How an ATS reads your resume
The system extracts the text from your file, splits it into sections by their headings, and looks for the skills, job titles and qualifications the recruiter asked for. Anything it cannot read (text inside images, unusual headings, scanned pages) is lost.
Formatting rules
- Use standard headings: Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills.
- One column, or two clearly separated columns.
- Real text in standard fonts; no text in pictures.
- Dates in one format, e.g. 2021 - 2024.
- Save as PDF with selectable text, or as Word if asked.
The ATS resume templates follow all of these.
Keywords: match the job advert
Copy the skills and tools from the job advert into your Skills section and job lines, using the same words ("Microsoft Excel", not just "spreadsheets"). Do not paste a list of keywords in white text: systems and recruiters catch it.
Test it
Open your PDF and copy all the text into a plain text editor. If it comes out in a sensible order, an ATS can read it too.