What is an ATS-Friendly Resume and How to Create One
Updated: Aug 23
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If you are planning to apply for a job, the first thing you have to do is to build a resume. So, you spend hours working on your resume.
Then you apply for a job, by uploading them on various job portals. Right?
You go about creating an account on each one of them and then upload your resume on each one of them. Well, that’s one arduous thing to do when you’re looking for a job, but you still do it anyways.
Great. And then you wait.
A day, and a half. May be a week.
BUT. Nothing happens! No interview. No recruiter call.
Sometimes, you don't even receive a rejection email.
So, what happened?
One possibility is that your resume didn't make it far enough to receive a recruiter's attention.
This is where an ATS becomes important.
Now what’s that you may ask.
What is an ATS?
Well, and ATS in nothing but a silly little software app that helps recruiters to sort out or find the resume of a person who fits the job description.
: Buy it on AMAZON
ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System.
But, why can’t the recruiters do the tracking thing on their own? Well, handing 10-20 application a day manually is possible. But what if you’re receiving a flood of applications for multiple roles that the recruiter’s company is looking for?
Not manually possible. Right?
So, an ATS software is used by employers and recruitment teams to manage job applications and candidate information.
Instead of recruiters manually organizing every resume received for a position, an ATS can help employers collect, organize, search, and manage candidate applications.
Think of it as a digital recruitment system that helps employers handle large volumes of applications.
When you submit your resume through an online job application system, your resume may be processed by an ATS before a recruiter reviews it.
Depending on the system and the employer's recruitment process, the software may identify information such as:
Job titles
Professional experience
Skills
Education
Certifications
Employers
Dates of employment
Keywords
Qualifications
This is why your resume needs to work for both technology and people.
You need a tool. ATS is that tool.
So, if you're applying for jobs online, particularly with larger organizations, understanding how ATS works can help you create a resume that is easier for both recruitment software and human recruiters to understand.
Looking for a Resume Template? Download ATS-Friendly Resume Template for Free
How Does an ATS Work?
To understand how ATS works, you don't need to be a technology expert.
Imagine that a company is hiring a Digital Marketing Manager.
The job description might mention:
Digital Marketing
SEO
SEM
Performance Marketing
Google Ads
Social Media Marketing
Content Marketing
Google Analytics
Lead Generation
Marketing Automation
When the employer receives hundreds of applications (usually all at ones), an ATS can help the recruitment team organize those applications and search candidate information according to the employer's requirements.
If your resume clearly communicates your relevant qualifications and uses terminology that accurately reflects the requirements of the position, your resume is easier to understand and search.
But there is something important to remember.
An ATS isn't simply a machine that gives every resume a universal pass or fail score.
Different ATS platforms work differently, and employers can configure them according to their recruitment process.
Some employers may use keyword searches, screening questions, assessments, recruiter searches, or several of these methods together.
So don't think about ATS optimization as trying to "beat the system."
Think about it as making your resume clear, relevant, searchable, and easy to read.
What Is an ATS-Friendly Resume?
An ATS-friendly resume is a resume that uses a clear structure and straightforward formatting so that applicant tracking and recruitment systems can more easily read and interpret its information.
An ATS-friendly resume generally includes:
A clean and professional layout
Standard section headings
Clearly structured work experience
Relevant keywords
Relevant professional skills
Clearly presented education
Certifications where applicable
Consistent formatting
Easy-to-read fonts
Minimal unnecessary graphics
The goal isn't to make your resume boring.
The goal is to make your qualifications easy to find and understand.
Need a Downloadable Resume Template in Word Format? Download ATS-Friendly Resume Template for Free
Why Is an ATS-Friendly Resume Important?
Let's say you apply for a position that receives 500 applications.
A recruiter cannot realistically spend several minutes studying every resume from the beginning.
Recruitment technology can help employers organize and manage those applications.
This is why your resume should communicate your qualifications clearly.
A beautiful resume design may look impressive to a human reader.
However, if important information is difficult for recruitment software to interpret, the design may not be helping you.
That's why a simple, professional, well-structured resume can often be a better choice for online applications.
Your resume should showcase your professional value — not your graphic-design skills.
What Makes a Resume ATS-Friendly?
Here are some points that can make your resume ATS-friendly:
1. Use a Simple Resume Layout
A simple, single-column layout is generally a safe choice when ATS compatibility is important.
Avoid (DO NOT USE) the below:
Text boxes
Complex tables
Multiple columns
Excessive graphics
Decorative elements
Icons containing important information
Images containing text
The easier your resume is to follow, the easier it is to understand.
2. Use Standard Resume Headings
Don't try to be too creative with section names.
Use familiar headings such as:
· Professional Summary
· Work Experience
· Education
· Skills
· Certifications
· Projects
· Achievements
Standard headings help both recruitment software and recruiters understand your resume quickly.
3. Use Relevant Keywords
This is one of the most important aspects of ATS-friendly resume writing.
Start with the job description.
Identify the skills, qualifications, technologies, certifications, and responsibilities that are relevant to the position.
Then make sure your resume accurately reflects the qualifications you actually possess.
For example, if a Digital Marketing Manager job requires SEO, Google Ads, Performance Marketing, Content Marketing, and Google Analytics, and you genuinely have those skills, make sure they are clearly represented in your resume.
Don't simply copy every keyword from the job description.
Use keywords naturally and truthfully.
4. Focus on Your Achievements
An ATS-friendly resume still needs to impress a human recruiter.
Compare:
Responsible for managing digital marketing campaigns.
with:
Managed multi-channel digital marketing campaigns that increased qualified leads by 35% and improved campaign ROI by 22%.
The second statement provides evidence of impact.
Whenever possible, show what you achieved rather than simply listing what you were responsible for.
5. Keep Your Formatting Consistent
Use consistent:
Font styles
Font sizes
Heading formats
Bullet points
Dates
Spacing
Alignment
A clean resume is easier to scan.
To make it easier for you, here’s an ATS-Friendly Resume Format that you can follow:
Sample ATS-Friendly Resume:
What Is a Good ATS Score for a Resume?
This is probably one of the most common questions job seekers ask:
"What is a good ATS score?"
The answer may surprise you.
There Is No Universal ATS Score
There isn't one universal ATS score used by every employer.
Different ATS platforms, employers, and third-party resume-checking tools can evaluate resumes differently.
You may find online resume checkers that give your resume a score such as:
65%, 78%, 85%, or even 95%
But that doesn't mean an employer's ATS will necessarily assign your resume the same score.
So, don't become obsessed with achieving a particular number.
Instead, focus on whether your resume is:
Relevant to the position
Easy to read
Properly structured
Keyword-aligned
Easy to parse
Tailored to the job
Focused on measurable achievements
Is 80% a Good ATS Score?
An 80% score may be a good result on a particular resume-checking tool, but it should not be treated as a universal ATS benchmark.
The more important question is:
Does your resume accurately demonstrate that you are qualified for the job?
A resume could potentially achieve a high keyword score through excessive keyword repetition.
That doesn't make it a better resume.
Recruiters still want to see a clear professional story, relevant skills, achievements, and evidence that you can perform the job.
ATS optimization is about relevance — not keyword stuffing.
Searching for a Downloadable Resume Template? Download ATS-Friendly Resume Template for Free
What Is the Best ATS Resume Checker?
There are many resume-checking tools available online.
But before using one, ask:
What exactly is the tool checking?
A useful resume checker should ideally help you identify potential issues with:
ATS compatibility
Keyword alignment
Missing skills
Resume structure
Formatting
Job-description alignment
Readability
Overall presentation
However, software isn't the only way to review a resume.
A professional human review can provide another valuable perspective.
A software tool might tell you that a particular keyword is missing.
A recruitment professional can help you determine whether that keyword actually belongs in your resume and how you could communicate the relevant skill more effectively.
Get Your Resume Checked for Free
If you're unsure whether your resume is ATS-friendly, ProPersonalBranding.com provides a simple way to get your resume reviewed.
You can send your resume to the ProPersonalBranding.com through WhatsApp and request a free resume check.
The team can review your resume and identify potential areas for improvement, including formatting, ATS compatibility, keyword alignment, and overall presentation.
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