ATS resume templates with one column

An ATS score usually comes from a resume-checking website, not from the employer. These tools compare your resume with a job posting, estimate how closely the words match and turn that into a number. Each tool counts differently, so one resume can score differently on two sites.

Is a 72 ATS score good?

A 72 ATS score can be good. On many checkers, a 72 means the tool found many of the posting's terms on your page and missed some others. Treat it as a prompt to review your wording, not a grade the employer sees. Read the list of terms the tool flags as missing, and add only the ones that truly describe your work.

Why do ATS scores differ from one checker to the next?

Each checker picks its own terms from the posting and weighs them its own way. One may count every mention of a skill, while another looks mainly for the exact job title. None of them can see how a particular employer has set up its own system, so a score estimates how well the words match, not what happens after you apply. So when you edit, compare scores on one checker, before and after, rather than across different sites.

Should I chase a perfect ATS score?

Past a point, a higher number stops helping. Stuffing in terms you can't back up makes the resume weaker for the person who reads it next, and a recruiter who spots a list of buzzwords may stop reading. Aim instead for a resume where each term the posting stresses appears in a line that shows you doing it.

What actually helps a resume read well in an ATS?

Clear structure and honest, matching words do more than any score. In practice:

• Use the job title and key skills from the posting, worded the way the posting words them, where they truly describe your work.
• Stick to familiar headings, Education and Work History among them, so each part is easy to find.
• Spell out an abbreviation once, such as "certified nursing assistant (CNA)."
• Write dates the same way on every job, such as month and year.
• Keep the layout to one column; our resume format guide explains when two columns cause trouble.

Whether you need the posting's exact words is a common worry. Our answer on exact keywords covers when a close synonym is enough.

Build My Resume

How do I check my resume in five minutes?

Run this quick test before every application, since each posting stresses different skills:

1. Download your resume, open it, select all the text and paste it into a plain note. Every line should come through in order.
2. Read the posting and highlight the skills it repeats. Tick off each one your resume shows honestly.
3. Make sure your name, phone and email sit in the main body of the page, not tucked away in a corner.
4. Skim the top third as a recruiter would. Your latest title and strongest result should jump out.

Keep the score in perspective

Employers set up their systems in their own ways, and a person usually makes the final call. A clear layout and honest, matching wording serve you with both, which is why the single-column designs in the gallery above start you off with standard headings and nothing side by side. If a checker flags a term you can't honestly claim, leave it out: a truthful resume holds up when someone asks you about it.