How to Create an ATS Resume That Passes Screening Filters

You want to know how to create an ATS resume that passes screening filters. The short answer: make it plain, use the exact words from the job posting, and skip the fancy design. An ATS, or Applicant Tracking System, is software that reads your resume and checks if it matches the job description. If it can’t read your file or find the right terms, your resume gets rejected before a human ever sees it. Here’s how to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Build a Simple, Scannable Layout

ATS software reads text in a straight line, left to right, top to bottom. Anything that breaks that flow can cause your information to be misread or ignored entirely. So keep it basic. Use a single-column layout with a standard font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman at 10 to 12 points. Skip tables, text boxes, graphics, logos, and images. Also avoid putting your contact details in the header or footer, because some systems won’t scan those areas.

Stick to standard section headings: Contact Info, Professional Summary, Skills, Work Experience, Education, and Certifications. A creative heading like “My Journey” won’t be recognized. List your experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job, and limit the document to two pages.

Use a simple file name like FirstName_LastName_Resume.docx or .pdf. Both formats usually work, but if you’re unsure, a .docx is the safest bet for most systems.

Mirror the Job Description’s Language

The single most important thing you can do is use the same words the job posting uses. If the posting says “project management” and “cross-functional teams,” those exact phrases need to appear in your resume. Don’t get creative and write “oversaw team efforts” when the job asks for “team leadership.” The ATS is literally matching the text in your resume to the text in the job description.

Pull 10 to 15 specific terms from the posting, like software names, certifications, or hard skills, and weave them naturally into your summary and experience bullets. Don’t stuff them in, though. A list of every keyword you can find looks spammy and reads badly to humans. Spell out acronyms at least once, like “Search Engine Optimization (SEO),” so you match both versions of the term.

Every bullet point should start with an action verb like “Developed,” “Led,” or “Reduced,” and should state a result you can measure. Instead of “Responsible for sales,” write “Increased regional sales in one year.” Numbers help both the ATS and a recruiter understand your impact.

Avoid These Common Mistakes

• Using two or three columns or a sidebar, which ATS often skips or jumbles.
• Saving a design-heavy PDF that isn’t real text. Test by copying everything out of your file into a plain text editor. If the order looks wrong, fix it.
• Repeating the same bullet points for every job instead of tailoring them to each application.
• Leaving out metrics. Vague bullets like “Managed a team” don’t hold up against “Managed a team of 12 and cut project time.”
• Forgetting to proofread. A typo can throw off keyword matching and looks careless to a person.

Take the time to tailor the resume for each application. It takes a little longer, but a generic resume that doesn’t match the posting is often filtered out immediately.

Write your resume in a tool you can save as a .docx, test it by pasting the content into a plain text editor, and read it out loud to catch awkward phrasing. When the basics are solid, you’ll get past the machine and in front of a person, and that’s where your real experience can speak.

If you want to check whether your resume parses correctly without building it from scratch, Destava’s AI career manager builds and fixes your resume, improves your LinkedIn profile, finds jobs and applies to them, and talks through interview prep with you.