ATS-friendly resume formatting
An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is software used to store and search candidate resumes. Most ATS issues come from formatting that’s hard to parse.
ATS-friendly formatting principles
- Clear headings: Experience, Skills, Education
- Consistent dates: same style across roles (e.g., “2022–2025”)
- Standard bullets: avoid weird symbols
- Readable fonts: keep it simple
- One column (when possible): multi-column layouts can be riskier depending on the ATS
Common formatting pitfalls
- text inside images
- heavy tables used for core content
- extremely complex layouts with icons everywhere
- unusual section names (“My Journey” instead of “Experience”)
PDF vs DOCX
PDF can look more consistent, but ATS parsing varies. If an employer specifically requests DOCX, follow that request.
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