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The ATS Resume Checklist: 12 Things Recruiters' Software Checks Before a Human Sees Your Resume

Most US job applications are filtered by an Applicant Tracking System before any human reads them. Here is what ATS software looks for, and the checklist to make sure your resume passes.

The ATS Resume Checklist

About 75% of US resumes are rejected by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) before a human ever looks at them. The reasons are mechanical: missing keywords, wrong file format, weird layout, contact info the parser can't read.

This checklist covers every ATS-failure mode we've seen. Run through it before you submit any application.

Before you start: pick the right file format

Use PDF unless the job posting says otherwise. PDF preserves your formatting across systems. Word documents (.docx) work too, but some ATS systems (older ones especially) mangle them. Never send a .doc, .pages, or Google Docs link.

Filename: FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf (not resume_final_v3_REAL.pdf).

The 12-point checklist

1. Your name is the first line, in plain text

Not in a header graphic, not in a fancy script font, not in a colored box. The parser reads top-down, and if it can't confidently extract your name, downstream fields fail.

2. Contact info is in the body, not the header/footer

Some ATS systems can't read header/footer text. Put your email, phone, and city directly in the body. Use a standard format:

```

Jane Chen

jane.chen@gmail.com | (415) 555-0142 | San Francisco, CA

linkedin.com/in/janechen

```

3. Email address looks professional

jane.chen@gmail.com is fine. cutiepie88@163.com is not. If your current address is unprofessional, set up a new one in 2 minutes — it matters more than you'd think.

4. Every section has a standard heading

Use these exact words: Education, Experience, Projects, Skills. The parser is looking for them. Custom headings like "Where I Learned Things" or "Things I Built" will be missed.

5. Job titles are in a recognizable format

Use the conventional title for the role, not the internal title your company uses. If you were a "Customer Happiness Hero", write "Customer Support Representative" on your resume.

6. Dates are in a standard format

Pick one and stick with it. Jun 2024 – Aug 2024 is the most common. Avoid 06/2024 - 08/2024 (some systems misparse), June 2024 to August 2024 (too wordy), or ranges without a year.

7. Every job lists company, title, location, dates

```

Experience

Acme Corp, San Francisco, CA

Software Engineer Intern Jun 2024 – Aug 2024

```

Missing any one of these fields causes the parser to lose context for everything else.

8. No tables, no columns, no text boxes

ATS parsers read left-to-right, top-to-bottom. A two-column layout in Word will be read as a single mashed-together line, scrambling your content. Same for tables, sidebars, and text boxes.

If your resume template has columns, don't use it for ATS applications.

9. No images, icons, or logos in the body

Recruiter-facing "designed" resumes with icons, profile photos, or skill-level bars look great to humans but break parsers. Use plain text symbols sparingly (• for bullets is fine).

10. Skills section uses the exact keywords from the job posting

If the posting says "React, TypeScript, Node.js", your skills section should say "React, TypeScript, Node.js" — not "ReactJS / TypeScript / Node". Match the case and spelling.

This is not about stuffing keywords. It's about using the same vocabulary the company uses. They wrote the posting with their own terminology; mirror it.

11. Acronyms spelled out on first use

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) first, then SEO after. The parser may not match a bare acronym to the spelled-out version in the job description.

12. File size under 1 MB, font 10-12pt, single typeface

ATS systems have file size limits. Some hiring managers' inboxes do too. Keep it small. Standard fonts (Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman) parse most reliably. Fancy fonts often substitute wrong.

After you submit: a 30-second verification

  1. Open the PDF you just submitted
  2. Copy the text (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C)
  3. Paste into a plain text editor
  4. Read it top-to-bottom

If it reads sensibly, the ATS will probably parse it correctly. If you see scrambled order, missing fields, or weird line breaks, your template is the problem — not your content.

What CompassCV does differently

CompassCV templates are designed to be ATS-friendly by default: single column, standard headings, plain text bullets, no images in the body. You can preview in the editor and the live preview matches what the ATS will see.

The "ATS check" feature (in development) will scan your resume for these specific failure modes and flag them before you submit.

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