ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) - Robots that parse text
相关技能
Human Readers - Recruiters who scan quickly
The Solution: Clean, simple formatting that satisfies both.
Document Setup
Page Length
Entry Level (0-5 years): 1 page
Mid-Level (5-15 years): 1-2 pages
Senior/Executive (15+ years): 2 pages (max 3 for executives)
Margins
Recommended: 0.5" - 1" all sides
Minimum: 0.5" (don't go smaller)
Maximum: 1" (don't waste space)
Font Selection
Safe, ATS-Friendly Fonts:
Sans-serif: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana
Serif: Times New Roman, Georgia, Garamond
Font Sizes:
Name: 16-20pt
Section Headers: 12-14pt
Body Text: 10-12pt
Minimum readable: 10pt
Spacing
Line spacing: 1.0 to 1.15
Space after paragraphs: 6-12pt
Section spacing: 12-16pt between sections
ATS-Safe Formatting Rules
DO:
✅ Use standard fonts
✅ Use simple bullet points (•, -, *)
✅ Use bold and italic sparingly
✅ Use standard section headers
✅ Save as .docx or text-based .pdf
✅ Put contact info in body (not header)
✅ Use single column layout
✅ Use consistent formatting throughout
DON'T:
❌ Use tables (except simple ones for contact info)
❌ Use text boxes
❌ Use columns (multi-column layouts)
❌ Use headers/footers for important info
❌ Use images or graphics
❌ Use unusual fonts
❌ Use skill bars or progress indicators
❌ Use special characters or emojis
❌ Use color for essential information
Section Organization
Standard Section Order
1. Contact Information
2. Professional Summary (optional)
3. Skills/Technical Skills
4. Professional Experience
5. Education
6. Certifications (if relevant)
7. Additional (volunteer, languages, etc.)
Section Header Formatting
ATS-Recognized Headers:
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE or WORK EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
SKILLS or TECHNICAL SKILLS
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY or SUMMARY
CERTIFICATIONS
PROJECTS
Format Options:
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
or
Professional Experience
_______________________
or
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Contact Information Layout
Recommended Format
JOHN SMITH
[email protected] | (555) 123-4567 | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith
San Francisco, CA
Alternative Format
JOHN SMITH
San Francisco, CA
[email protected] | (555) 123-4567
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnsmith | GitHub: github.com/johnsmith
What to Include
✅ Full name
✅ Professional email
✅ Phone number
✅ City, State (no full address needed)
✅ LinkedIn URL
✅ Portfolio/GitHub (if relevant)
What to Exclude
❌ Full street address
❌ Photo
❌ Date of birth
❌ Marital status
❌ Multiple phone numbers
❌ Personal social media
Experience Section Formatting
Standard Format
COMPANY NAME | City, ST
Job Title | Month Year - Month Year
• Achievement bullet with metrics and results
• Achievement bullet with metrics and results
• Achievement bullet with metrics and results
Alternative Format
Job Title
COMPANY NAME, City, ST Month Year - Month Year
• Achievement bullet with metrics and results
• Achievement bullet with metrics and results
Date Formatting
Consistent format: Use same format throughout
Recommended: Month Year (Jan 2020 - Present)
Also acceptable: MM/YYYY (01/2020 - Present)
Avoid: Full dates (January 15, 2020)
Bullet Point Guidelines
Length: 1-2 lines each
Format: Start with action verb, end with result
Quantity: 3-6 bullets per role (more for recent, fewer for old)