ATS-Friendly Resume Templates
Most large employers put applications through an applicant tracking system before anyone reads them. The first thing that software does is pull the text out of your file — and if your name, job titles or dates come out jumbled, the parsed profile is wrong before a recruiter ever sees it.
Every layout in this collection was exported to PDF with sample content and read back with at least two separate text extractors. Only layouts rated 4/5 or 5/5 for reading order are listed here, in every colour and typeface variation.
2,340
templates across 39 layouts and 112 professions, each with its own example content
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2,340 templates · showing 1–10
What to look for
Standard section headings
"Experience", "Education" and "Skills" are what parsers look for. Clever headings like "Where I've been" can leave a section unrecognised.
One clear reading order
Single-column layouts read top to bottom with no ambiguity. Two-column layouts can still score well when the sidebar holds only short, self-contained items.
Text, not pictures of text
Skills drawn as bars or icons carry no text. Every template here writes skills, dates and contact details as real, selectable text.
Dates in a consistent format
Use the same format throughout (for example "Mar 2022 – Present"). Mixed formats are the most common reason a parser miscounts experience.
Layouts in this collection
Every template above is one of these layouts with example content for a specific profession and career stage. The ATS rating belongs to the layout: it measures how its text reads back from an exported PDF.
| Layout | ATS | Columns | Best for | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 4/5 · Very good | One | USA, finance, law, consulting | Use layout |
| Classic | 5/5 · Excellent | One | UK, public sector, most roles | Use layout |
| Executive | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Leadership, Australia, finance | Use layout |
| Minimal | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Any role, product, design | Use layout |
| Compact | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Engineering, tech, data | Use layout |
| Meridian | 4/5 · Very good | One | Engineering, consulting, finance | Use layout |
| Graphite | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Software, data, DevOps | Use layout |
| Summit | 4/5 · Very good | One | Senior leadership, finance, law | Use layout |
| Scholar | 4/5 · Very good | One | Academia, research, PhD, grants | Use layout |
| Precision | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Large-company ATS portals, any role | Use layout |
| Executive Ledger | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Directors, executives, board roles | Use layout |
| Modern Editorial | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Communications, policy, consulting, writing | Use layout |
| Technical Signal | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Software, IT, data, DevOps | Use layout |
| Research Standard | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Academia, research, PhD and grant applications | Use layout |
| Finance & Consulting | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Banking, accounting, audit, consulting | Use layout |
| Government & Compliance | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Public sector, compliance, legal, regulated industries | Use layout |
| Minimal Grid | 4/5 · Very good | One | Design-aware roles that still go through ATS | Use layout |
| Twotone | 4/5 · Very good | One | Managers, operations, corporate roles | Use layout |
| Classic Line | 4/5 · Very good | One | Operations, management, any industry | Use layout |
| Alder | 4/5 · Very good | One | Corporate, finance, consulting | Use layout |
| Beacon | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Law, public sector, compliance | Use layout |
| Cadence | 4/5 · Very good | One | Tech, product, analytics | Use layout |
| Delta | 4/5 · Very good | One | Any role, Scandinavian-style minimal | Use layout |
| Fjord | 4/5 · Very good | One | Engineering, IT, data | Use layout |
| Harbor | 4/5 · Very good | One | Accounting, banking, insurance | Use layout |
| Iris | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Graduates, marketing, education | Use layout |
| Linden | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Design-aware professionals, hospitality | Use layout |
| Opal | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Any role that values calm and clarity | Use layout |
| Quill | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Academics, researchers, teachers | Use layout |
| Ridge | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Software, cloud and security roles | Use layout |
| Upland | 4/5 · Very good | One | Data, analytics and engineering | Use layout |
| Acre | 4/5 · Very good | One | Any ATS portal application | Use layout |
| Gallery | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Designers, marketers, creative juniors | Use layout |
| Helix | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Software, data and product roles | Use layout |
| Regent | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Executives, finance and legal leaders | Use layout |
| Lattice | 4/5 · Very good | One | ATS portals, corporate roles | Use layout |
| Quadrant | 5/5 · Excellent | One | International and multilingual roles | Use layout |
| Easel | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Creative juniors, portfolios | Use layout |
| Plaza | 5/5 · Excellent | One | Corporate and project roles | Use layout |
Questions
What does the ATS rating actually measure?
Whether the text comes out of the exported PDF in the order a person would read it: name, contact details, headings, then each job title, employer and dates together. It doesn't predict whether a particular employer will shortlist you.
Are colour and typeface variations tested separately?
No. The rating belongs to the layout. Colour doesn't affect text extraction, and the typeface pairings in the catalogue were chosen from fonts that extracted cleanly in testing, but each individual variation wasn't run through the test.
Should I upload a PDF or a Word file?
Follow the application's instructions. If both are accepted, the PDF keeps your design exactly; the Word export is a single-column version that most systems also read well.