How to Make an ATS-Friendly Resume That Passes ATS and Lands You Interviews in 2025
Finding a job in 2025 isn’t just about writing a good resume—it’s about writing a resume that can pass Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and still impress recruiters. Most companies today use ATS software to filter candidates before a human ever sees their application. If your resume isn’t optimized for ATS, it might get rejected before it even reaches the hiring manager. But don’t worry—this guide will help you create an ATS-friendly resume that increases your chances of landing interviews and getting hired.
What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software that employers use to manage the entire recruitment process by collecting, sorting, and ranking applications from job seekers.
It acts as a centralized database, allowing HR teams to streamline tasks like posting jobs, screening resumes using keywords, scheduling interviews, and tracking candidates through the hiring funnel.
An ATS helps companies save time, reduce manual effort, identify top talent, and provide a more consistent and organized experience for job applicants and hiring teams.
Why ATS-Friendly Resumes Matter in 2025 ?
The job market in 2025 is more competitive than ever. Companies receive hundreds of applications for a single position, and manually reviewing each resume is impossible. That’s why Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) have become the standard tool for hiring.
Here’s why having an ATS-friendly resume is critical in 2025:
1. Most Companies Use ATS
Over 98% of Fortune 500 companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter resumes before they reach recruiters. Even small and mid-sized businesses are adopting ATS to save time. If your resume isn’t ATS-friendly, it could get rejected automatically—no matter how qualified you are.
2. Recruiters Spend Less Time on Each Resume
On average, recruiters spend just 6–8 seconds scanning a resume. An ATS-friendly format ensures your skills, achievements, and keywords are clearly visible, so you don’t get overlooked during this quick review.
3. Increases Your Chances of Shortlisting
ATS software ranks candidates based on keywords and skills from the job description. If your resume doesn’t include the right terms, you won’t appear in the shortlist—even if you’re a strong fit. Optimizing your resume with relevant keywords boosts your chances of landing interviews.
4. Hiring is More AI-Driven in 2025
Modern ATS tools now use AI and machine learning. They don’t just scan for keywords—they analyze context, achievements, and formatting. That’s why highlighting measurable results (e.g., “Reduced downtime by 30% with automation”) helps you stand out in this AI-driven hiring era.
5. It’s the First Step to Getting Hired
Before a recruiter ever sees your application, your resume must pass the ATS filter. Think of it as the first interview gatekeeper. An ATS-friendly resume is your ticket to visibility—without it, your application might never reach a human hiring manager’s desk.
Steps to Create an ATS-Friendly Resume in 2025Step 1 - Start with the Job Description (JD)
Collect 3–5 recent JDs from portals or company sites. Highlight common job titles, skills, tools, and certifications. Separate them into must-have skills (e.g., AWS, Python, Kubernetes) and nice-to-have skills (e.g., Terraform, Jenkins). Using these keywords makes your resume ATS-friendly, targeted, and aligned with employer needs.
Step 2 -Choose the Right Format (Reverse-Chronological)
When building your resume, always go with the reverse-chronological format—it’s the most ATS-friendly and widely accepted by recruiters. This format highlights your most recent experience first and moves backward, making it easy to track your career growth.
The ideal section order should be:
Header → Summary → Skills → Work Experience → Projects (optional) → Education → Certifications
Step 3- Use ATS-Safe Styling
To make sure your resume passes through Applicant Tracking Systems without issues, keep the design simple and clean. - Fonts: Stick to standard fonts like Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman (10–12 pt for body text, 14–16 pt for headings).
- Formatting: Avoid using tables, text boxes, images, icons, columns, or fancy graphics—ATS often can’t read them properly.
- Structure: Use plain bullet points (• or -) and standard section headings like “ Experience”, “ Education”, “ Skills”.
- File Type: Save in .docx format by default. Use PDF only if the job description explicitly mentions it is accepted.
Step 4: Build a clean header - Full Name | City, Country | Phone | Professional email
- LinkedIn URL (customized) | Portfolio/GitHub (if relevant)
- No headshots, no multiple columns.
Example
Ayushman Sen | Bengaluru, India | +91-XXXXXXXXXX | ayushman@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/ayushmansen | github.com/ayushman
Step 5: Write a keyword-rich professional summary (2–4 lines)
Formula: Title you’re targeting + years + core tools + 2–3 business outcomes.
Example
DevOps Engineer (3+ yrs) specializing in AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, and Jenkins-based CI/CD. Automated deployments, cut release time by 40%, and improved reliability with IaC using Terraform and robust monitoring.
Step 6: Create a targeted skills section
- Use plain text groups (no skill bars): Cloud | Containers | CI/CD | IaC | Scripting | Monitoring | Soft skills.
- Mirror JD language exactly (AWS vs Amazon Web Services).
Example
Cloud: AWS (EC2, S3, IAM) | Containers: Docker, Kubernetes | CI/CD: Jenkins, GitHub Actions | IaC: Terraform | Scripting: Python, Bash | Monitoring: CloudWatch, Prometheus | Soft: Collaboration, Ownership
Step 7: Rewrite experience bullets with the “A-T-R-M” formula
Action verb + Tech/Task + Result + Metric.
Example: Automated CI/CD with Jenkins and GitHub Actions, reducing deployment errors by 30% and cutting release cycles from weekly to daily.
Aim for 4–6 bullets per role, most recent roles first. Start each bullet with a strong verb (Automated, Designed, Implemented, Optimized, Migrated, Reduced, Increased).
Step 8: Add relevant projects (especially for freshers/career switchers) - 1–3 projects with tech stack + actions + measurable outcomes.
- Include a link if live or on GitHub.
Example
E-commerce Microservices on AWS — Dockerized services, deployed to EKS, set up CI/CD, cut deployment time 50%. Stack: AWS, EKS, Docker, Terraform, Jenkins.
Step 9: Education & certifications (ATS loves this)
- Education: Degree, Institution, Year (and GPA if strong/recent).
- Certifications: Exact titles + issuing org + year.
Examples: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (2024), Docker Certified Associate (2025), Microsoft AZ-900 (2024).
Step 10: Save and name the file properly - File name :
Ayushman-Sen-DevOps-Resume-2025.docx
ConclusionCreating an ATS-friendly resume in 2025 is no longer optional—it’s a must. With the majority of companies relying on Applicant Tracking Systems, your resume needs to pass automated filters before a human ever sees it. you can maximize your chances of landing interviews and getting hired.
Tue Aug 26, 2025
