How ATS Checkers Scan Resume Sections: A Recruiter's Guide to Effective Resume Parsing

What Is an ATS Checker and Why Does It Matter?

Applicant Tracking Systems are software platforms designed to automatically screen, parse, and rank job applications. An ATS checker refers to tools or features within these platforms that analyze uploaded resumes for specific criteria before they ever reach a human recruiter. The goal is to sift through large volumes of resumes quickly, focusing only on candidates who seemingly match the job requirements.

From a recruiter's perspective, ATS checkers help save time and standardize candidate evaluation. However, from a candidate’s viewpoint, if a resume isn’t formatted or structured properly, it risks being misunderstood or overlooked despite an applicant's qualifications. Recognizing how ATS scanners interpret resume sections is the first step to bridging this gap.

How ATS Work: The Basics of Resume Parsing

ATS software relies heavily on resume parsing technology: algorithms that extract and categorize text from uploaded CVs into recognizable fields like contact information, work history, skills, education, and more. But this process is more complex than simply reading the text sequentially.

Parsing Techniques

• Keyword Matching: The ATS scans for specific keywords or phrases the employer flagged as relevant.
• Section Identification: Algorithms attempt to segment the resume into logical parts — like separating experience from education.
• Contextual Analysis: Advanced systems may assess how keywords appear in context to avoid false positives.

In our experience, the effectiveness of ATS parsing depends greatly on the resume’s formatting consistency and clarity. Confusing or unconventional layout choices can easily mislead the parser, causing valuable information to be missed.

Breaking Down How ATS Checkers Scan Each Resume Section

Resumes are not just walls of text; they are structured documents designed to communicate specific information efficiently. Understanding how ATS interpret each section empowers candidates to tailor their resumes accordingly.

1. Contact Information

The very first element ATS look for is the candidate’s contact details — name, phone number, email address, and sometimes location. Placement is key; this info is ideally at the top of the document.

Be mindful that ATS typically cannot read text embedded in headers, footers, images, or text boxes. In our recruitment work, we’ve seen resumes where contact details hidden in headers resulted in zero follow-up due to the system recording an empty contact field.

Tip: Always place contact info in the main body of the document and use standard fonts and formats.

2. Professional Summary or Objective

This opening paragraph is where candidates often cram value propositions and keywords. ATS recognize this section if it’s clearly labelled as “Summary,” “Profile,” or “Objective.” If missing or ambiguously titled, the software might misclassify or skip it.

From a recruiter’s standpoint, a well-written summary can help by reinforcing keyword inclusion early on and providing hiring managers human-readable context after ATS screening.

3. Work Experience

The professional experience section is the cornerstone for ATS screening and human evaluation alike. ATS checkers parse this section by:

• Identifying job titles, company names, and employment dates
• Extracting descriptive bullet points
• Scanning for keywords related to skills, technologies, or responsibilities

It’s critical to maintain a consistent and simple chronological format. Lists work better than paragraphs because ATS can distinguish bullet points clearly. Dates should be formatted in recognizable patterns (e.g., MM/YYYY or Month Year).

We've encountered resumes where creative layouts—such as multi-column designs or tables—raised parsing errors, causing employment periods or job titles to be jumbled or lost. This drastically lowers ATS scores regardless of experience depth.

4. Education

ATS seek institution names, degrees, certifications, and graduation dates here. Labels like “Education” or “Academic Background” assist the parser. Extraneous details or unconventional section titles may confuse the system.

We recommend avoiding images or icons to denote schools and degrees, which ATS can’t interpret. Instead, leverage plain text, maintaining logical hierarchies (degree name first, followed by institution and dates).

5. Skills

This is often the make-or-break section for passing ATS filters. ATS checkers scan skill lists for direct matches to job-required competencies. Structured skills sections with keywords separated by commas or bullet points rank highest in parsability.

Be specific: instead of generic terms like “Office software,” specify “Microsoft Excel,” “PowerPoint,” etc. Including both hard and relevant soft skills can provide a fuller candidate profile, but be wary that not all soft skills are parsed equally.

6. Certifications, Awards, and Additional Sections

Specialized certifications or awards provide an advantage when ATS systems include them as filters or ranking signals. Like other sections, clarity and standard labelling matter here.

We see a lot of variation among ATS vendors regarding how well they parse custom or less common sections (like “Volunteer Work” or “Languages”). Therefore, placing these in logically named sections improves their chances of being correctly identified and considered.

Common Missteps in Resume Sections That Trip ATS Checkers

Despite the growing sophistication of ATS checkers, many resumes still fall prey to certain mistakes, some of which are surprisingly straightforward to fix.

Complex Formatting and Graphics

Tables, columns, text boxes, and images may look visually appealing but rarely translate well when parsed. We’ve seen instances where entire sections become unreadable by the ATS, effectively turning a resume into gibberish from the system’s perspective.

Unclear Section Headings

Custom or overly creative titles for sections—like “My Story” instead of “Summary” or “My Journey” instead of “Experience”—can confuse parsing algorithms. Sticking to industry-standard headings improves recognition.

Missing Keywords or Overstuffing

Some candidates either omit relevant keywords or, conversely, stuff their resumes unnaturally with keywords hoping to trick the system. Both approaches backfire. ATS systems are increasingly capable of detecting anomalies in keyword density or context.

Ignoring File Format and Naming Conventions

Submitting resumes in obscure or overly complex file formats (like PDFs with restricted text extraction) might prevent the ATS from scanning the file properly. Preferred formats include .DOCX or simple, text-based PDFs.

Practical Tips to Optimize Resume Sections for ATS Checkers

Improving your resume’s chances of getting through ATS checkpoints doesn’t require sacrificing design quality entirely, but rather applying thoughtful structure and clarity.

• Use Clear, Standard Section Titles: Reserve headings like “Experience,” “Education,” “Skills,” “Certifications.”
• Simplify Formatting: Avoid tables or columns; use bullet points and standard fonts like Arial or Calibri.
• Put Contact Details in the Body: Keep your name, phone, and email at the top, outside headers or footers.
• Integrate Job-Specific Keywords Naturally: Analyze the job listing for relevant skills and phrases and weave them into work experience and skills sections.
• Save and Upload in ATS-Friendly File Formats: DOCX is usually safest; if using PDF, ensure it is text-based, not an image scan.
• Keep Dates Consistent and Clear: Use standard formats like “Jan 2026 – Dec 2026” for easy parsing.
• Proofread for Parsability: Run your resume through free ATS checkers to see how it’s interpreted before submitting.

From a recruiter’s perspective, candidates who implement these simple adjustments stand out because their resumes translate accurately into ATS databases, making the screening process much smoother and more reliable.

Leveraging ATS Checkers as Recruiters: What to Look For in Resume Sections

For recruiters, an in-depth understanding of how ATS checkers scan resumes can improve how you screen candidates effectively.

Balancing Automation with Human Review

While ATS help filter large applicant pools, relying solely on automated scores can overlook uniquely qualified candidates, especially if their resumes contain legitimate but unconventional formats.

Designing Job Descriptions with ATS in Mind

Clear job descriptions with concise requirements and essential keywords guide candidates in tailoring their resumes for parsing — indirectly improving ATS screening success.

Evaluating Resume Content Beyond Keywords

Some ATS tools provide analytics showing how candidates’ sections rank or flag inconsistencies (like employment gaps or incomplete education info). Combining this insight with manual review brings nuance to the selection process.

Conclusion: Demystifying ATS Scanning to Empower Candidates and Recruiters

Applicant Tracking Systems have revolutionized recruitment, but understanding the inner workings of ATS checkers in scanning resume sections is critical to leveraging these tools effectively. Clear formatting, standard section headings, and keyword integration—not just keyword stuffing—are the pillars of an ATS-friendly resume. Recruiters benefit from recognizing when a resume might be a victim of parsing errors rather than a lack of qualifications, ensuring promising candidates aren’t dismissed prematurely.

In our experience, collaborating with candidates on transparent resume optimization and designing job postings mindful of ATS mechanics creates a smoother, fairer hiring process. Ultimately, the best hires come from blending technology with human judgment, and understanding how ATS scan resumes is the first step in that direction.