Best Formate for Uploading a Resume Online

April 13, 2022 Post a Comment

There are a number of considerations to weigh earlier deciding on a resume format and template, like your field or industry, depth of work feel, and skill set. Today, job seekers as well need their resumes to be compatible with applicant tracking systems (ATS). An ATS resume template can be the deviation between getting noticed and slipping through the cracks.

Why yous need an ATS-friendly resume

An expertly written resume complete with a sleek design and optimized resume keywords could still fall short if the formatting isn't ATS compliant.

When you upload your resume into an ATS as role of your job application, the ATS and then parses out the text of your resume to make it searchable for a recruiter or import the information into a digital candidate profile. If an ATS can't accurately parse your resume, your chances of getting picked for an interview are low– fifty-fifty if you're perfectly qualified.

That's because your resume content is garbled or your candidate profile is incomplete based on poor formatting. And if your profile doesn't reflect that you're a strong match for the job, you won't rank equally a viable candidate.

How to write an ATS-friendly resume

There are a number of factors that go into the optimal ATS resume template or format. For example, many ATS don't know how to handle tables or images. Correctly sequencing your work experience data increases parsing accuracy; docx and pdf file types work ameliorate than others.

Our team at Jobscan has conducted first-paw enquiry and contrary-engineered dozens of applicant tracking systems, from the biggest companies in the business (like Taleo) to the up-and-comers (similar Greenhouse) to larn exactly what works and what doesn't.

7 ATS resume formatting tips

1. Use long-form and acronym versions of keywords.

Recruiters and hiring managers may search by keywords when looking for candidates. Some ATS volition only return verbal keyword match results, which ways that if yous included the term "Search Engine Optimization" without its acronym counterpart, your profile may not announced in a recruiter's search for the term "SEO."

ii. Employ a chronological or hybrid resume format.

Formats that deemphasize piece of work history, like the functional resume format, don't work well for applicant tracking systems that count on more traditional reverse-chronological formatting to empathize an applicant'due south feel. Recruiters are also most familiar with chronological and hybrid resume formats.

Read: Don't Brand These ATS Formatting Mistakes

3. Don't use tables or columns.

Even though tables and columns tin ameliorate readability for homo readers, they may cause parsing errors in the ATS.

Read: What Happens to Resume Tables and Columns in an ATS?

iv. Use a screen-friendly, traditional Font.

For readability, it's best to utilize a traditional serif or sans serif font. Some ATS volition automatically change unfamiliar fonts which tin can change the design of your resume.

Read: The All-time Fonts for Your Resume

5. Don't employ headers or footers.

The information in headers and footers may get lost or crusade parsing errors inside and ATS.

vi. Use standard resume section headings.

Section headers like "Where I've Been" in identify of "Work Experience" may misfile bidder tracking systems, causing them to organize information incorrectly.

Read: Resume Sections: What Y'all Need and Where Y'all Need Them

seven. Salve your file as a .docx or PDF if possible

A docx file or .pdf file is nearly compatible with ATS. Some people prefer PDFs because their formatting cannot exist cleaved in this format.

Read: Everything You lot Need To Know About Applicant Tracking Systems

Complimentary ATS resume templates

Through this testing and research, we've discovered which resume formatting breeze through ATS and which can cause candidates to hit a snag. Based on that knowledge, we have created 20 resume templates that are ATS uniform. Each ATS resume template is already formatted. All you have to do is customize them with your own information.

Access the 20 ATS-friendly resume templates here

In order to maximize your chances of landing a task interview, you have to be sure that an ATS tin read your resume. Using 1 of these ATS-friendly resume templates means you can apply without worrying near slipping into the resume black hole.

One time you've constitute a template you like, utilise Jobscan's resume optimization tool to double-check that you're non forgetting any key skills. Jobscan compares your resume to the job clarification to prove which skills and keywords you lot're missing along with a bevy of other helpful ATS and recruiter checks.

When to write a curriculum vitae (CV)

However, sometimes what you demand isn't an ATS-friendly resume. Instead, if you piece of work in the academic, medical, or scientific worlds, you'll most probable want to create a curriculum vitae (CV).

Resumes focus on what y'all have achieved and what y'all can reach within a position. Alternatively, CVs highlight your education in more detail as well as your credentials, research experience, and certifications. Because of that, CVs tend to run much longer than resumes practise.

To learn more about CVs, check out our article on how to write 1 here: