How to Improve Your ATS Score

Six changes that move the needle — and the tricks that don't.

Most low ATS scores come from a small set of repeat offenders. Fix these, in order, before you touch anything else.

1. Use a single-column, text-based layout

Tables, text boxes, and multi-column layouts often parse out of order or get dropped entirely. A clean, single-column structure with standard headings ("Experience," "Education," "Skills") is the single biggest reliability fix you can make.

2. Mirror the job description's language

If the posting says "stakeholder management" and your resume says "worked with clients," a keyword match won't register it as the same thing. This isn't about stuffing keywords — it's about using the same specific terms the role uses, where they're actually true of your experience.

3. Spell out acronyms once

Write "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)" the first time it appears. Some systems match on the acronym, others on the full phrase — covering both means you're not gambling on which one the ATS is scanning for.

4. Keep contact info out of headers/footers

Some parsers skip header and footer regions entirely. Put your name, phone, email, and location in the main body of the document, not in a design header.

5. Save as a text-based PDF or DOCX

A scanned image or a PDF exported from a heavily designed tool can come through as unreadable characters or blank space. Export from a standard word processor and confirm the text is selectable before you submit.

6. Match section order to expectation

Most systems expect experience before education (unless you're a recent graduate). Unconventional ordering can confuse both the parser and the recruiter skimming the parsed output.