ATS Friendly Resume Tips: How to Format, Keyword, and Test Your Resume
An Applicant Tracking System, or ATS, is software that sorts resumes before a recruiter ever opens them. It pulls text from your headings, job titles, dates, skills, and contact details, then compares that content with the job posting. If the file is hard to read, the system can overlook strong qualifications even when you’re a solid match.
Key takeaways
- Use a simple, single-column layout so ATS software can read your resume in the right order.
- Match the job post’s language with relevant keywords, but only where they fit naturally.
- Avoid design elements that can hide text, including text boxes, tables, headers, and footers.
- Test the extracted text before applying to catch parsing problems early.
- A strong resume should work for software first and still read well for a hiring manager.
The good news is that an ATS-safe resume can still look polished to a hiring manager. The key is a simple structure, the right keywords, and a quick test before you apply. That way you’re writing for the screen without making the resume feel robotic.
What an ATS is and how it scans resumes
An ATS is a hiring database that helps employers collect, sort, and search applications. Indeed explains that these systems are used to organize candidates and help recruiters find relevant resumes faster Indeed. In practice, your resume usually has to get through the software first, then hold up under human review after that.
The scanner reads the text layer of your file, not the design you see on screen. So section titles like Experience and Skills matter, but job titles, company names, dates, and how you list credentials matter too. If those details are buried in a header, split across text boxes, or locked inside a graphic, the ATS may miss them.
It’s easy to create parsing problems without realizing it. Headers and footers can hide contact details, tables can scramble reading order, and unusual symbols can confuse the parser. The University of Illinois Chicago Careers Services guide also warns against special characters in names, accented words, multiple columns, and text boxes, and it recommends a single-column layout with plain formatting University of Illinois Chicago Careers Services.
That doesn’t mean every resume that looks clean on screen will fail. It means the safest resume is the one that reads clearly in plain text, because that’s close to how an ATS sees it. If the extracted text still makes sense, you’re on the right track.
Choosing an ATS-safe resume format
| Format choice | ATS risk | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Single-column layout | Low | Best default for most job seekers |
| Multi-column layout | Higher | Only if you know the file still parses cleanly |
| Tables and text boxes | Higher | Avoid for body content |
| Simple fonts like Arial, Georgia, Calibri, and Verdana | Low | Best for readable, low-risk formatting |
| Decorative icons, charts, and graphics | Higher | Skip unless they add no critical information |
A single-column resume is usually the safest choice because it preserves reading order from top to bottom. The University of Illinois Chicago Careers Services guide specifically recommends a single-column format, standard fonts such as Arial, Georgia, Calibri, and Verdana, and 11 point font or above University of Illinois Chicago Careers Services.
Keep your contact information at the top of the body, not tucked into a header or footer. Ohio Northern University’s resume guidance says to place contact details in the body and to avoid page numbers in the body as well Ohio Northern University. That makes it easier for the system to pull your name, email, and phone number without guessing.
Standard section headings help the software navigate your resume. Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills are the safest because they’re familiar to both ATS parsers and recruiters. Fancy labels can look creative, but they can also make it harder for software to classify the content correctly.
Using the right keywords without stuffing them
- Start with the job posting and pull out repeated skills, tools, certifications, and job titles. If the ad mentions Salesforce, project coordination, and budget tracking more than once, those are likely keywords you should consider.
- Place those terms where they fit naturally in your Summary, Experience, and Skills sections. LinkedIn’s resume guidance notes that ATS tools scan for job-specific keywords and standard headings, so your language should mirror the posting without sounding copied LinkedIn.
- Use a certification in progress only when it matters to the role. Ohio Northern University suggests a phrase like 'Pursuing [name of credential]' when the credential is relevant and required or strongly preferred Ohio Northern University.
- Do not add skills, tools, or credentials you do not actually have. A resume that passes software but fails a real interview helps no one.
- Read the final version out loud. If the sentence sounds stuffed with keywords, trim it until it sounds like something a person would say.
A good keyword match often looks subtle. For example, instead of listing “Excel, Access” by themselves, you can work them into a sentence about a task, project, or achievement. That keeps the resume readable while still giving the ATS the exact terms it’s likely looking for.
Formatting do’s and don’ts that protect readability
- Use standard headings like Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills.
- Keep the name line clean, with no extra punctuation, degrees, or certifications after your name.
- Use a readable font size and save the file, then reopen it to make sure spacing and alignment stay intact.
- Avoid hidden text, page numbers in the body, and contact details placed in headers or footers.
- Skip text boxes, icons, charts, decorative graphics, and special symbols that do not add real meaning.
- Use one clean file name that clearly identifies you, such as Firstname Lastname Resume.
- Keep bolding and spacing consistent so the resume remains easy to scan on a phone or desktop screen.
Formatting should serve clarity, not decoration. If a design choice makes the resume harder to read in plain text, it’s probably a bad tradeoff. Recruiters move fast, and ATS software is less forgiving than a person giving the page a quick scan.
The safest test is simple: if a pasted plain-text version still makes sense line by line, the structure is doing its job. If the text jumps around or names and dates land in strange places, the layout needs to be simplified.
Testing your resume before you apply
- Save the resume, close it, and reopen it to catch spacing problems, broken bullets, or shifted columns.
- Copy the text into a plain document or text-only view and check whether the reading order still makes sense.
- Compare your resume against a specific job posting with a tool like Jobscan, then use a second check with Resumake or a similar parser if you want a fresh read.
- Verify that your name, email, phone number, section headings, and most important keywords are visible and easy to extract.
- Fix any mismatches before applying, especially if the file changed when you exported it to PDF.
Jobscan can help you see whether your resume lines up with a specific posting, while LinkedIn’s guidance reinforces the value of automated scoring tools for catching gaps before you submit Jobscan LinkedIn. Use those tools as a check, not a substitute for judgment. If the software score goes up but the resume reads badly, the change isn’t worth it.
A strong test also answers one practical question: would a recruiter understand your experience in 10 seconds? If the answer is yes in plain text and yes in the formatted file, you have a resume that’s much more likely to clear both the machine and the human review that follows.
A resume that works for both systems and people
The best ATS-friendly resume is plain enough for software and polished enough for a hiring manager. Use a simple format, keep your keywords relevant, and test the file before you send it. That combination gives you the widest margin for error, which is exactly what you want when one file has to do two jobs at once.
If you’re deciding where to spend your effort, start with structure, then keywords, then testing. That order prevents most avoidable mistakes. A resume that’s easy to parse, easy to skim, and honest about your experience will always travel farther than one that looks clever but confuses the screen.
Frequently asked questions
Do ATS systems reject resumes with tables or columns?
They can misread them, especially when the layout is complex or the reading order gets scrambled. Tables, multiple columns, text boxes, headers, and footers can hide details the scanner needs to read. A single-column resume with plain formatting is usually the safest choice.
Should I use PDF or DOCX for an ATS resume?
Use the format the employer asks for. If there is no instruction, PDF is often fine, but DOCX can be safer for some systems because the text layer is easier for certain parsers to handle. The real test is whether the file still reads clearly when it is converted to plain text.
How many keywords should I add to my resume?
Use enough keywords to reflect the job honestly and naturally. The best clues usually come from the posting itself, especially repeated skills, tools, certifications, and job titles like Salesforce, project coordination, or budget tracking. If those terms show up naturally in your summary, experience, and skills, that is usually a good sign.
Can I use a creative resume design for ATS applications?
Only if it stays simple and text-based. Heavy graphics, unusual symbols, text boxes, and complex layouts can confuse the parser even if the resume looks polished to you. Standard headings, standard fonts, and a clean single-column layout are much safer.
Do I need different resumes for every job?
You usually need one base resume and a tailored version for each role. The core experience stays the same, but the keywords, section emphasis, and wording should match the job posting more closely. That gives you a better shot with both the ATS and the recruiter who reads it next.
