The ATS resume format checklist

Layout

• Single column — no side-by-side sections.
• Contact details in the body, not the header or footer.
• No tables, text boxes, or multi-column grids.
• Generous margins and clear spacing between sections.

Text

• Everything is real, selectable text — nothing important trapped in an image or icon.
• Common font: Arial, Calibri, Georgia, or Times.
• Standard font sizes (roughly 10–12pt body, larger for headings).
• Plain bullet points (•), not custom glyphs or emoji.

Sections

• Conventional headings: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills.
• Reverse-chronological work history with clear dates.
• Job entries: title, employer, dates, then bullet points.
• Skills as a simple comma-separated list, not a chart or rating bar.

Content

• Keywords from the job description where they genuinely apply to you.
• Spelled-out terms and acronyms where relevant (e.g. "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)").
• Action verbs to open bullet points (led, built, reduced, shipped).
• No keyword stuffing — everything should hold up in an interview.

File

• A text-based PDF or DOCX — never a scanned image.
• Sensible file name, e.g. Jane-Smith-Resume.pdf.
• Follow the employer's requested format if they specify one.

One honest caveat

Ticking every box makes your resume readable — it does not guarantee an interview. Whether you advance still depends on your experience and each employer's own criteria. Formatting just makes sure you're judged on your qualifications, not lost to a parsing error.