Will your resume survive an ATS?
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scan and filter resumes before a human ever sees them. Here’s what actually matters, and which QuickCV templates are safest to use.
Build an ATS-safe resumeRecommended templates
QuickCV’s Corporate Grey, Minimal Serif, and Executive Navy templates use a single, linear column with plain text and no tables — the safest structure for automated parsing. Templates with a colored sidebar or two-column layout (like Sidebar Dark, Boardroom, or Elegant Purple) read beautifully to a human but carry more risk with strict ATS software, since section order can get scrambled during parsing.
If you know a specific employer uses an ATS and you want to play it safe, start from Corporate Grey and keep formatting simple.
Formatting tips
Stick to a single column
Many ATS parsers read a PDF left-to-right, top-to-bottom. Multi-column and sidebar layouts can scramble that reading order, even when they look great to a human reviewer.
Use standard section headings
"Experience", "Education", "Skills" parse reliably. Creative renamings can confuse automated parsing.
Avoid tables, icons, and text inside images
Anything not stored as real, selectable text may be skipped entirely by some ATS software.
Consider skipping the photo
In the US, UK, and Canada, resume photos are uncommon and can occasionally cause automated or human filtering. In much of continental Europe, a photo is still normal on a CV. Match local convention.