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ATS-Friendly Formatting Rules

ats formatting templates best-practices pdf

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ATS tools and hiring managers both reward the same thing: clarity. This guide covers practical formatting rules that make your CV easier to parse and faster to scan.

Core rule: clarity beats cleverness

  • Clear section headings
  • Consistent formatting
  • Simple language and structure

Most roles work best with:

1) Summary (short)

2) Skills (focused)

3) Experience (proof)

4) Education

5) Optional: Projects / Certifications / Links

Headings and hierarchy

Good:

  • obvious section titles (Experience, Skills, Education)
  • consistent heading style across sections

Avoid:

  • “creative” labels that hide meaning
  • unclear section breaks

Bullets: keep them scannable

  • 1–2 lines per bullet is ideal
  • start with an action verb
  • include an outcome or metric when possible

Example:

  • “Improved ETL runtime by 38% by optimizing Spark joins and partitioning.”

Dates and job titles

Keep titles, companies, and dates clearly visible. If dates are hard to find, both humans and systems struggle.

  • Keep links short and relevant (portfolio, GitHub, LinkedIn)
  • Avoid long tracking URLs when possible

Tables, columns, and heavy graphics

Some ATS tools struggle with complex layouts. If you expect heavy ATS filtering:

  • prefer a simpler template
  • avoid overly dense multi-column content
  • keep the document “text-first”

FAQ

Is PDF okay for ATS?

Many ATS systems handle PDFs well, but behavior varies. HyperApply templates aim to stay readable and structured.

Should I keep everything on one page?

Not always. One page is great for early-career; two pages is fine for experienced roles. See:

/docs/how-to-control-length-one-page-vs-two-page