ATS-Friendly Resume: Format That Actually Works

The ATS-friendly resume checklist:

Format

• Single column. Two-column layouts confuse some parsers.
• PDF or .docx. Text-based, not scanned image.
• 10-12pt body text. 14-16pt for headers.
• 0.5"-1" margins.
• System fonts. Arial, Helvetica, Calibri, Times. Avoid custom fonts.

Structure

• Standard section names: Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications.
• Most recent first in chronological sections.
• Clear headers. Don't use a custom name for "Experience", use "Experience."

Content

• Action verbs. "Led," "shipped," "delivered," not "responsible for."
• Numbers. "Reduced p95 latency 40%" beats "improved performance."
• Job description language. Mirror the language of the JD where it matches your real experience.

What to avoid

• Two-column layouts. Older ATS struggles.
• Images, headshots, logos. ATS can't read them.
• Tables. Sometimes parse poorly.
• Custom fonts. May not embed in PDF.
• Header / footer content. Some parsers skip them. Put name and contact in the body.
• Section names like "Work History." Use "Experience."

Test before you send

• Copy-paste test. Open your PDF in a text viewer or copy-paste into Notepad. If the text is jumbled, ATS will read it the same way.
• Run through Jobscan or Resume Worded. Check the parsed output.

What about visual / designer resumes

• For an in-person interview, use the designed version as a hand-out.
• For online application, submit the ATS-friendly text-based version.

Don't sacrifice ATS parseability for design. The ATS sees you first.

Try Sorce

Sorce auto-tailors your resume per application, and outputs ATS-friendly format by default. Free swipes every day.

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