The ATS-Ready Job Kit
Nov 13, 2026 · @ofodile
CV and cover letter templates you fill in, built to pass applicant tracking systems and read well to the person who opens the file next.
Start here
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that reads your CV, files its text into fields, and ranks you against the job ad before a person looks at it. If the software can't read your file, or can't find the words the job asks for, you may never be seen.
This kit gives you two things: a CV you fill in line by line, and a cover letter you fill in paragraph by paragraph. Every template uses plain layout and standard headings so the software reads it correctly.
How to use this book
Read the 12 rules in the next section (5 minutes).
Fill in the CV template in Part 1, copying real facts from your own history.
Run the keyword worksheet against the job ad you want.
Write the cover letter in Part 2, using the variant that fits you.
Send both using the checklist in Part 3.
How the prompts work
[BRACKETS] mean replace this with your own information.
Lines starting with Prompt: are questions to answer for yourself before you write.
Text in italics under a template is guidance. Delete it from your final file.
Never invent numbers or titles. Use real facts, and round honestly if you must estimate (for example, "about 40 customers a day").
The 12 ATS rules
Follow all twelve. Each one prevents a specific parsing failure.
☐ 1. One column only. Columns and text boxes can scramble reading order, so a job title ends up next to the wrong employer.
☐ 2. Standard section headings. Use "Professional Summary", "Work Experience", "Education", "Skills", "Certifications". Creative headings like "My Journey" are often missed.
☐ 3. Plain fonts, 10 to 12 pt. Arial, Calibri, Garamond or Times New Roman. Headings can go up to 14 pt.
☐ 4. No tables, graphics, icons or photos. Parsers skip or garble them. Skill bars and star ratings carry no readable text.
☐ 5. Contact details in the body, not the header or footer. Many systems ignore headers and footers.
☐ 6. Standard bullets only. Use a simple round bullet or a hyphen.
☐ 7. Dates in one format. Write "Mar 2023 – Present" or "03/2023 – Present" everywhere, not a mix.
☐ 8. Spell out, then abbreviate. Write "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)" once. The system may search for either form.
☐ 9. Mirror the job ad's exact wording. If the ad says "customer success", don't write only "client care".
☐ 10. Put the job title and employer on separate, clear lines. Job title, company, city, dates, in that order, every time.
☐ 11. Save as .docx or text-based PDF, as the application asks. If it doesn't say, use .docx. A scanned or image-only PDF is unreadable.
☐ 12. Length: one page for under 10 years of experience, two pages at most for more. Give the strongest content the top half of page one.
Tick each box as you check your finished CV against it.
Part 1: The CV template
Copy everything inside the code block into a blank Word or Google Docs file, then replace each [BRACKET]. Delete the guidance lines before saving.
[FULL NAME]
[City, Country] | [Phone with country code] | [Email] | [LinkedIn URL or portfolio URL]

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
[JOB TITLE YOU WANT] with [X] years of experience in [FIELD / INDUSTRY]. Skilled in [SKILL 1], [SKILL 2] and [SKILL 3]. Known for [ONE RESULT, e.g. cutting costs by 15%, growing sales to 120 accounts]. Seeking to [WHAT YOU WILL DO FOR THE EMPLOYER].

CORE SKILLS
[Skill 1] | [Skill 2] | [Skill 3] | [Skill 4] | [Skill 5] | [Skill 6] | [Skill 7] | [Skill 8]

WORK EXPERIENCE
[JOB TITLE]
[Company Name], [City, Country]
[Mon YYYY] – [Mon YYYY or Present]

  • [Action verb] [what you did] by [how], resulting in [measurable result].
  • [Action verb] [what you did] for [who], which [outcome].
  • [Action verb] [what you did] using [tool or method], [outcome].
  • [Action verb] [scope: team size, budget, volume], [outcome].

[PREVIOUS JOB TITLE]
[Company Name], [City, Country]
[Mon YYYY] – [Mon YYYY]

  • [Bullet 1]
  • [Bullet 2]
  • [Bullet 3]

EDUCATION
[Degree or Qualification], [Field of Study]
[Institution Name], [City, Country] | [Year of graduation]

CERTIFICATIONS
[Certification name], [Issuing body], [Year]

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (optional)
Languages: [Language (level)], [Language (level)]
Tools: [Software or equipment you use]
Prompts for each section
Contact line
Prompt: Is my email professional (a name, not a nickname)? Does my phone number include the country code?
Use a LinkedIn link only if the profile is complete and matches this CV.
Professional summary (3 to 4 lines)
Prompt: What exact job title is the ad asking for? Put that title in the first words.
Prompt: What is my single best, provable result?
Prompt: What does this employer need that I can do?
Avoid "hard-working team player". Show it through results instead.
Core skills (6 to 10 items)
Prompt: Which skills in the job ad do I genuinely have? List those first, using the ad's wording.
Include both hard skills (software, methods, equipment) and the one or two soft skills the ad stresses.
Work experience
List jobs newest first. Aim for 3 to 5 bullets for recent roles, 1 to 3 for older ones.
Prompt: For each job, what did I do, how well, and for whom?
Cover the last 10 to 15 years. Older roles can go in one line with no bullets.
Gaps in work history? Add a line such as "Career break: caring for family, [YYYY–YYYY]" or list the course, freelance work or volunteering you did.
Education
If you graduated more than 10 years ago, drop the grades. If you are a recent graduate, move Education above Work Experience and add "Relevant coursework" and any final-year project.
Certifications
List only those relevant to the role, with the issuing body spelled out.
Writing strong bullets
A good bullet shows what you did, how, and what changed. Use one of these formulas, then fill in the blanks.
Formula
Fill-in-the-blank
Action + task + result
[Action verb] [task] by [method], achieving [result with number].
Problem + action + result
Fixed [problem] by [action], which [result].
Scope + action + result
Managed [number of people / accounts / budget / items], [action], leading to [result].
Tool + action + result
Used [tool or software] to [action], saving [time or money] each [week / month].

Prompts to find your numbers
How many people, customers, orders, patients, students or accounts did I handle per day, week or month?
How much time, money or error did I save, even roughly?
Did I get promoted, praised, trained others or win an award?
Did I hit or beat a target? By how much?
How big was the budget, team or project?
Before and after
Weak
Strong
Responsible for customer service
Resolved 40+ customer enquiries daily by phone and email, keeping satisfaction at 94%.
Helped with social media
Grew Instagram following from 1,200 to 4,800 in 8 months with a 3-post weekly schedule.
Did bookkeeping
Reconciled accounts for 25 clients monthly, cutting filing errors by 30%.
Worked in a team of teachers
Taught 35 students in Grade 6 Maths; raised class pass rate from 62% to 81%.
Handled cash and stock
Managed daily cash of up to ₦500,000 and stock counts for 300+ items with zero shortfalls over 12 months.

These examples are samples only. Replace them with your own true facts and figures.
Action verbs by purpose
Purpose
Verbs
Leading
Led, Directed, Supervised, Coordinated, Mentored
Improving
Improved, Streamlined, Reduced, Increased, Upgraded
Creating
Designed, Developed, Launched, Built, Established
Analysing
Analysed, Audited, Forecasted, Evaluated, Tracked
Serving
Resolved, Supported, Advised, Trained, Negotiated
Delivering
Delivered, Processed, Managed, Maintained, Completed

Bullet checklist
☐ Starts with an action verb, in the past tense for old jobs and present tense for the current job
☐ Contains a number, a size or a named outcome
☐ Fits on one or two lines
☐ Uses words from the job ad where they are true
☐ Makes no claim you couldn't explain in an interview
Keyword worksheet
ATS software scores you on how closely your CV matches the ad. Do this for every application; it takes about 10 minutes.
Step 1. Copy the job ad into a blank page and mark the repeated words. Pick out the job title, tools, qualifications, and any skill or duty that appears two or more times.
Step 2. Fill in the table below.
Keyword from the ad
Do I truly have it? (Yes / Partly / No)
Where it goes on my CV
[Job title in the ad]
[Yes / Partly / No]
[Summary, first line]
[Tool or software 1]
[Yes / Partly / No]
[Skills and a bullet]
[Tool or software 2]
[Yes / Partly / No]
[Skills and a bullet]
[Skill or duty 1]
[Yes / Partly / No]
[Bullet under job X]
[Skill or duty 2]
[Yes / Partly / No]
[Bullet under job X]
[Qualification or certification]
[Yes / Partly / No]
[Education or Certifications]
[Industry term]
[Yes / Partly / No]
[Summary]

Step 3. Place the "Yes" and "Partly" keywords. Each one should appear at least once, in the ad's own wording, in your Summary, Core Skills or a bullet. Use the full term and its abbreviation once each if both are common.
Step 4. Leave out the "No" keywords. Never list a skill you don't have. If it's a gap you can close, add it to a "currently learning" line only if that is true.
Prompts
Prompt: Does my summary's first sentence contain the exact job title from the ad?
Prompt: Does every must-have in the ad appear somewhere in my CV?
Prompt: Have I stuffed in a keyword without evidence? If a keyword isn't backed by a bullet or job, cut it.
Part 2: The cover letter template
A cover letter runs 250 to 350 words, in four short paragraphs. Its job is to say why this role, why you, and what happens next. Many ATS systems also scan it, so reuse the ad's key terms.
[FULL NAME]
[City, Country] | [Phone] | [Email] | [LinkedIn URL]

[Date]

[Hiring Manager's Name, or "Hiring Team"]
[Company Name]
[Company City, Country]

Re: Application for JOB TITLE

Dear [Mr / Ms / Dr Surname, or Hiring Manager],

PARAGRAPH 1: THE HOOK
I am applying for the [JOB TITLE] position at [COMPANY], which I found on [WHERE YOU SAW IT]. With [X] years in [FIELD] and a record of [YOUR BEST RESULT], I can help [COMPANY] [THEIR GOAL OR NEED].

PARAGRAPH 2: YOUR PROOF
In my current role as [YOUR TITLE] at [YOUR EMPLOYER], I [ACTION + RESULT matching their top requirement]. I also [ACTION + RESULT matching their second requirement], using [TOOL OR METHOD from the ad]. These experiences prepared me to [WHAT YOU WILL DO IN THE NEW ROLE].

PARAGRAPH 3: WHY THEM
I am drawn to [COMPANY] because [ONE SPECIFIC REASON: a product, value, project, news item or mission]. I share your focus on [THEIR VALUE OR PRIORITY], and I would bring [YOUR QUALITY, backed by a one-line example].

PARAGRAPH 4: THE CLOSE
I would welcome the chance to discuss how my experience in [AREA] can support [COMPANY]'s [GOAL]. I am available for an interview at your convenience and can be reached on [PHONE] or [EMAIL]. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,
[FULL NAME]
Prompts for each paragraph
Paragraph 1: the hook (2 to 3 sentences)
Prompt: What is the exact job title and where did I see it?
Prompt: What one result in my past would make this employer say "we need that"?
Skip "I am writing to apply for". Start with your value.
Paragraph 2: your proof (3 to 4 sentences)
Prompt: What are the top two requirements in the ad?
Prompt: For each, what did I do and what changed because of it?
Don't repeat your CV line by line. Pick the two stories that best match the ad.
Paragraph 3: why them (2 to 3 sentences)
Prompt: What have I read about this company (website, news, product, values)?
Prompt: Which one detail genuinely interests me, and why?
A generic line like "your esteemed company" signals a mass application.
Paragraph 4: the close (2 to 3 sentences)
Prompt: What is my next step, and how can they reach me?
End with a clear, confident invitation, not an apology.
Greeting and sign-off
Find a name on the company website or LinkedIn. If you can't, use "Dear Hiring Manager".
"Dear [Name]" goes with "Yours sincerely". "Dear Sir or Madam" goes with "Yours faithfully".
Three cover letter variants
Keep the four-paragraph structure. Swap in the paragraph that fits your situation.
Variant A: Career changer
Use when you're moving to a new field. Lead with transferable skills.
Paragraph 1: I am applying for the [JOB TITLE] role at [COMPANY]. After [X] years in [OLD FIELD], I am moving into [NEW FIELD] and bring strengths that carry over directly: [TRANSFERABLE SKILL 1], [TRANSFERABLE SKILL 2] and [TRANSFERABLE SKILL 3].

Paragraph 2: In [OLD ROLE], I [ACTION + RESULT] using [SKILL that the new job needs]. To prepare for this move, I completed [COURSE, CERTIFICATE OR PROJECT] in [NEW FIELD], where I [WHAT YOU PRODUCED OR LEARNED].
Prompt: Which three skills from my old job does this ad also ask for?
Prompt: What have I already done (course, project, volunteer work) to show I'm serious?
Variant B: Recent graduate
Use when you have little or no paid experience. Lead with education, projects and internships.
Paragraph 1: I am a [DEGREE] graduate from INSTITUTION, applying for the [JOB TITLE] position at [COMPANY]. My studies in [FIELD] and my experience in [PROJECT / INTERNSHIP / VOLUNTEER ROLE] have prepared me to contribute to your [TEAM / DEPARTMENT].

Paragraph 2: During my [PROJECT / INTERNSHIP / NYSC SERVICE YEAR], I [ACTION + RESULT]. In my final-year project on [TOPIC], I [WHAT YOU DID AND LEARNED], using [TOOL OR METHOD from the ad]. I also [LEADERSHIP, CLUB, OR PART-TIME WORK EXAMPLE].
Prompt: Which project, internship or service-year duty best matches the ad?
Prompt: What is a measurable result from a class project, society role or part-time job?
Variant C: Experienced professional moving up
Use when you're applying for a senior or managerial role. Lead with scope and leadership.
Paragraph 1: I am applying for the [SENIOR JOB TITLE] role at [COMPANY]. Over [X] years in [FIELD], I have [LED / GROWN / TURNED AROUND] [TEAM, BUDGET OR PROGRAMME], delivering [BIGGEST RESULT].

Paragraph 2: Most recently as [CURRENT TITLE] at [EMPLOYER], I led [NUMBER] people and [RESULT AGAINST A TARGET]. I introduced [PROCESS, SYSTEM OR STRATEGY], which [OUTCOME]. I am ready to bring the same approach to [COMPANY'S PRIORITY].
Prompt: How many people, how much money or how many sites did I lead?
Prompt: What change did I start, and what was the measured outcome?
Part 3: Send it right
File names
CV: FirstName-LastName-CV.docx
Cover letter: FirstName-LastName-Cover-Letter.docx
No spaces-and-brackets clutter like "CV final (2) NEW". Use hyphens, no special characters.
Email text (when you apply by email)
Subject: Application for [JOB TITLE] – [FULL NAME]

Dear [Name / Hiring Manager],

Please find attached my CV and cover letter for the [JOB TITLE] position [Reference number, if any]. I have [X] years of experience in [FIELD] and would welcome the chance to discuss the role.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,
[FULL NAME]
[Phone] | [LinkedIn URL]
Final check before you click send
☐ Name and contact details are the same on the CV, the letter, and the application form
☐ The company name and job title are right in the letter (the most common error is another company's name left in)
☐ All [BRACKETS] and italic guidance lines are gone
☐ Dates are in one format and don't overlap unless true
☐ Spell-check done in the right English (UK or US) for the employer
☐ Pasted the CV into a plain-text editor to test it: if the order and text look right, an ATS can read it
☐ Saved in the format the application asked for
☐ Read it aloud once, and asked someone else to read it too
Keep a master CV
Store one long master CV with every job, project and result you have. For each application, copy it, cut it down to the most relevant content, and apply the keyword worksheet. Your master file is the only one you keep growing.
Common mistakes that get CVs rejected
Sending the same CV to every role
Using a two-column template from a design site
Putting the CV in a header, text box or image
Listing duties instead of results
Leaving out the job title the ad asked for
Adding a photo, age, marital status or religion unless the employer or country's norm specifically asks for it
Quick-reference sheet
Swap these phrases
Cut
Use instead
Responsible for
Managed, Led, Ran, Oversaw
Hard-working team player
[Result achieved with a team]
Helped with
Supported, Contributed to, Delivered
Duties included
[Action verb] + [result]
References available on request
(Leave out. It's assumed.)
I am writing to apply for
I am applying for / I would like to bring [skill] to [role]
Dear Sir/Madam
Dear [Name] or Dear Hiring Manager
Esteemed organisation
[A specific fact about the company]

Section headings the software expects
Use
Avoid
Professional Summary
About Me, Who I Am
Work Experience
My Journey, Career Story
Education
Learning Path
Skills / Core Skills
What I'm Good At
Certifications
Badges, Credentials Earned

One-page action plan
Fill in the CV template with your real facts.
Build your master CV with every job and result.
For each job, run the keyword worksheet and trim a copy.
Write the cover letter with the variant that fits.
Run the final check, then send.
Good luck. Customise every application, keep your facts true, and keep a record of where you applied and when.