JAO

Why 75% of Resumes Get Rejected by ATS (2025)

Your resume probably isn't bad. The problem? 75% of resumes never reach human recruiters because they're auto-rejected by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Here's exactly why—and how to fix it in 10 minutes.

75%
Auto-Rejected by ATS
12
Common Rejection Reasons
95%
Pass Rate After Fixing

The Brutal Reality of ATS Rejection

Here's What Happens to Your Resume:

1
You hit "Submit"
Your resume enters the company's ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
2
ATS parses your resume (2-5 seconds)
Software extracts text, identifies sections, and scores against job requirements
3
75% get auto-rejected
Formatting errors, missing keywords, or parsing failures = instant rejection
4
25% reach human recruiters
Only resumes with 70%+ match scores are reviewed by humans

⚠️ The Silent Killer

Most candidates never know they're being rejected by ATS. You apply, wait weeks, and assume you weren't qualified. The truth? Your resume was rejected in 5 seconds because of a two-column layout or missing keyword. You never even got a chance.

12 Reasons Why ATS Rejects Your Resume

These are the exact issues that cause 75% of resumes to fail ATS screening, ranked by frequency:

1. Two-Column Layouts

35% of rejections
❌ Why It Fails:

ATS reads left-to-right, top-to-bottom. Two-column resumes scramble your content. Example: Your "Skills" column might be read before your "Experience" section, making your resume incoherent.

✅ The Fix:

Use a single-column layout. Stack sections vertically: Contact Info → Summary → Experience → Education → Skills. No side columns, ever.

Common Culprits: Canva templates, creative resume templates, modern designs with sidebar layouts

2. Missing Keywords

25% of rejections
❌ Why It Fails:

ATS scores resumes based on keyword matches. If the job requires "JavaScript" and your resume says "JS" or "coding", you score 0 for that requirement. No match = rejection.

✅ The Fix:

Copy exact keywords from the job description. If it says "Project Management", use that exact phrase. Include synonyms too: "Project Manager", "PM", "managed projects".

Pro Tip: Use tools like JAO to automatically extract and match keywords from LinkedIn job postings in 10 seconds.

3. Graphics, Images, or Logos

15% of rejections
❌ Why It Fails:

ATS cannot read images, logos, charts, or infographics. Any text inside an image is invisible to ATS. Result: missing skills, missing contact info, or garbled content.

✅ The Fix:

Remove all images, profile photos, company logos, skill charts, and infographics. Use plain text only. For skill levels, write "Advanced Python" instead of showing a 5-star rating graphic.

4. Headers and Footers

10% of rejections
❌ Why It Fails:

Many ATS systems ignore headers and footers entirely. If your contact info (phone, email) is in the header, ATS won't see it. Result: Recruiter cannot contact you.

✅ The Fix:

Place contact info in the main body of the document at the very top (not in header/footer section). Use simple text format: Name, Phone, Email, LinkedIn URL.

5. Tables and Text Boxes

8% of rejections
❌ Why It Fails:

Tables and text boxes scramble text order. ATS reads tables cell-by-cell (left to right), not row-by-row. Your carefully formatted skills table becomes gibberish: "Excel Python Word JavaScript PowerPoint SQL".

✅ The Fix:

Never use tables or text boxes. Use simple bullet points and line breaks. List skills vertically or separated by commas: "Python, JavaScript, SQL, Excel".

6. Incompatible File Format

3% of rejections
❌ Why It Fails:

Complex PDFs (from Canva, InDesign), image files (JPG, PNG), or password-protected documents cannot be parsed by ATS. Result: Your resume shows as blank.

✅ The Fix:

Use .docx (Word) format when possible (98% compatibility). If PDF required, create from Word or Google Docs (not design software). Never submit JPG/PNG resumes.

7. Non-Standard Section Headings

2% of rejections
❌ Why It Fails:

Creative headings like "My Journey", "Things I've Done", or "What I Bring" confuse ATS. It cannot categorize your content correctly, lowering your score.

✅ The Fix:

Use standard headings: "Professional Summary", "Work Experience", "Education", "Skills", "Certifications". ATS recognizes these instantly.

8-12. Other Common Issues

8. Fancy or Uncommon Fonts (1%)

Use Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, or Georgia. Avoid decorative fonts.

9. Spelling Errors in Keywords (0.5%)

"Salesforce" typo as "Salesfarce" = no keyword match. Spell-check everything.

10. Wrong File Name (0.3%)

Use: "John_Smith_Resume.pdf", not "Resume_Final_v3_FINAL.pdf"

11. Missing Dates (0.2%)

Always include start/end dates for jobs and education (Month Year format)

12. Wrong Resume Length (<0.1%)

Too short (<1 page) or too long (>3 pages) can trigger auto-rejection

Before vs After: ATS Rejection Fix

❌ Before (ATS Rejection)

Issue: Two-Column Layout

Experience on left, skills on right → Text scrambled

Issue: Profile Photo

Image blocks ATS from reading header content

Issue: Contact Info in Header

Phone and email not visible to ATS

Issue: Skill Bar Graphics

Visual skill ratings = invisible to ATS

Issue: Creative Section Headings

"My Journey" instead of "Experience"

Issue: Generic Keywords

"Managed projects" vs required "Project Management"

ATS Score: 23% → Auto-Rejected

✅ After (ATS Approved)

Fixed: Single-Column Layout

Sections stacked vertically, read top-to-bottom

Fixed: No Images

Plain text only, all content visible to ATS

Fixed: Contact Info in Body

Name, phone, email at top of document

Fixed: Text-Based Skills

"Advanced Python, Expert SQL, Intermediate R"

Fixed: Standard Headings

"Professional Experience", "Education", "Skills"

Fixed: Exact Keywords

Mirrored job description: "Project Management (PMP)"

ATS Score: 91% → Reaches Recruiter ✓

Result:

Same candidate, same experience, same qualifications. The only difference? ATS-optimized formatting and keyword matching. The "After" resume gets 4x more interviews.

How to Fix Your Resume in 10 Minutes

Option 1: Use JAO (10 seconds, automated)

  1. 1. Go to JAO.io
  2. 2. Upload your LinkedIn profile or paste your resume
  3. 3. Add LinkedIn job URLs (up to 10 at once)
  4. 4. Click "Optimize" → Get ATS-optimized resume in 10 seconds
  5. 5. Download as .docx with 95% ATS pass rate
Best for: Batch optimizing multiple jobs, speed, and guaranteed ATS compatibility

Option 2: Manual Fix (30-60 minutes)

  1. Step 1: Open your resume in Word/Google Docs
  2. Step 2: Convert to single-column layout (delete side columns)
  3. Step 3: Remove all images, graphics, tables, text boxes
  4. Step 4: Move contact info from header to body (top of page)
  5. Step 5: Change section headings to standard terms
  6. Step 6: Add keywords from job description (exact phrases)
  7. Step 7: Use standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, size 10-12)
  8. Step 8: Save as .docx (or simple PDF from Word)
  9. Step 9: Test with free ATS checker before submitting
Best for: Full control over formatting, one-time manual optimization

How to Test If Your Resume Will Pass ATS

The 30-Second ATS Test

Before applying, test your resume's ATS compatibility:

  1. 1. Upload to an ATS Checker
    Use JAO, Jobscan, or Resume Worded to get an ATS match score (0-100%)
  2. 2. Check Your Score
    • 80-100% = Excellent (will pass most ATS)
    • 60-79% = Good (may pass, but improve keywords)
    • 40-59% = Fair (likely rejected, fix formatting)
    • 0-39% = Poor (guaranteed rejection, major fixes needed)
  3. 3. Read the Feedback
    Check for missing keywords, formatting errors, parsing failures
  4. 4. Fix Issues and Retest
    Keep iterating until you score 80%+ before submitting

⚠️ Don't Skip This Step

Testing takes 30 seconds but could be the difference between rejection and landing your dream job. Every resume should be tested before every application. Different jobs require different keywords.

3 ATS Myths (Debunked)

Myth 1: "ATS rejects overqualified candidates"

Truth: ATS doesn't care about overqualification. It only scores keyword matches. If you have all required skills, you score high regardless of extra experience. Rejection for overqualification happens at the human recruiter stage, not ATS.

Myth 2: "You need to stuff your resume with keywords"

Truth: Keyword stuffing (repeating "Python Python Python") doesn't help. ATS counts unique keyword presence, not frequency. Include each keyword 1-2 times naturally in context. Over-stuffing looks spammy to human recruiters.

Myth 3: "All PDFs are bad for ATS"

Truth: Simple PDFs created from Word/Google Docs work fine with modern ATS (Workday, Greenhouse, Lever). Complex PDFs from design tools (Canva, InDesign) fail. When in doubt, .docx is safest, but simple PDFs are okay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Stop Getting Auto-Rejected by ATS

Get an ATS-optimized resume in 10 seconds with 95% pass rate. Free tier available.

Start FreeLearn More

Related Resources

How ATS Works

Complete guide to understanding ATS systems

How to Write ATS Resume

Step-by-step guide with examples

Resume Keywords Guide

Find the right keywords for your industry

Related Guides

How ATS Works

Understand why ATS rejects resumes.

Read more

ATS Resume Checker

Check your resume for rejection triggers.

Read more

Write ATS Resume

Fix issues that cause ATS rejection.

Read more

Best Resume Format

Use formats that ATS can parse.

Read more

Why No Interviews

Other reasons beyond ATS rejection.

Read more
View all resources

Ready to optimize your job applications?

Get 5 free credits to analyze jobs, generate ATS-optimized resumes, and land more interviews.

Start Free - No Credit Card RequiredLearn More
5 free credits
No credit card
Setup in 2 minutes