← Back to Blog
ATS Formatting Warnings Checklist
The most common resume formatting issues that hurt parsing and readability.
High-impact ATS warnings
- Two-column layouts (ATS may read left-to-right incorrectly)
- Tables for experience (parsing breaks)
- Icons instead of text labels (email/phone may be missed)
- Headers/footers for key info
- Embedded images or graphics
Simple fixes
Use a single-column layout, text-based section headers, and consistent date formats. Export to PDF and also keep a .docx version for uploads that prefer Word.
Ready to tailor your resume to a real job description?
Run the AI Scan and get recruiter-grade output: ATS warnings, rewrite suggestions, and a role-fit narrative.