Career Advice

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Last updated August 26, 2026

How to Make Your Resume ATS-Friendly

TL;DR: Most mid-size and large companies use an ATS to filter resumes before a human ever reads them.

Match keywords from the job posting

Mirror the specific language the posting uses for skills and requirements — ATS systems typically match on exact or near-exact phrasing.

Use standard section headers

Stick to conventional headers like "Experience" and "Education" rather than creative alternatives, which some systems fail to recognize.

Avoid embedding text in images or headers/footers

Text placed in these areas is frequently skipped entirely by parsing software, even if it looks fine visually.

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