Hiring teams skim fast—and ATS software filters even faster. The goal isn’t to “game” the system; it’s to make your resume easy to parse, easy to scan, and impossible to misunderstand. Here are practical ways to strengthen your resume for both ATS and real humans.

1) Start with a simple, ATS-friendly structure

Most applicant tracking systems read left-to-right, top-to-bottom.

• Use single-column layouts (avoid sidebars)
• Stick to standard headings: Summary, Experience, Skills, Education
• Save as PDF only if the job posting allows it; otherwise use .docx
• Avoid tables, text boxes, icons, and graphics (they can break parsing)

Quick check: If you copy/paste your resume into a plain text editor, does it still look readable?

2) Write a “results-first” Experience section

Your bullets should show impact, not just responsibilities.

Try this formula:

• Action + Scope + Tools + Result

Examples:

• Reduced monthly reporting time by 35% by automating dashboards in Excel + Power BI
• Managed a portfolio of 45 SMB accounts, improving renewal rate from 78% to 90%

Tip: Aim for 2–5 strong bullets per role. If everything is “responsible for,” nothing stands out.

3) Use keywords strategically (without keyword stuffing)

ATS often ranks resumes by how closely they match the posting.

• Pull keywords from the job description: tools, skills, certifications, role-specific terms
• Mirror phrasing when truthful (e.g., “stakeholder management” vs. “partnering with teams”)
• Place key terms in Skills and reinforce them in Experience (where they carry more weight)

Pro move: Create a small “core skills” list tailored per role instead of one giant generic list.

4) Make formatting choices that boost readability

Recruiters typically scan in this order: title, recent roles, company names, dates, then bullets.

• Use consistent date formatting (e.g., Jan 2023 – Present)
• Keep fonts clean (Calibri, Arial, Helvetica) at 10.5–12 pt
• Use bold sparingly to highlight job titles and impact numbers
• Keep margins reasonable (around 0.5–1 inch)

5) Don’t bury the lede: tighten your Summary

A strong Summary is 2–4 lines that quickly answers: “What do you do, and what are you known for?”

• Mention your role level (e.g., “Data Analyst with 4+ years…”)
• Add 1–2 specialties (domains, tools, outcomes)
• Align with the target job

If you want, paste one job description + your current resume bullets (anonymized), and the community can help identify missing keywords and rewrite 2–3 bullets for stronger impact.

What’s the hardest part of resume writing for you right now—formatting, keywords, or turning your work into measurable results?