PassTheBotThe PassTheBot blog
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Straight, tested advice on applicant tracking systems, tailoring your CV, and landing more interviews — written by the people who built the scanner.
How to Beat an ATS in 2026 (Without Keyword Stuffing)
The applicant tracking system reads your CV before any human does. Here is exactly what it looks for, and how to match it without turning your resume into a keyword salad.
How to Find the Right Resume Keywords in Any Job Description
Not every word in a job ad is a keyword. Here is how to pull the ones that actually get scored, where to place them, and how many to use.
Tailor Your CV to Every Job — Without Rewriting It Each Time
Tailoring works, but rewriting your whole CV per application doesn't scale. Here is the surgical version that takes ten minutes and moves the needle.
Why Your CV Gets Rejected in Seconds — and How to Fix It
Most rejections aren't about your experience. They're about parsing, matching and readability failures you can fix in an afternoon.
Do Cover Letters Still Matter in 2026? A Straight Answer
Cover letters aren't dead, but the rules changed. Here's when they count, when they don't, and how to write one in fifteen minutes.
How to Explain an Employment Gap on Your CV
A gap is not the problem people fear it is. Here's where to address it, what to say, and exact lines for the common cases.
How Long Should Your CV Be? The Honest Answer
One page or two? The real rule isn't about length — it's about relevance. Here's how to decide, and how to cut a CV down without losing what matters.
ATS-Friendly Resume Format: What to Use and What Breaks It
The design choices that quietly get your CV rejected — columns, headers, tables, graphics — and the plain format that parses cleanly every time.
How to Write a Resume Summary That Gets Read (With Examples)
The two or three lines at the top of your CV do more work than any other. Here's a formula for writing them, with before-and-after examples.
How to List Skills on Your CV So the ATS Counts Them
A wall of thirty comma-separated skills helps no one. Here's how to choose, place and prove the skills that actually get scored.
How to Follow Up on a Job Application Without Being Annoying
When to follow up, who to contact, and exactly what to say — short templates included — so you stay on the radar without becoming a nuisance.