Originally published on rebelstudiossoftware.com.
Most “my resume gets no responses” problems are not about your experience — they’re about format. An Applicant Tracking System has to parse your document into fields, and the wrong layout garbles it before a recruiter ever searches. Here is the format that actually parses cleanly.
File type: .docx beats a design-tool PDF
A Word .docx is the safest, most universally parseable format. PDFs can parse well — but only if the text is real, selectable text. A PDF exported from a design tool (Canva, InDesign) where the resume is effectively an image will parse as nothing. If you must send PDF, make sure you can select and copy the text.
One column. Always.
Multi-column layouts, tables, and text boxes are the number-one parsing killer. The parser reads left-to-right, top-to-bottom; a two-column design interleaves your sidebar into your job history and turns it to nonsense. Use a single column, top to bottom.
Headings, fonts, and the small stuff
Standard section headings: “Work Experience,” “Education,” “Skills.” Creative headings (“Where I’ve Made Impact”) can miss the parser’s expected buckets.
Common fonts: Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Times. Nothing exotic.
No headers/footers for contact info — many parsers ignore that region. Put your name, email and phone in the body.
No graphics, logos, icons or photos. They carry no parseable text and can break layout.
Consistent dates: one format, e.g.
Jan 2023 – Mar 2025, everywhere.
Test it before you trust it
The fastest sanity check: copy all the text out of your resume and paste it into a plain notepad. If the order is scrambled or fields are missing, the ATS sees that same mess. Then check the actual content against each posting — the right format gets you parsed; the right keywords get you ranked.
See your match before you apply
Resume Keyword Matcher is a free Chrome and Firefox extension that reads any job posting, pulls its keywords, and scores how well your resume matches — showing you exactly which terms you’re missing so you can close the gaps before an ATS ever ranks you. Everything runs on your device; your resume never leaves your computer.
Related reading: how to get your resume past an ATS and ATS resume keywords.
