How to Format an ATS-Friendly CV: A Practical Checklist

Why formatting matters

A CV can contain strong experience and still be difficult for an application system to read if important information sits in a text box, image, table, or complicated column layout. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) vary, so there is no single layout or file type that guarantees success. A safer approach is to make your document easy for both software and a person to scan.

Build a clear, text-first layout

Use a simple, mostly single-column structure and familiar section headings such as Experience, Education, Projects, and Skills. Keep headings and date formats consistent throughout the document. Put your name and contact details in the main body rather than a header or footer, where some systems may have trouble extracting them.

Avoid relying on tables, text boxes, multiple columns, icons, decorative symbols, charts, photos, or graphics to communicate essential information. These elements may be ignored, distorted, or read in an unexpected order by some systems. They can also make a CV harder to skim quickly.

Choose a common, legible font and a readable size. Use bold and spacing consistently to show hierarchy; do not depend on colour or unusual typography to distinguish sections.

Save the right kind of file

Follow the employer’s instructions first. File-format support differs between application platforms: some accept Word documents and PDFs, while particular portals give their own specific directions. Do not assume that PDF is always best—or that DOCX is always best.

Make sure your document contains selectable text rather than being a scan or image. A quick check: open the file and try to select and copy a sentence. If the text cannot be selected, the file may be image-based and may not be readable by a resume parser.

After exporting or converting the file, open the final version and check that the layout survived. Then copy its contents into a plain-text editor. Look for missing details, headings separated from their content, dates appearing in the wrong place, or sections read in a strange order. Fix the source document and test again if anything important is lost.

A quick pre-submission check

• Is the CV mainly one column, with familiar section headings?
• Are contact details and key information in the document body?
• Can you select and copy the text?
• Does the required file type match the employer’s instructions?
• Does the plain-text version preserve the right reading order?
• Does the exported file look correct when opened on its own?

These checks reduce avoidable parsing and readability problems; they cannot guarantee that an ATS will interpret every CV perfectly or that an employer will shortlist it. Systems differ, and a recruiter still makes the hiring decision.

Sources

• MIT Career Advising & Professional Development: Make your resume ATS-friendly
• University of Pennsylvania Career Services: Write a Resume/CV
• Lever: Understanding resume parsing
• UK Government JobHelp: Getting through Applicant Tracking Systems
• USAJOBS Help Center: How to add a resume to your profile