ATS Resume Checklist: 10 Things Recruiters Look for

This ATS resume checklist ensures your resume is optimized for both robots and recruiters. Our AI Resume Builder automates every item on this list, creating documents engineered to pass ATS screenings and earn more interview requests.

1. Single-Column Layout

ATS software reads documents left to right, top to bottom. Multiple columns, text boxes, or creative layouts confuse parsers, scrambling your information into gibberish.

ATS Friendly Format:

• Clean, vertical flow from contact information to education
• No sidebars, graphics, or multi-column designs
• Standard margins (0.5 to 1 inch on all sides)

2. Standard Section Headers

ATS is programmed to recognize common section titles. Creative headings might impress humans but are invisible to bots.

ATS-Recognized Headers:

• Contact Information or Contact
• Professional Summary or Summary
• Work Experience, Experience, or Professional Experience
• Education
• Skills, Technical Skills, or Core Competencies
• Projects or Certifications (if applicable)

Headers to Avoid:

• "Where I Have Worked"
• "My Academic Journey"
• "What I Bring to the Table"
• "Skill Set"

When ATS Optimization Matters Less

The strict ATS checklist above is essential for online applications to large corporations. However, ATS optimization matters less if you are applying to a very small company (under 50 employees) that likely uses no automated screening. You also need less ATS focus if you are submitting your resume directly to a hiring manager via email, where a human reads it first. If you are being referred internally and your resume is passed directly to the hiring manager, ATS compliance is less critical. And if you are in a creative field where your portfolio is the primary evaluation tool, focus more on visual presentation. For most online applications through corporate portals, follow the ATS rules strictly. When in doubt, optimize for the machine. You can always send a more creative version directly when you have a contact.

3. Relevant Keywords From Job Description

ATS ranks resumes based on keyword match percentage. Missing key terms from the job description guarantees a low score.

Keyword Strategy:

• Identify key terms from the job description
• Include exact phrases (for example, "project management," not just "managed projects")
• Place keywords naturally in your summary, skills, and experience bullets
• Include both hard skills (Python, SEO, Financial Modeling) and soft skills (Leadership, Collaboration)

4. Quantified Achievements

Numbers translate across systems and impress recruiters. Vague statements get filtered out; quantified achievements get interviews.

Before and After Examples:

Vague: "Improved sales performance"
Quantified: "Increased quarterly sales by 27% through a new outreach strategy"

Generic: "Managed social media accounts"
Quantified: "Grew Instagram following from 1K to 10K in 6 months, increasing engagement rate by 300%"

Metrics That Matter:

• Percentages (%) increases, reductions, improvements
• Dollar amounts ($) revenue, savings, budgets managed
• Time frames faster delivery, reduced processing time
• Scale team size, project scope, audience reach

5. Concise Professional Summary

Your summary is prime ATS real estate. It should immediately establish your relevance with keywords and value proposition.

ATS Optimized Summary Formula:

[Years of experience] + [Industry or role] + [Key skills] + [Major achievement] + [Value you bring]

Example: "Marketing Manager with 8+ years experience in SaaS, specializing in SEO, content strategy, and growth hacking. Increased organic traffic by 250% at a previous company. Seeking to drive customer acquisition at TechScale Inc."

6. Skills Section in Comma Separated Format

ATS needs to easily parse your skills. Fancy formatting (icons, tables, charts) can cause parsing errors.

ATS Friendly Skills Format:

Technical Skills: Python, SQL, Tableau, AWS, Git, React, Docker, Jenkins
Soft Skills: Project Management, Team Leadership, Strategic Planning, Client Relations

ATS Unfriendly Formats:

• Skill bars or progress circles
• Icons or symbols before each skill
• Nested tables or text boxes
• Rating systems (for example, "Python: four stars")

7. Tailored Experience Section

Generic resumes get generic results. Each application deserves a tailored experience section that speaks directly to the job requirements.

Tailoring Strategy:

1. Read the job description and identify core requirements
2. Prioritize relevant experience at the top of each job entry
3. Rewrite bullet points to mirror the language of the job description
4. Remove or minimize irrelevant experience
5. Ensure most of your bullet points directly address job requirements

8. Projects Highlighting Technical and Business Impact

Projects demonstrate applied skills and initiative. For ATS, they are additional keyword real estate.

ATS-Friendly Project Format:

E-Commerce Analytics Dashboard | Personal Project | Jan 2024
- Built a Python script to analyze 50,000+ transaction records using Pandas and NumPy
- Created Tableau visualizations showing sales trends, customer segmentation, and ROI by channel
- Insights identified an underperforming product category, leading to 15% inventory optimization

9. ATS-Friendly File Format (PDF or DOCX)

The wrong file format can render your resume unreadable to ATS.

Recommended Formats:

• Text-based PDF: Best choice preserves formatting across systems while remaining parseable
• .DOCX (Microsoft Word): Most universally compatible the safest choice for complex ATS systems

Avoid These Formats:

• Scanned PDFs (image files completely unreadable to ATS)
• .PAGES (Mac-only, often converts poorly)
• Google Docs links (download and convert to PDF first)
• JPEG or PNG image files

10. Matching Cover Letter

A tailored cover letter complements your ATS-optimized resume, addressing the human reader and providing context.

ATS-Aware Cover Letter Tips:

• Include the exact job title and company name from the job description
• Mirror key keywords from the job description
• Reference specific achievements from your resume with metrics
• Explain any gaps or career changes briefly
• Keep it to one page, 3-4 paragraphs maximum

Bonus Tip: Test Your Resume Before Submitting

Never submit a resume without ATS testing. Catching formatting issues early can save your application.

Pre-Submission Checklist:

1. Copy-Paste Test: Copy your entire resume into Notepad or TextEdit. If the text is jumbled or out of order, the ATS will see the same mess.
2. File Size Check: Keep your resume under a reasonable size to ensure easy uploading and parsing.
3. Keyword Density: Ensure keywords from the job description appear naturally throughout your resume.

Final ATS Resume Checklist

1. Single-Column Layout: No tables, columns, or text boxes
2. Standard Headers: "Work Experience," "Education," "Skills"
3. Keyword-Rich: Matches job description terminology
4. Quantified Achievements: Every bullet includes metrics where possible
5. Concise Summary: 2-3 lines with keywords and value proposition
6. Simple Skills List: Comma-separated, no icons or ratings
7. Tailored Experience: Rewritten for each application
8. Impactful Projects: Shows applied skills with results
9. Correct File Format: Text-based PDF or .DOCX
10. Matching Cover Letter: Tailored to the same job description
11. Pre-Submission Test: Passes copy-paste and file checks