Resources

CV guide & template

This CV format is the gold standard for ATS-friendly CVs. Learn exactly what goes in each section, download the template, and build a CV that passes international screening systems.

ATS-optimised formatPortfolio URL in the headerReal examples for Botswana graduatesFree downloadable template

What is ATS and why does it matter?

ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. It's software that companies use to automatically screen CVs before a human ever reads them. When you apply to a job online, your CV is usually scanned by ATS first - it extracts your contact details, reads your experience, and scores your CV against the job description keywords.

If your CV score is below a threshold, it gets rejected automatically. Most candidates never find out. This CV format is specifically designed to be parsed correctly by ATS systems - single column, no tables, no images, clean section headings, and keyword-rich content.

Important for Botswana graduates specifically:

International companies using ATS have never heard of BAC, BIUST, or UB. Your institution name means nothing to the system - but keywords like "React", "Python", "SQL", and "remote" do. Your CV must be written for the system, not just for the human reader.

Format rules - non-negotiable

These apply before you write a single word of content.

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Single column layout only

Multi-column CVs confuse ATS parsers - text jumps between columns in the wrong order

✓

No tables, text boxes, or headers/footers

ATS software often cannot read inside tables or text boxes, and completely misses headers and footers

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Save as PDF, name it Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf

PDFs preserve formatting. The filename appears in the recruiter's downloads folder - make it identifiable

✓

Margins: 1 inch (2.54cm) all sides

Standard margins are expected. Narrow margins look desperate; wide margins waste space

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Font: Arial, Calibri, or Georgia - 11pt body, 14pt name

Common fonts are guaranteed to render correctly everywhere. Decorative fonts often substitute incorrectly

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No photos, no colors, no icons

ATS systems don't process images. Colors and icons add file complexity without adding content

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Maximum 2 pages for graduates

1 page if under 2 years experience, 2 pages if more. Never pad to fill space

Header

ATS: Critical

Why ATS cares about this section

ATS systems read the header to extract contact details. A portfolio URL in the header gets parsed as a clickable link - employers can open your work before they read your experience. Without it in the header, many employers never find it.

→Full name at the top in 14-16pt bold - larger than everything else on the page
→City and country only - not your full street address (Gaborone, Botswana)
→Professional email address - firstname.lastname@gmail.com, not nicknames
→Phone with country code: +267 XX XXX XXX
→LinkedIn URL - your custom one (linkedin.com/in/your-name)
→Portfolio URL - your live portfolio (yourname.vercel.app/portfolio/your-name)

✓ Do this

Masego Makati
Gaborone, Botswana · +267 71 234 567
masego.makati@gmail.com · linkedin.com/in/masego-makati
remote-ready-one.vercel.app/portfolio/masego-makati

✗ Not this

Name: Masego Makati | Date of birth: 12/03/2000 | Nationality: Motswana | Marital status: Single

Summary

ATS: Critical

Why ATS cares about this section

This is the first thing both the ATS and the recruiter read, and it carries the keywords your CV is scored against. A CV without one loses match points before anyone reads the detail. The second example says nothing a machine can match or a human can verify.

→2-4 lines, directly under your contact details - never longer
→Say what you build, what you have shipped, and what you're looking for
→Mirror the exact wording of the advert - this is where the ATS looks for keywords
→Name your strongest evidence: a live product, a real client, a specific stack
→Never 'hard-working', 'passionate' or 'team player' - those score zero and recruiters skip them
→Rewrite it for every application. It takes two minutes and it is the highest-value edit you can make

✓ Do this

Full-stack developer building production web applications with React, Next.js, Supabase and PostgreSQL. Founder of RemoteReady BW, a live career platform with authentication and row-level security. Completing a BSc in Computer Systems Engineering while shipping for paying clients. Looking for a junior developer role with an international remote team.

✗ Not this

I am a hard-working and passionate individual seeking an opportunity to utilise my skills in a dynamic organisation where I can grow and contribute to the success of the company.

Education

ATS: Important

Why ATS cares about this section

Education should take 3-4 lines maximum. ATS systems look for degree keywords - 'BSc', 'Computer Science', 'Engineering'. Paragraph format makes these harder to parse.

→List most recent education first (reverse chronological order)
→Institution name, degree type, field of study, graduation year on one line
→GPA only if it's above 3.5/4.0 or equivalent - otherwise leave it out
→Include relevant coursework if you have limited work experience
→Don't write 'Bachelor of Science' - write 'BSc' to save space

✓ Do this

Botswana Accountancy College | BSc Computer Systems Engineering | Expected 2029
Relevant coursework: Data Structures, Database Systems, Web Development, Networks

✗ Not this

I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Systems Engineering at the Botswana Accountancy College in Gaborone, where I am expected to graduate in the year 2029.

Projects

ATS: Critical

Why ATS cares about this section

For a graduate with no professional experience this is your most important section, which is why it sits above Experience. A live URL an employer can open right now is worth more than three paragraphs describing what you built. Stating the challenge and the impact is what separates you from someone who followed a tutorial.

→Put this ABOVE Experience while your work history is thin - projects are evidence, a skills list is only a claim
→Project name (bold), live URL, and GitHub link on one line
→First bullet: what it does and who it's for
→Second bullet: the specific technologies you used
→Third bullet: the technical challenge AND its measurable impact - this is the one that matters
→Always include a live URL an employer can click right now
→Only include projects you can explain confidently in an interview - never tutorial follow-alongs

✓ Do this

RemoteReady BW · remotereadybw.com · github.com/you/remotereadybw
• Career prep and talent platform connecting Botswana tech graduates with global remote employers
• Built with Next.js, Supabase, PostgreSQL and Tailwind CSS, deployed on Vercel
• Challenge: designing row-level security so graduates reach only their own data while employers browse public profiles. Impact: removed an entire class of data-exposure bug at the database layer

✗ Not this

I built a website for a school project using HTML and CSS. It was a group project where I contributed to the design and some of the coding.

Experience

ATS: Critical

Why ATS cares about this section

Experience is the most ATS-scanned section. Bullet points with action verbs and numbers match the patterns ATS systems look for. Paragraphs and personal pronouns reduce your match score.

→Job title, Company name, Month/Year - Month/Year on one line
→2-3 bullet points per role - never paragraphs
→Every bullet starts with a past-tense action verb (Built, Led, Designed, Reduced, Increased)
→At least one bullet per role must include a number or measurable result
→No personal pronouns - not 'I built' but 'Built'
→Internships, freelance work, part-time jobs, volunteering and your own venture all count
→Once you have two or more years of real work, move this section ABOVE Projects

✓ Do this

Founder & Full-Stack Developer | RemoteReady BW | Jan 2026 - Present
• Built a full-stack career prep platform using Next.js 15, Supabase, and Tailwind CSS
• Implemented authentication, RLS policies, and a 3-track prep system for 50+ users
• Reduced initial page load time by 40% through server-side rendering optimisation

✗ Not this

I worked on a website project where I was responsible for coding and helping with various tasks related to the development of the platform.

Skills

ATS: Critical

Why ATS cares about this section

ATS systems score your CV by counting keyword matches between your skills and the job description. 'Communication' is never a keyword in a tech job description. 'React' and 'PostgreSQL' always are.

→List specific tools, languages, and frameworks - not soft skills
→Group by category: Languages, Frameworks, Tools, Databases
→Match the exact keywords used in the job descriptions you're applying to
→Only list skills you can speak to confidently in an interview
→Don't rate your skills (no 'Python ★★★☆☆') - it adds no value

✓ Do this

Languages: JavaScript, Python, SQL, HTML, CSS
Frameworks: React, Next.js, Node.js
Tools: Git, Figma, Supabase, Vercel
Databases: PostgreSQL, SQLite

✗ Not this

Skills: Communication, Teamwork, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Fast Learner, Attention to Detail

Certifications

ATS: Optional

Why ATS cares about this section

A real certification is independent proof someone else assessed your skill, which matters when your work history is short. But a half-finished course is not a certification, and listing one invites a question you can't answer well in an interview.

→Optional - leave the section out entirely if you have none
→An empty heading reads as a gap, which is worse than not having the section
→Certification name and the year you earned it
→Genuine certifications only: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Cisco, Oracle, Meta, freeCodeCamp
→Don't list courses you started but never finished

✓ Do this

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner · 2026
Meta Front-End Developer Professional Certificate · 2026

✗ Not this

Certifications: Currently doing a Python course on YouTube, started AWS training, various online tutorials completed

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