How to write an ATS-friendly résumé for US jobs

Most medium and large US employers use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to collect and sort applications. The software reads your résumé, pulls out your details and helps recruiters search and rank candidates. If it cannot read your résumé properly, a recruiter may never see it, however strong your experience is.

Keep the format simple

Applicant tracking systems read plain, single-column documents best. Fancy layouts often get scrambled.

• Use one column. Avoid tables, text boxes and graphics for important information.
• Use standard section headings: Summary, Skills, Experience, Education, Certifications.
• Choose a common font such as Calibri, Arial or Georgia at 10 to 12 points.
• Put your contact details in the main body, not in the page header or footer.
• Save as .docx or a text-based PDF, unless the job post asks for a specific format.

Match the job description

Recruiters search the ATS for the skills and job titles in their job post. Read each description carefully and mirror its wording where it honestly describes your experience. If the post says "CI/CD pipelines" and you built Jenkins pipelines, write "CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins)" rather than only "build automation".

Do not copy the job description or hide keywords in white text. Recruiters read the résumé after it is ranked, and stuffing is easy to spot.

Write achievements, not duties

Each bullet should show what you did and what changed because of it. A simple pattern is action, task and result.

• Weak: "Responsible for testing web applications."
• Stronger: "Automated 300+ regression tests with Selenium and Java, cutting release testing from three days to one."

Use numbers wherever you can: users supported, time saved, defects reduced, budgets managed or team size.

Fit the US format

• Leave out your photo, date of birth, marital status and religion. US employers do not expect them.
• Keep it to one page for under ten years of experience and two pages at most for senior roles.
• Use US spelling and date formats (for example, "Mar 2024 – Present").
• List your most recent role first.

Check before you apply

Copy your résumé into a plain text editor. If the text comes out in the right order with headings intact, an ATS can most likely read it too. Then ask someone who hires in your field to review it.

If you would like a second pair of eyes, our résumé team prepares ATS-friendly résumés for IT and non-IT roles and walks you through every change.