The 10 Resume Formatting Mistakes That Break ATS Parsing

Most resume advice is about what to say. This post is about something more basic: whether the software reading your resume can find what you said at all.

In our post on how ATS systems work, we covered parsing, the step where an applicant tracking system pulls your resume apart into fields like name, job titles, dates and skills. If that step goes wrong, it doesn't matter how strong the content is. The recruiter searching the database sees a garbled profile, or doesn't see you at all.

Here are the ten formatting mistakes that cause the most trouble, and what to do instead.

1. Putting key information in the header or footer

Many parsers skip headers and footers entirely. If your name, email and phone number only live there, your application can arrive with no contact details attached. Put them in the main body, at the top.

2. Using tables and multiple columns

Two-column layouts look tidy, but parsers often read straight across the page, line by line. Your job title on the left gets merged with a skills list on the right, and dates end up attached to the wrong role. A single column is the safest layout there is.

3. Text boxes and graphics

Text inside a text box, shape or image is often invisible to a parser. That includes skill "bars", icons for contact details and logos. If it matters, it should be plain text.

4. Creative section headings

"Where I've Been" and "My Toolkit" read well to a person but don't map to anything a parser recognises. Stick to standard headings: Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications, Projects.

5. Inconsistent date formats

"Jan 2022 – Present", "2019-2021" and "03/18 to 06/19" on one page make it hard for software to work out how long you were where. Pick one format, such as "Jan 2022 – Mar 2024", and use it everywhere.

6. Uncommon fonts and symbols

Decorative fonts can turn into odd characters when the file is converted, and custom bullet symbols sometimes come through as question marks or empty boxes. Use a standard font and simple round bullets.

7. Saving as an image or a scanned PDF

If you can't highlight the text in your PDF, neither can the parser. A resume exported as an image, or scanned from paper, may come through blank. Export directly from your word processor to a text-based PDF or .docx.

8. Abbreviations without the full term

A recruiter might search for "Continuous Integration" while your resume only says "CI". Where it's natural, include both the first time: "Continuous Integration (CI)". It costs a few characters and covers both searches.

9. Cramming title, company and details onto one line

"Senior Engineer | Acme Ltd | London | 2021–2024 | Hybrid" packs five fields into one string, and parsers don't always split it the way you'd hope. Give the title and employer their own clear line, with dates and location kept simple.

10. Over-designed templates

Many downloadable templates are built to look good in a portfolio, not to survive a parser. Sidebars, photo frames, coloured blocks and icon rows all add risk. Plain, well-spaced and single-column will do better in most systems.

How to check your own resume

Here's a quick test you can do right now. Open your PDF, select all the text, copy it and paste it into a plain text editor. If it comes out in a sensible order with nothing missing, you're in good shape. If sections are jumbled, merged or gone, a parser is likely to struggle too.

For a fuller check, run it through an ATS scan. ResumeLens reads your resume the way tracking software does and flags the formatting issues that stop it being parsed cleanly, before you send it anywhere.

Formatting is the least interesting part of a resume. It's also the part that can stop everything else being read.