Why ATS Rejects Resumes: 8 Reasons and How to Fix Them

Nothing frustrates job seekers more than silence: you send your resume and hear nothing back. In many cases the reason isn't weak experience, but that your resume never passed the Applicant Tracking System. Here are the eight most common reasons for automated rejection, with a practical fix for each.

Tables, multiple columns, and text boxes confuse the software and can scramble the order of your information. Fix: use a single column and a simple linear layout.

Some systems ignore document header content, so if you place your email or phone there it may be lost. Put contact information in the body of the page.

If your resume doesn't contain the terms found in the job description, the system won't consider it a match. Read the listing carefully and use the same titles and skills naturally.

Icons, charts, and logos can't be read by the system. If your skills are shown as graphical progress bars, they don't exist to the software. Write them as text.

1. 1Non-standard fonts that are hard to parse — use common fonts.
2. 2Unusual section names — use clear headings like 'Experience' and 'Education'.
3. 3Misspelled keywords — proofread spelling carefully.
4. 4A poor file name — name the file with your name and the job title.