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How to Create an ATS-Optimized Resume That Gets Shortlisted in 2026

Written By Editorial Team

Last Modified: 10th January 2025
5 Mins
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TL;DR
  • An ATS optimized resume helps your application pass software checks first.
  • Simple layouts work better than creative or colorful resume designs.
  • Resume keyword optimization improves matching with job roles.
  • ATS resume writing focuses on clarity and easy scanning.
  • Check ATS score before applying using ResuScan.

What Is an ATS Resume and How It Works in 2026?

An ATS resume is made so computers can read it easily. In 2026, most companies check resumes using software first.


  • What an ATS resume means: An ATS optimized resume is written in a way that computer systems can understand without confusion.



  • How resumes are checked: ATS resume writing focuses on clear words and clean structure so nothing is missed.


  • Importance of keywords: Resume keyword optimization helps match your resume with the job role.


  • What happens after scanning: An ATS optimized resume moves forward while others may get rejected.


  • Why this matters in 2026: An automated screening resume must meet basic rules to reach HR.


An ATS resume is your first test before a human sees your profile. Good ATS resume writing improves your chances of getting shortlisted.

ATS Resume Writing: Resume Format That Recruiters Prefer

A clean format helps the system read your resume without errors. In 2026, simple resumes work better than fancy ones.


  • Use a clean layout: An ATS optimized resume should have straight sections and clear headings.


  • Keep fonts simple: ATS resume writing works best with easy-to-read fonts like Arial or Calibri.


  • Avoid tables and images: An automated screening resume may fail to read content inside tables or images.



  • Save in the right file type: An ATS optimized resume should be saved as a Word or PDF file if asked.


  • One column is best: ATS resume writing prefers single-column resumes for smooth scanning.


A simple format makes your resume easy for systems to read. An ATS optimized resume with the right layout gets checked faster.

ATS Friendly Resume Format That Recruiters Prefer

Best Resume Keywords to Pass Applicant Tracking Systems

Using the right words helps your resume get noticed by the system. The correct keywords make resume keyword optimization stronger and more effective.

Best Resume Keywords by Industry

Sectors Best Resume Keywords
IT & Software Java, Python, SQL, Git, AWS, Linux
Marketing & Content WordPress, Drupal, HubSpot CMS, Google Analytics, Google Data Studio, SEO tools
Sales & Business Salesforce, Zoho CRM, LeadSquared, pipeline management, sales forecasting
Finance & Accounts Tally, QuickBooks, SAP FICO, financial reporting, GST filing
HR & Recruitment ATS software, resume screening tools, payroll systems, hiring dashboards, onboarding tools
Operations & Admin ERP systems, inventory management software, vendor tracking tools, MIS reporting

Common ATS Resume Mistakes That Get Your Resume Rejected

Many resumes fail because of small and avoidable errors. Fixing these issues helps your resume pass system checks.

Mistake 1: Using Fancy Designs

Decorative layouts confuse systems and block proper reading.

Do: Use a clean layout for an ATS optimized resume.

Don’t: Add images, icons, charts, or graphics.

Mistake 2: Missing Important Keywords

Without the right words, matching does not happen properly.

Do: Focus on resume keyword optimization using job-related terms.

Don't: Use random or unrelated keywords.

Mistake 3: Using the Wrong File Type

Some files cannot be read correctly by software.

Do: Upload an ATS optimized resume in Word or required format.

Don’t: Submit files not mentioned in the job post.

Mistake 4: Using Non-Standard Section Headings

Unclear headings make content hard to find.

Do: Follow simple ATS resume writing with clear section names.

Don't: Rename sections with creative or confusing titles.

Mistake 5: Overloading Keywords

Too many repeated words reduce clarity and trust.

Do: Apply resume keyword optimization in a natural way.

Don’t: Stuff keywords to trick an automated screening resume.

ATS Optimized Resume Templates That Get Shortlisted Faster

The right template makes your resume easy to scan and understand. Simple templates work best for system checks.

Marketing Resume Template
Alex Lewis
Professional Summary

Result-driven marketing professional with 5+ years of experience driving brand growth demand generation campaign optimization and performance analytics delivering measurable ROI improvements of 42% through data-led strategy audience insights cross-channel execution stakeholder alignment experimentation and continuous optimization across digital ecosystems supporting scalable pipelines customer acquisition retention velocity revenue outcomes globally.

Experience
Marketing Manager: Mployee.me Jul 2021 – Present
  • Led integrated digital campaigns across search social email and content channels managed 450K ad spend increased qualified inbound leads and reduced cost per acquisition through testing
  • Developed go to market strategies for new product launches aligning positioning messaging and distribution to improve campaign conversion rates by 26% across platforms
  • Collaborated with product sales and design teams ensuring consistent brand storytelling and funnel alignment improving customer engagement metrics across acquisition journeys
  • Analyzed campaign performance dashboards audience behavior trends and attribution models enabling leadership decisions while improving overall marketing ROI by 31%
Marketing Executive: ABC Company Jul 2019 – Jun 2021
  • Executed performance marketing campaigns across paid media SEO and email channels increasing website traffic by 44% through keyword optimization targeting and creative iteration
  • Managed content calendars social media publishing and influencer collaborations improving brand reach consistency and organic engagement growth across digital channels
  • Tracked marketing KPIs budgets and conversion funnels improving reporting accuracy and enabling revenue attribution improvements of 29% across quarterly campaigns
Skills
  • Digital Marketing
  • Campaign Strategy
  • Brand Positioning
  • Performance Analytics
  • Content Marketing
  • Marketing Automation
  • SEO Optimization
  • Audience Targeting
  • Growth Strategy
Projects
Product Launch Campaign Jan 2023 – Jun 2023
  • Executed integrated launch campaigns across digital channels aligning messaging creatives and funnels increasing product adoption by 35%
  • Coordinated cross functional teams tracking campaign milestones budgets and performance metrics ensuring timely delivery and sustained post launch momentum
Marketing Automation Revamp Aug 2022 – Dec 2022
  • Redesigned email nurturing workflows segmentation logic and personalization rules improving lead to conversion rates by 28% across inbound marketing funnels
  • Integrated CRM analytics and automation dashboards enabling real-time visibility into campaign performance and lifecycle progression
Certifications
  • Google Digital Marketing Certification Mar 2024
  • Meta Performance Marketing Certification Nov 2023
  • HubSpot Content Marketing Certification Jul 2022
  • SEO Specialization – Coursera Feb 2021
Finance Resume Template
Smriti Desai
Professional Summary

Result-oriented professional with 5+ years of experience in financial analysis budgeting forecasting and compliance delivering 18% efficiency improvement through data accuracy risk control stakeholder collaboration automation and disciplined reporting supporting strategic decisions scalable growth profitability governance and sustainable financial performance across dynamic business environments.

Experience
Senior Financial Analyst: XYZ Ltd Apr 2020 – Present
  • Led monthly financial reporting variance analysis and forecasting cycles improved budget accuracy by 22% and supported leadership decisions through insights and structured reviews
  • Managed end to end budgeting processes for 7.5M annual spend coordinating with cross functional teams and reducing cost leakages through controls and vendor analysis
  • Built automated financial models dashboards and MIS reports accelerating reporting timelines by 30% while enhancing data transparency audit readiness and management visibility
  • Partnered with audit tax and compliance teams ensured regulatory adherence risk mitigation and timely closures improving statutory filing accuracy by 18%
Finance Executive: Padhakku a Peek Book Ltd Jul 2017 – Mar 2020
  • Handled accounts payable receivable reconciliations and ledger scrutiny reducing discrepancies by 25% while strengthening financial controls and documentation accuracy
  • Supported quarterly closures cash flow tracking and expense analysis improving working capital utilization by 12%
  • Prepared management reports variance summaries and profitability analysis enhancing decision quality and improving cost optimization outcomes by 20%
  • Assisted statutory audits taxation filings and compliance reviews ensuring error free submissions and improving audit closure timelines by 14%
Skills
  • Financial Analysis
  • Advanced Excel
  • SOX Compliance
  • Financial Modeling
  • Variance Analysis
  • Cost Control
  • ERP Systems
  • Audit Support
  • MIS Reporting
Projects
Cost Optimization and Budget Automation Initiative Jan 2022 – Jun 2022
  • Designed centralized budgeting framework integrating department inputs forecasts & approvals improving financial visibility & planning accuracy
  • Automated expense tracking and variance dashboards reducing manual effort and enabling leadership to identify cost overruns and savings opportunities
  • Collaborated with finance operations and management teams implementing controls policies and review mechanisms strengthening governance and profitability outcomes
Education
XYZ University Jul 2015 – Jun 2017

Master of Business Administration in Finance

ABC College Jul 2012 – May 2015

Bachelor of Business Administration

Certifications
  • Chartered Financial Analyst Level I Aug 2023
  • Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst Mar 2022
  • Certified Management Accountant Foundations Jul 2021
  • Corporate Finance Essentials Coursera Feb 2020
HR Resume Template
Kirti Sindhwani
Professional Summary

Experienced professional with 6+ years in human resources driving talent acquisition engagement compliance and workforce planning delivering 95% retention improvement through structured processes data driven insights stakeholder collaboration policy execution and people centric initiatives across growing organizations enabling scalable teams strong culture operational discipline leadership trust and consistent business outcomes.

Experience
HR Manager: Padhakku a Peek Book Ltd Apr 2021 – Present
  • Led end to end recruitment onboarding and workforce planning for 50+ positions while strengthening hiring governance alignment and cross functional collaboration
  • Improved employee retention by 32% through structured engagement initiatives performance reviews leadership coaching and continuous feedback mechanisms
  • Partnered with leadership teams to ensure HR policy compliance statutory adherence and disciplined people governance across departments
  • Streamlined HR operations payroll coordination and vendor management processes ensuring consistency operational efficiency and improved internal service delivery
Senior HR Executive: ABC Ltd Jun 2018 – Mar 2021
  • Managed recruitment lifecycle employee relations and grievance handling improving hiring quality by 26% across multiple business functions
  • Executed learning and development programs supporting capability building leadership readiness and long term employee growth initiatives
  • Improved HR reporting accuracy by 31% through structured MIS documentation audit readiness and standardized review processes
  • Supported appraisal compensation benchmarking & performance review cycles ensuring fairness transparency & timely execution across teams
HR Executive: Mployee.me Jul 2016 – May 2018
  • Handled onboarding documentation exit processes and employee coordination improving overall candidate and employee experience by 23%
  • Maintained employee records HR databases and compliance trackers ensuring data accuracy confidentiality and audit readiness
  • Increased engagement participation by 38% through feedback surveys townhalls communication initiatives and employee connect programs
  • Supported payroll coordination attendance tracking and HR policy implementation ensuring smooth operational continuity
Skills
  • Talent Acquisition
  • Employee Engagement
  • HR Operations
  • Policy Compliance
  • HCM Systems
  • HRIS
  • HR Analytics
  • Workforce Planning
  • Regulatory Reporting
  • HR Dashboards
  • Compliance Audits
  • Payroll Processing
Education
XYZ University Jun 2016 – May 2018

Master of Business Administration in Human Resource

ABC College Jul 2013 – May 2016

Bachelor of Business Administration

Certifications
  • SHRM Human Resource Management Certification Mar 2023
  • HR Analytics Certification – Coursera Aug 2022
  • Labor Laws and Compliance Certification Jan 2021
Achievements
  • Received Star Performer Award for consistent excellence in people management initiatives
  • Earned Client Appreciation for delivering reliable HR operations and stakeholder satisfaction
Freshers Resume Template
Rohit Sharma
Experience
Data Analyst Intern: Mployee.me May 2025 – Oct 2025
  • Analyzed large scale job and resume datasets using Python and SQL to extract actionable insights supporting product optimization and user engagement strategies
  • Built automated dashboards tracking user behavior conversion funnels and resume scoring metrics improving reporting accuracy by 35% across internal teams
  • Collaborated with product and engineering teams to translate analytical findings into feature improvements enhancing data driven decision making workflows
  • Optimized data cleaning and preprocessing pipelines reducing manual data handling efforts by 40% while improving overall analysis consistency
Skills
  • Python
  • SQL
  • HTML
  • CSS
  • Data Cleaning
  • EDA
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Data Modeling
  • Power BI
  • Tableau
  • Data Visualization
  • Advanced Excel
Projects
Sales Performance Analysis Dashboard Jan 2024 – Mar 2024
  • Analyzed multi region sales datasets using Python and SQL to identify revenue trends customer behavior patterns and underperforming segments
  • Built interactive Power BI dashboards presenting KPIs sales growth and category performance enabling faster data driven business decisions
  • Automated data transformation workflows improving reporting efficiency and reducing repetitive manual analysis tasks significantly
Customer Churn Analysis Aug 2023 – Oct 2023
  • Performed exploratory data analysis on telecom customer datasets to identify churn drivers using statistical methods & visual analysis techniques
  • Prepared insight driven reports highlighting churn factors supporting strategic recommendations for improving customer retention outcomes
Education
ABC Institute of Technology Oct 2021 – May 2024
Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science, CGPA: 8.4
XYZ Senior Secondary School Jul 2019 – Mar 2021
Higher Secondary, 90%
Certifications
  • Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate – Coursera Feb 2024
  • Data Analysis with Python – IBM Nov 2023
  • SQL for Data Analysis – Udemy Jul 2023
Career Change Resume Template
Sheetal Raheja
Professional Summary

Result-driven professional with 4+ years of experience transitioning from financial analysis to project management delivering 28% efficiency improvement through structured planning stakeholder alignment risk control data driven execution and cross functional leadership enabling timely delivery scalable processes and measurable business outcomes.

Experience
Project Manager: Mployee.me Apr 2023 – Present
  • Led a cross functional team of 6+ members managing project scope timelines and deliverables ensuring 96% on time completion within initiatives
  • Improved project delivery efficiency by 34% through sprint planning milestone tracking risk mitigation frameworks and continuous stakeholder communication
  • Coordinated with product finance and technology teams translating business requirements into execution plans aligning priorities budgets and operational constraints
  • Established project governance dashboards reporting cadence and documentation standards improving visibility accountability and decision making consistency across leadership
Financial Analyst: XZA Ltd Jul 2021 – Mar 2023
  • Analyzed financial statements budgets and forecasts supporting strategic decisions and improving cost control accuracy by 29%
  • Delivered variance analysis and management reports improving forecasting reliability by 32% through structured modeling assumptions and data validation
  • Partnered with project teams to track expenditures ROI metrics and financial risks supporting informed planning and optimized resource allocation
  • Automated recurring financial reports and dashboards reducing manual effort improving data consistency and enhancing executive visibility
Finance Executive: ABC Company Jun 2019 – Jun 2021
  • Managed accounting operations reconciliations and reporting processes improving month end closure efficiency through standardized controls
  • Supported budgeting audits and compliance activities achieving 98% audit accuracy through disciplined documentation and regulatory adherence
  • Prepared financial summaries cash flow statements and variance insights supporting management reviews and operational decision making
  • Collaborated with cross functional teams to streamline finance workflows improving turnaround time accuracy and internal service effectiveness
Skills
  • Project Planning
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Risk Management
  • Agile Delivery
  • Budget Control
  • Resource Allocation
  • Timeline Tracking
  • Performance Reporting
  • Financial Analysis
  • Cost Forecasting
  • Variance Analysis
  • Business Finance
Education
ABC University Jun 2016 – May 2019

Bachelor of Commerce

Certifications
  • Project Management Professional Certification Feb 2024
  • Agile Project Management Certification Oct 2023
  • Financial Analysis & Valuation Certification Aug 2021

How to Check Your Resume ATS Score Before Applying?

Before applying for jobs, it is important to know if your resume can pass system checks. Tools like ResuScan help you test your ATS optimized resume and fix issues early.


  • ATS Resume Checker: ResuScan scans your resume to see if it can pass software checks and improve ATS resume writing.


  • Comprehensive Resume Analysis: It checks your resume on 40+ points like format, content, and resume keyword optimization.


  • Detailed Feedback: ResuScan shows clear mistakes and simple suggestions to improve an automated screening resume.


  • ATS Score Insight: A score of 80% or more increases the chance of your ATS optimized resume getting noticed.



Checking your resume before applying saves time and effort. Using ResuScan makes ATS resume writing simple and effective.


Here’s how to use ResuScan to check your resume score for free:

Step 1: Upload Your Resume in PDF Format

Resume Scan Dashboard Snapshot

Step 2: Add Your Total Years of Experience

Add Total Years of Experience

Step 3: Wait 30 Seconds for Results

Wait for Results

Key Takeaways

Creating a strong resume in 2026 means focusing on clarity and system rules. A resume that is easy to read by software has better chances of getting shortlisted.



  • Resume keyword optimization helps your resume match job descriptions.


  • ATS resume writing works best with clean layout and clear sections.


  • Automated screening resume tools ignore design and focus on content.


  • Simple fonts and formats reduce scanning errors.


  • Avoiding common mistakes helps prevent instant rejection.


  • Using the right keywords increases ranking during resume checks.


  • Checking your ATS score before applying saves time and effort.


A well-prepared resume passes system checks faster. An ATS optimized resume increases your chances of reaching HR.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make my resume ATS friendly?

To make your resume ATS friendly, you need a clean layout, use of standard headings, simple fonts, and one column format. Use job-related keywords in a natural way and do not include images, charts, or graphics. Make sure the layout is clear and the section order is proper, such as Contact, Skills, Experience, and Education.

What are the best keywords for an ATS resume?

Can I use fancy designs in an ATS resume?

How can I check if my resume will pass ATS?

What file format should I use for an ATS resume?

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