Consejos ATS para currículum

What ATS software does

When you apply online, your resume often lands in an applicant tracking system first. The ATS stores your profile, lets recruiters search and filter candidates, and may score how well your resume matches the job description.

ATS is not one product—companies use Greenhouse, Workday, Lever, Taleo, iCIMS, and others. Rules overlap: readable text, standard sections, and relevant keywords increase the chance a recruiter opens your file.

How parsing works

Parsing means the system tries to split your resume into fields: name, email, employer names, job titles, dates, education, and skills. It reads left-to-right text flow—similar to copy-pasting your PDF into a plain document.

What parsers handle well

• Single-column text with clear line breaks
• Standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Times)
• Bullet characters (•, -, *) at the start of lines
• Text-based PDFs created from Word or Google Docs—not scanned photos

What often breaks parsing

• Information inside tables, text boxes, or multi-column layouts
• Headers and footers (contact info repeated there may duplicate or drop)
• Graphics, skill bars, icons, or charts replacing text
• Scanned PDFs or image-only exports

If parsing fails, your work history can appear blank to a recruiter using keyword search—even when the PDF looks fine on screen.

PDF vs Word

Follow the application instructions. If the portal says PDF only, upload PDF. If it asks for .docx, use Word. When unspecified, PDF is the usual choice because layout stays stable across devices.

Export from the same tool you edited in (Google Docs, Word, or your builder). Avoid printing-to-PDF from a browser preview if it flattens text oddly. Open the exported file and try selecting text with your cursor—if you cannot select sentences, parsers may struggle too.

File hygiene

• File name: FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf (no “resume_final_v7”).
• Keep file size reasonable (under ~2 MB unless portfolio links are embedded).
• Do not password-protect the file.

Layout rules

Design for machines first, then polish for humans. The safest ATS layout is a single column with normal margins and consistent spacing.

• One column for body content. Sidebars push text out of reading order.
• No tables for experience blocks—use stacked lines (company, title, dates, bullets).
• 10–12 pt body, 14–18 pt name; black or dark gray text on white background.
• Standard margins (~0.5–1 inch). Tiny margins can clip text when printed or re-rendered.
• Bullets for achievements; short paragraphs are harder to scan and parse.

Creative templates with color blocks and timelines look distinctive but often cost parse accuracy. Use restraint unless you are applying through a personal referral and know a human will read the PDF directly.

Section headings recruiters and ATS expect

Use plain English labels on their own line. Avoid puns or icons instead of words.

• Work Experience (or Professional Experience)
• Education
• Skills (or Technical Skills)
• Certifications when relevant
• Projects for early-career or technical roles

“Professional Summary” or “Summary” is optional. Skip unusual headings like “My Journey” or “Value Proposition”—recruiters may not search those fields.

Dates and job titles

Put job title and employer on separate lines or clearly separated with consistent punctuation. Use the same date format everywhere.