How to get your résumé past the ATS — without keyword stuffing

An ATS is just software that parses your résumé into fields and scans for relevant terms. You don't beat it by stuffing keywords — you beat it by being clean, parseable, and honestly matched to the role.

What actually trips the parser

• Tables, columns, and text boxes. Many parsers read them out of order or drop them entirely — keep the layout single-column.
• Headers/footers for key info. Contact details buried in the header can vanish; put them in the body.
• Images and icons for text. A skills graphic is invisible to the scan — write skills as text.
• Unusual section names. "What I've done" reads worse than "Experience." Use the standard headings.

The keyword fix (the honest way)

• Pull the 8–10 terms the posting repeats.
• Mirror the ones you genuinely have — in your real bullets, using their phrasing.
• Never claim a skill you can't back up in an interview.

A 30-second self-check

Save your résumé as plain text and read it. If the sections are in order and nothing is missing, an ATS can read it too. Our free Résumé Strength Checker runs on that same parsed text — if it scores your writing well, the machine can see it.

Guidance from the GhostProofJob résumé team, reflecting how our checker parses and scores résumé text.