How to Optimise Your Resume for ATS

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are software platforms that companies use to receive, parse, and screen job applications. Common ATS platforms include Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, Taleo, iCIMS, and SmartRecruiters. Most companies with more than 50 employees use one.

When you submit your resume, the ATS:
1. Parses your resume — extracts text, tries to identify sections (work history, education, skills), and stores the data
2. Scores your application — compares your parsed content against the requirements in the job description, typically using keyword matching
3. Ranks or filters candidates — recruiters typically see only the top-scoring candidates, or candidates above a minimum threshold

The consequence: if your resume doesn't parse correctly, or if it's missing the key terms the ATS is scoring, it may never be seen by a human — regardless of how qualified you actually are.

The LoopCV Resume Keywords Scanner compares your resume against any job description and shows your exact match score and missing keywords. Free, no sign-up.

The most common reason a well-qualified resume fails ATS screening is formatting that confuses the parser.

Use a clean, simple layout:
- Single-column layout — multi-column formats often parse incorrectly
- Standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Garamond) — decorative fonts can fail to parse
- Font size 10–12pt for body text, 14–16pt for headings
- Standard section headings ("Work Experience," "Education," "Skills") — creative alternatives ("My Journey," "Where I've Been") don't parse reliably
- No headers or footers — information in page headers/footers is often not parsed
- No tables — table cells are often parsed as a single block of text, scrambling the content
- No text boxes — same parsing problem as tables
- No graphics, icons, or images — ATS cannot read these

File format: PDF or .docx. Both parse reliably with modern ATS. Some older ATS systems prefer .docx — if the job posting doesn't specify, .docx is the safer default.

ATS systems match your resume against the job description using keyword matching. The more your resume's language matches the job description's language, the higher your score.

How to identify the right keywords:
1. Read the job description carefully and note every skill, tool, methodology, certification, and qualification mentioned
2. Note the exact wording — "stakeholder management" and "stakeholder communication" may be scored differently
3. Check whether the same skill appears multiple times or in multiple sections — repetition signals importance

How to include them:
- Use the exact terms from the job description (not synonyms, where possible)
- Include keywords in both the skills section and the bullet points — not just one location
- Don't keyword-stuff — adding a long list of keywords that aren't evidenced in your experience will help you pass ATS but hurt you in the human review that follows

The mirror test: look at the job description and your resume side by side. Does your resume use the same language for the same skills? If the JD says "Google Analytics 4" and your resume says "GA," add the full term.

1. Using a creative resume template. Many professionally-designed templates include multi-column layouts, text boxes, icons, or tables — all of which cause parsing problems. Design-heavy templates look impressive to humans but frequently fail ATS.

2. Putting contact information in a header. ATS parsers often skip page headers entirely, meaning your email and phone may not be captured.

3. Using images for key information. A logo in your skills section, an infographic of your competencies — ATS can't read any of it.

4. Non-standard date formats. Dates like "Jan 2020 – Mar 2022" parse correctly. Creative formats like "Q1 2020 → Q1 2022" may not.

5. Using abbreviations without spelling out the full term. "SEO" is widely recognised. More specialised or company-specific abbreviations may not match. Write out the full term at least once: "Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)."

6. Applying without reading the JD. The single biggest ATS factor is the match between your resume's language and the job description. A resume that isn't tailored to the specific role will score poorly regardless of formatting quality.

Passing ATS screening is necessary but not sufficient. After ATS filtering, a human recruiter reviews the remaining applications — and their criteria are different from the algorithm's.

The human reviewer is looking for: clear structure, specific achievements (not just responsibilities), appropriate experience level, and evidence that this person is a real candidate who can do the job — not just a resume full of keywords.

This means the goal is not to "beat" ATS — it's to write a resume that:
1. Parses correctly (formatting requirements)
2. Contains the right keywords (keyword optimisation)
3. Reads clearly and compellingly to a human (the actual writing quality)

A resume that passes ATS but reads badly to a human doesn't get you an interview. Both layers need to work.