An ATS-friendly resume format is a single column with selectable text, standard headings and no information trapped in images. It is also the format a busy recruiter can skim. Design flourishes that look modern and parse as nonsense fail both audiences. Use a common font, real dates, and a skills list written in words.
Use a section order recruiters expect
Header, profile, skills, experience, education, then certifications. Freshers can put a projects section where experience would be. The order matters less than the headings being real words the parser can recognise.
- Label sections Experience, Skills, Education and Projects.
- Put the phone, email and city in the header as text.
- Keep the target role in the profile, not in a graphic banner.
Write dates and titles as plain text
Each role needs the employer, your title, the city, and the month and year you started and left. Put the title on its own line. Decorative timelines and icons instead of dates are how employment history disappears in a parse.
- Use a consistent date style, such as Jan 2022 – Mar 2026.
- Write "Present" only for the job you still have.
- Spell the employer name in full.
Save a file a form can accept
PDF is the right default when the text is selectable. DOCX is the right choice when the form asks for Word. One page is enough for freshers. Two pages is enough for most experienced hires. A third page needs a reason.
- Check the file opens on a phone.
- Keep margins reasonable so nothing is cut off.
- Remove photos, charts and skill bars. Write the skill and move on.
If you can select every word with a cursor, and a recruiter can see your title and skills without zooming, the format is friendly enough.
Questions people ask
Are resume builders safe to use?
- Only if you can export selectable text in a single column. If the pretty version is an image, do not send it.
Should I include a table of skills with ratings?
- No. Write the skills in a list. Ratings are unverifiable and often scramble in a parse.
Can I use colour?
- A little colour on headings is fine. The words have to stand without the colour, and the text must remain real text.
Related reading
Kabir Menon
Kabir covers applicant tracking systems and leadership hiring. He explains how shortlists are actually built, for candidates and for hiring managers.
