An ATS-friendly resume is one that the software on an employer’s job site can read in the right order. That means real text in a single column, with plain headings such as Experience and Education, and simple bullet points. ATS stands for applicant tracking system, the software many employers use to collect and read applications.
The quickest way to get there is Resume Maker, PrepHint AI’s free resume builder. All ten templates already follow the layout rules below, AI helps you improve the wording, and you can talk instead of type. It is free forever with a PrepHint AI account.
Why it matters
When you apply through a job site, software often reads your file first and turns it into fields: your name, your jobs, your dates, your skills. If the layout confuses it, parts of your resume can end up in the wrong place or be missed. We cannot promise how any one employer’s system reads a file, and systems differ, so the safe approach is to keep the file simple.
The rules, and how Resume Maker handles them
- Use real text. Your words should be text you can select and copy in the PDF, not a picture of text. Resume Maker’s PDF holds your words as real text.
- Use one column. Two or three columns, sidebars and tables can mix up the reading order. Every one of the ten resume templates keeps your text in one column.
- Use plain section headings. Experience, Education, Skills and Summary are understood everywhere. A clever heading such as “My journey” is hard for a program.
- Keep the order simple. Name and contact details first, then a short summary, then experience with the newest job first, then education and skills.
- Choose a common font. A clean, regular typeface at a normal size reads best. Resume Maker lets you pick a font, an accent colour, and A4 or Letter paper.
- Use ordinary bullet points. Round dots and hyphens are safe. Icons and skill levels drawn as bars or stars carry no meaning for software.
- Put key details in the body. Contact details placed only in the page header or footer are sometimes missed.
- Write dates and titles in a standard way. A job title, the employer, and the dates for each role.
- Use the words of the job. If the post says “project management”, use that phrase where it is true. Paste the job post into Resume Maker and it suggests small edits you accept or skip. The guide to tailoring a resume to a job description shows how.
- Save as a PDF, unless the employer asks for a different format. Resume Maker downloads a PDF. There is no Word file, so if a job site asks for Word you will need to convert it yourself.
What to avoid
- Photos, unless the job and country expect one. If yours does, the Photo Header template has room for one.
- Text boxes and tables used only for layout.
- Logos and icons in place of words.
- Shrinking the font to fit more text. Resume Maker’s Shorten to fit and Fit to one page actions trim the words instead.
How to check your own file
Open your PDF and try to select a few lines with your mouse. If you can, copy them into a plain text editor. The text should come out in the same order as on the page, with no strange gaps or jumbled lines. If it does not, your layout is too complex. In Resume Maker, the Check my resume action on the preview gives you a second look before you send it.
Build an ATS-friendly resume free with Resume Maker
- Start your way. Answer a few easy questions, import a PDF of your resume, or paste its text. A LinkedIn profile saved as a PDF works too.
- Talk instead of type. Press the microphone in the summary box or the pasted-text import and speak. Your words appear in the box, for up to 5 minutes at a time and 20 minutes a day.
- Pick a template. Plain Classic is the simplest and the safest choice for job portals. Others add small touches such as a colour line under a heading, or a skills list for technical roles.
- Improve with AI. Ask for a change in your own words, or use one tap: Fix spelling, Polish wording, Add numbers to achievements, Shorten to fit or Quick improve. Every change is a suggestion you accept or skip, and it asks you for a number instead of making one up.
- Tailor it and download. Paste the job post, accept the edits you want, and download the PDF.
Daily fair-use limits on downloads, imports and tailoring keep it free for everyone. Start with Resume Maker, then practise talking through it in a voice mock interview.
Questions
Does an ATS reject resumes automatically? We cannot say how any one employer sets up its system. A simple, readable file gives the software and the reader the best chance to see your experience.
Is a two-column template always bad? Not always, but a one-column layout is the safer choice, because it removes the risk of mixed-up order.
Do I need to match keywords exactly? Use the employer’s words where they are true for you. Do not add skills or tools you do not have. Resume Maker leaves out any suggestion that adds a skill, tool, employer or date you did not give it.
Is Resume Maker really free? Yes. It is free forever with a PrepHint AI account, and there is no card to enter for it.