Applicant Tracking Systems now screen 98% of Fortune 500 job applications and over 75% of all corporate roles. If your resume isn't ATS-optimised, it doesn't matter how qualified you are — you won't be seen. Here are the 12 tips that matter most.
1. Use the exact words from the job description
ATS systems match text, not meaning. 'Revenue growth' and 'sales increase' might mean the same thing — but if the JD says 'revenue growth', only that phrase counts as a match. Mirror the job description's language exactly.
2. Put keywords in context, not keyword-stuffed lists
Modern ATS doesn't just count keyword occurrences — it checks whether keywords appear in meaningful contexts. 'Managed Salesforce CRM for a 50-person sales team' scores higher than 'Salesforce CRM' buried in a skills list.
3. Use standard section headings
ATS parses your resume by looking for sections it recognises. 'Work Experience', 'Education', 'Skills'. If you use creative headings like 'My Journey' or 'What I Know', the ATS may not recognise them and will skip the content entirely.
4. Single-column format only
Multi-column layouts, tables, and text boxes confuse ATS parsers. The content in the second column may be read out of order or not at all. Keep your resume single-column, left-aligned, and clean.
5. Submit as .docx or text-selectable PDF
ATS can't read image-based PDFs, scanned documents, or files with extensive graphics. Use a simple PDF where you can select and copy text, or .docx format. When in doubt, .docx is the safest choice.
6. Use consistent date formatting
Pick one date format and stick to it throughout: 'Jan 2022 – Mar 2024' or '01/2022 – 03/2024'. Mixing formats confuses the ATS timeline parser and can scramble your experience chronology.
7. Include a dedicated Skills section
Always have a Skills section near the top. List your hard skills, tools, technologies, and certifications in a scannable list. Don't bury your tech stack inside a job description paragraph.
8. Don't use headers or footers for important info
Many ATS parsers ignore content in headers and footers. If your name, email, or phone number is in a header, some systems won't find it. Put all contact information in the main body of the document.
9. Aim for 75%+ keyword match against the JD
Research consistently shows that resumes with 70-80%+ keyword match to the JD see 3-4x more recruiter callbacks than those below 50%. Use the job description as your checklist.
10. Include your location
Many ATS systems filter candidates by location before a human even sees the results. If your city or region isn't on the resume, you may be filtered out automatically. For remote roles, still include your location with 'Open to remote' noted.
11. Use full terms and abbreviations both
Write 'Search Engine Optimization (SEO)' the first time, then use 'SEO' subsequently. Some ATS match abbreviations, some match full terms — including both covers both cases.
12. Tailor for every application
One resume will never score 80%+ against every job description. Tailoring isn't optional — it's the core strategy. Use the job description to identify the 10-15 most important keywords and make sure your resume includes them naturally.
HireSprint automates all 12 of these steps in 60 seconds. Paste your resume + job description, get a tailored version with 80+ ATS score guaranteed. The 12 tips above are what it's doing under the hood.
