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How to Make Your Resume ATS-Friendly in 2026

Most resumes get tossed before a human ever looks at them. Here's how to fix the formatting so the software can actually read it.

Why 75% of Resumes Never Get Seen

Here's the thing nobody tells you when you're applying for jobs: most companies run your resume through software before a recruiter ever reads it. These are called Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS. The big ones include Greenhouse, Lever, BambooHR, Workday, and iCIMS. If the software can't parse your formatting, your resume goes straight to the reject pile. Doesn't matter how qualified you are.

And we're not talking about small companies. Even mid-size teams with 50+ employees often use tools like JazzHR or Breezy HR. According to Jobscan, over 98% of Fortune 500 companies use some kind of ATS.

This isn't about tricking the system. It's about making sure the software can actually read what you wrote.

What Breaks Your Resume

These formatting choices look great on paper but confuse ATS completely:

  • Two-column layouts. ATS reads left-to-right, line by line. Columns turn your content into word soup.
  • Headers and footers. Most ATS skip these entirely. If your contact info lives in the header, congratulations, you're invisible.
  • Tables. Even simple ones cause parsing chaos. Your skills end up merged with random experience bullets.
  • Graphics, icons, skill bars. ATS can't see images. That pretty skills chart? The software doesn't know it exists.
  • Fancy fonts. Some characters don't map correctly. Stick with Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
  • Image-based PDFs. If you can't highlight and copy the text in your PDF, neither can the ATS.

The Format That Works Every Time

1. Single Column, Simple Structure

Keep everything in one column. Use clear section headers:

EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
SKILLS
CERTIFICATIONS

2. Standard Section Names

Don't get creative. ATS looks for specific words:

  • "My Journey" should be "Experience"
  • "Tech Stack" should be "Skills"
  • "What I Studied" should be "Education"
  • "Wins" should be "Achievements"

3. Mirror the Job Description

This is the single biggest factor. ATS scores your resume based on keyword matches from the posting.

If the job says "project management," write "project management" in your resume. Not "managed projects." ATS is literal like that.

Quick trick: Copy the job description, highlight 10-15 key terms, and make sure each one appears naturally somewhere in your resume.

4. Use Numbers in Your Bullets

ATS doesn't care about this, but recruiters do (once you get past the filter):

  • Bad: "Responsible for improving website performance"
  • Good: "Improved page load time by 40%, reducing bounce rate from 65% to 38%"

5. File Format

  • Best bet: .docx (most ATS parse this perfectly, and Greenhouse/Lever prefer it)
  • Usually fine: .pdf (if it's text-based, not scanned)
  • Avoid: .pages, .jpg, or designed PDFs from Canva

Side note: If you want to see how different ATS parse resumes, try uploading your resume to a free job board like Indeed or LinkedIn Easy Apply and check if all your info comes through. That'll tell you if your formatting works.

Quick Checklist Before You Submit

Run through this before hitting "apply":

  • Single column layout?
  • Standard section headers?
  • No tables, graphics, or icons?
  • Keywords from the job description included?
  • Contact info in the body, not the header?
  • File is .docx or text-based .pdf?
  • Bullets start with action verbs?
  • At least some numbers in your experience section?

Try It Yourself

Want to see what your resume looks like after ATS optimization? Our Resume Refiner rewrites your bullets with impact statements and clean formatting. Free, no signup, nothing stored.

Last updated: February 2026