Why Your Resume Gets Rejected by ATS (And How to Fix It)

Studies show that 75% of applicants are rejected by ATS systems before a human ever sees their resume. The most common rejection reasons are surprisingly fixable once you understand what the ATS is looking for. Here's how to diagnose and fix each issue.

Common ATS rejection reasons

Missing keywords (the most common issue), formatting problems (columns, tables, images), wrong file format (Word documents parse differently than PDFs), non-standard section headers, and inconsistent date formats are the top reasons resumes get filtered out.

How to fix each issue

Use a simple PDF format, include standard section headers (Experience, Education, Skills, Projects), and tailor keywords to each job description. Avoid columns, tables, and graphics that confuse parsers. Use consistent date formatting (MM/YYYY) throughout. These simple fixes can dramatically improve your ATS pass rate.