How to Increase Your ATS Score Resume in 2024

Your resume may be brilliant on paper, but if an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) can't read it, you'll never get the chance to prove it — and that's exactly why knowing how to increase your ATS score resume is the single most important job-search skill of the modern era.

What Is an ATS Score and Why Does It Matter?

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software used by employers to collect, sort, and rank job applications before a single human eye sees them. Companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and Meta — as well as mid-sized organisations across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia — rely on these systems to manage the hundreds or even thousands of applications they receive for every open role. Greenhouse, Workday, Lever, iCIMS, and Taleo are among the most widely deployed platforms globally.

When you submit your resume, the ATS parses it, extracts relevant information, and assigns a relevance score based on how closely your resume matches the job description. Recruiters typically only review applications that score above a certain threshold — commonly cited as 70–80% match. If your resume falls below that cutoff, it is effectively invisible, regardless of your actual qualifications.

Understanding this reality is not cause for despair; it is cause for strategy. The good news is that the rules of ATS optimisation are learnable, repeatable, and genuinely impactful. Let's break them down section by section.

Step 1: Decode the Job Description Before You Write a Single Word

The job description is essentially the ATS's answer key. Every well-optimised resume starts with a careful, forensic reading of that document. Here is how to approach it systematically.

Identify Hard Skills and Technical Keywords

Hard skills are the most heavily weighted signals in almost every ATS algorithm. If a job posting for a data analyst role at Shopify mentions "SQL," "Python," "Tableau," and "A/B testing," those exact phrases need to appear in your resume — assuming you genuinely possess those skills. Do not paraphrase. An ATS looking for "Python" will not automatically credit "scripting language proficiency."

Capture Soft Skills and Action Verbs

Many modern ATS platforms have evolved to recognise behavioural competencies. Words like "cross-functional collaboration," "stakeholder management," "agile methodology," and "strategic planning" can contribute to your score when they appear in context. Use the same language the employer uses, because synonyms can fail to register.

Note Job Title Variants

Job titles carry significant weight. If the posting says "Software Engineer" but your previous employer called you "Software Developer," include both variants where truthful context allows. You might write: "Software Engineer (internally titled Software Developer) at Stripe, 2021–2024." This surfaces both terms for the parser.

Step 2: Optimise Your Resume's Format for ATS Parsing

Even a perfectly keyworded resume can fail if the ATS cannot parse its structure. Formatting is the foundation of ATS compatibility, and this is where many job seekers unknowingly sabotage themselves.

Use a Clean, Single-Column Layout

Multi-column layouts, text boxes, and tables look visually impressive but are frequently misread or entirely skipped by ATS parsers. A single-column, linear format ensures that every piece of information is ingested in the correct logical order. Think of it as writing for a screen reader — clarity above all else.

Choose Standard, ATS-Readable Fonts

Stick to universally recognised fonts such as Arial, Calibri, Garamond, or Times New Roman. Decorative or uncommon fonts can cause parsing errors. Font size should be 10–12pt for body text and 14–16pt for your name and section headers.

Avoid Headers, Footers, and Text Boxes

Many ATS platforms cannot extract information from headers or footers. If you place your contact details — phone number, email, LinkedIn URL — inside a header, some systems will never capture them, which means recruiters cannot follow up even if your score is excellent. Keep all critical information inside the main body of the document.

Use Standard Section Headings

ATS software is trained to recognise conventional section names. Use "Work Experience," "Education," "Skills," and "Certifications" rather than creative alternatives like "My Journey," "Where I've Been," or "Core Competencies Arsenal." Creative headings may confuse the parser and cause entire sections to be ignored or miscategorised.

Save in the Right File Format

Unless the employer specifically requests a PDF, submit your resume as a .docx file. While modern ATS platforms have improved their PDF parsing, .docx remains the most universally compatible format. If you do submit a PDF, ensure it is created from a native Word or Google Docs file — never a scanned image, which is entirely unreadable to ATS software.

Step 3: Strategically Integrate Keywords Throughout Your Resume

Keyword placement is not just about frequency — it is about placement, context, and density. Here is how to do it right without crossing into keyword stuffing, which some advanced ATS platforms are now trained to penalise.

Tailor Your Professional Summary

Your professional summary (sometimes called a profile or objective statement) sits at the very top of your resume and is one of the first sections the ATS parses. Pack it with your most critical keywords in natural, readable sentences. For example, a candidate applying to a product management role at Microsoft might write:

"Results-driven Product Manager with 7+ years of experience in agile product development, roadmap planning, and cross-functional team leadership. Proven track record of delivering SaaS products from concept to launch, with deep expertise in user research, data-driven decision-making, and stakeholder management."

Notice that this summary reads naturally while containing multiple high-value keywords that would appear in a typical product manager job description.

Mirror Keywords in Your Work Experience Section

This is the section that carries the most weight in most ATS algorithms. For each role, write bullet points that begin with strong action verbs and integrate relevant keywords in context. Quantify achievements wherever possible, because numbers add credibility to both human readers and increasingly sophisticated ATS platforms.

• Before (generic): "Responsible for managing the team and delivering projects on time."
• After (ATS-optimised): "Led a cross-functional team of 12 engineers and designers to deliver a cloud migration project 3 weeks ahead of schedule, reducing infrastructure costs by 28%."

The revised bullet integrates "cross-functional team," "cloud migration," and demonstrates impact — all of which serve both ATS parsing and human evaluation.

Build a Dedicated Skills Section

A clearly labelled Skills section gives you the opportunity to list keywords in a compact, easily parsed format. Organise skills into logical sub-categories where appropriate:

• Technical Skills: Python, SQL, Tableau, Power BI, AWS, Docker
• Methodologies: Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Six Sigma
• Tools: Salesforce, HubSpot, JIRA, Confluence, Slack
• Languages: English (native), French (professional proficiency)

This section is particularly powerful because it allows you to include keywords that may not appear naturally in your experience section but that you genuinely possess.

Include Certifications and Their Issuing Bodies

Certifications are strong ATS signals, especially in fields like technology, finance, and project management. Always write out both the full name and the acronym. For example: "Project Management Professional (PMP) — Project Management Institute, 2023" or "AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate — Amazon Web Services, 2022." The ATS may be searching for either the acronym or the full name, so including both maximises your match rate.

Step 4: Use ATS Scoring Tools to Test Before You Submit

Before sending your resume to any employer, use dedicated tools to simulate how an ATS will evaluate it. Platforms like Jobscan, Resume Worded, and Skillsyncer allow you to paste your resume and a job description, then generate a match score with specific recommendations. This feedback loop is invaluable and can dramatically improve your application outcomes.

Pay close attention to:

• Missing keywords — terms in the job description that do not appear in your resume at all
• Keyword frequency — whether important terms appear often enough without being over-repeated
• Format warnings — alerts about tables, text boxes, or other elements that may interfere with parsing
• Section recognition — confirmation that the ATS correctly identified your Experience, Education, and Skills sections

Think of this process as a rehearsal. Every round of optimisation before submission increases your probability of crossing that all-important relevance threshold.

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Step 5: Tailor Every Single Application — No Exceptions

This is the advice that job seekers most frequently ignore and most consistently regret. A single generic resume sent to fifty employers will consistently score lower than fifty individually tailored resumes. The reason is simple: every job description has a unique combination of required skills, preferred qualifications, and company-specific language. A resume optimised for a data engineering role at Stripe will not score as highly for a similar role at a healthcare technology firm, even if your underlying qualifications are identical.

The practical solution is to maintain a master resume — a comprehensive document containing all your skills, experiences, achievements, and certifications — and then create targeted versions for each application by selecting and emphasising the most relevant elements. This does not mean fabricating experience; it means curating your genuine background to align with what each employer is specifically seeking.

Step 6: Address ATS Nuances Across Different Markets

While the core principles of ATS optimisation are universal, there are meaningful regional differences that global job seekers should be aware of.

United States

The US job market has the highest ATS adoption rate in the world. Platforms like Taleo, iCIMS, and Greenhouse are nearly ubiquitous among Fortune 500 companies. US resumes typically run 1–2 pages, omit photos and personal information (date of birth, marital status), and lead with a strong professional summary. Quantified achievements are expected and carry significant weight.

United Kingdom and Australia

In the UK and Australia, the document is formally called a CV (Curriculum Vitae) rather than a resume, though the distinction in format has narrowed considerably for most professional roles. ATS adoption is widespread among large employers like HSBC, Rolls-Royce, Woolworths, and Commonwealth Bank. UK CVs may run slightly longer (2–3 pages for experienced professionals) and sometimes include a brief personal statement. The same ATS formatting and keyword principles apply.

Canada

Canadian resume conventions closely mirror those of the United States. Major employers like Shopify, RBC, TD Bank, and Bell Canada use ATS platforms extensively. Canadian resumes are typically 1–2 pages, bilingual capability (English/French) is a significant advantage for federal roles and Quebec-based positions, and should be clearly noted in your Skills or Languages section.

Step 7: Avoid These Common ATS-Killing Mistakes

Even experienced job seekers make errors that silently destroy their ATS scores. Here are the most common pitfalls to eliminate immediately:

• Using images or icons: ATS parsers cannot read images. If your contact details include a phone icon or envelope graphic, that information may be entirely lost.
• Spelling and grammar errors: A misspelled keyword is a missed keyword. "Managment" will not match "Management" in most systems.
• Using abbreviations without spelling them out first: Write "Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)" before using the abbreviation alone, as the ATS may be searching for either form.
• Submitting an outdated resume without review: Each application deserves a fresh review of keyword alignment with that specific job description.
• Listing responsibilities instead of achievements: ATS systems increasingly use natural language processing (NLP) to assess the quality and impact of your experience, not just the presence of keywords.
• Inconsistent formatting in dates: Use a consistent date format throughout (e.g., "Jan 2020 – Mar 2023") to avoid confusing the parser's date-recognition algorithms.

Step 8: Leverage Your LinkedIn Profile as a Complementary ATS Asset

Many ATS platforms now import and cross-reference candidate data directly from LinkedIn. This means your LinkedIn profile is effectively an extension of your resume in the eyes of the algorithm. Ensure your LinkedIn headline, summary, and experience sections mirror the keyword strategy of your resume. Endorsements for in-demand skills also signal relevance to some integrated ATS-LinkedIn workflows used by major tech and consulting firms.

Additionally, some employers use LinkedIn's own Easy Apply feature, which routes applications through LinkedIn's internal ATS. Having a keyword-rich, complete LinkedIn profile (100% completion score) gives you an advantage in this channel as well.

Conclusion

Increasing your ATS score is not about gaming the system or deceiving employers — it is about communicating your genuine value in the language that automated systems are designed to understand. Every strategy in this guide — from forensic job description analysis and strategic keyword placement to clean formatting and consistent tailoring — serves a dual purpose: it helps you pass the ATS threshold and it makes your resume clearer and more compelling for the human recruiter who reads it next.

The candidates who consistently land interviews at Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Stripe, and equally competitive employers in the UK, Canada, and Australia are not necessarily the most qualified — they are the ones who have mastered the art of presenting their qualifications in a way that both machines and humans can quickly understand and value.

Start implementing these strategies today, test your resume against real job descriptions using ATS simulation tools, and remember that tailoring is not optional — it is the cornerstone of modern job search success. Your next career opportunity is on the other side of a well-optimised resume.

Ready to build an ATS-optimised resume that actually gets seen? Start for free right now.