10 ATS Resume Tips to Get Past the Bots in 2025
Updated January 2025 · 6 min read
Over 98% of Fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to filter resumes before a human ever reads them. If your resume isn't optimised for ATS, it may never reach a hiring manager — no matter how qualified you are. Here are 10 tips to make sure yours gets through.
1. Use standard section headings
ATS systems look for headings like "Work Experience", "Education", and "Skills". Avoid creative labels like "My Journey" or "Where I've Been" — the system won't recognise them.
2. Mirror keywords from the job description
Copy exact phrases from the job posting into your resume. If the job says "project management", use that exact phrase — not "managing projects". ATS matches strings literally.
3. Avoid tables and columns
Many ATS parsers read left-to-right, top-to-bottom. Tables and multi-column layouts scramble the reading order, causing your experience to appear garbled or be skipped entirely.
4. Use a standard font
Stick to Arial, Calibri, Georgia, or Times New Roman. Decorative fonts may not render correctly in ATS systems and can cause parsing errors.
5. Submit as PDF or DOCX
Most modern ATS accept PDF. If the job posting specifies DOCX, use that. Never submit as an image (JPG/PNG) — ATS cannot read text from images.
6. Spell out acronyms once
Write "Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)" the first time, then use the acronym. ATS may search for either form, so including both ensures a match.
7. Include a skills section
A dedicated skills section makes it easy for ATS to extract your competencies. List tools, technologies, and certifications as individual items, not in paragraph form.
8. Use standard date formats
Write dates as "Jan 2022 – Mar 2024" or "01/2022 – 03/2024". Inconsistent or ambiguous date formats confuse ATS parsers and can misorder your experience.
9. Avoid headers and footers
Some ATS systems ignore content in headers and footers entirely. Put your name and contact information in the main body of the document.
10. Keep formatting simple
No graphics, no logos, no text boxes, no special characters as bullet points. Use plain round bullets (•). The simpler the formatting, the more reliably ATS can parse your content.
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