Business guide
How to Make an ATS-Friendly Resume That Still Reads Well
What applicant tracking systems actually read, the formatting that trips them up, how to use job-advert keywords honestly, and bullet points that rank and persuade.
By M2Toolkit Editorial TeamPublished 7 min read
Quick answer
Use a single-column layout with standard headings (Experience, Education, Skills), save it as a text-based PDF rather than an image, and use the exact keywords from the job advert — the job title, tools and skills — in your summary, skills and bullet points.
Most medium and large employers run applications through an applicant tracking system (ATS). It reads your resume, pulls out your details and ranks you against the job description before a person looks. You don't need tricks to get through — you need a resume the software can read and that clearly uses the language of the job.
Format: make it easy to read
| Do | Avoid |
|---|---|
| One column, top to bottom | Text boxes, tables for layout, multiple columns of key content |
| Standard headings: Experience, Education, Skills | Creative headings like “My Journey” or “Toolbox” |
| Real text in a PDF (selectable) | A resume saved as an image or scanned |
| Dates in a consistent format (Mar 2022 – Present) | Dates hidden in graphics or icons |
| Contact details in the main body | Contact details only in the page header or footer |
Two-column designs with sidebars can still work for direct applications and recruiters, but if a company uses a strict ATS, a single-column template is the safest choice.
Keywords: speak the job's language
- 1Copy the job advert and highlight the job title, required skills, tools and qualifications.
- 2Mirror the exact wording — if the advert says “stakeholder management” and “Power BI”, use those phrases, not “working with partners” and “dashboards”.
- 3Put keywords where they count: your headline, summary, skills section and the bullet points that prove them.
- 4Only include what's true. Recruiters will ask about every skill you list.
Bullet points that rank and persuade
Each bullet should follow Action + Task + Result: start with a strong verb, say what you did, and finish with a number.
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Responsible for managing the support team | Led a support team of 12, cutting response time from 9 hours to 2 |
| Helped with social media | Grew Instagram from 12k to 140k followers in 14 months |
| Worked on the website | Rebuilt the checkout in Next.js, lifting conversion by 11% |
Follow your country's conventions
ATS rules are universal, but resume conventions aren't. US and Canadian resumes leave out photos and personal details; UAE and Saudi CVs expect a photo, nationality and visa status. Start from the right format: US resume, UK CV, Canadian resume, UAE/Dubai CV, Saudi/GCC CV or European CV.
Frequently asked questions
Do ATS systems read PDFs?
Modern ATS read text-based PDFs well. Problems come from PDFs that are really images (scans or “print to image”), so make sure you can select the text in your file.
Are two-column resumes bad for ATS?
Some systems read columns out of order. If a company relies heavily on ATS, use a single-column template; keep two-column designs for direct applications and networking.
Should I use a different resume for every job?
Tailor at least the headline, summary and skills to each advert. It takes ten minutes and noticeably improves how well you match.