Most resume formatting advice is either too vague ("keep it simple") or too superstitious ("never use a PDF"). A better approach is to understand what parsers need and what recruiters can scan.
Use this checklist before you apply. It is designed for a standard professional resume, not for creative roles where a portfolio or designed PDF is explicitly requested.
Key takeaways
- Use one column and standard section headings.
- Keep contact details as real text, not images or text boxes.
- Use a common font and a clean, text-based export.
- Follow the employer's file-format instructions.
- Check the extracted text before submitting.
The core format rules
- One column. Multi-column layouts can scramble reading order. Put the most important content in the main flow.
- Standard headings. Use Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills. Creative labels such as "My Journey" are harder to map.
- Real text. Avoid putting your name, phone number, or section headings inside images, headers, or text boxes.
- Simple bullets. Use a standard bullet character or a hyphen. Keep one idea per bullet.
- Consistent dates. Use Month YYYY or YYYY consistently. Include start and end dates for each role.
- Readable type. Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Georgia, or similar at 10.5-12 points is fine. Do not shrink to 8 points to fit more.
What to leave out
Skip tables that hold your work history, charts, progress bars for skills, company logos, and icons used instead of labels. These can look polished on screen but may not survive text extraction. A simple separator line is fine; a complex grid is not.
You also do not need a photo for most US applications. It can introduce bias and parsing problems, and many employers do not expect it. Follow the job posting if it specifically asks for one.
PDF or DOCX?
Both can work. A text-based PDF preserves layout and is usually safe when the employer does not specify a format. A DOCX is often easier for some older systems to parse and is the better choice when the posting asks for Word.
Never submit a scanned PDF made from a photo or a printout. It may contain no selectable text at all. Export from your word processor and test the result by copying the text into a plain text editor.
File naming and metadata
Use a professional file name such as Maya-Rivera-Customer-Support-Resume.pdf. Avoid "final-final-v7." Remove unusual characters from the file name, and check that your name and email in the document are current.
If you are applying in the US, a one-page resume is common early in a career. Two pages are acceptable when the second page is substantive. A three-page resume is usually unnecessary unless you have extensive relevant experience or are applying for an academic or research role.
A five-minute pre-submit test
- Open the file and copy all text into a plain text editor.
- Check that your name, email, phone, employers, titles, and dates survived.
- Check that the section order still makes sense.
- Search for the top five skills in the job post. Are they present where relevant?
- Read the first third of the resume. Does it show why you fit this role?
ATS Signal automates the text-extraction part of this test. It cannot see every layout problem, so keep the manual check as well.
Frequently asked questions
Are two-column resumes always rejected?
No. Many systems handle them, and some employers read the original file. But columns increase the risk of scrambled extraction, so a single-column version is safer for a standard application.
Should I use a resume template with tables?
Use a template only if the content remains in a simple reading order. Test the exported file by copying the text. If the order is confusing, rebuild it as a single column.
Do I need a different resume for every job?
You do not need to rewrite everything. Tailor the summary, skills, and most relevant bullets so the document speaks to the job's actual requirements.
Put this guide to work. Scan your resume against a real job post and see the missing keywords and highest-priority fixes. Open the free checker →
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