Are you having a hard time getting interviews? Maybe your resume is being screened erroneously by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Using a free ATS friendly resume template can help you circumvent the bots and get yourself noticed. This guide contains more than 10 ATS compliant resume templates based on your situation-whether you are a fresh grad, experienced, or switching careers.
Studies show that, according to the current employment scenario, over 95% of Fortune 500 companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to sort and rank resumes before a human evaluation begins. So in other words: you may be rejected if the resume accidentally does not meet formatting or keyword criteria, even if you are an ideal candidate.
There comes a day when using an ATS friendly resume template should not only be an option but rather should become an absolute necessity-A well-made ATS compliant resume template will ensure that these systems register your merits correctly, thereby seriously enhancing your odds of getting interviews.
This recruitment tool helps employers gather, scan, and rank resumes. It separates the contents of a resume into categories such as education, experience, and skills. For example, an unformatted resume, one without relevant keywords, might just be tossed into a bin before it ever even gets to a hiring manager.
Therefore, if you want to avoid that, you have to use the best ATS resume template-one with a clean layout, standard fonts, and a logical structure; something easy for both humans and machines to read.
Title: Entry-Level Business Analyst
Layout: Simple header, education-oriented, soft skills listed
Why it’s ATS friendly: No tables, standard fonts, and easy to parse
Great for fresh graduates with no work experience, this template shines the light on educational background and soft skills, suitable for entry-level positions in business and analysis.
Title: Recent Computer Science Graduate
Layout: Skills above education, certifications included
Why it’s ATS friendly: Focused on keywords such as "Python," "Data Structures," in plain text format
Used mainly for technology positions, this ATS CV format casts the spotlight on hard skills and applicable certifications so that a fresher can put forth industry-relevant skills even without work experience.
Title: Digital Marketing Intern Resume
Layout: Treat the Experience section mostly as internship experience, while project links and SEO tools are there to support
Why it’s ATS friendly: Bullet points announcing achievements, consistent font, and keyword-friendly terms such as "Google Analytics" and "content marketing."
Perfect for marketing students having worked as interns. This type of format puts more practical experience on display, also capitalizing on keyword optimization.
Title: Mechanical Engineering Graduate Resume
Layout: Internship responsibilities, academic projects, and supporting evidence
Why it’s ATS friendly: Quantifiable achievements, e.g., "Reduced energy use by 10%"
For engineer jobs, this format combines the internship experience with academic accomplishments to assert one's readiness for the job.
Emphasis: Technical skills, certifications, code contributions
Why ATS friendly: Logical use of keywords such as "JavaScript," "APIs," and "Agile" in bullet points
Perfect for developers early in their careers, this format highlights coding experience, tools, and certification learning in a neat, keyword-rich manner.
Focus: Milestones delivered, team sizes managed, tools used
Why ATS friendly: Timeline format; Consistent spacing between entries; Without header or footer that will interfere with parsing
Perfect for mid-level professionals, this template stresses leadership achievements and project outcomes while still being parsing-friendly for ATS.
Layout: Two-page layout
Why ATS friendly: Achievements are clearly segmented with job-specific metrics, formatted with consistent alignment
Geared towards senior professionals, this format can handle a bit more content and does this neatly through clear sections and quantifiable impact.
Layout: Executive two-pager with leadership focus
Why ATS friendly: Highlights strategic contribution, KPIs, industry buzzwords in pure text format
Designed for the executive level, this resume style will highlight leadership impact and business strategy balanced with ATS-compatible layout.
Getting the right ATS CV format may just make-or-break your job search.
A gap in your resume does not imply disqualification if trainers need to format it incorrectly. ATS compliant resume template samples are very useful if you have taken time off for caregiving, schooling, or personal reasons.
Career Gap Resume Template-Project-Based Format
Layout-Focus on project, volunteer, or freelance work undertaken during the gap period
Why it's ATS friendly: Does not conceal the gap but enhances it with relevant experience
During career change, it's better to customize an ATS hybrid resume that features transferable skills.
Career Change Resume Template- Hybrid Layout:
Layout: Skills summary + achievements + selected experience. Example: Sales to UX design can highlight customer empathy, communications, and course certifications.
Why ATS: Any old experience seen through the lens of the new goal and with keywords such as "user research," "prototyping," "wireframes," and the like, even if learned outside of work.
So, for your career change, inserting this free ATS friendly resume template will help you in mapping your old role to the new one in ATS terms.
Nowadays, when most resumes are first screened by software even before a recruiter goes through it, being in a best ATS resume template becomes a paramount choice. Whether you are an entry-level professional, an experienced one, or one with a career gap, and maybe looking at career change, there's a free ATS resume template for you.
All 10+ templates shown here are up to the best practice of ATS friendly resume template design. Use them to make sure that your resume gets viewed and considered.
An Applicant Tracking System can scan and filter resumes to help employers handle high volumes of applications.
Got Your Answer ?
Learn this in 30 Seconds 👇
Our career blog is your go-to resource for insightful advice, practical tips, and the latest trends in the job market.
Office Address: Room No 305, IIT ROPAR-TBIF, Top Floor (East Wing), M.Visvesvaraya, Rupnagar PB, 140001
Can't Find Something? Get in Touch.
©2025 Padhakku Peek A Book Pvt Ltd (Mployee.me)