ATS Resume Instructions

Overall formatting instructions:

• Use chronological format, not functional resume format

• Left align everything

• Avoid columns, tables, borders, and horizontal lines

• Use simple sans serif fonts. Safe choices: Arial, Tahoma, Trebuchet, Verdana, Helvetica, Calibri, Garamond, Cambria

• Bold and capitalization for emphasis are okay

• Don’t use italics or underlining

• Do not use special symbols, accents, or styles

Experience

• Unless specified, don’t upload a PDF. Instead use a Word document (.doc)

1. Put

your name in large, bold font, about 14-18 pt. Add a headline below your name that matches the title of the job you are

applying for.

2. Have a “Contact Information” section title. Section titles can be in a slightly smaller font (12 or 13 pt.) than the name, and

content will be the smallest (11 or 12 pt. font). If applying locally, include city, state, and zip code but no street address.

Include your phone number using hyphens (e.g. 925-123-4567, not 925.123.4567). Have a professional email that includes

some combination of your first and last name or initials, no nicknames or numbers that look like your date of birth or

graduation year. Include LinkedIn URL.

posting when you can.

Put dates of employment under the job title. Always include months and years in an ATS resume. Use 2 digits for the month

and 4 digits for the year; keep the format consistent throughout your resume.

Use standard bullet points, hyphens, or asterisks, and don’t use other types of bullet points. Use key words from the job

posting and focus on your accomplishments—not just what you did at your previous jobs but how well you performed your

duties and the positive impact and quantifiable results.

If you had 2 jobs with the same company, list each job separately.

6. Use the section title “Education” and list your most recent formal education first. Put training in a separate section (see

#12). Write the name of the school first, then the degree title, and then the date of completion if it’s recent—from within

the date of completion (if recent) or date of expiration if not expired.

10. Use the section title “Volunteer Experience.” This is an optional section that is useful if your volunteer experience relates to

the job that you are applying for. Format this section similarly to the Work Experience section with the organization name,

your title, and then the dates. Bullet points that describe what you did are optional.

(925) 123-4567

SKILLS

- Bilingual (English/Spanish)

- Accurate cash handling

- Food and beverage preparation

- Strong interpersonal skills

- Quality customer service

- Act with integrity

- Learn quickly

- Adhere to guidelines

- Positive and respectful

- Consistently exceed quarterly sales targets by over 20%

- Assist over 150 customers per day; build relationships with diverse international clientele

- Welcome and greet customers as they enter the store

- Respond to customer needs, assisting them with finding the proper shoe model and size

- Keep an accurate inventory of over 200 different types of shoes

- Maintain a clean and organized workspace so that customers can easily locate a product

- Completed accurate monetary transactions in order to avoid company losses

- Communicated effectively and clearly with team members and management in order to

- Increased employee retention by assisting with training and coaching 5 new employees

- Awarded Employee of the Month in June 2017

- Promoted to cashier after 1 year of excellent service

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE