Failure one: the parser could not read the document
If a PDF was exported as an image, or produced by a design tool that draws text as vector outlines, the file contains no selectable characters. The ATS stores an empty record and you score zero on every requirement.
- Self-test: open your PDF, select all, copy, and paste into a plain text editor. If nothing appears, or the order is scrambled, that is what the ATS sees.
- Fix: export from a text-based document, or rebuild the resume in a single-column layout.
Failure two: sections landed in the wrong field
Parsers match headings against a known vocabulary. "Where I've made an impact" is not in that vocabulary, so those bullets get filed as unclassified text and never count toward the experience requirement.
- Use plain headings: Summary, Skills, Experience, Education, Certifications, Projects.
- Keep each heading alone on its line, visually distinct from body text.
Failure three: dates that cannot be computed
Recruiters filter on years of experience, and that number is computed from your date ranges. Mixed or partial formats often parse as missing, which silently drops you below the minimum tenure filter even when you exceed it.
- Pick one format — "Mar 2023 – Present" — and repeat it in every entry.
- Always include the year; never place the date in a sidebar or margin.
Failure four: the words do not match the requisition
Screening scores are largely term overlap. If the posting says "CI/CD" and your resume only says "automated deployment pipelines", a strict matcher scores nothing for that requirement. Write their term and your natural phrasing together.
A five-minute self-check
- Copy-paste test: does the text come out in reading order?
- Heading test: are all six standard section names present and spelled conventionally?
- Date test: is every range in one format, with years?
- Keyword test: paste the resume and the posting into the free checker and read the missing-terms list.