How to Write an ATS-Friendly Resume for IT Jobs

• Use a simple, one-column layout with standard headings: Summary, Skills, Experience, Projects, Education and Certifications.
• Put your contact details in the main part of the page, not in the header or footer.
• Avoid tables, text boxes, columns, icons, photos and charts.
• Use a common font such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman, in size 10 to 12.
• Use the exact job title and skill words from the job ad when they are true for you.
• Write out abbreviations once, for example "Amazon Web Services (AWS)".
• Start each bullet with an action verb and show a result.
• Save as a Word file or a text-based PDF, unless the job ad asks for a specific format.

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that employers use to collect and manage job applications. When you apply, the ATS reads (parses) your resume and copies your details into fields such as name, job titles, employers, dates, skills and education. Recruiters then search and filter these fields, often by job title and skill keywords, and read the resumes that match.

If the ATS cannot read your resume, your details may be missing or mixed up. If your resume does not use the words the recruiter searches for, it may not appear in the results. Some employers also add screening questions, for example about work authorization or required certifications, and use the answers to sort applications.

Keep the design plain and put the most important information first. A simple order for an IT resume:

Use one or two pages. One page is usually enough for early-career candidates. For simple layouts you can copy, see the free examples in the Resume Templates section of Career Advice.

• Name and contact details: city and state, phone, email, LinkedIn, and GitHub or portfolio link
• Summary: two or three lines about your target role and strongest skills
• Technical skills: grouped, for example Languages, Cloud, Databases and Tools
• Experience: job title, employer, city and state, and dates (month and year) for each job
• Projects: especially important if you have little IT work experience
• Education and certifications

Recruiters search for the skills, tools and job titles in their job ad, so your resume needs the same words where they are true for you.

Do not copy the whole job ad or hide keywords in white text. Recruiters read your resume, and keyword stuffing makes it look untrustworthy.

• Read the job ad and mark the required skills, tools, certifications and the exact job title.
• Add the ones you really have to your skills section, and show them in your experience or project bullets.
• Use both the full name and the short form for key terms, for example "continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD)".
• Tailor your summary and top bullets for each application.

Strong bullets show what you did, how you did it and what changed. A simple formula is: action verb + task + tool + result.

Use real numbers only. If you do not have exact figures, describe the result in words, for example "reduced repeat tickets for password resets".

• Weak: Responsible for testing.
• Better: Wrote and ran [number] test cases in Jira for a web checkout flow and reported [number] bugs that were fixed before release.
• Weak: Worked on help desk tickets.
• Better: Resolved about [number] help desk tickets per week for Windows, Microsoft 365 and VPN issues, and wrote [number] knowledge base articles.

• Using a two-column template, graphics or skill bars that an ATS may not read
• Listing duties only, with no results or tools
• Sending the same resume for every job
• Leaving out dates or using unclear job titles
• Typos in company names, tools or certifications
• Listing skills you cannot discuss in an interview
• Using a file name such as resume_final2.pdf instead of FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf

• Should I have more than one resume? Yes. Keep a main version and tailor it for each type of role, for example help desk, QA or data.
• How long should a U.S. resume be? One page is typical for early-career candidates. Up to two pages is common for experienced professionals.
• Is a PDF or a Word file better for ATS? Many ATS can read both. Follow the job ad. If you use a PDF, make sure it is text-based, not a scanned image.

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