ATS Resume Formatting: What to Avoid

Why it hurts

ATS parsers read documents left-to-right, top-to-bottom. Two-column resumes are often read across columns rather than down each one, scrambling your content.

What to do instead

Use a single column. Place all content in one vertical flow.

Why it hurts

Table content is frequently skipped or garbled by ATS. Skills or experience listed in a table may simply not be read.

What to do instead

Use bullet points or plain text for all skills, experience, and other content.

Why it hurts

Text in a text box is treated as floating content by most ATS parsers and is often ignored entirely.

What to do instead

Move all content into the main document body as standard paragraphs or bullets.

Why it hurts

Many ATS skip header and footer content. Contact information placed in a header may not be extracted correctly.

What to do instead

Keep all important content — especially contact information — in the main body of the document.

Why it hurts

ATS cannot read images. Skill bar charts, photo headshots, icons, and logo images add no keyword signal and can confuse the parser.

What to do instead

Use text for all content. Write out skill names rather than using icon-based skill ratings.

Why it hurts

ATS expect headings like 'Experience', 'Education', 'Skills'. Creative alternatives ('My Journey', 'Expertise Hub') may not be recognized.

What to do instead

Use standard headings: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications.

Why it hurts

Uncommon fonts may not render correctly in all ATS environments and can cause parsing errors.

What to do instead

Stick to: Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Times New Roman, or Helvetica.

Why it hurts

Hiding keywords in white-on-white text is a spam tactic that is actively flagged by modern ATS and immediately disqualifies candidates when seen by recruiters.

What to do instead

Never do this. All keyword usage should be visible and natural.