ATS Resume Checklist for US Jobs: What to Check Before You Submit

Resumes • Published • Updated

Written by Hassan Raza. Fact-checked against official sources (EEOC, OPM). Last reviewed .

ATS Resume Checklist for US Jobs: What to Check Before You Submit (myUSCareerPath illustration)

This page is a review tool, not a writing guide. You have a resume, or you're nearly done with one, and you want to know if it's safe to send. Go through the checks in order and fix anything you can't tick.

If you still need to decide what goes in the resume, start with our complete U.S. resume guide. It covers targeting, formats, bullets that show results, and examples. This page picks up where that one stops: the last pass before you hit submit. The rest of the set lives in our resume guides hub.

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software employers use to receive applications, filter them and track candidates, according to CareerOneStop, the U.S. Department of Labor's career site. You can't see how any one employer has set theirs up. So the goal here is modest: make the file easy for software to read, then make the content easy for a person to judge.

How to Use This Checklist

Run it on the finished file, not a draft. If you build in our free resume builder, export first and check the PDF or DOCX, because that file is what the employer gets.

The builder doesn't score or audit your resume. It gives you single-column layouts, standard section headings and real text, and you do the checking. Its own page says no tool can guarantee how every employer's system will read a file.

Part 1: Layout

  1. One column. CareerOneStop says ATS software scans left to right and recommends a simple, single-column layout.
  2. No tables, text boxes, columns, logos, images or graphics. CareerOneStop warns that an ATS may scramble the content. The builder page adds icons and skill-rating bars to the list. Don't use them for anything important.
  3. Name and contact details in the body of the page. CareerOneStop advises against putting important information in the header or footer, because some systems can't read it.
  4. A standard font at 10 to 12 points. CareerOneStop names Calibri, Arial, Georgia, Garamond and Times New Roman. Stick to one font, or add a second for headings only.
  5. One bullet style. Solid circles, open circles or solid squares. Skip special characters and custom graphics.
  6. Even spacing. Equal space around headings and between bullets. It helps the human reader too.

In the builder, you fill in a Contact section (name, professional title, email, phone, location and a website field), and it sits at the top of the page. There are ten templates in a template gallery: Classic, Modern, Compact, Executive, Minimal, Technical, Academic, Entry, Career Change and Federal.

Part 2: Sections and Content

  1. Standard section headings. CareerOneStop suggests "Work Experience," "Education" and "Skills." The builder uses Summary, Experience, Education, Skills and Certifications (plus Projects and a custom section). Give any custom section a plain name, like "Languages."
  2. Reverse chronological order. Most recent job first. CareerOneStop says a purely functional format may be misread by employers or rejected by an ATS. A combination format (summary and skills on top, full work history below) works for most people.
  3. Title, company, location and dates in the same pattern for every job. Parsers split these into fields, and the builder page lists a job title read as a company name as one of the quiet risks.
  4. A short summary that names the role. Two or three lines. It's optional, but it's a good spot for the job title you're after.
  5. Bullets that start with a verb and end with a result. The resume guide shows how to write them. Here, just confirm you did.
  6. One or two pages. CareerOneStop says to use two only if your experience calls for it. Federal jobs follow different rules, so if you're applying through USAJOBS, use our federal resume guide.
  7. Nothing a U.S. employer doesn't expect. Leave off your photo, date of birth, marital status and Social Security number. The EEOC says employers should not ask for a photograph, and that pre-employment questions should be limited to what's needed to judge whether you're qualified. USAJOBS also tells federal applicants to leave out photos, SSNs and personal details such as age, sex and religious affiliation.

Part 3: Dates and Details

  1. One date format throughout. CareerOneStop recommends MM/DD/YYYY or Month, YYYY, and no abbreviations like '19. The builder's own example is "Jan 2022 – Present." Pick one style and keep it.
  2. Exact start and end dates. CareerOneStop says to include them even if you have to estimate. Without them, an ATS may assign a default length of time, such as six months.
  3. Acronyms spelled out once. "Certified Public Accountant (CPA)" makes both forms searchable. CareerOneStop gives the same advice for terms readers may not know.
  4. A clean name and phone number. CareerOneStop advises against extra spaces and special characters in your name and contact details.
  5. Spelling and grammar. Have someone else read it. CareerOneStop recommends having others review your resume.

Part 4: Keywords

  1. Keywords come from the posting, not from a list you found online. Look for the skills, tools and responsibilities that show up most often or first. CareerOneStop suggests reading 10 to 15 postings for your target title if you're building a general resume.
  2. Exact wording, where it's true. CareerOneStop says any variation from the posting's wording may fail to be recognized. If the posting says "accounts payable," don't rely on "AP" alone.
  3. About two mentions per keyword. CareerOneStop says more repetition doesn't help.
  4. Keywords in context. Put them in your summary, skills and experience bullets, not in a block at the bottom.
  5. No hidden text. CareerOneStop says extra keywords in white font won't trick an ATS, and the builder page warns it can cost you the application.
  6. Nothing you can't defend. Interviewers will ask about anything on the page. Don't claim a skill you don't have.

Tailoring takes longer than sending one version everywhere. I found my clients on Upwork and LinkedIn with tailored proposals rather than generic ones, and the same thinking applies to resumes.

Part 5: File and Submission

  1. Follow the posting's file instructions. If it asks for Word, send Word. If it names no format, the builder page suggests a text-based PDF to keep your layout intact, or a DOCX when a recruiter may need to edit the file. CareerOneStop's own pages disagree here: one says to send a PDF unless told otherwise, and another says Word or plain text if none is specified. Another reason to follow the posting.
  2. Never upload a scan or screenshot. CareerOneStop says scanned resumes sent as images won't be recognized.
  3. Text you can select. Open your PDF and try to highlight a line. If you can't, it's an image.
  4. No browser headers and footers on the PDF. If you export from the builder, choose Save as PDF as the destination and turn off Headers and footers under More settings in the print dialog. The builder prints only the resume preview, on U.S. Letter paper with half-inch margins.
  5. A clear file name. First-Last-Resume.pdf, or something similar. CareerOneStop suggests including your full name.
  6. Only the documents requested. If the application wants a resume and a cover letter, send those. Our cover letter guide covers the second.
  7. Application questions answered carefully and truthfully. The builder page notes that employers can add knockout questions, such as work authorization, to the application itself, separate from the file you upload.

Part 6: The Final Test

  1. Copy and paste into a plain text editor. The builder page recommends this. Read the result top to bottom. Is your name first? Are jobs in order, with titles and companies on the right lines? Do dates sit with the right job? Is any text missing or garbled?
  2. Read it as a stranger would. Can someone tell what work you do within the first few lines?
  3. Save a master copy. In the builder, Download JSON backup saves your entries so you can import them later or on another device. Then make a shorter, tailored copy for each application.

When Passing the Checklist Isn't Enough

A resume that parses cleanly gives a human reviewer the best chance to see what you've done. It doesn't make the match for you. If the content is generic, or the role isn't a fit, formatting won't rescue it. A referral or a direct note to the hiring manager can back up an application; our guide to finding a job in the U.S. covers a full search plan.

If you're applying from outside the U.S., our guide to resumes for U.S. remote jobs covers location, time zones and details international applicants often miss. If you're starting from an old CV, follow how to convert a CV into a U.S. resume first, then come back here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a two-column resume always rejected? Not necessarily, and nobody outside the employer knows how its system behaves. But CareerOneStop says tables and columns can scramble content, and one column costs you nothing.

Can I use a PDF? Yes, if the posting allows it and the PDF has real, selectable text. If the posting asks for something else, follow it.

Does the builder check my resume for ATS problems? No. It produces clean single-column files, and this checklist is how you review them.

Is the builder really free? Yes. There's no account, paywall or watermark, and what you type stays in your browser.

Sources

  1. CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor), "Applicant tracking systems | Resume Guide": https://www.careeronestop.org/JobSearch/Resumes/ResumeGuide/TopResumeStrategies/applicant-tracking-systems.aspx
  2. CareerOneStop, "Formatting | Resume Guide": https://www.careeronestop.org/JobSearch/Resumes/ResumeGuide/formatting.aspx
  3. CareerOneStop, "Write your resume for current hiring practices": https://www.careeronestop.org/News/NewsandAwards/write-your-resume-for-current-hiring-practices.aspx
  4. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices": https://www.eeoc.gov/prohibited-employment-policiespractices
  5. USAJOBS Help Center (OPM), "How do I write a resume for a federal job?": https://usajobshelp.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/52839989720851-How-do-I-write-a-resume-for-a-federal-job

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