How to Create an ATS-Friendly Resume That Gets Interviews

Introduction

If you’ve been applying to jobs and not hearing back, it’s easy to assume something is wrong with your experience. But in today’s hiring market, silence doesn’t always mean rejection. It often means your resume was never seen.

According to the iCIMS 2024 Workforce Report, job applications increased 13% year over year, with up to 30 candidates competing for a single role, while actual hiring slowed. With this kind of volume, recruiters simply can’t review every resume manually. 

That’s why most companies rely on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan automatically, filter, and rank resumes within seconds of submission.

If your resume isn’t optimized for how these systems read content, such as structure, keywords, and clarity, it can be filtered out immediately, regardless of your qualifications.

The good news is that this is fixable. Once you understand how ATS works, small changes can dramatically improve your visibility.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how ATS systems scan resumes and how to create one that confidently passes the first screening, so your application actually reaches a recruiter.

What Is an ATS-Optimized Resume?

An ATS-optimized resume is a resume that’s written and structured so applicant tracking systems can read, understand, and rank it correctly, before a recruiter ever sees it.

When you upload your resume, an ATS doesn’t “look” at it the way a human does. It breaks your document into plain text, identifies sections like experience and skills, and then checks how closely your resume matches the job description. An ATS-optimized resume makes that process easy and accurate.

An ATS-optimized (or ATS-friendly) resume focuses on:

• Clear, standard structure

• Readable formatting

• Relevant keywords used naturally

• Job-aligned titles and skills

We’ll get into formatting rules and keyword strategy next. For now, just remember this: ATS optimization is about clarity, not compromise.

How Does an ATS Scan and Rank Resumes?

Before we get into fixing your resume, it helps to understand what’s actually happening behind the scenes. 

What Happens After You Upload Your Resume

An applicant tracking system exists to organize, filter, and rank large volumes of resumes. When hundreds or even thousands of people apply for the same role, recruiters rely on ATS software to narrow the list down to a manageable number. 

The moment you submit your resume, the ATS begins parsing it.

1. Resume Parsing (How Your Resume Is Read)

The first thing the ATS does is convert your resume into plain text. This process is called resume parsing. Because the system reads text line by line, elements like tables, columns, icons, graphics, or text boxes often cause issues. When these elements don’t translate cleanly, information can appear out of order or disappear entirely.

2. Section Detection (How Information Is Categorized)

Next, the ATS looks for familiar section headings such as Work Experience, Skills, and Education. These headings help the system understand what each part of your resume represents.

3. Keyword Extraction (How Relevance Is Measured)

After identifying sections, the ATS extracts keywords like job titles, skills, tools, and technologies, and certifications from your resume. These keywords are then compared directly against the job description to measure how closely your resume matches the role.

4. Scoring and Ranking (Who Moves Forward)

Finally, your resume is scored and ranked based on relevance. The stronger the match between your resume and the job description, the higher your score. In most cases, only the top-ranking resumes are passed on to a recruiter for human review.

How ATS Uses Keywords to Rank Candidates

Keywords are the backbone of ATS ranking. The system checks for:

• Matching job titles

• Required skills and tools

• Technologies and certifications

Exact phrasing matters more than most people expect. For example, if the job description says “Project Manager” and your resume only says “Project Lead,” the ATS may not treat those as a match.

Not sure if your resume will pass ATS?
Upload your resume to LetsMakeCV’s free ATS Resume Checker to get an instant score, keyword insights, and formatting feedback before you apply.

5 Common Reasons Why Your Resume Gets Rejected by ATS

In most cases, resumes aren’t rejected because the candidate is unqualified; they’re rejected because the ATS can’t read them properly or doesn’t find enough relevance. Here are the most common reasons ATS rejects resumes.

1. Incorrect Resume Formatting

ATS software struggles with complex layouts. Elements like:

• Tables

• Multiple columns

• Text boxes

• Headers and footers

can cause your content to be skipped, merged incorrectly, or read out of order. A resume that looks “clean” to you may appear completely broken to the ATS, with dates, job titles, or skills missing entirely.

2. Missing or Incorrect Keywords

ATS doesn't understand context. If the job description mentions specific tools, skills, or technologies and they’re missing, or replaced with vague synonyms, your resume may rank low. For example, writing “data analysis tools” instead of “Excel, SQL, and Tableau” can cost you visibility.

3. Non-Standard Section Headings

ATS systems rely on predictable labels. Creative headings like “My Journey” or “What I Bring to the Table” can confuse parsing. Stick to clear, standard headings such as:

• Work Experience

• Skills

• Education

This helps the ATS correctly categorize your information.

4. Unsupported File Type or Poor File Naming

Image-based PDFs, scanned resumes, or unsupported file types can be unreadable to ATS software. In some systems, even the file name matters. A generic name like resume-final-v7.pdf looks unprofessional and provides no context.

5. Using One Resume for Every Job

A single generic resume rarely matches every job description well enough to score high. Even small changes like adjusting your job title or skills order can significantly improve your ranking for a specific role.

How to Make a Resume ATS-Friendly (Step-by-Step)

Now let’s put everything together. You don’t need to rebuild your resume from scratch every time; you just need a repeatable process that works with ATS systems instead of fighting them.

Step 1: Choose an ATS-Optimized Resume Template

Structure matters more than design. An ATS-optimized template uses:

• A single-column layout

• Clear section headings

• No graphics, tables, or icons

Designing from scratch often introduces hidden formatting issues. Starting with a clean, ATS-safe template reduces the risk of parsing errors from the beginning.

Step 2: Customize Your Resume for Each Job

Your resume isn’t a static document. ATS software ranks relevance, so tailoring is essential. For each application:

• Match your job title to the role you’re applying for

• Reorder skills based on job priority

• Mirror key terms from the job description

What stays the same is your core experience. What changes is how it’s framed.

Step 3: Optimize Each Resume Section

Every section plays a role in ATS scoring.

• Summary: Clearly position yourself for the role using aligned keywords

• Experience: focus on achievements, not just responsibilities, and include measurable outcomes

• Skills: list only relevant, ATS-readable skills

This balance improves both machine ranking and human impact.

Step 4: Review Your Resume for ATS Errors

Before applying, do a final pass:

• Check formatting consistency

• Confirm keyword alignment with the job description

• Read it once like a recruiter, not a candidate

If it’s easy to scan, easy to understand, and clearly aligned to the role, your resume is doing its job.

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Best ATS Optimized Resume Examples

Instead of browsing static resume examples, the easiest way to see what actually works is to use real ATS-optimized resume templates.

LetsMakeCV offers a wide range of resume examples in the form of ready-to-use templates, built for different experience levels, industries, and job roles. Each template follows ATS-friendly formatting, uses standard resume sections, and is designed to work with modern hiring systems.

Every template is editable, ATS-ready, and designed to help your resume get shortlisted.

Explore all ATS-optimized resume templates here!

Conclusion

You now understand how ATS systems scan, filter, and rank resumes and why so many qualified candidates get rejected before a recruiter ever sees their application. 

ATS optimization isn’t about gaming the system or turning your resume into something generic. It’s about making sure your skills are visible in the way modern hiring systems actually read resumes. When your resume is clear, correctly structured, and aligned to the job, small changes can lead to big improvements in interview visibility.

Now comes the most important step: execution.

Instead of guessing whether your resume will pass ATS checks, use a tool built specifically for this stage of hiring.

LetsMakeCV helps you create an ATS-optimized resume using AI-driven structure, clean formatting, and keyword alignment, so your resume gets seen, not filtered out.

Create your ATS-friendly resume in minutes with LetsMakeCV.  Get started for free and apply with confidence.

FAQs

1. What is the best resume format for ATS?

The best resume format for ATS is a simple, one-column layout with standard section headings like Work Experience, Skills, and Education. Avoid tables, graphics, and multiple columns. A clean structure helps ATS software read and rank your resume correctly.

2. Can ATS read PDF resumes?

Yes, most ATS can read text-based PDFs, but image-based or scanned PDFs often fail. If you can’t highlight or search text in your PDF, the ATS likely can’t read it either. When in doubt, DOCX is the safest option.

3. Does ATS automatically reject resumes?

ATS doesn’t “reject” resumes the way humans do;it filters and ranks them. Resumes that score low due to miss