You can have great experience and still get ghosted if your résumé is hard for software to read. This guide gives you the exact formatting choices that help you pass ATS scans and look great to human reviewers.

Why Format Matters More Than You Think

Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to pre-screen résumés. If your layout confuses the parser, your content won’t be indexed correctly—and you’ll be filtered out before a human looks at it. Good formatting = higher visibility, faster interviews.

The Clean Layout That Works

Use a single column from top to bottom. Avoid text boxes, tables, graphics, headers/footers, and icons. Keep page margins around 0.5–1 inch and use consistent spacing (6–8pt before bullets works well).

Suggested section order:

1. Contact info

2. Professional Summary (3–4 lines)

3. Core Skills (keyword-rich)

4. Professional Experience (achievement bullets)

5. Education & Certifications

6. Tools/Technical (if relevant)
   
   Need help turning duties into results? Read: How to Turn Job Duties Into Résumé Accomplishments 

Fonts & Sizes (ATS-Safe)

Stick to common system fonts:

• Calibri, Arial, Georgia, Times New Roman, Verdana

• Name: 18–22px; section headings: 14–16px; body/bullets: 11–12px
  Use bold for headings, regular for body, and minimal italics.

Bullet Points That Get Saved (and Seen)

Lead with a strong verb, add context, finish with a result.
Formula: Action + What + How + Outcome/Metric.
Example: Reduced inventory variance 28% by standardizing cycle counts across 4 sites.

Want more examples? See The Top 10 Résumé Mistakes (internal link).

Core Skills = Keywords (Make Them Count)

Create a single line or two of comma-separated skills—not a table. Pull phrases directly from the job posting (tools, methods, certifications). This is where the ATS checks your match rate.

Tip: Keep skills relevant; excessive keyword stuffing looks spammy to recruiters.

Dates, Locations & Job Titles

Write titles exactly as employers will search them: Assistant Operations Manager (not creative alternatives). Use MMM YYYY – MMM YYYY format and include city/state. Consistency across roles matters for ATS and human skimming.

File Type & Naming

• Preferred: .docx (most compatible), or an ATS-friendly PDF exported from Word/Google Docs

• File name: FirstLast_Resume_TargetRole.docx

Quick Do/Don’t Checklist

Do: single column, standard fonts, clear headings, keyword-rich skills, metric-based bullets.
Don’t: columns, tables, graphics, photos, icons, dense paragraphs, unusual fonts, headers/footers.

Ready-to-Use Tools

• Download: ATS-Friendly Résumé Template (Pro) (link to your file)

• Free: Career Accomplishments Worksheet to capture wins (internal link)

• Service: ATS-Friendly Résumé Service—we’ll rewrite and optimize for you (service link)

Final Word

Formatting won’t replace experience—but it removes obstacles so your experience counts. Make it easy for software to parse and for recruiters to say “yes.”

Next step: Book the ATS-Friendly Résumé Service or complete the Client Intake Form and we’ll guide you from draft to interview-ready.