The short answer
An ATS resume is one that an applicant tracking system can read without errors. Use a single column, standard section headings such as “Experience” and “Education”, plain fonts, real text instead of images, and a Word or text-based PDF file. Then match the wording of your skills and experience to the job ad, truthfully.
What an ATS does, and what it does not
An applicant tracking system, or ATS, is software that employers use to collect, store and sort job applications. When you apply online, your resume is usually uploaded, converted into text and saved in a database as a candidate record.
In most systems the software parses your resume, which means it tries to pull out your name, contact details, job titles, employers, dates, education and skills and put them into fields. Recruiters then search and filter those records, or read your resume directly.
A few points are worth keeping in mind:
- Systems differ. There is no single standard, so no one can promise that a format will work everywhere.
- In many organisations a person still makes the decisions. The ATS organises applications. It is not always an automatic rejection machine.
- Parsing mistakes do happen, especially with complicated layouts. The aim of an ATS-friendly resume is to reduce the chance of those errors.
So the goal is simple: make your resume easy for software to read and easy for a human to scan.
Layout rules that help parsing
Use a single column
Two-column layouts, sidebars and floating panels can cause text to be read in the wrong order. A skills list in a side column may be merged into the middle of an unrelated job description. A single column, read from top to bottom, avoids this.
Avoid text boxes, tables and graphics for content
Text inside a text box, table, header or footer is sometimes skipped or scrambled by parsers. Charts, skill-level bars, icons and photos carry no readable text at all. Put your key information in the main body as ordinary paragraphs and bullet points.
Use standard section headings
Software looks for familiar labels. Stick to plain headings such as:
- Summary or Profile
- Experience or Work Experience
- Education
- Skills
- Certifications
- Projects (if relevant)
Creative headings like “My Journey” or “Where I’ve Been” might be missed.
Choose a plain, common font
Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Times New Roman and similar fonts are safe choices. A body size of 10 to 12 points is easy to read. Decorative fonts can look good on screen but may not convert properly.
Keep formatting simple
Use basic bullet points, bold for job titles and a consistent date format. Avoid unusual symbols as bullets, which can turn into odd characters during conversion.
Put contact details in the main body
Some systems ignore the page header and footer. Place your name, phone, email and city in the body at the top of the first page.
Choose the right file type
The job ad often says what to submit. If it does, follow it.
If there is no instruction:
- Word (.docx) is widely accepted and is often the safest choice for parsing.
- PDF is fine in many systems as long as it is a text-based PDF exported from Word or Google Docs, not a scan or image. You can test this by trying to select and copy the text from the file.
- Avoid image files and PDFs made from photos.
Name the file clearly, such as Firstname-Lastname-Resume.docx. It makes life easier for the recruiter who downloads it.
How to write each section
Contact details
Include your name, phone number, professional email address, city or region and, if relevant, a link to your LinkedIn profile or portfolio. You usually do not need a full street address, a photo, your date of birth or other personal details. Customs differ by country, so check what is normal where you are applying.
Summary
Two or three lines saying who you are, what you do and what you are strongest at. Tailor it to the role. Keep it factual.
Example: “Operations coordinator with six years in logistics, experienced in scheduling, supplier liaison and process improvement. Comfortable with Excel and warehouse management systems.”
Experience
List jobs in reverse chronological order, newest first. For each one, give the job title, employer, location and dates, followed by three to six bullet points. This is where most of your effort should go.
Education and certifications
Include degrees, diplomas and relevant licences, with the institution and year. Newer graduates can place this section above Experience. If you have many years of experience, a short education section is enough.
Skills
List specific skills, tools and methods as plain text, separated by commas or short bullets. Group them if there are many, for example “Software: Excel, SAP, Power BI”. Include only those you can honestly discuss in an interview.
Writing bullet points that carry weight
A bullet point should show what you did, how you did it and what happened as a result. A useful pattern is: action verb, task or method, outcome.
| Weak | Stronger |
|---|---|
| Responsible for customer emails | Answered 40 to 60 customer emails a day and escalated complex cases to the account team |
| Helped with scheduling | Built a shared roster for 12 staff, reducing double-bookings |
| Worked on reports | Prepared weekly sales reports in Excel for the regional manager |
Only include numbers that are true and that you can explain. If you do not have exact figures, use an honest range or describe the scope, such as team size, frequency or the type of customer. Never invent results.
Some action verbs that read cleanly: managed, coordinated, built, prepared, reduced, trained, scheduled, resolved, led, improved. Vary them so the page does not feel repetitive.
Tailoring to the job ad
Matching your resume to the job description is the most useful thing you can do, for both software and people.
- Read the ad closely. Underline the required skills, tools, qualifications and responsibilities.
- Compare it with your experience. Find the real overlaps.
- Use the same terms where they are accurate. If the ad says “stakeholder management” and you have done it but call it “client liaison”, you may want to use their wording.
- Put the most relevant points first. Reorder bullets so the closest match appears at the top of each job.
- Spell out acronyms once. Write “Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)” so that both forms are found.
Do not stuff your resume with keywords you cannot back up, and do not hide white-text keywords in the document. Recruiters can usually spot it, and it counts against you if you are asked about those skills.
A quick checklist before you submit
- Single column, no text boxes or tables for key content
- Standard headings: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills
- A plain font at 10 to 12 points
- Contact details in the body, not the header
- Dates in a consistent format
- Bullets that start with action verbs and show outcomes
- Wording matched to the job ad, truthfully
- File saved as .docx or a text-based PDF, named clearly
- Text can be selected and copied from the file
- Proofread for spelling, spacing and consistent tense
A useful test: copy all the text from your file and paste it into a plain text editor. If it reads in a sensible order, a parser is likely to cope with it too.
What about the cover letter?
Some employers ask for a cover letter and some do not. When one is requested, keep it to one page and focus on why you suit this role. Open with the job you are applying for, give two or three relevant examples from your experience, and close politely with a way to contact you. Use the same fonts and heading style as your resume so they look like a set.
Starting from a template
You can build all of this in a blank Word or Google Docs file. The main thing is discipline: resist the urge to add columns and graphics. If you would rather start from a layout that is already set up, the ATS Resume + Cover Letter Templates include three single-column designs, each with a one-page resume, a two-page resume and a matching cover letter, in Letter and A4. They use standard fonts, real text and Word’s built-in styles, and come with a short writing guide covering bullet points and tailoring. No template can promise an interview or a job, but a clean layout means fewer formatting problems to worry about.
Keeping track of your applications
Tailoring a resume for each role means you will have several versions in circulation. Keep a simple record: the company, the role, the date you applied, the file version you sent, and any follow-up date. A spreadsheet is enough, and so is a weekly page in a digital planner such as the 2027 Digital Planner, where you can set follow-up reminders alongside the rest of your week.
Frequently asked questions
Does every employer use an ATS?
No. Many mid-sized and large employers do, and some small ones use simpler tools or none at all. Since you often cannot tell in advance, a clean, readable format is a sensible default.
Is a PDF or Word file better for an ATS?
Either can work. A Word file is widely accepted, and a text-based PDF is fine in many systems. If the job ad names a format, use that. Avoid PDFs that are scans or images of a document.
Should I use the exact words from the job ad?
Where they accurately describe your experience, yes. Using the employer’s wording helps both software and human readers see the match. Do not claim skills or experience you do not have.
How long should an ATS-friendly resume be?
One page often suits early-career applicants, and two pages are common for experienced candidates. Length matters less than relevance. Cut anything that does not support the application.
To start from a clean, parser-friendly layout, see the ATS Resume + Cover Letter Templates.
General information only. Guides are not financial, tax, legal or medical advice. Tools and templates are planning aids, and calculator results are estimates.