ATS Guide · 2026-10-06
ATS-Friendly Resume Template: Plain-Text Starting Point
Quick answer
Use this plain-text skeleton as a conservative starting point: readable body text, clear section headings, consistent dates, and verified experience. Replace every placeholder, follow the employer’s file instructions, and inspect the exported text. No template is proven to parse correctly in every ATS or guarantee an interview.
Copy the skeleton and keep every claim factual
Use your own experience and remove sections that do not apply. A professional-looking number is still false if you cannot verify it. Adapt the ordering to your background; this is not a mandatory parser schema.
[FULL NAME] [City or region, if relevant] | [Phone] | [Email] | [Relevant portfolio URL] SUMMARY (optional) [Your actual specialization and relevant experience. No invented claims.] SKILLS [Tools, methods and qualifications you can substantiate] EXPERIENCE [Job title] — [Employer] [Month year – Month year, or Present if accurate] - [Action + actual task or contribution] - [Verified result or scope, only if known] EDUCATION [Qualification] — [Institution], [Year if relevant] CERTIFICATIONS OR PROJECTS (if relevant) [Accurate credential or project, issuing organization or context]
Check three things after export
- Confirm essential names, dates and contact details are selectable or appear in extracted text.
- Compare reading order with the visible document, especially across columns, tables and text boxes.
- Review the employer’s actual application fields and required questions before submitting.
Greenhouse documents unsuccessful or partial parsing involving formatting and file structure. This supports checking the export, not a promise that a single-column template passes every employer. Read the official parsing guidance.
Try a synthetic header experiment
The methodology page includes two downloadable DOCX fixtures with identical body text; one has an email in its header. They are deliberately flawed teaching fixtures, separate from the template above. Run them in the local parser preview to see what the body and header checks report. Other parsers may differ.
Formatting and job relevance are separate
A readable document can still lack required experience. Use the keyword guide to compare truthful skills with the vacancy. The no-signup guide explains processing and local retention before you choose a file. Writing a CV for an employer in the UK, Europe or India? The ATS CV checker covers personal details and CV headings.
Inspect your finished resume with a local diagnostic
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Check my resume free →Frequently asked questions
›What makes a template easier to inspect?
A simple text flow, recognizable section headings, consistent dates, and essential contact details in the body make it easier to compare the source document with extracted text. This is a conservative starting point, not a guarantee for every parser.
›Is one section order mandatory?
No universal order is established. Choose a clear order that suits your experience and the application instructions. Label sections recognizably and review the actual exported file.
›Should I use PDF or DOCX?
Follow the employer’s requested format. Otherwise inspect the exported text from the format you choose. A text-based PDF and a DOCX can each still contain extraction problems; an extension alone does not prove readability.
›Does this template guarantee an interview?
No. File readability, eligibility, job relevance, competition, and employer review are separate. A local diagnostic cannot guarantee acceptance, rank, or an interview.