ATS-friendly resume format: a checklist
A plain checklist for a resume format that applicant tracking systems can read: headings, columns, dates, fonts and file type.
Why format matters
An ATS first turns your file into text. Anything it cannot turn into clean text (text inside images, complex tables, headers and footers in some systems) may be lost before a recruiter searches.
The checklist
- One column, top to bottom.
- Standard headings: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications.
- Job title, employer and dates on their own line for each role, with the same date format throughout.
- Contact details in the body, not only in the page header.
- A common font (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Georgia) at 10 to 12 points.
- No text inside images, icons or charts; skill bars carry no words.
- Save as the file type the application asks for; when it does not say, a text-based PDF or DOCX both work.
Test it
Copy all the text out of your file and paste it into a plain text editor. If the order is wrong or words are missing, an ATS will likely see the same problem. Then paste that text into the free checker with the posting to see your keyword match.
Fix the gaps in two minutes
Open the AI resume builder, paste the same posting, and it rewrites your bullets around the missing words. Writing and checking are free; download the finished PDF for $9 once, or $19 a month for unlimited resumes.
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