How to Build an ATS-Friendly Resume in 2026
What Is an ATS and Why Should You Care?
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software that automatically screens resumes before a human reads them. Over 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS — meaning a badly formatted resume gets rejected by a robot, not a recruiter.
The 7 Rules of ATS-Friendly Resumes
1. Use Standard Section Headings
Write "Work Experience" not "My Career Journey". ATS parsers match exact section headers.
2. Avoid Tables and Text Boxes
Most ATS systems read PDFs as plain text, left-to-right. Tables break the reading order. Use simple bullet points instead.
3. Include Keywords from the Job Description
ATS scores resumes by keyword match. Copy exact phrases from the job posting:
- If the JD says "project management" — use that exact phrase, not "managing projects"
- Include both abbreviations and full forms: "ML" and "machine learning"
4. Use Standard Fonts
Stick to Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Decorative fonts may render as garbage characters.
5. Save as PDF, Not DOCX
Modern ATS systems handle PDF better than DOCX. PDFs preserve your formatting across all systems.
6. Put Contact Info at the Top
Name, email, phone, LinkedIn URL — in a simple text block, not a header/footer.
7. Quantify Your Impact
"Increased sales by 34%" beats "Responsible for sales". ATS doesn't care about metrics, but the human reviewer who sees it next does.
Free ATS Score Check
Before you apply, upload your resume to our ATS Checker. You'll get a score out of 100 with specific feedback on what to improve.
AI Resume Builder
Not sure where to start? Use our AI Resume Builder to:
- Enter your work history and skills in natural language
- Let AI structure and enhance it into ATS-optimised format
- Choose from 8 professional templates
- Download as a polished PDF