How to Make Your Resume ATS-Friendly in 2025

If you’ve ever applied for a job online, you might have heard about “ATS” that automatically rejects your resume before a human even sees it. It’s a common fear among job seekers: “Is my resume getting tossed out by some AI/ATS?” The truth is, this fear is mostly a myth.

ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System, and while it sounds intimidating, it’s really just a tool recruiters use to organize and manage the flood of applications they receive. ATS software doesn’t randomly reject resumes—it helps recruiters search, filter, and rank candidates based on how well their resumes match the job requirements. The final decision? That’s still made by a human being.

So, instead of trying to “trick” the ATS, the best approach is to create a resume that clearly and honestly showcases your skills and experience in a way that both the software and recruiters can easily understand.

What Does an ATS Actually Do?

An ATS scans your resume and breaks down its content into searchable data. Recruiters then use this data to find candidates who have the right keywords, skills, and qualifications. Some ATS platforms even score resumes based on how closely they match the job description.

But here’s the key: ATS is a helpful assistant, not a gatekeeper. It narrows down large candidate pools to manageable lists, but it doesn’t make hiring decisions on its own. So, your goal is to create a resume that is both ATS-readable and appealing to the humans who will eventually review it. 

One of the easiest tricks is to make sure the text on your PDF resume is selectable and not like an image. Most good ATS systems will be able to parse your resumes.

How to Make Your Resume Work for Both ATS and Recruiters

Tip 1: Mirror Job Description—But Be Authentic

Employers seek resumes that align with the position they are filling. If you seek a cook position but solely highlight your serving experience, it's probable it will be overlooked. Ensure your resume demonstrates what the position requires — rather than just your general experience.

For example, if you’re applying for a marketing position that requires expertise in social media campaigns and data analysis, make sure those skills are front and center in your resume. Use the same terminology as the job posting, but always be truthful and specific.

Tip 2: Keep Your Resume Simple and Clean

ATS software reads resumes best when they are formatted simply. Avoid complicated layouts, graphics, or unusual fonts that can confuse the system.

At the same time, remember that a recruiter will read your resume too. Recruiters look at dozens of resumes in a day. If yours has five fonts, six text sizes, and rainbow colors, you’re making their job harder — not easier.

Keep it clean.

• Stick to professional fonts like Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman.
• Use consistent sizes—10-12 pt for content, 14-16 pt for headings.
• Limit colors to one or two at most — and avoid background colors.
• Use bullet points, not paragraphs.

Pro tip: Assume recruiters will see only 60–70% of your resume in the first scan. Structure it so they catch the most important info first.

Tip 3: Quantify Your Achievements

Numbers speak louder than words. Instead of saying “Improved sales,” say “Increased sales by 20% over six months.” This kind of detail not only grabs a recruiter’s attention but also helps ATS recognize important keywords tied to measurable results.

Tip 4: Focus on Impactful, Authentic Content

Keywords are important, but stuffing your resume with buzzwords won’t help. Instead, incorporate keywords naturally into your descriptions of your experience and skills. Look at the job description and identify the key skills and qualifications it emphasizes—then reflect those in your resume where appropriate.

• Include relevant certifications and degrees
• Use clear, widely understood terms and abbreviations
• Quantify your achievements with numbers, percentages, or timeframes
• Write concise bullet points that clearly show your impact
• Avoid overly technical jargon unless it’s required for the role

Tip 5: Run it through resume parser websites.

A simple step but unnoticed. Having your resume run through software that relates to ATS and can be reviewed accordingly is the best thing you can do for yourself. These sites can tell you which keywords your resume lacks, how much it matches the job description, how relevant it is, etc.

Tip 6: Get it reviewed by an expert, friend, or HR. 

No matter how good you think your resume is, get a second opinion from someone working in the same industry or your superiors. Join LinkedIn communities that can help with this. They might catch some errors, a better way of phrasing the same thing, or point out where you undersell yourself.

Final Thoughts: It’s About Clarity, Not Tricks

Making your resume ATS-friendly isn’t about finding loopholes or “hacking” the system. It’s about presenting your skills and experience clearly, honestly, and in a way that matches the job you want. ATS is a tool designed to help recruiters—not to block you from opportunities.

When you focus on relevance, clarity, and authenticity, you’ll create a resume that shines both in the eyes of the software and the humans who make hiring decisions.