What ATS actually reads
Parsers look for fields: name, email, phone, company, title, dates, skill words. They do not score color. An ATS-friendly resume puts those fields in selectable body text.
Readable first, pretty second. One file can do both. Do not keep two unmaintainable drafts.
Minimal and new-grad templates in resumenode follow experience, education, skills. Switching skins keeps the fields.
Headings the system knows
EviteMy journey | Superpowers | Highlight reel | Where I shine
ReescrevaExperience | Education | Skills | Projects when needed
Do not leave contact details only in the running header or footer — some parsers drop them.
Columns, text boxes, icons
A light split can work. Full-page text boxes and icon skills lose words. Photos cost fields; skip them on ATS uploads. Nested tables and outlined text become images.
Write Python, SQL, Figma — not circular meters. For job-word coverage, run AI review on-device.
Pick single column or a light split. Filter templates by minimal / new grad.
Browse templatesText must be selectable
Select your name and latest role before you send. If you cannot, you are sending a picture. resumenode exports a searchable, watermark-free PDF. Turn browser headers off when printing.
Filename: name-role-resume.pdf. For sentences, see write to the job and the STAR method.
Eight checks before send
- Headings are Experience / Education / Skills, not creative labels.
- Name, phone, and email sit in the body header and can be selected.
- Skills are words, not icons or meters.
- No full-page text box locking experience.
- Single column or light split, not a poster.
- PDF text can be selected with the mouse.
- Browser header/footer is off when printing.
- Filename is name-role-resume.
FAQ
Do two-column resumes always fail ATS?
A light split can work. Full-page text boxes, skills as icons, and contact details only in header/footer lose fields.
Should I keep two files: one for ATS, one for humans?
Most roles need one single-column or light-split file. Put the portfolio in a link, not in the upload.
PDF or Word?
Send Word if the form asks for it. Otherwise a searchable PDF is common. The test is whether text can be selected.
Does a pretty template break parsing?
Color is fine. Decorative lines, icon skills, and unselectable text are not. Minimal and new-grad templates in resumenode follow fields.