An ATS resume checklist that puts accuracy first

Follow the posting’s file instructions

Use the file type the employer requests. A PDF can preserve a layout; a Word document may be requested for a particular workflow. Neither is universally the right choice. If the application specifies a format, size limit, or naming convention, follow it.

Check that the document contains selectable text. A scan or screenshot of a resume may look readable while giving a parser little usable text. Open the exported file rather than assuming the preview and download are identical.

Make the reading order straightforward

A simple layout makes it easier to review the document yourself and reduces avoidable parsing complexity. Use recognizable section headings, clearly associate each title with its employer and dates, and keep contact details easy to find.

Greenhouse documents parsing problems with image-based resumes, complex tables, headers, footers, and text boxes. This is evidence about one provider’s parser, not proof that every applicant tracking system behaves identically.

• Use headings such as Experience, Education, and Skills.
• Avoid putting essential information only inside graphics or icons.
• Check that columns, tables, or decorative elements do not scramble the reading order.
• Copy the text into a plain-text editor as an additional check; it is not a complete ATS simulation.

Match skills without inventing them

Use an employer’s exact term when it is a truthful description of something you have done. For example, expanding “SQL” to “SQL reporting” is only useful if your source evidence includes reporting work. Repeating a term cannot create the underlying experience.

A keyword check should also recognize a negation. “No Python experience” contains the word Python but does not establish that skill. Likewise, a skills list does not show how recently, how deeply, or in which role you used a tool.

Keep numbers attached to their meaning

The same number can support very different claims. A budget is not revenue. A forecast is not an achieved result. A team outcome does not establish that one person independently delivered it.

Review the application after parsing

Some application forms populate fields from an uploaded resume. Review those fields before submission: names, dates, employers, education, and contact details can require correction. The uploaded file and the parsed form are separate things to check.

• Open the final PDF or Word file and inspect every page.
• Check for missing lines, cut-off text, and empty placeholder sections.
• Verify dates and titles in any fields populated by the application system.
• Answer required eligibility questions truthfully instead of copying suggested resume wording.
• Keep the submitted version with your application record.

What a Calibrate keyword check can tell you

Calibrate can help surface wording gaps between your resume and a posting. Use that feedback to decide where supported experience needs clearer wording. It does not verify every claim, know an employer’s screening configuration, or predict whether you will receive an interview.

Source

• Greenhouse: Unsuccessful resume parse