6 resume formatting mistakes that can break ATS parsing (easy fixes)

A lot of “ATS rejections” are just formatting problems. These are the most common ones I see:

Mistakes to avoid:

1. Two-column layouts (looks nice, parses badly)
2. Text boxes (ATS often reads them out of order)
3. Tables for skills/experience
4. Icons/graphics (ATS ignores or misreads them)
5. Important info in headers/footers (email/phone can disappear)
6. Inconsistent spacing/fonts (hurts readability and scan speed)

Simple ATS-safe rule:
Single column + standard headings + clean spacing. That’s it.

If you want feedback, paste your section headings + tell me if you used a template (and which tool: Word/Canva/Google Docs). I’ll tell you what’s risky.