ATS · 6 min read · 2026-02-25
CV Formatting Rules That Pass Every ATS
The exact formatting checklist — fonts, margins, headings, file format — that maximizes your CV's ATS parsing accuracy.
The checklist - **Font:** Calibri, Arial, Georgia, Times New Roman, or Helvetica. 10–12pt body, 14–18pt headings. - **Margins:** 0.5–1 inch on all sides. - **Layout:** single column. No tables, no text boxes, no shapes. - **Headings:** "Experience", "Education", "Skills", "Certifications". Don't get creative. - **Dates:** "Jan 2022 – Present" or "01/2022 – Present". Be consistent. - **Bullets:** • or - characters. No emojis as bullets. - **Hyperlinks:** plain text URLs (linkedin.com/in/you) work better than wrapped link text. - **File:** .docx is most reliably parsed. Text-based PDF is also fine. - **File name:** Firstname-Lastname-CV.docx.
Follow this and you'll pass every modern ATS.
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