ATS-Friendly Resumes: How to Get Past the Bots (with AI’s Help)
Most job seekers assume that if their resume is well-made, then it’ll surely lead to interviews. But, in 2025, there’s another thing to consider: is it ATS-friendly? You can have the best resume in the world, but if it can’t beat the bots, it’ll never reach a human.
Nearly all tech companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen hundreds of applications in minutes. If an ATS rejects your resume, it stops right there. No one reviews it, and you never hear back.
So, crafting an ATS-friendly resume is critical to landing interviews. In this guide, we’ll explain what an ATS is, common mistakes, and how Jobright’s AI resume checker makes it easy to fix your resume step by step. Let’s begin!
What is an ATS and Why It Matters
For job seekers in tech, knowing how ATS works is the first step toward getting your resume into a human recruiter’s hands and unlocking further opportunities.
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software used by most tech companies to manage applicant flow. Rather than sift manually through every file, recruiters upload job descriptions and batch-process incoming resumes against them.
The ATS parses your document into a structured format, then checks for:
- Keywords and phrases that match the job posting (skills, technologies, certifications).
- Standardized headings (e.g., “Work Experience,” “Education,” “Skills”).
- File type and readability, ensuring it can extract text flawlessly.
This might sound technical and hard to connect to your own experience, so in the next section we’ll cover common, recognisable mistakes you can easily avoid as a job seeker.
Common Mistakes That Get Resumes Rejected by ATS
Despite your best efforts, it’s easy to trigger alerts that send your resume to the rejection pile. Let’s discuss some common errors to avoid.
📋 Common Resume Issues for ATS:
| ❌ Mistake | 📄 Description | 💡 Example / Tip |
| 🎨 Over-designed templates | Graphics, icons, or multi-columns confuse ATS | Use a clean, single-column layout |
| 🔑 Missing job-specific keywords | Not using exact terms from the job posting can get you skipped | Include keywords like “Python,” “Django” directly from the job description |
| 📂 Wrong file format | Some ATS can’t read PDFs | Submit a .docx file or follow the job listing instructions |
| 🗂 Hidden headers and footers | ATS may miss text placed there | Keep contact details and key info in the main body |
| 📝 Creative section titles | Non-standard headings can confuse ATS | Use “Work Experience” instead of “My Journey” |
| 🛠 No context for skills | Just listing skills isn’t enough | Write “Developed REST APIs with Java and Spring Boot” instead of just “Java” |
By correcting these mistakes, you’ll improve your visibility and interview chances dramatically.
How AI Can Help You Beat the ATS
You can follow the above six points when manually editing your resume for each application, but imagine how time-consuming that would be. Why not just let AI handle it for you? Jobright’s AI resume checker helps fix all the common mistakes that get resumes rejected.
It checks if you’re using the right keywords, flags formatting issues that confuse ATS, and suggests ways to improve clarity, tone, and structure. It also helps you highlight the right skills and reorder content so your strengths are front and center.
By using this tool in combination with other Jobright tools like Autofill, you can apply faster to multiple roles while ensuring ATS compatibility. Imagine the possibilities!
🚀 Using Jobright to Create an ATS-Friendly Resume
Let’s go through the steps of how you can use Jobright to improve and optimize your resume for ATS. First, open the AI Resume Checker and click Improve my Resume.
If you don’t have an account on Jobright yet, you’ll be asked to create one. You’ll also be asked to input what roles you’re looking for, your preferred location, career goal, and other details. Once that’s done, you can upload your resume for Jobright to analyze.
🆕 Step 1. Register a Jobright account, then upload your resume for analysis.
🔍 Step 2. Go to the Resume section in the dashboard and click on the resume you uploaded.
✨ Step 3. Jobright will show you an analysis. Click Begin Improvements Now.
🛠 Step 4. View issues marked as Urgent, Critical, or Optional. Click Fix to address them, and Re-Analyze for an updated evaluation.
✏️ Step 5. Edit and adjust your resume’s style to make it polished and professional.
💾 Step 6. Once you’re done, click Export in the top-right of the screen.
From here, download the ATS‑friendly version of your resume, formatted and optimized for job applications!
By using this tool, you ensure your resume speaks to both ATS and hiring managers, giving you a competitive edge. Beyond this, Jobright also offers Resume Tailor, Rewriter, Bullet Point Generator, and many more resume tools. We’ll explore those further in upcoming articles.
Final Thoughts
Optimizing for ATS is no longer a nice‑to‑have, it’s a must for modern job seekers. You can follow the six points manually or use Jobright’s AI resume checker to ensure your resume passes the filters and reaches hiring managers.
Whether you’re an early career professional aiming to break into the industry or an experienced specialist seeking your next leadership role, Jobright helps you craft resumes that rank higher, get noticed more, and convert into real interviews.