Can the ATS Read Tables and Columns on Your Resume?

You spend hours perfecting your resume layout. Two columns, maybe a table to organize your skills, and just the right amount of design to make it pop.

There’s just one problem. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) don’t care how your resume looks.

They’re going to strip out all that formatting. And when they hit a table or a column, things can break.

So if you’re wondering, “Can ATS read tables?” the answer is: not reliably. And getting it wrong could mean your resume never even gets seen.

In this article, we’ll clear up the confusion around tables and columns, and show you how to format your ATS resume so it’s parsed correctly and shows up in recruiter searches.

What is an ATS?

Companies often receive hundreds—or even thousands—of applications for every job opening, so they use software to keep everything organized.

The software they use is called an applicant tracking system, or ATS. When you submit your resume, it goes directly into the ATS database.

The ATS then parses your resume. This involves stripping out the formatting and turning it into plain text.

If your formatting confuses the ATS, important information can get lost or jumbled. That means your resume might not show up when a recruiter searches for candidates.

If your resume doesn’t show up in a search, you won’t get the job.

That’s why using tables and columns when writing your resume just isn’t worth the risk.

Here’s what the ATS does to tables and columns

Let’s look at an example of how an ATS might parse a resume with tables and columns.

The resume below was submitted to Lever, a popular ATS. As you can see, this resume uses columns and tables to organize information.

At first glance, this resume looks easy to read, but it poses problems for an ATS.

When the ATS hits a table or column, it may scramble the order, skip content entirely, or misplace keywords that are essential for showing up in recruiter searches.

Here’s how the ATS parsed the information from the above resume.

The ATS picked up the work experience section, but ignored everything else. No skills. No “About” section. No contact info. No links to work samples.

This is why you shouldn’t use tables and columns on your resume.

And you don’t need to.

There’s a better, simpler way to structure your resume that works for both the ATS and the person reading it.

NOTE: If you want a more visually designed version of your resume to showcase in interviews or on a portfolio site, that’s fine. But always use the ATS-friendly resume when applying online.

How to format your resume without tables or columns

When it comes to formatting your resume, boring is better. You don’t need columns, tables, graphics, or fancy layouts.

A clean, single-column layout is the safest choice. It’s not only easier for the ATS to parse, but it’s easier for recruiters to skim.

That’s right. Recruiters prefer simple, straightforward resumes, too. They want to see your qualifications quickly, not figure out a puzzle.

Here’s how to structure your resume for maximum readability and ATS compatibility:

1. Stick to a single column

It may feel old-school, but a single-column layout helps the ATS read your resume without confusion. No missing sections, no scrambled keywords, just clean, readable content.

2. Use standard section headers

The ATS is looking for sections like “Work Experience,” “Skills,” and “Education.” Avoid creative headers like “My Journey” or “Where I’ve Worked.” They might sound fun, but they can throw off the system.

3. Format your skills with bullets or bars

Tables aren’t the only way to organize your resume skills. You can separate them with bullet points (•), vertical bars (|), or even commas.

For example:

4. Keep your design choices minimal

Fancy resume fonts, icons, text boxes, graphics, and special characters can all confuse the ATS.

Stick with basics:

Let’s look at an example of a resume that’s both human and ATS-friendly.

The resume below uses a single-column layout with standard section headers and properly formatted skills. There are no tables or graphics.

But what if you’re in a creative field? Shouldn’t your resume reflect that?

No! Your creativity belongs in your portfolio or website, not on your resume.

Your resume isn’t a design project. It’s a tool to show what you’ve done and why it matters. The goal is for a recruiter to say, “They’ve got the skills—let’s talk.”

Don’t waste time on making your resume look overly designed, especially if it could hurt your chances of getting seen at all.

Not sure if your resume is ATS-friendly?

Even if your resume looks fine to you, it might not look fine to an ATS.

That’s why it’s important to test it.

You can use Jobscan’s resume scanner to see exactly how your resume performs. It checks for ATS formatting mistakes that might keep your resume from showing up in recruiter searches.

Here’s an example of Jobscan’s formatting checklist:

But Jobscan’s resume scanner does a lot more than check for formatting errors.

It also checks to make sure your resume contains the keywords recruiters are using to search the ATS database for suitable job candidates.

The resume scanner does this by comparing your resume to the job description, which is where recruiters are taking their keywords from.

It works like this:

You’ll then receive a resume score that shows how well your resume matches the job description. The higher the score, the better your chances of getting an interview.

You’ll also receive a Match Report showing you the most important keywords from the job description. Here’s what the report looks like:

The red X’s highlight important skills that are missing from your resume. Adding those skills will increase your resume score and your chances of getting an interview.

Do recruiters really use the ATS to search for candidates this way?

Yes! According to a Jobscan survey, 99.7% of recruiters use ATS filters, especially for skills.

You can try the resume scanner for free here: