Guidelines for candidate CV formatting.

Cezanne Recruitment, like most Applicant Tracking Systems, uses electronic CV parsing to extract text from candidate CVs.

For customers using our optional AI CV scoring feature, this extracted text (with all original formatting removed) is compared against the job description. We then generate a score from 0–100 to help recruiters quickly identify the strongest matches.

Occasionally, you may see a CV that has been submitted but not scored. This usually happens when the CV isn’t formatted in a standard way, which prevents our parsing tools from accurately extracting the text. The file may look like a standard .docx or .pdf, but the content may be saved as an image embedded in the file, with no text that can be extracted. 

The article below provides guidance you can share with candidates to help avoid this.

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When a CV is heavily stylised or saved incorrectly, the recruiter's application tracking system may be unable to read it — meaning recruiters see missing or incomplete information.

In extreme cases, where no text can be extracted it can put the candidate at a disadvantage in the recruitment process.

These guidelines help candidates avoid that.

Dos for a machine‑readable CV:

• Use a standard file format
  PDF or DOCX both work well provided they contain selectable text.
• Keep the layout simple
  A clear single‑column structure is easiest for parsing.
• Use standard section headings
  Examples: Work Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications, Contact Details.
• Type your content (don’t embed it as an image)
  Make sure all text can be highlighted and copied.
• Use common fonts
  Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Verdana.
• Save at a normal resolution
  Extremely high‑resolution PDFs sometimes behave like images.
• Place contact details at the top
  Name, email, phone in plain text.
• Use consistent date formats
  e.g. “Jan 2022 – Present”.
• Check before uploading
  Try selecting text or searching for a word in the file to confirm it’s machine‑readable.

Don’ts (things that break or confuse parsers)

• Don’t upload a scanned CV or photo of a CV
  These are usually treated as images; no text can be extracted.
• Don’t save your CV as an image‑only PDF
  Some design tools export PDFs with no underlying text layer.
• Don’t use tables, text boxes, or multi‑column layouts
  Parsers may read columns in the wrong order.
• Don’t use overly decorative templates
  Heavy shapes, icons, graphics, or complex formatting can hide text.
• Don’t rely on icons to convey information
  e.g. a phone icon with no actual phone number.
• Don’t put key information in headers or footers
  Some parsers ignore these sections entirely.
• Don’t use unusual fonts or character sets
  They may not convert correctly when processed.
• Don’t lock or password‑protect the file
  The system may not be able to open or read it.

How candidates can quickly test their CV

• Try copying a paragraph into Notepad — if nothing appears, it’s an image.
• Use your browser’s PDF viewer and press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F) to search for a word.
• Zoom in: if the text pixelates like a photo, it’s image‑based.