Summary
An ATS-friendly resume template is a single-column layout with standard section headings, real text instead of images or tables, and a simple font, so applicant tracking systems can read every line in the right order. A headshot is the image candidates add most often, and whether to put a photo on a resume covers when it costs you. Below are three free templates you can copy, the formatting rules behind them, and a quick way to test your finished resume.
What makes a resume template ATS-friendly?
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) such as Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS and Taleo convert your file to plain text, then split it into fields like work history, education and skills. A template is ATS-friendly when nothing in its design gets in the way of that conversion. In practice, the same few design choices cause most parsing problems. Parsing is only half the job, though: what an ATS resume checker checks is not what the recruiter reads afterwards.
| Element | ATS-safe choice | Risky choice |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | One column, top to bottom | Two columns, sidebars, text boxes |
| Headings | Work Experience, Education, Skills | Creative labels like “Where I’ve Been” |
| Contact details | In the body, first lines of the page | Inside the header or footer area |
| Skills | Plain text, comma-separated or bulleted | Skill bars, icons, rating dots |
| Fonts | Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Helvetica, 10–12 pt | Script or decorative fonts |
| Dates | Month and year, same format everywhere | Years only, or mixed formats |
| File type | PDF with real text, or DOCX | Scanned PDF or image-based file |
None of these rules make a resume look plain by force. Instead, clean spacing, one accent color and clear hierarchy keep the design professional while the structure stays readable. For more on how parsing works, see how an ATS actually reads your resume. Some employers score applications with AI on top of that parsing; here is when you can ask to opt out of AI screening.
Free ATS-friendly resume templates
Copy the template that fits your situation, paste it into a word processor, and replace the bracketed text. Each one uses standard headings in the order recruiters expect. If none of these fits your history, browse the wider set of free resume templates.
1. Chronological template (most jobs)
Use this ATS-friendly resume template if you have steady experience in your field. It is the format recruiters and ATS software handle most reliably.
FIRST LAST City, State | (555) 555-5555 | [email protected] | linkedin.com/in/yourname PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY [Job title] with [X] years of experience in [area]. Known for [strength] and [result with a number]. Seeking a [target role] at [type of company]. WORK EXPERIENCE [Job Title] | [Company], [City, State] | [Month Year] – Present • [Action verb] [what you did], resulting in [measurable result]. • [Action verb] [what you did] for [scope: team, budget, customers]. • [Action verb] [tool or process], cutting [time/cost/errors] by [X%]. [Job Title] | [Company], [City, State] | [Month Year] – [Month Year] • [Achievement with a number] • [Achievement with a number] EDUCATION [Degree], [Field] | [School], [City, State] | [Year] SKILLS [Hard skill], [Hard skill], [Software], [Software], [Certification] CERTIFICATIONS [Certification name], [Issuer], [Year]
2. Hybrid template (career changers)
A hybrid resume leads with transferable skills, then keeps a normal work history below. As a result, the ATS still finds dates and titles, while a recruiter sees your relevant strengths first.
FIRST LAST City, State | (555) 555-5555 | [email protected] | linkedin.com/in/yourname SUMMARY [Current role] moving into [target role], bringing [transferable skill] and [transferable skill]. [One proof point with a number]. RELEVANT SKILLS [Skill area]: [one line of proof] [Skill area]: [one line of proof] [Skill area]: [one line of proof] WORK EXPERIENCE [Job Title] | [Company] | [Month Year] – Present • [Achievement that uses a transferable skill] • [Achievement that uses a transferable skill] PROJECTS / TRAINING [Course, bootcamp or project] | [Year] – [what you built or learned] EDUCATION [Degree], [Field] | [School] | [Year]
3. Entry-level template (students and first jobs)
If you have little work history, put education and projects first. Part-time jobs, volunteering and coursework all count as experience.
FIRST LAST City, State | (555) 555-5555 | [email protected] OBJECTIVE [Year] [major] student seeking a [role] where I can apply [skill] and [skill]. EDUCATION [Degree], [Major] | [School] | Expected [Month Year] GPA: [3.5+ if strong] | Relevant coursework: [Course], [Course] PROJECTS [Project name] | [Month Year] • [What you built or analyzed and the result] EXPERIENCE [Role] | [Employer or organization] | [Month Year] – [Month Year] • [Responsibility or result] SKILLS [Skill], [Skill], [Software], [Language]
ATS-friendly resume template formatting rules
- Save as a text-based PDF unless the posting asks for Word. Also, never upload a scanned or image PDF.
- Keep contact details in the page body, because many parsers skip header and footer areas.
- Use standard headings: Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications.
- Mirror the exact job title and key skills from the posting, since recruiters filter by those terms; the O*NET database also lists the core skills for each occupation. See how to find resume keywords.
- Write dates the same way everywhere, for example “Mar 2023 – Present”.
- Stick to one or two pages. Most roles need one page until you have about ten years of experience.
- Pick a readable font; our guide to the best resume fonts compares the safe options.
How to test your resume before you apply
A template only helps if the finished file parses correctly. Run it through the free ATS resume checker: paste the job description, upload your resume, and you get a score, the keywords you are missing and the formatting problems an ATS would trip on. Then fix the issues and check again.
If you would rather not format anything by hand, the Rezoom AI resume builder includes 500+ ATS-friendly templates and fills them with AI-written bullet points you can edit. If you would rather compare tools first, this rundown of free resume builders compared covers eight of them.
ATS resume templates by job
Of course, wording matters as much as layout. These example libraries show ATS-friendly resumes written for specific roles:
- IT and software resume examples
- Healthcare and nursing resume examples
- Sales resume examples
- Marketing resume examples
- Teacher and education resume examples
- All resume examples by industry
ATS Resume Format vs ATS Resume Template
People search for both words, so it helps to separate them. The format is the order of your sections and the way you write inside them. The template is the file that carries that order. However, an applicant tracking system cares about one thing only: whether it can read each section and map it to a field. Confusing the two is one of the resume mistakes that cost interviews.
So a safe ATS resume format runs in this order, top to bottom: name and contact details, a short summary, work experience in reverse-chronological order, education, then skills. Also put a month and a year on every role, because parsers use those dates to work out how much experience you have.
Sample ATS-Friendly Resume
Here is a short sample you can copy and adapt. Notice that every heading uses a plain word the software expects, and every bullet opens with a verb and closes with a number.
Jordan Ellis Chicago, IL | [email protected] | (312) 555-0148 | linkedin.com/in/jordanellis SUMMARY Operations manager with 8 years in third-party logistics. Cut order errors by 31% across two sites. WORK EXPERIENCE Operations Manager - Northline Logistics, Chicago, IL - Mar 2021 to Present - Reduced order errors from 4.1% to 2.8% by rebuilding the pick-and-pack checklist. - Managed 42 warehouse staff across two shifts and cut overtime spend by $96,000 a year. Shift Supervisor - Northline Logistics, Chicago, IL - Jun 2018 to Feb 2021 - Trained 60 new hires and raised first-month retention from 71% to 88%. EDUCATION BS, Supply Chain Management - University of Illinois - 2018 SKILLS WMS (Manhattan, SAP EWM) | Inventory control | Lean Six Sigma Green Belt | Excel | Forecasting
Then run the finished file through our free ATS resume checker before you apply, because a two-minute test catches parsing problems you cannot see on screen.
ATS-friendly resume template FAQ
Are Word or Google Docs templates ATS-friendly?
Yes, as long as they use one column and plain text. However, many built-in templates use tables or text boxes for layout, so check the structure before you use one. These Word resume templates and Google Docs resume templates are already single-column.
Can an ATS read a PDF resume?
Modern systems read text-based PDFs well. The problem is image-based PDFs, such as scans or files exported as pictures, which contain no readable text.
Do ATS-friendly resumes have to be black and white?
No. Color does not affect parsing. Just keep text dark on a light background so it stays readable in print and on screen.
Is it true that 75% of resumes are rejected by ATS?
No. That figure has no reliable source; in most companies a recruiter still decides. We break down the evidence in the 75% ATS rejection myth.
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