In today’s competitive job market, your resume needs to impress both human recruiters and the digital gatekeepers known as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Many job seekers worry that formatting choices like italics and bold text might prevent their resumes from clearing these automated systems. Let’s explore what actually happens when ATS encounters formatting and how to ensure your resume gets through.
How ATS Systems Process Formatted Text
Applicant Tracking Systems fundamentally convert your carefully designed resume into plain text for easier processing. These systems use algorithms to extract key information like your job titles, skills, and qualifications, prioritizing content over design elements.
“Most ATS software strips away formatting elements and converts documents to plain text before analyzing them,” explains Dr. Heather Myers, Chief Psychology Officer at career assessment company Traitify. “This allows the system to focus on keywords and content rather than visual presentation.”
While older ATS platforms had significant limitations, modern systems have evolved considerably. Today’s best applicant tracking systems like Workday, Taleo, and Greenhouse can handle basic formatting elements, though complex designs still pose challenges.
Impact of Italics on ATS Readability
The good news: moderate use of italics is generally safe in modern ATS environments. Most current systems can recognize italicized text without issues, particularly when used sparingly for emphasis on elements like job titles or certifications.
However, excessive use of italics can reduce overall readability both for ATS and human reviewers. According to the Gardner-Webb University ATS guidelines, it’s best to minimize stylistic formatting like italics to ensure consistent parsing. This is especially true if you’re applying to organizations that might use older ATS software.
When submitting your application through an ATS login portal, remember that different systems process formatting with varying levels of sophistication. A formatting choice that works perfectly in one system might cause problems in another.
Bold Text and Other Formatting Considerations
Bold formatting is widely accepted for section headers (e.g., Work Experience, Education) and is generally ATS-friendly. In fact, using bold text strategically can help organize your resume for both digital systems and human readers.
Other formatting elements carry more risk:
- Headers and Footers: Information placed in these areas is often ignored by ATS, potentially causing contact details to be missed entirely.
- Tables and Columns: These can disrupt text flow, leading to jumbled content when parsed.
- Non-standard Fonts: Stick to widely recognized fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman in 10–12 point size.
- Decorative Symbols: Arrows, checkmarks, and other special characters may render as garbled text.
According to a Jobscan study, nearly 99% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS software, making ATS-friendly resume formatting essential for job seekers targeting larger organizations.
Industry-Specific ATS Formatting Guidelines
Formatting expectations vary significantly across industries:
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Corporate and Technical Roles: These positions typically use sophisticated ATS systems with strict keyword requirements. Prioritize clean, minimalist formatting with strategic keyword placement to beat hiring software.
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Creative Industries: While there’s slightly more tolerance for design elements, even creative employers increasingly use ATS. Save your creative expression for your portfolio and keep your resume ATS-compatible.
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Academia and Healthcare: These fields often have specific conventions for listing credentials, publications, or licenses. Use formatting judiciously and only where industry norms require it.
If you’re concerned about how your resume performs, consider using an ATS-friendly resume generator from resume tools that can optimize existing documents while preserving essential formatting.
Best Practices for ATS-Friendly Formatting
Follow these guidelines to ensure your resume is both visually appealing and ATS-compatible:
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Use standard section headings like “Work Experience,” “Skills,” and “Education” to aid parsing.
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Submit as a .docx file unless the employer specifically requests PDFs. While many modern systems can handle PDFs, some still struggle with them. This answers the common question: do ATS systems like PDFs? The answer is: it depends on the system.
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Embed keywords naturally from the job description. While formatting matters, keyword relevance remains the most critical factor in does ATS score matter discussions.
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Avoid graphics and colors that might confuse ATS systems. Stick to black text on a white background for maximum compatibility.
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Test your resume using tools like ResuFit‘s ATS analysis feature, which can identify potential parsing issues before submission.
The most effective approach combines ATS optimization with human readability. As ResuFit‘s resume experts explain, “Your resume needs to pass the ATS scan, but ultimately it must also impress the hiring manager who reviews it afterward.”
By following these guidelines, you can confidently use basic formatting like bold and italics to enhance your resume’s readability without sacrificing ATS compatibility. The key is moderation – use formatting strategically to highlight important information rather than as decorative elements.
Remember that while formatting considerations are important, content quality, keyword relevance, and achievement quantification remain the most critical factors in resume success. With ResuFit‘s AI-powered resume optimization tools, you can create documents that satisfy both digital systems and human recruiters, significantly improving your chances of landing interviews in today’s competitive job market.