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How to Make an ATS-Friendly Resume - Tips for ATS 2024

14 min read · Updated on August 21, 2024

The ATS doesn't have to be the bane of your job-search existence.

We've all been there: you find the perfect job opportunity, customize your resume and cover letter , submit your online application, and then pray it will pass the infamous six-second resume review test. Unfortunately, more often than not, your job application is lost in the applicant tracking system – and you're left wondering why the employer or hiring manager wasn't that into you.

What many job seekers don't realize is that 75% of job applications don't get seen by human eyes. Before your resume reaches the hands of a live person, it must often pass muster with what's known as an applicant tracking system.

What is an applicant tracking system?

An applicant tracking system – or ATS, for short – is a type of resume scanning software used by recruiters and employers during the hiring process to collect, sort, scan, and rank the job applications they receive for open positions.

Why do companies use ATS?

There are some very good reasons why today's companies are so heavily reliant on ATS to narrow their job candidate search. The modern hiring process is more complex than ever before – and not just because there are so many more workers applying for a position. The reality is most companies lack the resources and time needed to search through every resume submission they receive. By using automated systems, they can free up those resources to focus on their core company mission.

But there are also legal compliance issues that need to be considered. Employment law – and especially laws prohibiting various kinds of discrimination in hiring – need to be followed with care. Many employers understand that one of the best ways to reduce potential bias in the initial stages of any hiring process is to allow unbiased machines to handle some of the work.

The bottom line is that ATS resume scanners provide companies with an automated way to narrow any list of candidates to only those who meet the position's posted qualifications. It does that without potential discrimination by ignoring characteristics like race, gender, and age. As a result, companies enjoy savings in both time and cost while optimizing their compliance with existing employment laws.

How do applicant tracking systems work?

The ATS parses a resume's content into categories and then scans it for specific and relevant keywords to determine if the job application should be passed along to the recruiter. Its job is to essentially weed out unqualified applicants so the recruiter can devote his or her time to evaluating the candidates who are more likely to be a match for the position. 

Unfortunately, that means if a resume template is not written and formatted with the applicant tracking system in mind, a qualified candidate can be easily passed over – regardless of actual qualifications.

How to write an ATS resume

To determine what makes an ATS-friendly resume, TopResume analyzed 1,000 resumes from professionals across the US with at least eight years of experience to identify the most common resume mistakes that will cause an applicant tracking system to toss an application. The infographic below highlights some of the costliest mistakes that make a resume incompatible with an ATS scan.

If you want to make sure your resume is compliant with an ATS, follow the tips below to write and use an ATS-optimized resume.

Select the right file type for your resume: PDF vs Word

Contrary to popular belief, a PDF is not the most ATS-friendly file type. While PDF files are the best at preserving the design and format of your resume template, it's not compatible with all ATS software. If you're asked to upload your resume to an applicant tracking system and “PDF” is listed among the file formats you can use, feel free to send a PDF version of your resume. However, if the system does not specify which file types are compatible, play it safe and stick to a Word document in .doc or .docx. 

While plain-text files are incredibly ATS-friendly, they limit your formatting options and can look unprofessional. Since your resume has to get past the ATS and impress a live human, it's best to stick to using a Word document for aesthetics's sake.

Related reading: How to Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes That Make Recruiters Cringe

Don't put important details in the header or footer

Not all applicant tracking systems are able to properly read and parse information stored in the header and footer sections of a Word document. In fact, our study confirmed the ATS was unable to identify a portion of the job seeker's contact information 25% of the time. Avoid this same fate by placing important contact details (such as your name, phone number, and email address) outside the header or footer of your resume. 

Optimize your resume with keywords

One of the best ways to ensure your resume is compatible with an ATS is to optimize your resume with the right keywords (also known as keyword optimization). Unlike a “buzzword,” which is typically considered to be a fluffy term such as “proactive” or “self-starter,” keywords represent the soft skills and hard skills you possess and the expertise you've acquired over the years that qualify you for your target job.

If you're unsure which resume keywords should be used, follow these steps:

Collect three to five job descriptions that represent the type of position you're pursuing

Copy and paste the job description into a free word and phrase frequency tool like Online-Utility.org's Text Analyzer to identify the terms that are regularly used in each

Incorporate those terms into your resume

Don't forget to match up your skills, experience, and education to the qualifications of the roles

When it comes to creating an ATS-optimized resume, you need to think about the frequency, as well as the placement of these relevant keywords throughout your resume. Some applicant tracking systems will determine the strength of your skills based on the number of times a term shows up in your resume (aim to add the term two to three times throughout your resume), whereas others assign an estimated amount of experience for a particular skill based on its placement within the resume. To make your resume truly compatible with any ATS, you'll want to optimize it with both systems in mind.

Create a “Core Competencies” or “Areas of Expertise” section below your resume professional summary that lists your strongest hard skills and soft skills. 

If there's a common abbreviation for one of your proficiencies, such as “SEO” (for search engine optimization), include both versions in your resume. 

Then, pepper these same terms into your “ Work Experience ” or “ Education ” sections, where appropriate, to demonstrate when you leveraged that skill.

Related reading: Why Soft and Hard Skills Are So Important for Your Resume

Some applicant tracking systems will associate the length of experience for a skill based on how long you held the job where that skill was leveraged. For instance, 

If you worked at your past job for five years and you mentioned that you handled SEO for the company, the ATS will assume you have five years' worth of SEO experience from that job. 

If a skill is listed on its own – such as within the professional summary or a core competencies section – then the ATS scan will assign a few months' experience for that skill. 

This is why it's incredibly important to reiterate your skills throughout your entire resume rather than just in a skill section at the top.

Include a resume headline

Make sure your resume also includes a headline . This one-line heading should be located right after your contact information and before your summary statement. Companies that use an ATS to screen resumes will typically include the job title in their ATS assessment criteria. To create an ATS-friendly headline, simply:

Identify the job title you're applying for. It should be in the job posting or job description. For example, let's say that you're applying for a position as a Marketing Director. Those two words are keywords that need to be included in your headline.

Identify other key requirements that you may be able to highlight in your headline. It could be something as simple as a requirement that candidates have at least five years of experience in managing marketing teams. Take note of that job qualification since you may want to incorporate it into your headline, too.

Create a headline that includes the job title and some descriptive language that helps to immediately identify you as a qualified candidate. If you use our example keywords, your headline might look something like this:

Dynamic Marketing Director with over 5 years of experience in client success

Avoid images, charts, and other graphics

While resumes with embedded images may look nice to the human eye, they become a garbled mess after they pass through the applicant tracking system. 

The ATS often converts any type of image or graph into funky characters (e.g., $&%#*)

The ATS could read this as an error on your resume file, indicating the file is corrupt

Your resume could be wholly rejected by the ATS

ATS rejection is one of the number one reasons job seekers get ghosted by companies. 

Stick to simple bullet points

When used appropriately, bullet points are a great method for highlighting accomplishments and qualifications on a resume. However, if you choose an elaborate symbol for your bullets, your important selling points could get scrambled. Avoid using intricate characters when creating a bulleted list on your ATS-compliant resume. Stick to the simplest options, such as a solid circle, open circle, or square, to ensure your bullet points enhance your resume rather than make it incompatible with an ATS.

Use a clean resume design with a clear hierarchy

When it comes to your ATS-friendly resume design, less is more. Not only do complex resume designs or unusual formats confuse most applicant tracking systems, but they also annoy recruiters who are accustomed to quickly scanning a resume for specific information that they expect to find in specific areas within the document.

This means you should avoid those 2-column resume formats. 

Yes, they're pretty. 

No, they won't get past the ATS.

Click on the following link for more tips on how to write a resume that will beat the ATS .

How to create an ATS-friendly resume format

If you want your resume to perform well in an ATS scan , stick to a standard resume format such as a reverse chronological or hybrid resume . These resume formats use a professional summary section at the top of the document to outline your key skills and qualifications and combine it with a chronological “Work History” section that explains how you've leveraged these qualities to produce results for your employers.

Most applicant tracking systems do a better job at reading and interpreting a reverse chronological or hybrid format because they rely on chronological data to parse your resume.

ATS-friendly resume template

Resumes are not like typical prose documents. If your resume is just one long story with different kinds of information spread across one or two pages like an essay, it won't perform well. And, even if it did, no human hiring manager would bother to read it.

Separate your career story into distinct sections to ensure that key details can be found by both the ATS and a hiring manager. This helps provide a structure that makes it easier for machines and humans to quickly scan for the information they want to see. 

Below is a simple structure that you can use to ensure that your resume satisfies the needs of both the ATS and any hiring manager who sees it:

First and Last Name

Location | Phone Number | Email | LinkedIn URL | Portfolio URL (optional)

Resume Headline

A three to five-sentence elevator pitch designed to capture any hiring manager's attention. You can include keywords in this paragraph that highlight your most vital skills, experiences, and measurable achievements that showcase your potential value to the employer. 

Core Competencies

This is where you list the skills that show you're qualified for the position. Depending on the job you're seeking, your skill section may be weighted toward either soft or hard skills – but you should try to include some mix of both. 

Professional Experience

Otherwise known as work experience, this labeled section should include your relevant work history dating back 10-15 years. Start by listing your most recent position and work backward. For each position you've held, include the company name, job title, dates of employment, and up to five bullet point examples that demonstrate your achievements in each role.

Company Name | mm/yyyy-mm/yyyy

Title of your role

Achievement #1

Achievement #2

Achievement #3

This section also needs to be labeled and should include the name of the college you attended, the years of attendance, your course of study and degree, and any relevant coursework that you need to show to demonstrate your qualifications. You can also include listings for certifications, continuing education, and other relevant training.

How to know if your resume is ATS-friendly

There are two easy ways to determine if your resume is compatible with an applicant tracking system during the job search.

Convert your resume to a plain-text file

Copy the entire content from your ATS-friendly resume, paste it into a plain-text document, and review the results. If the plain-text version is missing details from your original resume, has characters saved incorrectly, or looks disorganized (i.e., the heading for your “Education” section appears in the middle of your work experience), then assume your resume will require editing before it's ATS compliant.

Request a free ATS scan for your resume

Your best option is to get a resume writing service to scan your resume. Most, including TopResume, offer this free of charge!

In fact, when you request a free resume review from TopResume, you'll receive feedback on your resume's content, as well as its ATS compatibility. You'll learn the following: 

What your resume is doing well 

Where it's falling short, from both an information and design perspective

What information an ATS will pull from your resume

What information the ATS will misread 

Which top skills and keywords your resume currently rank for

What options are available to you to correct any resume shortcomings to secure more interviews

Related watching: Click on the following link to watch our latest #OfficeHours video on how to write an ATS resume to beat the bots .

The extra effort reaps big rewards

You may be thinking this is a lot of work just to get a job. However, if you consider the rate of success you've been having by throwing your resume at hundreds of job listings to be met with nothing in return, the effort is probably worth it. Ask yourself this, “Do I want to apply to hundreds of positions and hear nothing, or do I want to optimize my resume and apply to a few targeted jobs and actually get an interview?” 

Don't let the ATS stop you from landing your dream job. Get an ATS-proof resume today.

This article was originally written by Amanda Augustine and has been updated by Ken Chase and Marsha Hebert. 

Recommended reading:

How to Customize Your Resume for Each Job Application

5 Signs It's Time to Hire a Professional Resume Writer

Words and Phrases to Remove from Your Resume Right Away

Related Articles:

How to Maximize Your Resume Action Words to Wow the Employer

Applying for Presidency

Resume Spelling and Accent Explained

See how your resume stacks up.

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How to Write an ATS Resume [16+ Templates Included]

Rejection is part of the job search . 

Not everyone gets an interview or job offer. 

Do you know what else is part of the job search, though?

Getting your resume discarded before the recruiter even gets a chance to see it.

To reach the recruiter, in most cases your resume should first pass an Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

And here’s the thing - over 70% of job applications fail to pass ! 

Worry not, though. We’ve got your back!

Getting past applicant tracking systems is not hard. In this guide, we’re going to teach you how to do it:

What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

• How to Create an ATS Resume?
• How to Run an ATS Check on Your Resume?
• 16+ ATS Resume Templates for 2024.

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software employers use to manage the entire application process. 

This system collects, scans and ranks all of the applications.  

At first, ATS was created for bigger companies.

And you can see that in the numbers: 75% of large companies use an ATS because they receive thousands of applications every day.

But today, companies of all sizes (including over 98% of Fortune Companies ) use an ATS.

Why do so many firms use ATS? 

95% of professionals say that ATS has improved their company for two main reasons:

• Using ATS is very productive for companies: The system narrows down the flood of applications, saving them time and resources . Instead of going through stacks of paper, the online system keeps things organized.
• The system is also non-discriminatory , which means it does not look at factors such as age, gender, or race. At the end of the day, machines can’t be biased!

First, the system creates a job posting for the company. 

It then publishes this posting to company websites, job boards, hiring platforms, or email.

Once an application for the job comes in, the system scans it.

The ATS divides the resume into the different resume sections : Work Experience , Education , Skills, Languages, Certifications, etc.

It then searches for specific keywords and qualifications to see whether you match the job description or not. 

Let’s illustrate this with an example:

You are applying for a tax manager position. 

Your resume summary writes: 

“Highly-driven tax manager with 5+ years of financial experience in managing tax returns and affairs. Proven experience of success, employer satisfaction, and strong communication skills.” 

• “Tax manager”
• “5+ years of experience” 
• “Tax returns and affairs”
• “Employer satisfaction”
• “Strong communication skills” 

Then, matches it to their list of requirements: 

• CHECK: tax manager
• CHECK: 5+ years of experience
• CHECK: employer satisfaction
• CHECK: communication skills
• NOT CHECK: Analytical skills
• NOT CHECK: Microsoft Office 

If your resume doesn’t match the basic list of requirements, it’s automatically discarded.

If it does, then it’s ranked by relevance (i.e. the best resume goes on top of the recruiter’s pipeline).

How to Create an ATS Resume (Step-By-Step)

Now that you know how ATS works, we’re going to teach you how to beat it.

Here’s how to create an ATS-friendly resume, step by step:

Are you new to the workforce? You might want to check out our guide on how to make a resume , before learning how to optimize it for ATS!

Step 1: Pick the right resume format. 

The easiest format for an ATS to read is reverse-chronological. This format emphasizes your work experience by putting it on top of the page. 

Then, it sorts your experience from most to least relevant. 

This format is also the most popular among recruiters. In 99.9% of the cases, reverse-chronological is the best layout to go for. 

Step 2: Choose the appropriate file type. 

A PDF file is universal and can be read by (most) ATS, so that should be your go-to.

PDF files are also great for maintaining the design and format of your resume.

Some applicant tracking systems (the old models), however, are unable to read PDF. Before applying for the position, check what job ad says. 

If it explicitly states that you should apply with a Word document, then that might mean that their ATS CAN’T read PDFs, and you should just submit a .doc file.

Step 3: Use an ATS Resume Template

Many applicants get rejected for using resume templates that ATS can’t read. 

Fancy templates you might have spent money on usually get scrambled in the system. 

It’s crucial to pick a tried-and-tested ATS friendly template. 

Novorésumé resume templates are perfect for writing an ATS-friendly resume. 

Our templates are developed hand-in-hand with recruiters and employers to help you create an amazing resume. 

Step 4: Use a simple layout*

*Did you decide to go with a Novorésumé template? You can skip this step, as the templates come with the right formatting. Otherwise, read on!

Choose a common, simple font . Use bigger font sizes for headers and smaller ones for content. 

To highlight your achievements , stick to bulleted lists . 

Remember to choose a simple bulleted point. 

A solid circle or square is your best shot, as any complicated character might be incompatible with an ATS . 

Here’s what a correct entry looks like:

• Full professional proficiency in English and Spanish 
• Limited working proficiency in French 

For more tips and tricks on resume layout , check out our guide.

Step 5: Label your sections right. 

This part seems intuitive but we had to mention it anyway. 

Make sure to list your work experience under “Work Experience”, “Skills” under skills, etc. 

That’s the only way for the ATS to recognize what it is reading. 

Step 6: Tailor your resume with resume keywords. 

Keywords are words or short phrases related to the specific requirements for a job. 

The system scans for these words to find the best candidate. 

Now, we’re going to show you how to tailor your resume with keywords, and pass the screening: 

To find the right keywords, go through the job ad you’re applying for.

There are two types of keywords you should look out for: (1) job-related skills and (2) action verbs.   

Job-related skills are your primary characteristics and qualifications for the job.

e.g.: data analysis, research, problem-solving, etc.

Action verbs show what you have accomplished and succeeded in your job position.

e.g.: created, maximized, solved, etc. 

After you’ve scanned the job posting, make a list of these keywords, and mention them in your resume. 

Keep in mind, though, that you shouldn’t just randomly throw the keywords around. 

Your resume WILL be read by a human after it passes the ATS!

• Don’t use acronyms. Some ATS systems can’t recognize short forms. We recommend to both spell a word out and add the acronym. 

e.g.: Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) 

Now, let’s look at a practical example. 

We are searching for a focused expert on social media to draw and connect with targeted members of online communities and networks.

Responsibilities: 

• Develop and execute social media strategy through competitive analysis, network commitment, benchmarking, communication and audience recognition . 
• Generate, edit, publish and distribute regular content (original text, images, video or HTML) which creates meaningful connections and encourages community members to take action.
• Develop constantly by collecting and analyzing appropriate social data/metrics , ideas, and best practices and then acting on it 
• Work with other departments (customer relations, marketing, etc.) to maintain credibility , identify key players and coordinate activities.

Requirements: 

• Good consulting, reporting, editing (photo/video/text), presentation and communication skills
• 3+ years of social networking expertise and social research software knowledge  
• Adequate knowledge of web design, web development, CRO and SEO .
• Knowledge of online marketing and a good understanding of major social media platforms.
• Positive attitude, information and customer focus with good multitasking and organizational capacity
• Previous experience in Business Communications , Advertising , and Public Relations preferred but not required.
• Undergraduate studies in the fields of communications, marketing, business, new media or public relations .

We have highlighted the most important keywords of this job ad. 

Notice how you can group words for each section of the resume. 

For example, keywords like develop, analyzing, or strategy can be used to in the Work Experience section. 

Under the Skills section, you would list the skills the job AD is looking for, like CRO, SEO, Data analysis, multitasking.

While other keywords like software knowledge, studies in Communications, Marketing, fall under the Education section.

Want to learn which keywords are a must-have in your field? Check out our complete guide to resume keywords .

A final word of caution: Avoid images and graphs. 

ATS Resume Example 

Now, let’s put together everything we’ve learned so far in a practical example. 

Here’s what a winning ATS resume example looks like: 

How to Run an ATS Check on Your Resume 

Done writing your ATS resume?

Now, how do you make sure that you got it right?

There is a very easy way to make sure that your resume is compatible with an ATS. 

First, copy your resume information and paste it into a plain-text document. 

Then, paste it into jobscan :

Then, paste the job description you’re applying for, and hit “Scan!”

The software will tell you EXACTLY what your resume is missing.

16+ ATS Resume Templates for 2024

Want to skip all the hassle of formatting your resume for ATS? Just use a Novorésumé template!

Head over to our resume templates page, pick the one that works for you, and get started!

Key Takeaways

In this article, we learned that:

• Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to manage the application process. This is a system that collects, scans and ranks your resume. 
• ATS makes work easier for recruiters, but harder for employees. 75%+ job-seekers fail to pass the system. 
• To create an ATS-friendly resume, there is a certain format you should follow. Keep everything simple: font, design, and layout. Use bulleted lists. 
• Keywords are key. ATS scans the document for keywords, so you should tailor your resume with resume keywords. Do that by finding relevant keywords on the job posting. Group these words into sections. 

Suggested readings:

• How to Pick the Best Resume Format?
• 150+ Must-Have Skills for Any Resume [With Tips + Tricks]
• How Long Should a Resume Be [For Any Profession]

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ATS Friendly Resume: What Is It & How to Write It (+ATS Friendly Templates)

• Júlia Mlčúchova , 
• Updated January 17, 2024 14 min read

Having an ATS friendly resume is the safest way to ensure that your job application won't get lost in the digital oblivion. 

While Applicant Tracking Systems used to be the prerogative of big corporations, their popularity has been steadily rising among small and midsize businesses as well.

If you're currently on the lookout for new work opportunities, you're going to bump into it sooner or later. 

The problem is: While you might be the perfect candidate for a job opening, if your resume isn't tailored to align with ATS, it will get overlooked and won't even reach a human recruiter.

Luckily for you, we're here to help you make a resume that will never be overlooked by ATS again. 

In the following article you'll find:

• What is ATS friendly resume;
• What is keyword optimization;
• How to make resume ATS friendly;

ATS friendly resume templates

Let's start from the beginning …

Table of Contents

Click on a section to skip

What is ATS?

Keyword optimization: what is it, what is an ats friendly resume, how to make resume ats friendly in 7 steps, key takeaways: ats friendly resume: what is it & how to write it.

The abbreviation ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System . It's an HR computer software programmed to streamline the recruitment process.

Back in the olden days, you had to hand in a printed resume for a job, and the HR department sorted them by hand. But with the internet and lots of job websites, this way of doing things became outdated and inefficient. 

Today, answering a job advertisement is easier than ever. A single job posting can attract the attention of hundreds of candidates at a time. How could the recruiters possibly deal with all that? Enter the ATS. 

Applicant Tracking Systems help the recruiters in several ways:

• Submitting a job posting. Hiring managers use ATS to post job listings to multiple job boards and social media platforms from a single source. 
• Collecting applications. Candidates apply for jobs through the ATS. All submissions are then collected and oragnized automatically.
• Scanning resumes. ATS scans all the submitted applications. It analyses and categorizes the information in resumes (this process is called parsing ). It then stores the extracted data and makes it easier to retrieve.
• Ranking of candidates. ATS algorithms assign the candidates a percentage score based on how well their data match the criteria set by the recruiters (desired skills, education, past work experience, etc.,). The more your resume matches the job requirements listed in the job posting, the higher your percentage score will be. 
• Filtering candidates. Only the job applications of candidates who scored the highest will be forwarded to the recruiters for further review (eg. candidates who scored in the 100% - 75% range). ATS will mercilessly discard all the other applications and resumes. To avoid this, make sure your resume is ATS friendly.

When ATS scans your resume, it looks for relevant information in the form of keywords. These represent the necessary requirements (qualifications and skills) for the role. 

The use of relevant keywords is crucial because it helps the ATS determine the suitability of a candidate for a job opening. The more relevant keywords you incorporate into your resume; the better score you'll get.

Pretty much any information on your resume can be converted into keywords:

• Education (B.A. in Marketing, M.A. in Software Engineering, …)
• Work experience (customer service, business development, account management, …)
• Soft skills (leadership, communication, critical thinking, …)
• Compute r skills (Adobe Photoshop, Python, Oracle, …)
• Certifications (CPE, driver's license, …)

How to write down keywords?

Remember, ATS are computer programmes. It doesn't matter how complex they get; they can only read information if it's in the correct form . That's why you always need to pay attention to your wording.

Beware of these two common traps :

• Use the exact language as the job posting . This is the alpha and omega of ATS friendly resumes. Not all systems are sophisticated enough to recognize synonyms. If the job posting calls for the knowledge of “Adobe Creative Suite” (which is now discontinued), don't put “Adobe Creative Cloud” among your skills instead. Even though the two packages are identical, ATS might not know that.
• Use both the acronyms and full names of skills, certificates, competencies . Again, some ATS systems might know the term “ business-to-business marketing ,” but others might be programmed to recognize the same skill only under its acronym – B2B. The safest way is to use both – the full name followed by its acronym . Eg.: Customer Relationship Manager (CRM).
• Your resume should always be typo free . But when it comes to ATS, spelling mistakes are especially costly. Proofread your resume multiple times to avoid any unnecessary mistakes. 

Where to place the keywords?

Ideally, the most important keywords will appear 2-3 times throughout your resume . 

As to their placement, don't get any bright ideas!

Don't forget, your resume will eventually be read by recruiters. If you try to “cheat the system” in some way, they won't be impressed. 

Inventing a section titled “ Keywords” on your resume and stacking it with keywords could, in theory, get you through the ATS. But not much further. 

And no cheeky white text either ! This might've worked when you needed to reach a certain word count on your uni essay – but it won't work now. ATS enables recruiters to see ALL the textual content of your resume, even the one you can't see. This faux pas will cost you a job opportunity. 

Keywords should be sprinkled naturally throughout your resume. Incorporate them into all resume sections : 

• resume summary, 
• education, 
• work experience, 
• skills, 
• certificates, 
• volunteering, 
• awards and achievements. 

In a nutshell, ATS friendly resume is a resume which can get past the ATS and make its way to the hands of the recruiters . Using a simple and clean resume layout, avoiding certain graphic elements, and incorporating relevant keywords from the job posting can all contribute to making your resume more compatible with the ATS.

Still wondering “ How to check if my resume is ATS friendly ”? Let's have a look.

The thing is, there isn't just one type of ATS. Companies such as Taleo , Greenhouse , or Lever are just a few drops in the ATS ocean. 

Each software has unique features and properties, but they all follow the same basic principles. 

Stick to our advice and make your resume more ATS friendly with these 9 steps:

To find out which keywords to use, go over your job posting and highlight the most relevant ones. Always cater to the demands outlined in the job posting. Never lie about your skills or qualifications.

Your resume must be r eadable by the ATS. To ensure this, avoid using these graphic elements : photos, unusual fonts, alternative section titles, graphs, two-column structures.

The ATS used by the company you want to get hired by may not be able to read information embedded in the header.

This will make the parsing process easier for the Applicant Tracking System.

This is the core of your resume. When writing down your work experience entries, make sure to use keywords in the exact form they appear in the job posting . Pay attention to how you format your dates.

This is the only section where column structures are allowed. Don't use infographics to mark down the level of proficiency of your skills.

Nearly all ATS programmes can read non-image PDF and .doc files. Always follow the instructions in your job posting though!

Now, let's look at these steps closely.

Step 1: Optimize your resume with keywords

Firstly, you must figure out which keywords to use and where to find them .

This step is pretty simple, really: 

• Go back to the job posting.
• Print it out.
• Take a highlighter and mark all phrases that catch your attention.

Focus on role description, requirements, and responsibilities . 

Here, we've prepared a made-up job posting and highlighted the keywords:

Now, organize the highlighted keywords into groups based on where in your resume you want to place them. This will help you with further steps.

Step 2: Keep your resume formatting ATS friendly

More sophisticated ATS programmes may be able to read creative designs, but this is not a given. And you don't know which software the company you want to get hired by uses. 

Creative designs and unusual layouts can confuse the ATS . Because of this, the resume can be misread or discarded entirely. 

Here is a list of what to avoid: 

• Photos, graphs, tables, text windows and other graphic elements. Attention-grabbing? Yes! Readable by the ATS? No.
• Unusual fonts. Stick to the basics. Use traditional fonts, such as: Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica. 
• Alternative section titles . Good old “Personal Information”, “Resume Summary”, “Work Experience”, etc., will do just fine. 
• Resume formats other than chronological resume . While skills-based resume 's been gaining traction, its unusual section organization may be problematic to read for the ATS.
• Two column structures. ATS are programmed to read documents from top to bottom, left to right. Two column structures might go unnoticed to them. And you can end up with sentences cut in the middle. 

Don't let unsuitable design be the reason why your resume gets discarded!

Choosing the right formatting for your resume can be a real headache. Save yourself the pain and use some of our resume templates as your first draft. 

Step 3: Don't place your personal information in the resume header

Putting your contact information into the resume header is a great way to save precious space … normally.

However, if you want to make your resume ATS friendly, we strongly advise against it. 

Not all ATS programmes are designed to read the information in the header or the footer . 

Create a separate “Personal Information” section and place all your contact information there.

Looking for ATS-friendly resume?

Our resume templates are designed by typographers and approved by recruiters.

Step 4: Include the title of the position you're applying for in your resume summary

This will make the ATS parsing process so much easier! The software will now immediately know where to place your application. 

Plus, resume summary is a great place to start sneaking in those keywords! 

Remember our job posting example? If we were to apply for it, the resume summary could look something like this: 

Step 5: Incorporate keywords into your work experience section

The work experience section is the heart of your resume. Since this is, by far, the most extensive section, it provides plenty of opportunities to include keywords. 

Use this space wisely! 

If you have two or more work experiences with the same/similar competencies, try to focus on the different outcomes you reached. This will give you a chance to use more diverse keywords . But don't avoid repetitions altogether. Remember, it's good to feature certain keywords 2-3 times per resume. 

Just like with a regular resume, organize your work entries in reverse-chronological order .

With ATS friendly resumes, it's crucial to use the correct format for dates . There are two ways you can mark dates of employment in your resume: 

• With names of the months. For example: March/2022.
• YES to 03/2022, NO to 3/2022.

Choose only one of these formats and use it consistently all throughout your resume . 

Our hypothetical Senior Project Manager could incorporate keywords into his work experience like so: 

Note the use of action verbs (led, managed, played a role, …) and quantifiers . Both can make your work experience descriptions more succinct and impactful.

Step 6: Expand your keyword count in the skills section

Skills section might be the best place to include keywords without making it look too conspicuous.

For better organization, divide your skills into several categories such as: computer skills, language skills, etc.

This is also the only section where you don't have to shy away from two (or more) column structures . Since the information in this section is usually presented in the form of a list , you don't have to worry about breaking sentences.

There is one burning question though – should you include infographics in your skills section?

The answer is: a firm no!

It's true that the use of graphic elements can elevate the overall look of a resume; but not all ATS know how to read them . If they get confused, you're risking losing valuable points towards your ATS score.

Our Senior Project Manager decided to make his skills section simple and straight-to-the-point:

While the work experience and skills sections are the best for incorporating keywords, make sure to still scatter some around throughout your whole resume and other resume sections (e.g., Education).

Step 7: Save your resume in the right format.

Finally, once you've finished putting together your ATS friendly resume, you must save it in the right format . 

If you thought that there would be no more pitfalls, you were wrong. Different ATS accept different formats .

How to know which format is the correct one?

You might find the answer to that in the job posting . But if it doesn't contain this information, just like our mock job posting, the safest way to ensure that your resume is ATS friendly is to save your resume in a non-image-based format:

• As a PDF . One that is not image-based!
• As a  Word document . .doc or .docx

If you're nervous about formatting your resume, remove this unnecessary stress from your life and use one of your resume templates. 

Here are our picks of 5 most ATS friendly resume templates in our resume arsenal. You can customize them based on your specific needs – add a section if needed or change the fonts (but nothing crazy mind you).

You can save each of our templates as a PDF or a Word document to ensure maximum ATS readability. 

Without further ado, here are 5 ATS friendly resume templates you can try. Just click the button "Create resume" under each. Oh, and you can do so for free for some of them

#1 ATS friendly resume template: Basic (free)

ATS-friendly resume template designed by a team of professional typographers and recruiters.

Our "Basic" template is the simplest of the lot. But don't underestimate this timeless classic. To ensure maximum ATS readability, refrain from using your photo.

#2 ATS friendly resume template: Europe

Sophisticated and elegant, our " Europe" template always does the trick. Just remember to avoid using infographics to mark the level of proficiency of your skills. In our Resume Builder, you can easily opt out of this.

#3 ATS friendly resume template: Green

The additional pop of colour in our " Green " template provides that something extra to stand out visually. The use of colour is not too overwhelming or too prominent not to be readable by ATS. Avoid using your photo or infographics in your skills section.  

#4 ATS friendly resume template: Bauhaus

True to its functionalist name, our " Bauhaus" template goes straight to the point. Due to its spacious layout, it provides plenty of room for all the information you need. This template is perfect for ATSs of all kinds. Avoid using infographics in your skills section .

#5 ATS friendly resume template: Reed

Finally , our " Reed" template is the epitome of refinement. Pleasing to both ATS programmes and human eyes. Don't forget to avoid the use of infographics in the skills section. 

Having an ATS friendly resume is crucial to ensure your job application won't get discarded before reaching a human recruiter .

Even if you're the perfect candidate, failing to optimize your resume for ATS can result in your application being dismissed. 

Using relevant keywords in your resume is critical as ATS scans for these to assess the suitability of a candidate for a specific job opening. Incorporate keywords naturally throughout the resume in sections like summary, education, work experience, skills, and so on. 

To make your resume ATS friendly, you should:

• Keep your layout simple
• Avoid two-column structures
• Avoid using graphs, photos, infographics, etc.
• Use standard fonts
• Save your resume in a format ATS software can read

Finally, remember, while it's important to optimize your resume for ATS, it should also be readable and appealing to human recruiters who will eventually review it after it passes through the ATS. Striking a balance between ATS-friendly and human-friendly is key to creating an effective resume.

Julia has recently joined Kickresume as a career writer. From helping people with their English to get admitted to the uni of their dreams to advising them on how to succeed in the job market. It would seem that her career is on a steadfast trajectory. Julia holds a degree in Anglophone studies from Metropolitan University in Prague, where she also resides. Apart from creative writing and languages, she takes a keen interest in literature and theatre.

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How to write an ATS-friendly resume

april 11, 2024

by Jackie Cuevas

Searching for a job can be a daunting, emotional, and unpredictable process. On top of that, the job market is extremely competitive, which makes it that much more difficult to land a first interview.

The biggest key to opening the door to interviews is making sure that your resume is tailored correctly AND is ATS (applicant tracking system)-friendly . But first, let’s review what an Applicant Tracking System is.

What is an Applicant Tracking System?

An Applicant Tracking System is a type of software application that HR and Talent Acquisition teams utilize for open positions. Typically, when a job seeker applies for a position on a company’s careers page, their resume will be put into a file for that specific position. Any incoming resumes will get organized for that specific role.

When it’s time to review resumes, HR or the recruiter will go into the ATS and sift through resumes for each position. But some positions get upwards of 100 resumes each, and given the time crunch that HR and recruiters are on to fill open roles, it’s likely that not every resume will get seen. That’s why it’s absolutely key that your resume is optimized correctly and makes it into the ATS batch.

Here’s what you need to know to ensure your resume has the best chance of getting seen.

Leverage an ATS-friendly layout

There’s no need to include sections that are irrelevant to job searching, such as your hobbies or interests, personal information, or your professional headshot. The resume is composed of 3 portions: top, middle, and bottom. Let’s start at the top. The top portion of your resume should include your primary contact information:

• Your full name
• Your current city and state ( Including your full address is outdated. For safety and privacy reasons, you no longer have to add this. Simply add your city and state.)
• Your email address ( Please make sure it’s appropriate and not your email address from junior high (farewell [email protected])
• Your phone number
• Your LinkedIn ( If you don’t have one, then I highly recommend you create one.)
• A link to a personal website or digital portfolio for all the creators who want to show off their work.

In addition to your contact information, the top portion should also include your “Skills”. These are your hard/technical skills, so think of programs, systems, and software that you have used or currently use. Make sure you’re paying close attention to the list of required and preferred skills in the job description. That is what you should incorporate in your resume, but only if you are truly proficient. You don’t want to get caught in any lies.

Next is the middle portion- the meat and potatoes of your resume. This is where your “Experience” goes. For recent graduates and those new or coming back into the workforce, it’s important to call out that experience can come from school activities, volunteer work, or freelance projects, and not just from paid jobs. Be sure to list your work experience in reverse chronological order, with your current/most recent role at the top, and your oldest at the bottom.

Lastly, let’s talk about the bottom portion of your resume, which should address your “Education.” If you’re still in school, then you would move your Education section to the top portion underneath your contact information. However, if you’ve graduated, then make sure to keep it at the bottom. If you don’t have a college or high school degree, you can simply remove this section or include Certifications or Boot Camps you’ve completed.

ATS-friendly formatting

Now that you have the foundation of a resume, let’s move on to formatting.

To create an ATS-friendly resume, here’s what you should avoid:

• Overly designed templates

These are just a few elements that can negatively affect your resume, should it go through an applicant tracking system.

To err on the safe side, it’s better to keep your resume simple with these tips:

• Use traditional fonts, like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman - these fonts are widely accepted, whereas some of the calligraphy style fonts may not be recognized in an ATS.
• Only use black text – using other colors may distort your resume.
• Keep it to one column – two columns, text boxes, or lines can affect your resume sections and run the risk of moving information around accidentally.
• Save it as a PDF – By doing this, you “lock” in the information on your resume, eliminating the possibility of changes being made after you send it.

ATS-friendly bullet points

Once you have the sections and formatting down, the final priority is to make sure your bullet points reflect your successes within each role. Typically, you include your general responsibilities for each position on your resume, which can sound like this, “Answer all incoming phone calls.” This describes what you do, but what recruiters and HR professionals want to see is how and why you did it. When modifying your bullets, ask yourself these questions:

• Why am I responsible for this task?
• How do/did I accomplish this task?
• What resulted from me doing this task?

Incorporate any data, metrics, or numbers to support your points. So going back to our example, “ Answer all incoming phone calls ,” one way to make it stronger with concrete success metrics could be, “ Answer 50+ calls a day as first point of contact for the company to answer and rectify all customer requests and concerns. ” While it may sound wordy, those extra words go a long way in the eyes of a recruiter.

Another key tip to strengthen bullet points is to incorporate keywords from the job description. Read through the job posting and pay close attention to what the job requires. For example, if a job posting is asking for someone to “Manage the new hire onboarding process,” then you’ll want to include those words on your resume, but only if they apply to your experience.

One more tip : Use strong action verbs , such as lead, optimize, organize, execute, or implement, and avoid overused or weaker verbs such as responsible for, assist, and help.

Now that I’ve gone through the DO’s, I want to address a big DON’T before you start customizing your resume.

• Don’t copy and paste the entire job description onto your resume, change the font color to white, and reduce the font size to 1. This “hack” may seem like a good idea to bypass the ATS filters, but recruiters do see this on their end, and can result in your resume being tossed out. It’s not worth the risk.

The key to a great, ATS-friendly resume includes optimizing for keywords, adding strong action verbs, success metrics, and good formatting. And remember, prioritize quality experience over quantity.

It may seem like tailoring your resume is a lot of work, but if you truly put in the effort and take the time to do it right, you’ll see interviews start to come through. Good luck!

Related topics

Beat the Robots: How to Get Your Resume Past the System and Into Human Hands

Does job searching sometimes feel like you’re flinging resumes and cover letters into a black hole? You may be wondering if your applications are being read at all.

Perhaps you’ve heard that computerized resume scanners reject applications before they even make it into human hands. And yes—at many companies that receive a high volume of applications, that’s true.

SEARCH OPEN JOBS ON THE MUSE! See who’s hiring here , and you can even filter your search by benefits, company size, remote opportunities, and more. Then, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll deliver advice on landing the job right to you.

The internet has completely transformed the job searching landscape. Long gone are the days when you’d “pound the pavement” or “go in and ask to speak to a manager” for all but the smallest local businesses. Instead, you apply online—which is a double-edged sword for everyone involved. Because you don’t have to physically fill out and deliver an application or send out resumes and cover letters via snail mail anymore, you can apply to a lot more jobs. But so can everybody . This means that an open position can easily get far more applications than companies have the resources to read.

Just ask Muse Career Coach Yolanda M. Owens, Founder of CareerSensei Consulting , who has more than 20 years of recruiting experience in a range of industries, including healthcare, tech, and financial services. When she was a corporate recruiter, she would post a job opening and get back, she says, “over 300 applications for an entry-level position within a week.” She was generally recruiting for between 15 and 20 roles at a time, meaning that she might have 6,000 applicants to track at once!

So hiring managers and recruiters like Owens frequently use an applicant tracking system (ATS)—software that helps them organize job applications and ensure none fall through the cracks. If you’ve applied to a job any time since 2008, your application has probably passed through an ATS. Over 98% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS of some kind, according to research conducted by Jobscan. Any time you apply for a job through an online form or portal, your application is almost certainly going into an ATS.

But an ATS does more than just track applications—it can also act as a filter, parsing every resume submitted and forwarding only the most relevant, qualified job seekers to a hiring manager or recruiter. That’s the resume-scanning technology you’ve probably heard about.

Luckily, getting past the ATS is a lot easier than you might think. Follow these dos and don’ts to create an ATS-friendly resume that’ll sail right through—and impress the hiring manager, too.

1. Do Apply Only to Roles You’re Qualified For

ATSs get a bad rap as the “robots” standing between you and your new job, and when you hear that Owens read only 25% of the applications she received for most postings, it might reinforce that impression.

But the reason she looked at such a small percentage of applications? Most candidates were not qualified for the job she was filling. And some were completely irrelevant. “If I’m looking at an entry-level [accounting] position and seeing someone who is a dentist or a VP,” Owens says, it’s totally fair for the ATS to discard those.

So first and foremost, make sure you’re truly qualified for the roles you’re applying to. This doesn’t mean you have to hit every single job qualification or apply to a job only if you have the traditional background for it. Owens says she was always “trying to cast a wide net and not exclude too many factors to pass up a candidate who might not be traditional”— career changers looking for an entry point into a new field, for example, or folks who had impressive transferable skills. But if you don’t have the core skills needed to perform a job, you’re better off not wasting your time or a recruiter’s.

2. Don’t Apply to Tons of Jobs at the Same Company

An applicant tracking system also allows recruiters to see all the roles you’ve applied to at their company. Owens often noticed the same person applying to every single opening the company or one of its departments had. When you do this, a recruiter can’t tell what you’re actually interested in or if you’re self-aware about your abilities.

If a company has two very similar roles open, absolutely apply to both. Or if you have a wide range of skills and interests and would be equally happy in two very different roles, then you can apply to both, though you should definitely tailor or target each resume you submit to the specific job.

But you generally shouldn’t be applying to both an entry-level position and a director-level position, or a sales position and a video-editing position. And you definitely shouldn’t be applying to every opening a company has. That just shows you haven’t taken the time to consider what the right role for you is—and a recruiter isn’t likely to take the time to do it for you.

3. Do Include the Right Keywords

At its core, what any applicant tracking system is programmed to do when it “reads” a resume is the same as what a person would do: It’s scanning for key pieces of information to find out whether or not you’re a match for a job opening. “ATS algorithms aren’t that different from the human algorithms, we’re all kind of skimming for the same things,” says Jon Shields, Marketing Manager at Jobscan. So when it comes to writing a resume that can make it past an ATS, you want to make sure that key information is there and that it’s easy to find.

One of the ways the ATS narrows an applicant pool is by searching for specific keywords. It’s like a Google search on a much smaller scale.

The recruiter or hiring manager can decide which keywords to search for—usually whatever skills, qualifications, experience, or qualities are most important for performing the job. For entry-level roles, that might mean certain majors, whereas for a tech position, it might be certain coding languages.

So if you want to make it past the ATS, you’ll need to include those important keywords on your resume. Hint: Look for the hard skills that come up more than once in a posting and are mentioned near the top of the requirements and job duties. Hard skills include types of software, methodologies, spoken languages, and other abilities that are easier to quantify. (The most important keyword could even be the job title itself!)

Depending on your industry, certain degrees and certifications might also be important keywords. Particularly in fields like nursing and teaching where state licenses are necessary, employers are going to want to know at a glance that you’re legally allowed to do the job you’re applying for.

If you’re having trouble identifying the important keywords in a job description as you craft an ATS-friendly resume, there are tools online (like Jobscan , Resume Worded’s Targeted Resume or SkillSyncer ) that can help you.

Note: In some cases, an ATS scanning for keywords will only recognize and count exact matches. So if you have the correct experience, but you wrote it using language that’s different than what the system is looking for, you might not come up as one of the most qualified applicants. For example, if you write that you’re an “LSW” but the ATS is checking for “Licensed Social Worker,” it might drop your resume. (To be safe, write out the full name, then put the abbreviation in parentheses.) Or if you wrote that you’re “an Excel expert,” but the ATS is searching for someone who has “experience with spreadsheets,” your resume might never get to the hiring manager. When in doubt, match your phrasing to what’s in the job description, as that’s likely to be what the ATS is looking for.

4. Do Put Your Keywords in Context

Applicant tracking systems can recognize that a key skill or experience is present. But interpreting the strength and value of that experience is still for people to do. And humans want to see how you used your skills.

It’s obvious to a recruiter when you’ve just worked in a keyword because it was in the posting, without tying it to a specific personal achievement—and it doesn’t win you any points. “Instead of focusing on regurgitating a job description, focus on your accomplishments,” Owens says.

Plus, remember that you won’t be the only one adding those important keywords to your resume. “If [you’re] all using the same job descriptions and the same buzzwords, what’s going to make you stand out from the crowd?” Owens asks. Answer: your accomplishments, which are unique to you .

When describing your current and past positions, “ensure your bullet points are actually achievements, and use numbers and metrics to highlight them,” says Rohan Mahtani, Founder of Resume Worded . Instead of just telling recruiters and hiring managers that you have a skill, this will show them how you’ve used it and what the results were.

5. Don’t Try to Trick the ATS

ATSs have brought up a whole new host of problems with applicants “trying to cheat the system,” Owens says. You might have come across advice about how to tweak your resume to fool an applicant tracking system—by pasting keywords in white, pasting the entire job description in white, repeating the keywords as many times as possible, or adding a section labeled “keywords” where you stick various words from the job description.

Don’t do any of this!

Any tricks that have to do with pasting keywords in white will immediately be discovered because the ATS will display all text in the same color on the other end. So even if this gets your application flagged to a human recruiter, they’ll see that you added the full text of the job description or just wrote “sales sales sales sales” somewhere and move onto the next candidate as quickly as they can. Not only are you failing to prove you’re qualified for the job, but you’re also showing that you’ll cheat to get ahead!

If you were considering adding a “keyword” section, remember that it lacks any context. If you can’t also speak to your experience with the skill, it probably doesn’t belong on your resume, and if this is true of one of the main keywords, this isn’t the job for you. What you can do, however, is include a keyword-rich resume summary — not an objective statement —that concisely puts your skills in context at the top of your document.

You also want to be careful you’re not just stuffing your resume full of keywords. “You can use a keyword as much as you like so long as it’s used in [the] correct context that makes it relevant to the job description,” says Nick Francioso, an Army veteran who mentors other veterans during career transitions and the founder of resume optimization tool SkillSyncer . But if you just cram in random keywords all over the place, you might make it past a resume scanner only to irritate a recruiter or hiring manager with a resume full of nonsense.

6. Do Choose the Right File Type

In the great resume file-type debate, there are only two real contenders: docx vs .pdf . While PDFs are best at keeping your format intact overall, the .docx format is the most accurately parsed by ATSs. So if you want to get past the ATS, use a .docx file. But also follow directions (if the listing asks for a certain file type, give it to them!) and take the posting’s word for it (if a posting says a PDF is OK, then it’s OK).

And if you’re considering using an online resume builder, first check what file type it spits out—Mahtani cautions that some online resume builders will generate your resume as an image (.jpg or .png, for example).

Pro tip: If you don’t have Microsoft Word or another program that can convert your resume to .docx or .pdf, you can use Google Docs to create your resume , then download it in either format for free.

7. Do Make Your Resume Easy to Scan (by Robots and Humans)

In addition to making sure that your resume has the right content for an applicant tracking system, you also need to make sure the ATS can make sense of that information and deliver it to the person on the other end in a readable form.

Fortunately, ATS-friendly resume formatting is very similar to recruiter-friendly resume formatting. Like a human, the ATS will read from left to right and top to bottom, so keep that in mind as you format. For example, your name and contact information should all be at the top, and your work history should start with your most recent or current position. There should be “no surprises about where info is supposed to be,” Shields says.

Among the three common resume formats you can choose from— chronological , combination , and functional —ATSs are programmed to prefer the first two. Recruiters also prefer chronological and combination formats (starting to notice a theme?). “For me, it's more about storytelling to demonstrate a person's professional progression,” Owens says. That story is harder to see with a functional resume, which can confuse applicant tracking systems, too. Without a clear work history to draw from, the software doesn’t know how to sort different sections of text.

“Ultimately recruiters just want to find the info they’re looking for as quickly as possible,” Shields says. So making a resume ATS friendly will actually help your resume be more readable to recruiters as well.

8. Don’t Include Too Much Fancy Formatting

It may pain you to hear this, but you likely need to get rid of that expensive resume template or heavily designed custom resume. “If you speak to experienced hiring managers [and] recruiters, they’ll tell you that creative [or] fancy resumes are not only harder for [an] ATS to read, but also harder for them to read!” says Mahtani.

In order to scan your resume for relevant keywords most ATSs will convert the document to a text-only file. So at best, any fancy formatting will be lost. At worst, the ATS won’t be able to pull out the important information and so a person may never lay eyes on your nice designs—or read about the experience and skills that actually qualify you for the job.

When designing a resume to go through an ATS, avoid:

• Images: In the U.S., your resume should never include your photo.
• Graphics, graphs, or other visuals
• Columns: Since ATSs are programmed to read left to right, some will read columns straight across rather than reading column one top to bottom and then starting column two at the top.
• Headers and footers: Information in the header and footer sometimes gets dropped by the ATS completely. Make sure all text is within the document body.
• Uncommon section headings: Stick to conventional labels like “Education,” “Work Experience,” and “Technical Skills,” so the ATS knows how to sort your information. This is not the place to get creative with something like “Where I’ve Made an Impact.”
• Hyperlinks on important words: Some systems will display only the URL and drop the words you linked from, so don’t link from anything important (like your job title or an accomplishment). Instead, paste in the URL itself or link out from a word like “website” or “portfolio.”
• Less common fonts: Stick to a universal font like Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Garamond, Georgia, or Cambria. Avoid fonts you need to download, which the ATS may have trouble parsing.

Here are some elements you can use without tripping up an ATS:

• Underline: But stick to using underlines in headings and for URLs, Shields says. In general, people have been trained to see any underline within sentences as links.
• Colors: Just know that the ATS will return all text in the same color, so make sure your color choices aren’t vital to understanding the text of your resume.
• Bullets: Bullets are an important component of any resume, but stick to the standard circle- or square-shaped ones. Anything else could get messy.

Still not convinced that you should ditch your fancy resume? To show how formatting can trip up an ATS, we created a resume with many of the “forbidden” design elements—including columns, separate text boxes for the job seeker’s name and contact information, a table, icons, and text in the header—and used it to apply to a job at The Muse. The resume contains all the keywords found in the job posting , and since Victoria Harris is a fictional person, she hits every single requirement, making her an ideal candidate for the job.

Here’s what the resume looks like after it’s been run through an ATS:

You’ll immediately notice that the columns have been smashed together. Victoria’s current position is still first, which is good, but what comes next is an indecipherable jumble: “Education Sales Cloud Apollo.io.” Then, the ATS has combined the start date of her current job with her graduation date and interpreted that she’s been in her current position for just one month instead of over a year.

When you finally get to her bullet points, they’ve also been destroyed. Her fourth bullet, for example, now ends with: “Salesforce Analytics Cloud and Salesforce Sales Cloud Salesforce Salesforce.” Victoria wasn’t keyword stuffing, but it sure looks like she was.

Yes, this feels like a lot. But the main thing to take away when it comes to creating an ATS-friendly resume is that “it will help even if you’re not going through an ATS,” Shields says. At the end of the day, what an ATS is looking for in a resume is not that different from what a person is scanning for—so if you make a resume that beats the ATS, chances are it’ll impress a whole lot of humans, too.

Convert Your Resume to an ATS-Friendly Format

Making your resume ATS-compatible is one step you can take to ensure your resume doesn’t get lost in the ATS.

Customers Interviewed by:

A study by Harvard Business School revealed that more than 90 percent of employers use recruitment software such as applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen candidates and rank them.

Even if you’re the most qualified for the job, your chances of getting interviews are slim if: 

• You don’t match the criteria set in the ATS. 
• The ATS cannot correctly parse your resume.

To make sure the ATS doesn’t reject your application, you need to convert your resume to an ATS-friendly format.

In this guide, we will help you optimize your resume, be visible to recruiters, and increase your chances of getting interviews. You can also quickly scan your resume through our free resume converter to see if it’s optimized for the ATS.

Why is having an ATS-friendly resume format important?

An ATS-friendly format makes it easy for the ATS to read and parse your resume accurately. 

This way, your resume has a solid chance of being seen by a recruiter or hiring manager, which can lead to  a job interview.

How to make sure the ATS can read your resume

Over 97% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS to simplify their hiring process and sort through resumes quickly and efficiently.

When you submit your resume or cover letter , it goes through the ATS. The ATS then parses your resume, converts it into a format that can easily be searched and filtered, and stores your information in a database.

When looking for a potential hire, recruiters search for candidates through the ATS using keywords and other criteria. The ATS will then scan the database and show the top candidates that match the requirements. But here’s the thing…

Your resume will be passed over by the ATS if:

• It doesn’t have the keywords the recruiter searches for.
• It is not formatted in a way that’s compatible with the ATS.

You can avoid getting lost in the ATS by creating an ATS resume or converting your resume to an ATS-friendly format. 

Read more : What Is An ATS? 8 Things You Need to Know About Applicant Tracking Systems

How to convert your resume to ATS-friendly format

The best way to convert your resume to an ATS-friendly format is to use our free resume converter . But if you want to make manual changes, follow these expert tips.

1. Use a traditional font

For readability, it’s best to use a traditional serif or sans serif font. Some ATS will automatically change unfamiliar fonts, which can alter the design of your resume. 

Here are 10 fonts you can use:

• Times New Roman

Font size doesn’t affect your resume’s ATS readability, but we suggest using a 10 or 12-point font. This makes your resume look more professional and readable especially when it gets in the hands of a recruiter.

Check out our list of the best fonts you can use: The Best Fonts for Your Resume .

2. Don’t use headers or footers

A header is the top section of a word document while a footer is the bottom section. 

Unfortunately, not all ATS can accurately read information placed in these sections. So you should not include headers or footers in your resume to avoid parsing errors.

Also be sure to use standard resume margins . The standard margin is one inch on all sides of you resume.

3. Use standard resume section headings

Creative section headers may confuse applicant tracking systems, causing them to organize information incorrectly. Stick with standard headings that the ATS can identify easily.

For example, use:

• “Work Experience” and not “Where I’ve Been”.
• “Accomplishments” and not “What I’m Most Proud Of”.
• “Career Objective” and not “Life Philosophy”.

4. Avoid graphics

Although it’s tempting to add your profile photo or slap some fancy graphics on your resume, these might cause parsing errors in the ATS.

5. Use the right file format

After you write your resume , save it as a .docx (Microsoft word) or .pdf. These formats work best with most of the ATS.

You can check our full guide here: Resume PDF vs Word .

6. Format your dates correctly

Most ATS accurately parse dates in the following formats:

• MM/YYYY (06/2023)
• Month YYYY (June 2023)

Once you choose a date format, you should stick with it consistently throughout your resume.

7. Use keywords and phrases from the job posting and match the criteria

Since recruiters use keywords and phrases as criteria to search for candidates through the ATS, you need to include relevant keywords in your resume.

These keywords are usually the job title or key hard and soft skills . These are found in the job description.

If you need help in identifying which keywords to include, you can use Jobscan’s resume scanner . It scans your resume and matches it with the job description.

After scanning, Jobscan generates a resume score and a report with a list of job-specific keywords you should add in your resume to optimize it for the ATS. Here’s what a portion of the keywords section of a resume scanner report looks like:

In this example, the job seeker failed to include several hard skills in the job description. If a recruiter searches for a candidate with knowledge of compliance policies or health information technology , this resume will not appear in the search results.

8. Choose the right ATS-friendly resume format

There are 3 basic resume formats but we recommend using a hybrid resume format . The hybrid format showcases both your core skills and work experience.

If a skills section doesn’t make sense for your particular industry or profession, a chronological format will work just fine, too. 

PRO-TIP: Avoid using a functional resume format . The functional resume format focuses on your skills and accomplishments. However, it often leaves out important work history information that recruiters and ATS need to build complete candidate profiles. 

9. Use a resume converter

To make sure you don’t commit any ATS formatting mistakes , try using a resume converter. Not only are resume converters easy to use, they also save you time.

What is a resume converter?

A resume converter is a tool you can use to change your resume into a format that the applicant tracking system (ATS) can parse and interpret correctly.

Get the most out of Jobscan’s free resume converter tool

Jobscan’s converter tool uses the latest AI technology to scan your resume and match it with the particular job you are applying for. 

Jobscan then gives you a comprehensive report on formatting edits you need to make, relevant keywords you need to include, and other necessary changes you need to do. This way, your resume will be visible in ATS searches and will be noticed by recruiters.

Additionally, Jobscan has an ATS Tip feature which identifies the specific ATS the company you are applying to is using. It gives you expert tips on how to optimize your resume for that particular ATS.

Create a great resume through Jobscan’s resume converter in 4 simple steps:

Step 1. Upload a copy of your resume. Step 2. Upload a copy of the job description. Step 3. Wait for the results. Step 4. Convert your resume by following Jobscan’s recommendations.

Make your resume stand out and get noticed

Upload your resume to see what’s missing and get a free match rate.

View full results and optimize your resume

Frequently asked questions

Using a resume converter ensures that your resume is compatible with applicant tracking systems. A resume converter: • Saves you time by removing manual format changes. • Makes sure your resume is free from errors that might occur when manually editing your resume. • Increases your chances of getting job interviews and landing your dream job. • Uses advanced features for ATS formatting and keyword optimization.

You can convert your resume by: • Manually editing your resume using expert ATS formatting tips. • Using an ATS-friendly resume builder and creating your resume from scratch. • Using a free resume converter like Jobscan’s .

When choosing which resume converter to use, look for a tool that is: • Easy to use. • Efficient in converting your resume to an ATS-friendly format. • Packed with advanced features updated with the latest ATS technology. PRO-TIP: Use Jobscan’s free resume converter tool since it uses the latest AI technology.

There are many free resume builders out there that job seekers like you can use. You can try Jobscan’s free resume builder to create a great AI resume that also impresses the recruiter.

To convert your curriculum vitae (CV) to ATS format, all you have to do is follow the formatting instructions found in this guide and tweak your CV accordingly. You can also try an online resume converter.

To edit your resume for free, you can do the following: • Read about resume formatting tips and strategies and manually edit your resume. • Look for a free resume maker and create a professional resume with that. • Use a resume converter.

The best resume format for applicant tracking systems is the hybrid resume format. You can find out more about resume formats , ATS resume templates you can download, and resume examples in Jobscan’s learning center . Want to save time and make sure you don’t miss out on what needs to be in your resume? Optimize your resume through our resume scanner today and take your job application to the next level!

Some of the leading ATS include Greenhouse , iCIMS , and Lever .

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