The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is specialized software used by most companies to manage and organize the large volume of job applications they receive. The ATS acts as the first “gatekeeper,” analyzing and ranking resumes based on their match with the job requirements. Over 70% of resumes are never seen by a hiring manager due to this filter, making ATS compatibility essential to landing an interview.

Fundamental Principles of ATS Formatting

To ensure your resume is readable by an ATS, simplicity and clarity are paramount. ATS are optimized for simple, structured formats.

1. Simple and Consistent Formatting: Use a clean, single-column layout. Avoid complex elements that confuse the ATS, such as graphics, tables, columns, text boxes, symbols, or embedded images. Text within these complex elements is often ignored or read incorrectly.
2. Standard and Legible Fonts: Use common, easy-to-read fonts like Garamond, Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, or Georgia. Keep the font size between 10 and 12 points for the body text and 14 to 16 points for section headings.
3. Clear Section Titles: Stick to traditional, standardized section headings (e.g., “Work Experience,” “Education,” “Skills”). Using creative names like “Professional Journey” or “Core Competencies” can confuse the system, causing important information to be misclassified.
4. Consistent Use of Bullets: Use standard bullets (solid or open circles, or squares) and avoid custom symbols, arrows, or checkboxes. Both ATS and human recruiters prefer bullet points over bulky paragraphs for quick scanning.

File and Contact Tip: Save your resume as a Word (.doc/.docx) document or a text-based PDF (unless otherwise specified in the application). Also, ensure that essential contact information (name, email, phone number) is in the main body of the document, not in the headers or footers, as these may be ignored by the ATS.