Convert Your Resume to an ATS-Friendly Format

A study by Harvard Business School revealed that more than 90 percent of employers use recruitment software such as applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen candidates and rank them.

Even if you’re the most qualified for the job, your chances of getting interviews are slim if: 

To make sure the ATS doesn’t reject your application, you need to convert your resume to an ATS-friendly format.

In this guide, we will help you optimize your resume, be visible to recruiters, and increase your chances of getting interviews. You can also quickly scan your resume through our free resume converter to see if it’s optimized for the ATS.

Why is having an ATS-friendly resume format important?

An ATS-friendly format makes it easy for the ATS to read and parse your resume accurately. 

This way, your resume has a solid chance of being seen by a recruiter or hiring manager, which can lead to  a job interview.

How to make sure the ATS can read your resume

Over 97% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS to simplify their hiring process and sort through resumes quickly and efficiently.

When you submit your resume or cover letter, it goes through the ATS. The ATS then parses your resume, converts it into a format that can easily be searched and filtered, and stores your information in a database.

When looking for a potential hire, recruiters search for candidates through the ATS using keywords and other criteria. The ATS will then scan the database and show the top candidates that match the requirements. But here’s the thing…

You can avoid getting lost in the ATS by creating an ATS resume or converting your resume to an ATS-friendly format. 

Read more: What Is An ATS? 8 Things You Need to Know About Applicant Tracking Systems

How to convert your resume to ATS-friendly format

The best way to convert your resume to an ATS-friendly format is to use our free resume converter. But if you want to make manual changes, follow these expert tips.

1. Use a traditional font

For readability, it’s best to use a traditional serif or sans serif font. Some ATS will automatically change unfamiliar fonts, which can alter the design of your resume. 

Font size doesn’t affect your resume’s ATS readability, but we suggest using a 10 or 12-point font. This makes your resume look more professional and readable especially when it gets in the hands of a recruiter.

Check out our list of the best fonts you can use: The Best Fonts for Your Resume.

2. Don’t use headers or footers

A header is the top section of a word document while a footer is the bottom section. 

Unfortunately, not all ATS can accurately read information placed in these sections. So you should not include headers or footers in your resume to avoid parsing errors.

Also be sure to use standard resume margins. The standard margin is one inch on all sides of you resume.

3. Use standard resume section headings

Creative section headers may confuse applicant tracking systems, causing them to organize information incorrectly. Stick with standard headings that the ATS can identify easily.

4. Avoid graphics

Although it’s tempting to add your profile photo or slap some fancy graphics on your resume, these might cause parsing errors in the ATS.

5. Use the right file format

After you write your resume, save it as a .docx (Microsoft word) or .pdf. These formats work best with most of the ATS.

You can check our full guide here: Resume PDF vs Word.

6. Format your dates correctly

Most ATS accurately parse dates in the following formats:

Once you choose a date format, you should stick with it consistently throughout your resume.

7. Use keywords and phrases from the job posting and match the criteria

Since recruiters use keywords and phrases as criteria to search for candidates through the ATS, you need to include relevant keywords in your resume.

These keywords are usually the job title or key hard and soft skills. These are found in the job description.

If you need help in identifying which keywords to include, you can use Jobscan’s resume scanner. It scans your resume and matches it with the job description.

After scanning, Jobscan generates a report with a list of job-specific keywords you should add in your resume to optimize it for the ATS. Here’s what a portion of the keywords section of a resume scanner report looks like:

In this example, the job seeker failed to include several hard skills in the job description. If a recruiter searches for a candidate with knowledge of compliance policies or health information technology, this resume will not appear in the search results.

8. Choose the right ATS-friendly resume format

There are 3 basic resume formats but we recommend using a hybrid resume format. The hybrid format showcases both your core skills and work experience.

If a skills section doesn’t make sense for your particular industry or profession, a chronological format will work just fine, too. 

PRO-TIP: Avoid using a functional resume format. The functional resume format focuses on your skills and accomplishments. However, it often leaves out important work history information that recruiters and ATS need to build complete candidate profiles. 

9. Use a resume converter

To make sure you don’t commit any ATS formatting mistakes, try using a resume converter. Not only are resume converters easy to use, they also save you time.

What is a resume converter?

A resume converter is a tool you can use to change your resume into a format that the applicant tracking system (ATS) can parse and interpret correctly.

Get the most out of Jobscan’s free resume converter tool

Jobscan’s converter tool uses the latest AI technology to scan your resume and match it with the particular job you are applying for. 

Jobscan then gives you a comprehensive report on formatting edits you need to make, relevant keywords you need to include, and other necessary changes you need to do. This way, your resume will be visible in ATS searches and will be noticed by recruiters.

Additionally, Jobscan has an ATS Tip feature which identifies the specific ATS the company you are applying to is using. It gives you expert tips on how to optimize your resume for that particular ATS.

Frequently asked questions