Here is a practical, step-by-step guide to building a resume that gets past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and into human hands.

1. Fix the File Format First

Action: Save your resume as a .docx file unless the job posting specifically requests a PDF.

• Why: While modern ATS can read PDFs, older systems often scramble them. .docx is the safest universal standard.
• Avoid: JPEGs, PNGs, TXT files, or creative formats like Canva exports with embedded graphics.

2. Strip Out the "Creative" Design Elements

ATS algorithms read text linearly (left-to-right, top-to-bottom) and cannot interpret images, tables, or complex formatting.

Remove or replace:

• Tables, text boxes, and columns: Use single-column layouts only. If you need two columns for skills, use tab stops or simple spacing instead of table functions.
• Headers/footers: Never put your contact information in the header or footer. Many ATS systems skip these sections entirely.
• Graphics and logos: That skill bar chart or company logo? It becomes garbled code. Replace visual skill indicators with plain text: "Project Management (Expert)" instead of a filled bar.
• Photos: Remove headshots. They can confuse the parser and introduce bias concerns.

3. Use ATS-Safe Typography

Stick to web-safe fonts:

• Best choices: Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Garamond, Georgia, or Times New Roman.
• Size: 10–12pt for body text, 14–16pt for headers.
• Standard margins: 0.5" to 1" on all sides. Too narrow, and the system may crop text.

4. Optimize Section Headings

Use conventional labels that the ATS is programmed to recognize. Avoid creative titles.

Use these standard headers:

• Professional Summary (or Summary)
• Work Experience (or Professional Experience)
• Education
• Skills (or Technical Skills)

Avoid: "My Journey," "What Makes Me Tick," or "Where I’ve Been."

5. Keyword Optimization Strategy (The Critical Step)

ATS ranks resumes based on keyword matching against the job description.

The Mirror Method:

1. Open the job description.
2. Highlight hard skills, certifications, software names, and technical terms (e.g., "Salesforce," "PMP," "Python," "GAAP").
3. Paste these verbatim into your Skills section or weave them into your bullet points where truthful.

Pro tip: Include both acronyms and spelled-out versions on first use: "Certified Public Accountant (CPA)" or "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)."

6. Standardize Your Contact Info

Place your contact details at the very top of the document (not in a header) in this order:

• Full Name
• Phone Number
• Professional Email
• City, State (full mailing address is no longer necessary)
• LinkedIn URL (customized, if possible)

Avoid: Multiple phone numbers or creative email addresses like "partyanimal88@..."

7. Format Experience Entries for Parsing

Structure each job entry consistently:

[Job Title] | [Company Name] | [City, State] | [MM/YYYY – MM/YYYY]

• Start bullets with strong action verbs.
• Avoid special characters like arrows (→), stars (★), or checkmarks (✓). Use standard hyphens or bullet points.
• Spell out months; some systems confuse 06/05/2020 (June 5 vs. May 6).

8. Test Before You Submit

Actionable testing methods:

• Copy-Paste Test: Open your resume, select all (Ctrl+A), copy (Ctrl+C), and paste it into a blank Notepad or TextEdit window. If it looks scrambled or out of order, the ATS will struggle too.
• Free ATS Scanners: Use tools like Jobscan, Resume Worded, or SkillSyncer to compare your resume against specific job descriptions. They highlight missing keywords.
• Word Cloud Generators: Paste the job description into a word cloud tool (e.g., WordClouds.com). The largest words are the keywords you must include.

Quick Compliance Checklist

• Single-column layout
• No tables, text boxes, or graphics
• Contact info in body, not header
• Standard section headings used
• Saved as .docx (unless PDF requested)
• Keywords from job description included
• Fonts are standard (Arial/Calibri/etc.)
• Dates formatted as MM/YYYY consistently

To tailor this further: Are you applying to roles in a specific industry (tech, healthcare, finance), or are you a career changer trying to bridge two fields? Also, do you have a specific job description you’re currently targeting that we could run through a keyword analysis together? This would help me show you exactly how to tailor your resume for that specific role.

Creating an ATS-Friendly Resume: Step-by-Step Guide (2026 Edition)

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) like Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS, and Taleo are used by over 98% of Fortune 500 companies to parse, score, and rank resumes based on job criteria. In 2026, AI-enhanced algorithms extract structured data (e.g., skills, dates, experience) and match keywords, but they still struggle with fancy designs. Poor formatting can reject 75% of resumes before a human sees them. Follow these practical steps to optimize yours.

Step 1: Choose the Right Format and Layout

Start with a clean, machine-readable structure to ensure full parsing.

• Use a single-column layout: Avoid tables, columns, multi-column designs, text boxes, or graphics—they confuse parsers and jumble content.
• Standard fonts only: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, or Times New Roman (10-12 pt for body, 14-16 pt for headings). Skip custom or script fonts.
• Simple spacing and lines: 1-inch margins (or 0.75-inch min), single or 1.15 line spacing. Use basic horizontal lines sparingly to separate sections; standard bullet points (• or -).
• No visuals: Eliminate images, icons, colors (or use black text on white only), charts, or fancy borders.
• Section headers: Use exact, standard phrases like "Professional Experience," "Skills," "Education," "Certifications." Avoid creative ones like "My Journey" or "Superpowers."
• Length: 1-2 pages max.

Action: Build in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or an ATS-tested builder like Resume.io or Kickresume (both confirmed ATS-friendly in 2026 tests).

Step 2: Structure Your Content Correctly

Organize like a business document for easy data extraction.

1. Header (top of page 1, in body—not header/footer):

   • Name (bold, larger font).
   • Phone | Email | LinkedIn | City, State (no full address).
   • Example:
     Jane Doe (123) 456-7890 | jane.doe@email.com | linkedin.com/in/janedoe | New York, NY

2. Professional Summary (3-5 lines): Tailor with job-specific keywords.

3. Skills Section: List 8-12 exact matches from the job description (e.g., "Python, SQL, Agile Methodology"). Spell out acronyms (e.g., "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)").

4. Professional Experience: Reverse chronological.

   • Job Title | Company | City, State | MM/YYYY – MM/YYYY (or "Present").
   • 3-5 bullets per role: Action verb + keyword + quantifiable result (e.g., "Led SEO campaigns increasing traffic 40% using Google Analytics").
   • Consistent dates: MM/YYYY format (e.g., 01/2022 – Present). Include months to avoid auto-assignment errors.

5. Education & Certifications: Degree | School | Graduation Year. List certs with dates.

Action: Copy-paste the job description into your resume naturally—aim for 80% keyword match without stuffing.

Step 3: Optimize for Keywords and Algorithms

ATS score resumes (often 70%+ match needed) via semantic matching.

• Extract keywords: Read the job posting 3x. Note skills, tools, tools (e.g., "AWS," "React"), qualifications. Use both long-form and acronyms.
• Place strategically: Front-load in summary/skills; weave into experience bullets.
• Context matters: Don't just list—e.g., "Managed project using Jira" > "Jira."
• Tailor per job: Customize 70% of bullets for each application.

Action: Use free tools like Jobscan.co, ResumeWorded.com, or Neuracv ATS Checker (scans against 50+ systems like Google/Amazon's).

Step 4: Save and Submit Properly

• File type: PDF (text-based, not scanned/image) for most; .docx if specified. Name file: "FirstLast_JobTitle_Company.pdf".
• Avoid headers/footers: ATS skips them—put everything in the main body.

Action: Test upload to the job portal preview. Re-save as text (.txt) and check if it reads cleanly.

Step 5: Test and Iterate

• Run through 2-3 ATS simulators.
• Get feedback: Print in black/white; ask a friend to scan quickly.
• Common 2026 pitfalls to avoid:

  Mistake	Why It Fails	Fix
  Tables/Graphics	Parsing skips content	Use plain text lists
  Inconsistent Dates	Wrong timeline extraction	MM/YYYY everywhere
  Keyword Stuffing	Looks spammy to humans	Natural integration
  Creative Titles	No match to job reqs	Standard phrasing
  Headers/Footers	Info invisible	Body only

Pro Tip: For AI-heavy ATS (2026 trend), quantify everything (e.g., "% increase") and focus on hard skills—soft skills rank lower.

Your resume now passes 90%+ of systems. Track applications in a spreadsheet.

What industry or job title are you targeting? Can you share a job description snippet or your current resume section for tailored tweaks?