ATS-Friendly Formatting: Keep It Simple

ATS systems are picky about formatting. Let's make sure your resume passes the test.

File Format

Best: PDF or Word (.docx) Avoid: Images, PDFs with images, fancy formatting

Why? ATS systems can parse text-based PDFs and Word docs. They struggle with images and complex layouts.

Font & Styling

Use: Standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Helvetica Avoid: Fancy fonts, script fonts, decorative fonts

Use: Bold and italics for emphasis Avoid: Underlines, colors, graphics, tables with merged cells

Section Headers

Use: Clear, standard headers

• Contact Information
• Professional Summary
• Experience
• Education
• Skills

Avoid: Creative headers like "My Journey" or "What I've Done"

Bullet Points

Use: Standard bullet points (•, -, *) Avoid: Custom symbols, images, or special characters

Spacing & Layout

Use: Simple, clean spacing Avoid: Multiple columns, text boxes, headers/footers

Good: Single column, left-aligned text, standard margins

Bad: Two-column layout, centered text, narrow margins

What to Avoid

❌ Graphics and images - ATS can't read them ❌ Tables - ATS gets confused by table formatting ❌ Headers and footers - ATS might miss them ❌ Text boxes - ATS can't parse them ❌ Colored text - ATS might not read it ❌ Fancy fonts - ATS might not recognize them ❌ Multiple columns - ATS reads top to bottom, left to right

The Test

If your resume looks good in a plain text editor, it'll pass ATS. If it looks weird in plain text, it'll confuse the robot.

Pro Tip

Save your resume as both PDF and Word. Some companies prefer one over the other. Make sure both versions are ATS-friendly.

Using shipresume

All resumes built in shipresume are ATS-optimized by default. We handle the formatting so you can focus on content.

Create your resume and we'll take care of the formatting.

Next Steps

• Learn about ATS
• Get AI feedback on ATS compatibility
• Create your resume
• Check our FAQs