ATS-Friendly Resume Format Guide

ATS software parses your resume into structured data. If it can't parse correctly, your qualifications are lost. Key formatting rules: • Use a single-column layout — multi-column designs break ATS parsing • Stick to standard fonts: Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Helvetica • Use standard section headings: "Experience", "Education", "Skills" • Avoid headers/footers — most ATS ignore content placed there • No text boxes, images, charts, or graphics • Save as .docx or .pdf (check which the employer prefers)

Follow this proven section order: 1. Contact Information — name, phone, email, LinkedIn, city/state 2. Professional Summary — 2-3 sentences with key skills and experience level 3. Technical Skills / Core Competencies — keyword-rich skill categories 4. Professional Experience — reverse chronological with quantified bullets 5. Education — degree, institution, graduation year 6. Certifications — relevant professional certifications 7. Additional — volunteer work, publications, languages (if relevant)

These formatting choices cause ATS parsing failures: • Tables and columns — ATS reads left-to-right, row-by-row, scrambling table content • Custom section headers — "Where I've Made Impact" instead of "Experience" • Embedded images for contact info or logos • Fancy bullets or special characters that don't parse • Text-heavy graphics or infographics • Colored backgrounds or text boxes • PDFs created from design tools (Canva, etc.) that flatten text as images

Our free ATS resume checker analyzes your formatting and content in seconds: • Detects parsing issues that would cause ATS rejection • Identifies missing standard sections • Checks keyword alignment with your target job description • Scores your resume from 0-100 for ATS compatibility • Provides specific, actionable improvement suggestions Upload your resume and paste a job description to get your free ATS score instantly.