ATSFormattingResume Tips
ATS-Friendly Resume Formatting Rules
Content gets interviews, but formatting gets your content into the ATS at all. Follow these rules before you apply.
2026-04-10 · 8 min read
Do
Safe choices:
- Standard fonts: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Georgia
- Section labels: Experience, Education, Skills, Summary
- Bullet points for achievements
- Consistent date format: MM/YYYY or Month YYYY
- PDF export from a clean source document
Avoid
Risky choices:
- Multiple columns for core content
- Icons instead of text for contact info
- Tables for layout
- Critical details only in header/footer
- Scanned image PDFs without text layer
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