Using a multi-column layout
ATS parsers read text left-to-right across the full page width. Two-column layouts cause text from different columns to get mixed together — your job title might end up next to a skill from the other column, making the output nonsensical.
Switch to a single-column layout. Save the fancy two-column design for a separate human-only version. Your ATS submission resume should look boring — clean, linear, and predictable.
Putting contact info in the header or footer
Many ATS systems cannot read content inside Word or PDF headers and footers — they are treated as outside the document body. Your name, email, and phone number may simply disappear from the parsed output.
Place all contact information in the main body of the document, at the very top, as regular text. Never use the document header or footer fields for anything the ATS needs to read.
Using tables to organise content
Tables are a popular layout trick but most ATS systems either skip table content entirely or read across rows in ways that scramble the text. A table with 'Skill | Years of Experience' headers can output as garbled nonsense.
Replace all tables with plain bullet-point lists. Skills sections, experience timelines, and education blocks should all be plain text with consistent formatting.
Missing a Professional Summary section
The summary section is the highest-weight section for keyword matching in many ATS systems. Skipping it means missing a significant opportunity to front-load your most important keywords right where the parser looks first.
Add a 3–5 sentence Professional Summary at the top of your resume. Include your job title, years of experience, 2–3 core skills, and one measurable achievement.
Using images, icons or graphics
ATS software reads text — it cannot interpret images. Profile photos, skill-bar graphics, decorative icons, and logo images all become invisible to the parser. Worse, they can corrupt the text around them.
Remove every image, icon, and graphic from your ATS submission resume. Replace skill bars with a plain text skills list. Use a text-based format throughout.
Non-standard section headings
"Work History" is standard. "My Professional Journey" is not. ATS systems are trained to find specific section labels. Unusual or creative headings cause the system to misclassify or skip entire sections of your resume.
Use only standard section labels: Professional Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications, Projects. Avoid creative names, even if they sound more interesting.
No keywords from the job description
ATS systems rank resumes by how well they match the job posting. If the job description says 'HubSpot CRM' and your resume says 'customer relationship management software,' the ATS may not connect the two.
Read the job description carefully and mirror its exact language in your resume. If they say "Agile methodology," use that phrase — not "iterative development" or "sprint-based workflow."
Submitting as an image-based PDF
Scanned resumes saved as PDFs are image files — there is no readable text layer. ATS software cannot extract any text from them and your resume will score zero or be rejected outright.
Always submit a text-based PDF. Create your resume in Word or Google Docs and export it as PDF. Open it in a PDF viewer and check that you can click and select individual words.
Listing responsibilities instead of achievements
Phrases like 'Responsible for managing social media accounts' are passive and tell the ATS nothing concrete. ATS systems and recruiters both score higher on quantified achievements.
Rewrite every bullet using the formula: Action verb + what you did + measurable result. Example: "Grew Instagram following from 2,000 to 14,000 in 8 months through daily short-form video content."
Inconsistent date formatting
ATS systems parse dates to calculate your tenure and total years of experience. Mixing formats — '2022–Present' in one place and 'Jan 2022 to Now' in another — can confuse the parser and produce incorrect experience calculations.
Pick one date format and use it everywhere. The most reliable format is Month Year — Month Year (e.g. "March 2022 — Present"). Apply it consistently to every role and education entry.
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