75% of resumes are rejected by ATS before a human ever sees them. Our free ATS checker analyzes your resume for formatting issues, missing keywords, and compatibility problems that cause automatic rejections.
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Understanding what ATS software scans helps you optimize your resume for maximum visibility.
ATS scans for job-specific keywords from the posting. Missing critical terms means automatic rejection.
Complex layouts, tables, and columns confuse ATS parsers. Simple, single-column formats parse best.
ATS looks for name, email, phone, and location in standard formats. Missing info means lost opportunities.
ATS systems parse employment dates to calculate experience. Inconsistent formats cause parsing errors.
Follow these guidelines to maximize your resume's chances of passing ATS screening.
Our templates are tested and optimized for all major Applicant Tracking Systems used by employers worldwide.
An ATS is software used by employers to collect, scan, and rank job applications. It filters resumes based on keywords, formatting, and relevance before a recruiter ever sees them. Over 98% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS.
Common reasons include complex formatting (tables, columns, graphics), missing keywords from the job description, non-standard section headings, incompatible file formats, and information placed in headers or footers that ATS can't read.
A clean, single-column layout with standard section headings works best. Use simple formatting, standard fonts, and avoid graphics or tables. PDF and DOCX are the most universally accepted file formats.
Read the job description carefully and identify repeated skills, qualifications, and terminology. Include these keywords naturally throughout your resume, especially in your summary, skills section, and work experience descriptions.
Two-column layouts can cause parsing issues with many ATS systems. The software may read across columns instead of down them, jumbling your information. A single-column layout is the safest choice for ATS compatibility.
Yes, if your actual title is similar. Including the exact job title from the posting in your resume (where truthful) significantly improves ATS matching. You can include it in your summary or as a target role.
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