Your Cv’s First Conquest? The Robot Gatekeeper

Pathetic Voyage: The Art of Flirting with a Robot Before Convincing a Human

 

Ever heard of ATS? Before even thinking of charming a recruiter, that’s who you need to please.

Because, yes - 75 to 90% of CVs end up tossed aside, filtered out by this algorithmic gatekeeper long before they hit the “human” pile. We’re constantly told to bring authenticity, values, and humanity to our applications, but make no mistake: it’s AI doing the sorting.

Debuting in the ’90s as a tool to scan and store CVs, the Applicant Tracking System has evolved into a near-recruiter itself: sorting, analyzing, filtering, and even running interviews where you’re left alone on camera as every move and word is scrutinized.

 

What started as a noble idea now comes with a bitter taste, all under the guise of AI. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or even right—what matters is that it’s “modern.”

 

The result? A booming market of services promising “ATS-friendly” CVs. The goal isn’t to showcase who you are but to slip past the filter. Creepy, right? A true game of deception: those who know the tricks get through, and the rest—no matter their talent or character—get left behind.

Here’s a quick rundown of recent tips:

    •    Read the job description carefully: Pick out keywords and sprinkle them into your CV. Basically, you’re in luck if you already do this exact job. No growth, just stagnation.

    •    Use Word, not Canva: Word formats are easier for ATS to process. So much for modern creativity…

    •    Summary section at the top: Where you might express yourself, you’re advised to insert a few well-placed keywords. It becomes a paragraph for robots instead of a glimpse into who you are.

    •    Experience: Use action verbs and mirror the job posting language. “Led” instead of “responsible for” to give off superhero vibes. #authenticity

    •    Skills: Only include those requested. Don’t talk about where you excel, but where you meet their exact needs. It’s not about you, but a formatted profile.

 

And for the 'pièce de résistance':

    •    Optional sections: If you have space, toss in a few extra keywords under personal projects, extracurriculars, or additional coursework. Your volunteer work or artistic hobbies can add something—as long as it’s minimal.

 

This is what recruitment looks like today: a battle to outsmart the machine before even reaching a human. Writing a CV has become more about the right keywords than genuine abilities.

But what if this wasn’t just a game of trickery? Candidates and companies play this “lose-lose” game, conforming more and more. Want to show who you really are? With fairception, your real skills and enriched profile speak for themselves—and if by some miracle a company’s looking for a real human, they’ll appreciate finding yours.

So, let’s change the rules. Let’s bring the “human” back to HR.