TL;DR. A generic ATS CV scores 55-70/100; calibrated per industry it scores 80-95. Tech values exact stack, quantified impact (users, scale, revenue) and seniority signals (Staff, Principal). Finance weighs target school, M&A/IB internships, certifications (CFA, AMF) and Excel/modeling mastery. Consulting scores top schools, solved real cases, MECE/framework methodologies and client track record. A CV calibrated for Google would be filtered at McKinsey — and vice versa.
You can follow every generic ATS CV rule — single column, clean font, text PDF — and still get filtered if your content doesn't speak the language of the target industry.
Every sector has its own ATS scoring grid: its mandatory keywords, expected title format, prioritized signals. A CV calibrated for Google would be a disaster for a McKinsey application. And vice versa.
This guide details the 3 most codified sectors — tech, finance, consulting — with 2025 data, target schools and weighted signals. Sources cited throughout.
A generic ATS CV scores between 55 and 70/100. An industry-calibrated ATS CV scores between 80 and 95. The gap = all the jobs where your CV passes vs. where it gets filtered. Jobscan 2025 confirms that exact title match multiplies the interview rate by 10.6 — and that match is industry-dependent.
Tech: exhaustive stack, quantified impact, precise verbs
Tech companies (Google, Meta, Stripe, Datadog, Doctolib, Qonto, Alan, Pennylane) mainly use Greenhouse and Workday. Each weighs differently:
- Workday (lots of Big Tech: Microsoft, Google intermittently) values the skills taxonomy and career progression (Huntr 2026 ATS Guide). A Staff Engineer is unambiguously detected as senior; a fuzzy Engineer is under-classed.
- Greenhouse (dominant in FR and US scale-ups) is more tolerant on formatting but embeds third-party AI scorers configurable per employer. Culture fit signal is added on top of the technical.
Specific FAANG signals (Google vs. Meta vs. Amazon)
The Tech Interview Handbook and IGotAnOffer — FAANG Resume Examples document explicit grids:
Google weighs scale: "large-scale systems experience is a significant differentiator for Google. If you've worked on infrastructure serving millions of users, quantify that scope explicitly" (DesignGurus 2025).
Meta weighs velocity and product impact: "fast iteration, experimentation, growth impact, ranking systems, developer velocity, or work that improved user engagement" (IGotAnOffer 2025).
Tech keywords to include (2026)
For a Software Engineer or Full-Stack Developer posting, the parser looks for:
- Languages: Python, TypeScript, Go, Java, Rust, Kotlin, Swift — exact names, not "JS" for JavaScript, not "TS" for TypeScript
- Frameworks: React.js (not just "React"), Next.js, Node.js, FastAPI, Django, Spring Boot, NestJS — major version sometimes required (e.g., "Next.js 15", "React 19")
- Cloud / Infra: AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes ("k8s" as a complement), Docker, Terraform, GitHub Actions, CI/CD
- Databases: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch, BigQuery, Snowflake
- Practices: TDD, code review, Agile/Scrum, monorepo, microservices, event-driven, service mesh
Write React.js AND React on your CV — same principle for Node.js/Node, TypeScript/TS, Kubernetes/k8s. The ATS sometimes looks for one, sometimes the other depending on recruiter config. Double-mention in the skills line + in experience context.
Tech experience format — verbs + numbers + stack
The pattern that matches best:
Senior Software Engineer — Stripe — Paris, Jan. 2022 — Mar. 2025
- Architected migration from monolithic Django to microservices on GCP (Kubernetes, Pub/Sub). Reduced p99 latency by 40%, improved deploy cadence from weekly to 10× daily.
- Led 6-person squad on payment flow rewrite in Go. $12M revenue impact on checkout funnel.
- Built internal TypeScript framework adopted across 4 teams. Open-sourced at github.com/user/project — 1.2k stars.
What matches: standardized title + known tech brand + named stack + quantified metrics + seniority signals ("Led", "Architected").
Tech-specific mistakes to avoid
- Star icons for skills — "React ★★★★☆" = unreadable by the ATS. Replace with "React.js, Next.js, TypeScript (5+ years)"
- Circular skill diagrams — 0% parsed
- Fuzzy title "Engineer" — use Software Engineer or Full-Stack Developer explicitly
- GitHub hidden in the sidebar — put the link in the main contact section
👉 Test your tech CV against a senior dev posting and spot the missing stack keywords.
Finance: target school, quantified deals, certifications as strong signal
Parisian investment banks (BNP Paribas CIB, Société Générale CIB, Natixis, Rothschild, Lazard, Messier & Associés) and asset managers (Amundi, Axa IM, Tikehau, Ardian) weigh on a very clear hierarchy. Data published by Vendôme Associés (BFI search firm) confirms that juniors with a first experience (VIE 18-24 months, TS audit at Big 4, M&A, strategy, or from the Inspection Générale des Finances) are considered seriously — the rest rarely clear the filter.
The 2025 context in France
On the junior side, Bpifrance launches its intern/apprentice hiring campaign mid-February each year for Bac+4/5 profiles (Business schools, Engineering schools, Universities). Opportunities include Private Equity, Banking Network, Innovation.
On the manager side, the APEC 2025 Hiring Practices study shows that 54% of companies faced recruiting difficulties for managers in 2024 — a tight market where a well-optimized CV rises fast.
Finance keywords to include on the CV
For an M&A Analyst, Equity Research, Sales & Trading or Private Equity posting:
- Deal types: M&A, LBO, IPO, ECM, DCM, Restructuring, Refinancing, Carve-out
- Products: Equity, Fixed Income, FX, Commodities, Derivatives, Options, Futures, Swaps
- Analysis: DCF, LBO model, trading comparables, precedent transactions, WACC, EV/EBITDA multiples
- Tools: Excel (advanced, VBA), Bloomberg, Capital IQ, FactSet, Refinitiv Eikon, PitchBook, Mergermarket
- Deliverables: Deal sheet, modeling test, pitchbook, IC memo, teaser, CIM, due diligence
Finance experience format — deals + volumes + role
The winning pattern (strict one page for profiles up to 5 years of experience, IB standard):
Summer Analyst — Goldman Sachs (Investment Banking Division) — London, Jun. 2024 — Aug. 2024
- Worked on 3 live M&A deals in TMT sector, combined enterprise value €4.2 Bn.
- Built LBO model for carve-out of a SaaS division (€750 M EV), sensitized WACC and exit multiples scenarios for IC.
- Contributed to pitchbook materials for CEO of a CAC40 target; selected analyst to present in dry-run.
What matches: known IB brand + deal numbers (EV in M€/Bn€) + domain verbs (Built LBO, Contributed pitchbook) + sector (TMT, Healthcare, Consumer).
- ✓Advanced Excel (everyone writes it, low weighting)
- ✓Internship at a retail bank without desk mention
- ✓Good English level (expected, not differentiating)
- ✓Vague 'financial modeling' mention
- ✓Non-target school without compensation (certif, atypical dual-cursus)
- ✗IBD / S&T / PE desk internship with quantified volumes and precise sector
- ✗CFA Level II+ or in progress (signal of technical seriousness)
- ✗Mention of specific tools (Bloomberg, Capital IQ, FactSet)
- ✗Dual-cursus business school + engineering / law
- ✗Business languages (German, Mandarin) for EMEA/APAC desks
Finance-specific ATS mistakes
- The 2-page CV for an internship — IB standard is strict 1 page until 5 years of experience. ATS and recruiter penalize overly long CVs for juniors
- Numbers without currency — writing "500M deal" instead of "€500 M deal" is a red flag in Europe
- Education buried at the bottom — in finance, education goes at the top or in 2nd position (after experience if > 3 years)
- No ranking / major — mention your rank (Top 5%, Class Valedictorian) if relevant
👉 Analyze your finance CV against a real IB/PE posting. For interview prep, finance interview simulation trains you on brainteasers, DCF/LBO technicals and IB fit.
Consulting: measured impact, action verbs, extra-curricular leadership
MBB firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain), Big 4 Strategy (Deloitte Monitor, KPMG Strategy, EY-Parthenon, Strategy& / PwC), FR/EU firms (Oliver Wyman, Roland Berger, LEK, Kearney, Simon-Kucher, Eleven Strategy) score on 3 very precise axes. CaseCoach's analysis of MBB France candidates is blunt:
In other words: school is a near-binary pre-filter in France for pre-experience profiles. If you're not there, compensate with experience (2+ years audit TS, strategy, BFI) or with a notable atypical path.
The 6 signals weighted by MBB recruiters
The 6 skills sought on every MBB CV (CaseCoach France 2025):
Consulting keywords to include on the CV
For a Consultant, Associate, Strategy Analyst posting:
- Mandatory action verbs: Led, Structured, Analyzed, Delivered, Recommended, Designed, Framed, Synthesized, Drove, Orchestrated
- Consulting deliverables: deck, executive summary, market sizing, business case, due diligence, diagnostic, roadmap, operating model, KPI framework, scorecard, steerco
- Transverse competencies: problem-solving, hypothesis-driven, MECE, top-down thinking, storytelling, client management, C-level exposure
- BCG Paris practices: the Paris office mobilizes Digital Ventures, Gamma, Platinion on tech/AI/ops missions — mention these disciplines if you have matching projects
Consulting experience format — condensed STAR
Summer Associate — BCG (Paris) — Jun. 2024 — Sep. 2024
- Led workstream on pricing strategy for a CAC40 insurer. Structured analysis on 3 markets (FR, IT, ES), interviewed 12 internal stakeholders, identified €80 M annual revenue upside. Recommendation adopted by CEO, rollout Q4 2024.
- Built market-sizing model for a client considering entry into the e-scooter market. Delivered 40-slide deck synthesizing 150+ data sources.
What matches: strong action verb (Led, Built) + structure (3 markets, 12 stakeholders) + impact number (€80 M) + deliverable (40-slide deck) + adoption (Recommendation adopted by CEO).
👉 Test your consulting CV against a real MBB posting. For prep, consulting interview simulation cycles you through market-sizing, profit improvement, M&A cases — BCG Paris-style.
The recap table — 3 jobs, 3 ATS grids
Adapt your CV in 3 minutes before each application
Same method for the 3 sectors, but with a different keyword dictionary:
- Open the job posting — highlight 8 hard skills + 3 recurring verbs + 2 mentioned deliverables
- Compare with your CV — how many of these terms already appear there textually, in the context of an experience?
- Adjust — integrate the 3-4 missing terms in a relevant experience (never in a dry list at the bottom)
- Test — run an ATS analysis to check the score against the exact posting
It's not your background holding you back. It's the lexical distance between your CV and the posting. Two similar profiles can score 45 vs. 85 just on word choice. The ATS rewards precision — and precision is industry-dependent.
FAQ — industry-specific ATS CVs
Same CV for tech, finance and consulting — realistic?
No. Each industry has its own vocabulary, format, weighted signals. You need a base CV and 3 calibrated versions — 15 min of rewriting per application saves weeks of rejections.
I don't come from a target school in finance or consulting — am I out?
Not automatically. A solid experience (Big 4 TS audit 2+ years, strategy at a client, IGF) or an atypical dual-cursus (business school + engineering, law + CFA) compensates. But realistic: the filter is tighter for pre-experience profiles without a target school.
In tech, do you really have to repeat "React" and "React.js"?
Yes. Recruiter configs vary. One posting is indexed on "React", another on "React.js". Double-mentioning once in skills + once in context costs nothing and covers both cases.
Is a 2-page CV forbidden in finance?
Strict standard in IB / PE / AM for profiles < 5 years: 1 page. Beyond, 2 pages accepted if each experience really brings weight. For junior, force 1 page.
How many numbers to put in a consulting CV?
At least 1 quantified metric per experience (impact €, structure, volume handled). It's the MBB #1 signal on "analytical" — without numbers, analytical = 0.
Are certifs (CFA, AWS, Scrum) really a strong signal?
In finance: yes (CFA Level II/III = +30% selection rate according to CFA Institute). In tech: strong signal on cloud (AWS Certified, GCP Professional), weak on agile (Scrum Master = table stakes). In consulting: non-critical, extra-curricular leadership weighs more.
6 takeaways to remember
- A generic ATS CV scores 55-70/100; industry-calibrated it scores 80-95 — the gap is your word choice, not your background
- Tech weighs stack + quantified impact + seniority — not your degree, not your hobbies
- Finance sorts first on school + certif + quantified deal — the 1-page standard is strict until 5 years of experience
- Consulting sorts first on school + action verbs + extra-curricular leadership — every experience needs an impact number
- Exact title match multiplies the interview rate by 10.6 (Jobscan 2025) — use the exact job title from the posting
- 3-min method before each application: 8 hard skills + 3 verbs + 2 deliverables from the posting → find-and-adjust on your CV → ATS test
