How to Write an ATS-Friendly Resume for 2024

The belief that ATS systems regularly hide resumes from recruiters is often overstated.

But learning how to format your resume for ATS software can help increase your visibility and make recruiters’ jobs easier.

Below, we have a full guide so you can understand what an ATS-friendly resume is and how you can use it to land your next role.

What is an ATS (Applicant Tracking System)?

Applicant Tracking Systems are software platforms that large companies use to manage all the job applications they get and streamline the hiring process.

ATS platforms are best known for screening resumes based on a set of hiring criteria, but they’re also used for many other things, like:

• managing job postings
• accepting and organizing applications
• communicating with applicants
• tracking applicant status
• generating reports

This range of functions enables employers to efficiently manage high-volume recruitment and make more informed hiring decisions.

What is an ATS-friendly resume?

An ATS-friendly resume is any resume that can be easily and properly parsed, or scanned, by ATS software.

To make your resume ATS-friendly, it’s important to use a simple resume format that uses widely accepted fonts and remove all graphics and images. And, make sure you use resume keywords from the job description since the ATS will be looking for matches.

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How to make an ATS-compliant resume

Wondering how to make a great resume that’s still ATS-friendly? Follow these steps below, then put your resume through a resume parser to make sure it’s compatible with applicant tracking systems.

1. Use an ATS-optimized resume format

When you’re writing a resume that’ll be scanned by an ATS, put all of your resume sections in a single column. And, list your work history in chronological format, because it’s easy to read and organizes your work experience from most recent to oldest.

It’s also important to use a standard resume font like Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, or Georgia.

Ready to make your ATS-friendly resume? Here’s a quick video of things to keep in mind:

@resumegenius Follow these tips to make an ATS-friendly resume and beat the applicant tracking system #resume #resumetips #jobsearch #jobsearchtips #atsresume ♬ Darling – Trees and Lucy

2. Use an ATS-friendly resume template

Resumes with graphic elements, multiple columns, tables, or unique fonts are difficult for ATS software to read.

So, to prevent your resume from being improperly scanned by ATS software, it’s important to use an ATS-friendly resume template.

We tested different templates on the ATS software used by companies like Meta and Microsoft, and with some trial and error created a bare-bones resume template that’s perfectly optimized for corporate ATS software:

Download This ATS-Friendly Resume Template

This template might look a little plain, but it’s been designed with the largest number of applicant tracking systems in mind.

For example, we opted for dashes instead of bullet points because we noticed that Microsoft’s ATS software struggled to import our work experience section correctly when we used bullet points (although we’re not sure why). We also used a basic line-by-line layout so that even older ATS software can pull your information correctly.

3. Correctly label your sections

Applicant Tracking Systems organize your qualifications based on common resume headings like “Work Experience” and “Skills.”

Playful headings like “Why I’m Great” will confuse ATS software, so it’s best to avoid them.

Here are some good and bad examples of resume headings:

4. Include job-related keywords

To determine if your qualifications are relevant to the position, ATS software scans your resume for specific job-related resume keywords.

Although newer ATS software uses AI to understand whether your resume fits the job requirements, many companies still use older software that searches for resume keywords.

To make sure that your resume has what they’re looking for, read through the job listing for keywords to include on your resume – these might be specific credentials, types of experience, or skills.

Focus on hard skills, as these will be what recruiters are searching for. Here are some examples of the top hard skills to include for three professions, based on which skills appear most frequently in job listings for each:

Finding the right skills for your resume and including them in your skills section helps the ATS identify you as a good match for the role.

5. Save your resume as a PDF or .docx

It’s always best to check each job application process to see if a specific format is requested and follow those instructions.

If the job listing doesn’t specify what file format to save your resume in, a Word document is the safest choice because some older ATS software has trouble parsing PDF files. However, in most cases a PDF should be fine. Avoid submitting your resume as other file types.

6. Get a free ATS resume scan

If you follow the steps above, any ATS should recognize that your resume satisfies the job requirements. However, if you’d like to double-check if there’s any room for improvement, you can use an Applicant Tracking System checker.

An ATS resume checker scans your resume and shows you how you can improve it.

Here are some of the best free options available:

Simply upload your resume to receive a report showing if and how it can be improved.

Six free ATS-friendly resume templates for 2024

The following five ATS-friendly resume templates are free to download and specifically designed to be ATS-compliant. If you’re making your resume in MS Word, all you have to do is open the template with Word and fill in your information.

Open Gallery

Pantheon

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Elegant

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Milano

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Easy

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Connery

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Chicago

The best resume templates for 2024

One of the best ways to make your resume is by filling out one of our free resume templates. All our templates are designed by experts and free to download for Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

View Resume Templates

Frequently asked questions about ATS

If you still have questions about ATS and ATS-friendly resumes, check out the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about ATS below.

1. How do you check if your resume is ATS-friendly?

To know if your resume is ATS-friendly, go over it and check for the following:

• Single-column formatting
• Chronological work history
• Standard resume font
• Standard resume section headings
• No graphics
• No tables
• No unique fonts
• Resume experience listed with dashes instead of bullets
• Job skills and keywords from the job description
• File saved as .pdf or .docx

Finally, you can run your resume through an ATS resume scanner.

2. What is an ATS resume checker?

An ATS resume checker is software that scans your resume and checks to see if it’s ATS-friendly. Resume checkers also scan for typos and missing or incomplete information.

After checking your resume, the ATS checker will show you what improvements you can make to ensure it’s more ATS-friendly, and sometimes provide a percentage score.

3. What is a good ATS score?

Applicant Tracking Systems may assign a percentage score to show how well a resume matches the job description or search criteria. Every organization uses these scores differently. Resumes scoring higher than 80% are prioritized by the system, but recruiters still have access to and can read all resumes submitted.

ATS resume checkers also assign a score to a resume showing how well it can be parsed by an ATS. Make sure your resume scores high on an ATS resume checker before submitting it to a large organization that’s likely to use an ATS.

4. What are ATS skills?

ATS skills are specific skills that an employer tells its ATS to scan for in job applications. Applicant Tracking Systems are generally used to identify candidates with certain hard skills, as opposed to soft skills.

The skills that employers are looking for usually appear in the job description or job listing for the open position. So, check the job listing for the hard skills that you have and list them in the skills section of your resume.