Resume templates that applicant tracking systems can actually read
Two complete examples in the layout that survives every ATS: one column, standard headings, real text, a number in every job. Download either as Word and replace the content, or paste your own resume and have it rewritten into this format.
Rewrite my resume into this format
Paste your current resume. Every bullet rewritten with the result first, a summary that says something, your section order kept, plus this ATS version as Word. Nothing invented. $19, once. Rewrite my resume
Why this layout
- One column. Two-column resumes get read left-to-right across both columns by many parsers, which scrambles dates and titles.
- Standard headings. "Experience", "Education", "Skills". Not "Where I've Been".
- Text, not graphics. Skill bars, icons, and photos are invisible to a parser and a distraction to a recruiter.
- A number in every job. Recruiters skim for numbers first. If a bullet has none, it is describing a duty, not a result.
- Summary of three sentences. Who you are, your strongest proof, what you want. It is the only paragraph most recruiters read in full.
Resume questions
One page or two?
One page under ten years of experience. Two pages are fine after that if the second page is full of results, not duties.
Do I need a photo?
Not in the US, Canada, UK, or Australia, and many employers discard resumes with photos to avoid bias claims. Some countries expect one; follow local practice.
Should I use a resume builder?
Builders produce two-column designs by default. If you use one, pick the plainest template it has. The Word file from this page is already ATS-safe.
Resume or CV?
In the US and Canada a resume is the one- or two-page document for jobs; a CV is the long academic document. In the UK, Europe, and Asia "CV" means what Americans call a resume.