How to Write ATS Resume 2025 (Complete Guide)

Stop getting rejected by ATS systems. Learn the exact strategies that help job seekers land 3x more interviews with AI-optimized resumes.

The Problem

75% of resumes never reach human eyes because they fail ATS screening. Your perfectly crafted resume might be getting rejected before anyone even reads it. Learn how ATS systems work to understand why this happens.

5 ATS Optimization Rules That Work

1. Use the Right Keywords

ATS systems scan for specific keywords from job descriptions. Match your resume language to the job posting exactly. Read our complete resume keywords guide for industry-specific examples.

❌ Generic: "Experienced in project management"

✅ ATS-Optimized: "5+ years Agile project management, Scrum Master certified"

2. Choose ATS-Friendly Formatting

Avoid fancy designs, tables, and graphics that confuse ATS systems. Check out our guide on the best resume format for ATS to learn which format works best.

❌ Bad: Tables, columns, fancy fonts, graphics

✅ Good: Simple headers, bullet points, standard fonts

3. Include a Skills Section

ATS systems look for specific skills. List them clearly and match job requirements.

4. Use Standard Section Headers

ATS systems recognize standard headers like "Experience", "Education", "Skills".

5. Quantify Your Achievements

Numbers and metrics help ATS systems understand your impact.

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Common ATS Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Using images or graphics in your resume
❌ Saving as PDF with images (use text-based PDF)
❌ Using fancy fonts or creative layouts
❌ Including tables or columns
❌ Using headers like "Professional Experience" instead of "Experience"
❌ Not including enough relevant keywords

Want to avoid these mistakes? Use our free ATS resume checker to test your resume instantly, or read about why resumes get rejected by ATS.

The 10-Step Process to Write an ATS-Optimized Resume That Gets Interviews

Writing an ATS-optimized resume isn't about gaming the system—it's about presenting your qualifications in a format that both software and humans can easily read. Follow this proven 10-step process:

Step 1: Choose the Right Resume Format

Use reverse-chronological format (most recent job first). This is what 95% of ATS systems expect.

Structure: Contact Info → Professional Summary → Work Experience → Education → Skills → Certifications

❌ Avoid: Functional resumes, creative layouts, infographic resumes

Step 2: Use Standard Section Headers

ATS systems look for specific section names. Use these exact headers:

Work Experience or Professional Experience (not "Where I've Worked")
Education (not "Academic Background")
Skills or Technical Skills (not "What I'm Good At")
Certifications (if applicable)

Step 3: Write a Keyword-Rich Professional Summary

Your summary should be 3-4 lines containing:

Exact job title you're applying for
Years of experience (if required)
Top 3-5 hard skills from job description
1-2 key certifications or achievements

✅ Example (Data Analyst):

"Data Analyst with 5+ years experience in Python, SQL, and Tableau. Expertise in statistical analysis, A/B testing, and building dashboards for 100K+ user products. Increased conversion rates by 40% through data-driven insights."

Step 4: List Hard Skills in a Dedicated Section

Create a "Skills" section listing all relevant technical skills. This is critical for ATS keyword matching.

Format options:

Comma-separated: "Python, SQL, React, AWS, Docker"
Categorized: "Programming: Python, Java | Tools: Git, Docker"
Bullet points with proficiency: "• Python (Expert) • SQL (Advanced)"

Step 5: Quantify Your Achievements

For each work experience bullet, include numbers, percentages, or metrics:

❌ Generic:

"Managed social media campaigns"

✅ Quantified:

"Managed 15 social media campaigns generating 50K leads and $2M revenue"

Step 6: Use Standard Fonts and Formatting

ATS-safe formatting rules:

Fonts: Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, or Helvetica
Size: 10-12pt for body text, 14-16pt for headers
Layout: Single column, left-aligned
Bullets: Simple bullets (•) or hyphens (-)
No: Tables, text boxes, images, graphics, headers/footers

Step 7: Match Keywords from Job Description

Copy the job description and identify 15-20 critical keywords. Include these throughout your resume:

Professional summary: 5-8 keywords
Skills section: 10-15 keywords
Work experience: 8-12 keywords in context

Pro tip: Use both acronyms and full terms. "SEO (Search Engine Optimization)" captures both variations.

Step 8: Include Certifications and Education

List certifications with full names and acronyms:

"Certified Public Accountant (CPA), California License #12345"

For education, include degree type, major, university, and year:

"Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Stanford University, 2020"

Step 9: Use Action Verbs to Start Bullets

Begin each work experience bullet with a strong action verb:

Leadership: Led, Managed, Directed

Achievement: Increased, Reduced, Improved

Creation: Built, Developed, Designed

Step 10: Save in the Right File Format

Best format: PDF (text-based, not scanned image)

Modern ATS systems (Workday, Greenhouse, Lever) handle PDFs well. Use .docx if the job posting specifically requests Word format.

❌ Never: Scanned PDFs, password-protected files, .pages, .odt

20 ATS Resume Mistakes That Kill Your Chances (And How to Fix Them)

❌ 1. Using Tables or Columns

✅ Fix: Single-column layout only

❌ 2. Missing Keywords

✅ Fix: Extract keywords from job description

❌ 3. Creative Section Headers

✅ Fix: Use "Work Experience", "Education", "Skills"

❌ 4. Fancy Fonts

✅ Fix: Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman only

❌ 5. Images or Graphics

✅ Fix: Text-only resume

❌ 6. Headers/Footers

✅ Fix: All content in main body

❌ 7. Inconsistent Dates

✅ Fix: "January 2020 - Present" format

❌ 8. Skills Buried in Paragraphs

✅ Fix: Dedicated Skills section

❌ 9. No Quantified Results

✅ Fix: Add numbers, percentages, metrics

❌ 10. Generic Resume for All Jobs

✅ Fix: Tailor for each application

FAQ

How do I know if my resume is ATS-friendly?

Use our free ATS resume checker to test your resume against specific job postings and get instant AI-powered feedback.

Should I customize my resume for each job?

Yes! Our AI resume builder automatically customizes your resume for each job application in 60 seconds, saving you hours of work.

What file format is best for ATS?

Text-based PDF or Word document (.docx) work best. Avoid image-based PDFs. Learn more about resume formats for ATS systems.

How to Write an ATS-Optimized Resume in 2025