How to Make an ATS Friendly Resume: Simple Tips

You want to know how you can make an ATS friendly resume, and the short answer is: make it simple, use the right words, and follow standard formatting. An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software companies use to scan and sort resumes before a person ever sees them. If your resume isn't formatted for these systems, it might get filtered out even if you're a perfect fit. The good news is you don't need a designer or expensive tools; you just need to follow a few clear rules.

Start with Simple Formatting

ATS software reads text, not images or fancy layouts. So the safest choice is a clean, single-column resume with no tables, text boxes, graphics, or columns. Use a standard font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman in 10 to 12 point size. Save your file as a .docx or a text-based PDF, and never send an image PDF, because the system can't read it.

Put your contact information in the main body of the resume, not in headers or footers. Many ATS systems skip those areas, and if your phone number or email is there, it might not get picked up. Stick to standard section headings like “Professional Experience,” “Education,” “Skills,” and “Certifications.” Avoid creative titles like “My Journey” or “What I Bring.”

Match Your Words to the Job Description

The most important thing you can do is tailor your resume to each job you apply for. ATS systems look for keywords that appear in the job posting. Read the job description carefully and note the specific skills and phrases it repeats. Then weave those exact terms into your resume naturally, especially in your work experience bullets.

1. Copy the job description and highlight the main skills, tools, and qualifications it mentions.
2. Compare that list to your own experience and pick the ones you genuinely have.
3. Rewrite your bullet points to include those keywords in context. For example, instead of “Managed a team,” write “Led a team of 8 in cross-functional projects.”
4. Spell out acronyms the first time you use them, like “Search Engine Optimization (SEO),” then you can use the short form later.
5. Check that your resume still reads naturally. Never stuff in keywords just to fill space; that looks bad to both the system and a human reader.

Avoid These Common Mistakes

Even small errors can trip up an ATS and get your resume rejected. Here are the mistakes to watch for:

• Fancy bullets, symbols, or icons. Use simple round bullets or dashes.
• Tables or columns to organize your experience. They confuse the parser.
• Spelling mistakes. Typos can make it harder for the system to match keywords, so proofread carefully.
• Irrelevant or outdated experience. Focus on your most recent and most relevant roles, especially if you have many years of work history.
• Sending the same resume to every job. A little extra time tailoring each one makes a big difference.

Also, keep your resume to one or two pages. For most people, especially freshers or those with under ten years of experience, one page is plenty. Use action verbs like “led,” “built,” “improved,” and “managed” to start your bullets, and include numbers when you can, such as “increased sales” or “reduced processing time.”

Once you've made these changes, test your resume by saving it as a plain text file and reading it. If everything appears in the right order and nothing is missing, it's likely ATS friendly. For a quicker check, you can also use a free online resume scanner, but remember that their scores are just a guide, not a final verdict.

If you want help getting your resume into shape without doing all the work yourself, Destava's AI career manager can build and fix your resume, improve your LinkedIn profile, and even find and apply to jobs for you. Start with one simple change today, like rewriting your top three bullets with keywords from a job you want, and you'll already be ahead of most applicants.