a CV that screening systems and recruiters can both read.
Read guide →Free CV maker with no signup
Build a clean CV without accounts, watermarks, or clutter.
Read guide →Resume bullets that get read
Turn weak duties into clear, specific impact statements.
Read guide →Ready to beat the ATS?
Jump back to the CV maker and export a clean PDF in minutes.
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