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Resume Tips• 10 min read

The Ultimate 2025 ATS Resume GuideHow to Pass Automated Resume Filters

Over 75% of resumes get rejected automatically — not because the applicant is unqualified, but because the resume isn't formatted correctly for ATS systems.

What Is an ATS Resume?

An ATS resume is a resume written and formatted specifically to be read by Applicant Tracking Systems — software used by employers to filter, rank, and select candidates before a human ever reviews them.

If your resume doesn't align with ATS rules, you get filtered out instantly.

How ATS Systems Read Your Resume

ATS software scans your resume for:

1. Keywords

ATS looks for skills, tools, technologies, and verbs from the job description.

2. Job Titles

If your title doesn't match the posting, you lose ranking.

3. Section Headings

ATS understands: Experience, Work History, Education, Skills, Projects

But NOT: "My Journey", "What I've Done", "Expertise Track"

4. Formatting Structure

Tables, icons, text boxes, and fancy designs confuse ATS.

Common ATS Resume Mistakes (That Get You Rejected)

Two-column layouts

ATS reads left-to-right. Two columns scramble the order.

Headers and footers

ATS often ignores anything inside them.

Icons and graphics

Your résumé might look beautiful to humans, but unreadable to machines.

"Fluff" words

Responsible for…, Worked on…, Helped with… — ATS prefers clear action verbs.

Missing keywords

This is the MOST common rejection reason.

How to Make Your Resume ATS-Friendly in 2025

1. Use a simple, single-column layout

Preferred fonts:

InterArialHelveticaCalibriRoboto

2. Use standard section headings

✔ Good:

  • Skills
  • Experience
  • Projects
  • Education

✘ Bad:

  • What I'm Great At
  • Highlights
  • Journey

3. Add job-specific keywords

ATS literally looks for exact match keywords from the job description.

Example job description: "Proficient in Excel, SQL, dashboards, reporting…"

Your resume MUST include: Excel, SQL, Dashboards, Reporting

4. Use strong action verbs

ExecutedLedDeliveredDevelopedImplementedOptimized

5. Include metrics

Before: "Improved customer satisfaction."

After: "Increased satisfaction scores by 21% through improved support workflows."

ATS Resume Before/After Example

Before (Weak):

  • • Worked on backend systems
  • • Helped with testing
  • • Wrote some documentation

After (ATS-Optimized):

  • • Developed backend APIs using Node.js and PostgreSQL, improving system performance by 19%
  • • Executed automated testing using Jest and Cypress, reducing bugs by 32%
  • • Created technical documentation supporting new engineering hires

Final Checklist

Single column
No icons
No images
Standard headings
Keyword optimized
Strong action verbs
Metrics included
Proper job title match
Saved as PDF
ATS tested

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