ATS Resume Checklist: 15 Things to Fix Before You Apply

George Avgenakis -

Before you hit apply, your resume needs to pass two basic checks: can an ATS read it correctly, and can a recruiter understand your experience quickly?

A strong resume can still create problems if the formatting scrambles your information, important skills are hidden inside graphics, or the content does not match the job you're targeting. Keyword stuffing creates another problem because adding terms that do not reflect your experience can make the resume harder to trust.

The good news is that most ATS issues are easy to fix. This 15-point checklist covers the formatting, content, and final checks worth making before submitting a resume.

Key Takeaways
  • Use a simple, single-column resume layout with standard section headings and keep important information in the main body.
  • Avoid tables, text boxes, graphics, icons, skill bars, and logos that can make resume information harder for an ATS to parse.
  • Use readable fonts, plain-text skills sections, and clear contact details, credentials, experience, and location.
  • Match relevant job titles and keywords from the job description only when they genuinely reflect your experience and qualifications.
  • Quantify genuine achievements where possible so recruiters can quickly understand the results behind your experience.
  • Run a plain-text test and check the exported resume to make sure your information remains selectable and follows the correct reading order.
  • An ATS score is a useful benchmark for identifying formatting and keyword gaps, but it does not guarantee an interview or replace human review.
  • LoopCV can help check resumes, identify keyword gaps, tailor CVs, find relevant jobs, automate applications, track applications, contact recruiters, and prepare for interviews.

What is an ATS score, and how much does it matter?

An ATS score is a number, usually out of 100, that a resume checker uses to estimate how well your resume can be read and how closely it matches a particular job description.

It is a useful reference, but it is not the same as an employer's actual hiring decision. Real ATS platforms vary, and some are mainly used to store, search, and organize candidate information. MIT's career office notes that some systems can also rate or score applicants based on information parsed from the resume.

That makes searchability and relevance more important than chasing a perfect number.

Which formatting fixes should come first?

Start with the structure before changing your keywords. If an ATS cannot read the information correctly, adding more keywords will not solve the problem.

Start with formatting, then move into the content. Once the resume is clean and targeted, run a final ATS check before submitting it.

1. Use a DOCX or simple text-based PDF

Submit the file type requested by the employer. When no format is specified, a standard DOCX or text-based PDF is generally a safer choice than an image-based file.

A PDF exported from Word or Google Docs contains selectable text. A scanned resume saved as a PDF may simply contain an image, which makes the content harder for software to read.

2. Keep the layout simple and single-column

A single-column layout gives the resume a predictable reading order.

A structure such as:

  • Jordan Miller
  • Professional Summary
  • Work Experience
  • Education
  • Skills

is easier to follow than a layout with experience in one column and skills in a sidebar.

The simpler the structure, the less chance there is of information being read out of order.

3. Remove tables and text boxes

Keep important information in normal body text.

If a job title is placed inside one text box and the employment dates inside another, the ATS may not correctly connect those details.

Keep the information directly in the document:

Digital Marketing Manager | BrightPath Solutions | 2022–2026

Followed by the relevant responsibilities and achievements.

4. Keep contact details out of headers and footers

Put your name, email, phone number, LinkedIn URL, and location in the main body at the top of the resume.

This keeps essential information in the same area as the rest of the document.

Jordan Miller
jordan.miller@example.com | 555-014-7283 | Chicago, IL

5. Remove graphics, icons, skill bars, and logos

Replace visual elements with plain text.

A graphic showing:

SEO ★★★★★

should become:

SEO | Technical SEO | Keyword Research | Content Strategy

The same applies to company logos, decorative icons, charts, and visual skill meters. Replace them with text wherever possible.

Pro tip: If you're rebuilding your resume, LoopCV's AI CV Builder can help create a cleaner starting format.

6. Use a common font at 10pt or larger

Use readable fonts such as Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Georgia, Helvetica, or Times New Roman.

Avoid using several decorative fonts across the same resume. The goal is to make the information easy to scan and understand.

7. Use standard section headings

Use headings such as Work Experience, Education, Skills, Summary, Certifications, and Projects.

A heading like Work Experience tells both the ATS and recruiter exactly what information follows. Creative labels such as My Career Journey can make that structure less obvious.

8. Run the plain-text test

Copy the entire resume and paste it into Notepad or another plain-text editor.

Check whether your name, job titles, companies, dates, skills, and bullet points remain in the correct order.

If the text looks scrambled, fix the formatting before submitting the resume.

9. Match the job title truthfully

Use the target job title when it accurately describes the role you're pursuing and your experience.

If you're applying for a Digital Marketing Manager position, that title can appear in your summary or headline when your background genuinely supports it.

Never replace a previous job title with something you never held.

10. Use relevant keywords from the job description

Look for important skills, tools, qualifications, and responsibilities in the posting.

If a job asks for Google Analytics 4 and you have used GA4 professionally, include the exact term rather than relying on a vague phrase such as "analytics experience."

Use keywords where they naturally describe your work. Do not add skills simply because they appear in the job description.

11. Keep your Skills section in plain text

List relevant tools, technologies, methods, and certifications under a clearly labeled Skills section.

A focused list such as:

SEO | Google Analytics 4 | Google Search Console | Keyword Research | Content Strategy

is easier to scan than a collection of graphics or rating bars.

12. Quantify your achievements

Numbers make accomplishments easier to understand.

Weak: Helped improve customer retention.

Stronger: Reduced customer churn by 18% through proactive customer outreach.

Use genuine numbers for revenue, growth, conversion rates, time saved, customers managed, projects completed, or other measurable outcomes.

13. Make credentials, experience, and location easy to find

State your degree, certifications, years of experience, and location clearly.

  • BA in Marketing
  • Google Analytics Certification
  • 5+ years of digital marketing experience
  • Chicago, IL

Do not make a recruiter search through paragraphs to find basic qualifications.

14. Don't stuff keywords or list skills you cannot defend

Only add keywords that accurately describe your experience.

If Python appears on your resume, you should be prepared to discuss how you have actually used Python. A higher score is not useful if the content does not hold up during an interview.

Pro tip: Use LoopCV's ATS Resume Keywords Checker to find relevant keyword gaps, then decide which ones genuinely belong on your resume.

15. Score, fix, and re-score before you apply

Use a simple review process before submitting:

  1. Get a baseline. Check the current version before changing anything.
  2. Add the job description. Look for relevant missing terms.
  3. Fix the biggest issues first. Start with formatting and parsing.
  4. Run the check again. See whether the changes improved the match.
  5. Read the resume yourself. Make sure the final version still sounds natural and accurately represents your experience.

LoopCV's free ATS score checker can be used to review a PDF or DOCX against a target job.

Pro tip: Once you've made your changes, use LoopCV's AI CV Checker for a final review before sending the resume.

What is a good ATS score?

There is no universal ATS score that guarantees an interview.

A score around 80 or above can be a useful benchmark when checking your resume against a specific job description. The score itself matters less than what is behind it.

A lower score can point toward missing keywords, formatting problems, or a weak match with the role. A high score does not automatically mean the resume is strong if the content is generic or the claims are difficult to support.

What can an ATS checker not fix?

An ATS checker cannot make unrelated experience relevant or create achievements that are not there.

It can identify parsing issues, keyword gaps, and other resume problems, but a human still needs to assess whether the candidate is right for the role.

A clean format and strong match score are useful starting points. They do not replace relevant experience, clear achievements, or a well-targeted application.

An ATS-ready resume is only useful if it actually gets used to apply for relevant roles.

LoopCV brings several parts of the job search together. It can help candidates find matching jobs, tailor CVs to individual postings, automate applications, track applications, contact recruiters, and prepare for interviews.

The workflow can include:

  • Job discovery: Find roles based on specific job titles and preferences.
  • CV tailoring: Adjust your resume to relevant job descriptions.
  • Application automation: Apply to matching opportunities automatically or review them first.
  • Application tracking: Keep applications and statuses organized.
  • Recruiter outreach: Add direct recruiter contact to the search.
  • Interview preparation: Prepare for interviews after applications start generating responses.

This makes the resume part of a repeatable job-search process rather than a document that gets optimized once and then left unused.

Pro tip: Use LoopCV's free plan to test the workflow before deciding how much automation you need.

Conclusion

An ATS-friendly resume does not require complicated formatting or endless keyword changes.

Keep the document simple, make important information easy to read, use relevant job-specific language, show genuine skills and credentials, and quantify achievements where possible.

Then run the finished resume through an ATS checker and review the final version yourself.

The goal is not to create a resume for a scanner. It is to make sure the right experience is easy for both the system and the recruiter to find.

FAQs

Is a free ATS resume checker accurate?

It can identify common formatting and keyword issues, but different employers use different ATS configurations. Treat the score as a useful diagnostic rather than a guarantee.

Does an ATS automatically reject resumes?

ATS platforms work differently. Some can filter, rank, or search candidate information, while others are primarily used to organize applications. A clean, searchable resume makes relevant information easier to find.

Is PDF or DOCX better for ATS?

Both can work when properly formatted. Follow the employer's requested file type and avoid image-based documents.

Are two-column resumes ATS-friendly?

A single-column format is generally safer when ATS compatibility is a priority. If you use columns, run the plain-text test and check that everything remains in the correct order.

What ATS score should I aim for?

Around 80 or above can be used as a practical benchmark for a targeted application, but there is no universal score that guarantees an interview.