Technology is changing the way we do everything, and that includes applying for jobs. This is why you need to have an ATS-friendly resume if you want to stay competitive in today’s job market.

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Build Your ATS-Friendly Resume

ATS stands for applicant tracking system. This is a computer software program that saves employers time and money. It does this by automating the tracking, assessment, and selection of job applicants. 

Most people don’t think about it, but where do you suppose your resume goes when you submit it? Most of the time, it goes directly into an ATS database. 

The ATS then scans your resume and extracts information about your educational background, job titles, work experience, and skills—often keywords from the job description.

Why do you need an ATS-friendly resume?

You need an ATS-friendly resume because this will increase the chances that hiring managers will find your resume when they search through the ATS database. If your resume is not formatted correctly, the ATS won’t parse your document properly. And if it doesn’t include the right keywords, a human hiring manager will probably never see it.

This article is going to show you how to create an ATS resume so you can make sure it shows up when hiring managers conduct their searches for suitable job candidates.

Feeling stuck in your resume writing?

Use Jobscan’s resume builder to seamlessly create your ATS-friendly resume. It’s easy to add skills and keywords from scratch or upload an existing resume. Then save it as a base resume so you’re not digging through your computer files, searching for your most recent resume to optimize.

Build Your ATS-Friendly Resume

How to create an ATS-compliant resume in 6 steps

Creating an ATS-compliant resume is not that difficult. We’ve broken down the process into six simple steps. The first three steps deal with keywords, while the last three steps talk about ATS resume formatting. 

All six steps are equally important, so don’t skip any! 

1. Find the job title and put it in your resume headline

Your resume headline appears at the top of your resume, just under your name and contact information. The purpose of the headline is to call attention to your value as a job candidate.

Your headline should be brief, attention-grabbing, and relevant to the job you are applying to.  

Resume Headline Examples

  • “Results-Oriented Business Analyst with 7 Years of Experience”
  • “Finance Manager with 10 Years of Experience in the Banking Industry”
  • “Human Resources Professional with 5 Years of Experience in Recruitment and Employee Relations”

When creating your resume headline, be sure to put the relevant job title in it. You can find this at the very top of the job description. Here’s an example:

An example of a job title listed at the top of a job description.

The job title is “Marketing Automation Specialist.” If you’re applying to this job, you should put this exact title in your resume headline. Something like:

“Marketing Automation Specialist with 8 Years of Experience.”

This way, when a recruiter searches through the ATS for that job title, your resume will be one of those that shows up. 

As simple as this step is, it does mean that you need to tailor every resume headline to the job you’re applying to.

Jobscan studied data to uncover what factors increase your interview chances and found that including a job title match in your headline made a significant difference. Applicants that used an exact job title match in their resume headline were 3.5 times more likely to be invited for an interview!

a graphic saying "you are 3.5 times more likely to land an interview if you match the job title in your resume headline."

Read more: How to Write a Resume Headline that Stands Out

2. Find relevant skills and add them to your resume

Hiring managers don’t just type in job titles when they search for candidates. They also type in specific keywords relating to skills. Again, you can find these keywords by reading through the job description. 

As you read, note the skills that appear most often (keywords can be single words or phrases). Then add these keyword skills to your resume, if appropriate. 

For example, the keyword “marketing” appears multiple times in the job description below. Clearly, this keyword should be used in your resume since hiring managers are likely to search for it. 

A job description with keywords highlighted in yellow.

Given how often this keyword appears in the job description, it’s safe to say that if your resume does not include the word “marketing”, it probably won’t be found by a hiring manager.

The key thing to remember is that you want to use the same language in your resume that the hiring manager used when writing the job description. 

PRO TIP: Use the same language in your resume that the hiring manager used when writing the job description.

Don’t overstuff your resume with keywords. Make sure to use them as naturally as possible.  

If a hiring manager sees too many keywords, it can look like you’re trying to game the system. In addition, keyword stuffing can make your resume hard to read and understand. 

3. Use keywords properly so the ATS can read them

Many ATS can’t differentiate between similar skills. So you need to use keywords exactly as they appear in the job description.

For example, a job description might ask for “leadership experience.” Try to include the exact keyword phrase “leadership experience” on your resume. Don’t simply list your leadership roles. 

Also be sure to include both long-form versions of keywords and acronym versions.

For example, if you have experience with customer relationship management software, you should include both “customer relationship management” and “CRM.” By including both versions of important keywords, you’ll give yourself the best chance of getting your resume noticed.

Finally, make sure you tailor each resume to the position you’re applying for. This takes a little time and effort, but it can increase your chances of getting called back for an interview.

4. Choose an ATS-friendly resume format

It’s important to include relevant keywords in your resume. But it’s also important to format your resume so an ATS can read it.

Many outstanding job candidates submit resumes that the ATS can’t read. This leads to rejection.

Fortunately, the most ATS-friendly resume format is also the most commonly used. This is the chronological format. This format lists your work experience in reverse-chronological order. In other words, your last job should appear first

Include the following information for each job:

  • Company name and location
  • Job title
  • Start and end dates
  • Accomplishments and responsibilities

Our research has found that this sequence is the most ATS-friendly. 

Read more: Why Recruiters HATE the Functional Resume Format

5. Make your resume easy to scan

Follow these ATS resume formatting tips to make it easier for both humans and machines to read your resume:

Resume formatting tips:

  • Use simple, clear language when writing your resume; this makes it easy for both ATS and humans to easily comprehend your data.
  • Use a commonly-used font like Garamond, Calibri, Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica to appear professional.
  • For font size, use a 11-12 pt. for regular text, and 14-16 pt. for section titles.
  • Margins should be about 1 inch on all sides of your resume to avoid overcrowding.
  • Dates should be formatted in one of two ways: MM/YYYY or Month Year (e.g., March 2022). Do not use the year only.
  • Feel free to use bold, italics, underlining, and of course, bullets (but stick to the standard bullet circle or square)
  • Use a Word document or PDF so the ATS can easily scan it.
  • Always proofread your resume carefully – a single error can result in rejection.

Read more: Resume Sections: What You Need and Where You Need Them

6. Things to AVOID when formatting your resume

When your resume is entered into an ATS database, most of its formatting is stripped out. This makes it easier for the ATS to analyze and parse the plain text. 

Avoid these common formatting mistakes:

  • Do NOT use headers and footers. These can make it difficult for the ATS to parse your information correctly.
  • Do NOT use special graphics, tables, images, or symbols. Again, the ATS might get confused; keep it simple.
  • When it comes to section headings, don’t get too creative or fancy. Use traditional headings like “Work Experience” or “Education”, which won’t confuse the ATS.

Read more: Don’t Make These ATS Formatting Mistakes

That’s it! Follow these ATS resume tips and you’ll have an ATS–friendly resume that has a good chance of making it out of the digital database and into the hands of a hiring manager. 

Use one of our ATS-friendly resume templates in Jobscan’s resume builder

If you don’t want to spend time formatting your resume to make sure it is ATS-friendly, you can use Jobscan’s free resume builder. With a range of modern resume templates to choose from, you can create a sleek-looking resume that still satisfies the ATS.

You can easily upload your existing resume to the resume builder to transform it into an ATS-complaint document. Or you can easily start resume writing from scratch by manually inputting your information.

The resume builder will guide you through so you don’t miss any key sections while taking care of the formatting for you. Try it and make your resume writing easier.

Find ATS resume samples and resume examples for multiple industries: Resume Examples for Every Career Path

What is an applicant tracking system (ATS)?

The internet has made it much easier to apply for jobs. All you need to do is sign up to one of the numerous job boards (like Indeed or Glassdoor). Then upload your resume, and click submit—again and again and again

This is super convenient for job applicants. But employers are now flooded with hundreds and even thousands of resumes for every job opening. That’s why they’ve turned to application tracking systems (ATS) to help them collect, store, and organize applicant data.

Hiring managers use their ATS to find job candidates like this:

First, they search through the ATS database by typing in keywords related to the job position. These keywords are usually job titles or skills. 

For example, let’s say a hiring manager is looking for a candidate with customer service experience. They might type in “customer service” or “customer service representative.” The ATS will then pull up all of the candidates who have those keywords in their profile. 

From there, the hiring manager can narrow down their search and choose the best candidate for the job.

The vast majority of companies use ATS software these days—over 98% of Fortune 500 companies! This means you must format your resume correctly and include the right keywords.

Our team at Jobscan has reverse-engineered dozens of applicant tracking systems, such as iCIMS, Lever, Taleo, and Greenhouse. And we’ve put all our expertise into our resume scanner and resume builder. That’s why job seekers who use our scanner get up to three times as many job interviews.

How to know if your resume is ATS-friendly

If you already have a resume, the best way to find out if it’s ATS-friendly is to run it through Jobscan’s resume scanner.

The scanner uses AI-powered technology to analyze your resume against a job description. It then provides you with a score that shows how well your resume matches the job requirements.

You’ll also be told exactly how to increase your score. You can do this by adding skills and fixing formatting problems. The higher your score the better your chances of getting an interview.

screenshot of the match report skills section
This match report output shows which skills are included and missing from the resume based on the job description. This report tells you how many times the keyword is mentioned in the job description versus how many times it’s included in your resume.

NOTE: Only add skills if you actually have them. Don’t misrepresent yourself!

When to write a curriculum vitae (CV)

Sometimes you don’t need an ATS-friendly resume. If you work in the academic, medical, or scientific fields, you’ll probably need to create a curriculum vitae (CV).

CVs highlight your education in more detail as well as your credentials, research experience, and certifications. Because of that, CVs tend to run much longer than resumes do.

To learn more about CVs, check out our article How to Write a CV for a Successful Job Search.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is an ATS-friendly resume?

An ATS-friendly resume is formatted in a way that makes it easy for an ATS to read and understand it. It also includes keywords and phrases that are relevant to the specific job opening. If you write your resume with ATS software in mind, it will have a much better chance of making it into the hands of a hiring manager.

How can you make your resume ATS-friendly?

To make your resume ATS-friendly, use a clean, straightforward format. Avoid images and graphics. Tailor your resume to each job application by incorporating keywords and phrases from the job description, ensuring they match your skills and experience.

Which resume format is most ATS-friendly?

The most ATS-friendly format is the reverse chronological resume. This type of resume lists your work experience in reverse chronological order, with your most recent position listed first. This format is favored because it clearly showcases your career progression and is easily parsed by most ATS systems.

Are PDF resumes ATS-friendly?

Yes, in the vast majority of cases, a PDF resume will work fine. Always check the job listing. If it says to submit a Word resume, then do that. Otherwise, a PDF resume works just as well.

How can I check if my resume is ATS-friendly?

Jobscan’s resume scanner can ensure your resume is ATS-friendly by flagging formatting errors. By fixing these errors, you can feel confident your resume will be readable for the ATS.
You can even build an ATS-friendly resume from scratch using Jobscan’s resume builder to ensure you achieve a well-formatted document from the start.

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Kelsey Purcell

Kelsey is a Content Writer with a background in content creation, bouncing between industries to educate readers everywhere. Not too long ago, she was a new grad and making a career change so she's thrilled to generate content to help job seekers. When she's not writing, you can find her touring her local coffee shops and browsing the bookstores for the latest reads.

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