How to Write a Resume That Passes ATS Screening

Most job seekers assume that if their resume looks professional, it will reach a recruiter’s desk. In reality, some resumes rank low, making their chances of being viewed by human recruiters very negligible. What is used to do this ranking? Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Use these ATS-friendly resume templates

Today, ATS software is used by companies of all sizes to manage large volumes of applications. 99% of Fortune 500 companies use some form of ATS. These systems scan, filter, and rank resumes based on predefined criteria. If your resume is not optimised for ATS screening, even strong qualifications may never get noticed

What Is an ATS and How Does It Work?

An Applicant Tracking System is software that employers use to collect, organise, and evaluate job applications. When you submit your resume online, it is typically uploaded into an ATS database before anyone reads it.

The system scans your resume and converts it into a structured format. It then compares the content against the job description using keywords, skills, job titles, and experience levels. Based on this comparison, your resume may be ranked, flagged, or filtered out entirely.

Contrary to popular belief, most ATS tools do not automatically “reject” resumes. Instead, they help recruiters prioritise applications by relevance. Resumes that score poorly are less likely to be reviewed, while high-scoring resumes move forward. Understanding this process is essential to writing an ATS-friendly resume.

ATS systems rely on parsing technology to extract information from resumes. Parsing refers to how the software identifies and categorises text, such as your name, work history, skills, and education.

Factors that influence ATS Scoring

Keyword relevance: The system looks for specific words and phrases from the job description.

Section structure: Clear headings like “Work Experience” and “Skills” help the ATS understand your resume.

Job title alignment: Matching your past job titles to those in the job posting improves relevance.

Contextual usage: Keywords placed naturally within experience descriptions carry more weight than keyword lists alone.

Standard Terminology: Resumes perform better when they use standard industry terminology.

Tips to Improve Your ATS Score

• Keep formatting clean and minimal: Simple layouts are easier for ATS software to scan and interpret. Avoid design-heavy templates that prioritise visuals over readability.
• Use one professional font throughout: Mixing fonts can disrupt how ATS systems parse text and may cause important details to be misread or skipped.
• Limit the use of headers and footers: Some ATS tools struggle to read content placed in these areas, which can result in missing contact details or job information.
• Avoid tables, graphics, icons, images, and multi-column layouts: These elements often interfere with text parsing and can cause information to appear jumbled or incomplete in the ATS.
• Use standard section headings: Clear labels like "Contact Information," "Professional Summary," "Work Experience," "Skills," and "Education" help ATS systems correctly categorise your resume content.
• Stick to standard black dot bullet points: Decorative bullets such as stars, arrows, checkmarks, or diamonds may not be recognised correctly by ATS software.
• Write out both acronyms and full terms: Include the full name followed by the abbreviation to ensure both ATS filters and recruiters recognise the keyword, e.g., African Union (AU).
• Keep date formatting consistent: Use the same date style throughout the resume and avoid shortened or symbolic formats (e.g., apostrophised dates or year-only ranges), which can confuse parsing systems.
• Follow the employer’s file format instructions: Submit your resume as a DOCX or PDF based on what the employer requests, as some ATS platforms handle one format better than the other.
• Prioritise high-impact keywords: Emphasise hard skills and role-specific terms since they carry more ATS weight than soft skills.
• Avoid keyword stuffing: Use keywords naturally. Overuse of keywords can hurt both ATS rankings and human readability.

Choosing the Right Resume Format for ATS: Chronological vs. Functional vs. Hybrid

Choosing the right resume format plays a critical role in how well your resume performs in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). While all three major formats mentioned above are widely used, they are not equally ATS-friendly. Understanding how ATS software parses information helps job seekers select a format that improves both machine readability and recruiter review.

The chronological resume is the most ATS-compatible format and the safest choice for most job seekers. It presents work experience in reverse chronological order, using clear job titles, employer names, and employment dates. ATS systems are designed to recognise this structure more easily. Because recruiters are also more familiar with this format, chronological resumes perform better than the others during both automated screening and human review.

The functional resume, which emphasises skills over work history, is generally less effective for ATS screening. This format groups skills into categories and minimises or separates employment dates and job titles. ATS software often struggles to link those skills to specific roles or timeframes. As a result, functional resumes may receive lower relevance scores or be flagged for incomplete experience data, even when the candidate is qualified.

The hybrid (or combination) resume blends elements of both chronological and functional formats. It highlights key skills near the top while still providing a clear, reverse-chronological work history. When structured carefully, hybrid resumes can perform well in ATS systems because they retain standard job titles, dates, and employers while allowing candidates to emphasise relevant competencies. However, excessive skill grouping or creative layout within a hybrid resume can still cause parsing issues if not formatted simply. In practice, candidates applying through ATS platforms should prioritise clarity and structure over creativity.

To summarise, a chronological resume is the most reliable option, while a well-formatted hybrid resume can work for those who need flexibility. Functional resumes, although useful in limited situations, carry the highest ATS risk and should be avoided when applying online unless explicitly requested by the employer.

How to Test Your Resume for ATS Compatibility

Before submitting your resume, it is wise to test it for ATS compatibility. You can:

• Paste your resume into a plain text editor to see how it parses
• Use ATS resume scanners to identify missing keywords.
• Compare your resume side-by-side with the job description.

If the text appears jumbled or key sections are missing, your resume may not parse correctly.

ATS Optimisation vs Human Readability

Passing ATS screening is only the first step. Once your resume reaches a recruiter, it must still be easy to read and compelling.

The goal is balance. Your resume should include relevant keywords without sounding robotic. Focus on clear language, logical flow, and quantifiable results.

An ATS-friendly resume that lacks clarity or impact will not perform well at the human review stage.

Conclusion

Writing a resume that passes ATS screening is no longer optional; it is a core job search skill. By understanding how ATS systems work and applying ATS best practices, job seekers can significantly improve their chances of being noticed.

However, manually optimising every resume for ATS can be time-consuming and error-prone. This is where CVHack can make a real difference. CVHack is built with ATS-friendly templates and keyword optimisation in mind, helping candidates create resumes, CVs and cover letters that are both machine-readable and recruiter-approved.