20+ ATS-Friendly Resume Templates for 2024

An ATS-friendly resume is designed to be easily read and processed by applicant tracking systems. It uses a simple, straightforward format with standard fonts and clear section headings. ATS-friendly resumes focus on presenting your work experience, skills and education in a way that can be accurately parsed by automated systems, increasing your chances of getting your application in front of human recruiters.

Chronological resumes are generally the best formats for ATS. These formats list your work experience in order, with reverse-chronological (most recent job first) being the most common and preferred. ATS systems are designed to easily read and parse these traditional formats, ensuring that your work history and skills are accurately captured.

While functional resumes can be useful in certain situations, they may confuse some ATS systems, potentially leading to misinterpretation of your experience.

Using an ATS-friendly resume template can be beneficial in many situations, such as:

• Applying through online job portals: Many companies use ATS to manage online applications.
• Targeting large corporations: Bigger companies are more likely to use ATS to handle high volumes of applications.
• Applying for positions with many applicants: ATS is often used to filter applications for competitive roles.
• When you’re unsure if a company uses ATS: It’s safer to use an ATS-friendly format if you don’t know the company’s application process.
• If you’re applying for multiple jobs: ATS-friendly templates are easy to customize for different applications.

Choose an ATS-friendly resume template to increase your chances of getting past automated screening systems and into the hands of hiring managers.

To check if your resume is ATS-friendly, look for these features:

• A simple, single-column layout.
• Standard section headings.
• Use of common fonts.
• Absence of graphics or special characters.

Yes, you can make your ATS-friendly resume visually appealing by using clean formatting, consistent font sizes and strategic use of bold or italic text for emphasis. Just remember to keep it simple and avoid complex design elements.

Yes, incorporating relevant keywords from the job description into your ATS-friendly resume can improve your chances of passing ATS filters. However, make sure to use them naturally and accurately to represent your skills and experience.