ATS Resume Checklist

What are ATS requirements?

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is the software employers use to collect applications. It reads your resume into fields (name, contact details, jobs, dates, education, skills) and lets recruiters search them. Its requirements come down to two things: it has to be able to read your resume in the right order, and your resume has to contain the keywords a recruiter searches for. Everything below serves one of those two.

File and format

1. A text-based PDF or Word (.docx) file Checked by the free checkerNot a scan or a photo of your resume. If you can select the words in the file, an ATS can read them.
2. One column, with no tables or text boxes for content Checked by the free checkerColumns, tables and text boxes can come out in the wrong order, or be skipped, when an ATS reads the file.
3. A standard font at 10–12 ptFonts like Inter, Calibri, Arial or Georgia. Unusual fonts and icons can turn into unreadable characters.
4. Contact details in the main body Checked by the free checkerSome ATS skip the page header and footer, so keep your name, email and phone in the body of the page.
5. A clear file nameFor example Jordan_Rivera_Resume.pdf, not resume_final_v3.pdf.

Structure

6. Standard section headings Checked by the free checkerSummary, Experience, Education, Skills. Creative names like "My journey" may not be recognised as sections.
7. Most recent job firstReverse-chronological order is what an ATS and a recruiter expect.
8. Every job has a title, employer and dates Checked by the free checkerAdd the location too. A job without dates or a title can be dropped or misread.
9. Dates in one consistent format Checked by the free checkerJan 2022 – Present, or 01/2022 – 03/2024. Pick one style and use it everywhere.

Content

10. A short summary (30+ words) at the top Checked by the free checkerTwo or three sentences with your title, years of experience and what you’re best at.
11. Bullets that start with an action verbLed, built, reduced, managed. One idea per bullet, two lines at most.
12. Numbers in your bullets where trueTeam size, budget, percentages, time saved. Use your own real figures, never invented ones.
13. At least 6 relevant skills Checked by the free checkerListed in a Skills section, separated by commas, with the skills the jobs you want ask for.
14. Certifications and licences spelled outWrite the full name and the acronym, e.g. "Project Management Professional (PMP)". Recruiters search for both.

Keywords

15. The job title from the posting, if it’s trueRecruiters often search by title. Match the posting’s wording when it describes your real role.
16. Key terms from the job description, in its exact wordingTools, skills and qualifications the posting names, used where they’re true for you.
17. No keyword stuffing or hidden text Checked by the free checkerRepeating terms or hiding them in white text gets noticed by modern ATS and by recruiters.

Before you send it

18. The copy-paste test Checked by the free checkerCopy everything from your PDF into a plain text editor. If the order is jumbled or words are glued together, an ATS will see the same.
19. Spelling and tense checkedPast tense for past jobs, present tense for your current one. A typo in a keyword means the ATS won’t match it.
20. A free ATS checkUpload your resume to see what an ATS actually reads, and get a fix for anything it can’t.

Frequently asked questions

Related: How to make an ATS-friendly resume · ATS resume keywords · How to test your resume · PDF vs Word