Start with a parseable structure
Use familiar headings such as Work Experience, Projects, Education, and Skills. Keep the body as selectable text and show clear start and end dates. Avoid placing essential experience in images or complex tables, because parsers may skip fields or read them in the wrong order.
Use keywords only where your experience supports them
Break the job description into tools, business contexts, responsibilities, and expected outcomes, then map them to work you actually did. Let relevant terms appear naturally in your summary, skills, and matching experience. Do not add unsupported keywords just to improve a match score.
Complete the evidence chain
A strong bullet usually identifies the action, scope, and result. Add useful context such as the audience, team size, time frame, system boundary, or measurable change. Every number needs a defensible basis; use a range or relative change when absolute figures are confidential.
Test the exported file
An ATS reads the submitted file, not the editor preview. Reopen the PDF, select and copy its text in reading order, test its links, check that fonts render correctly, and make sure headers or footers do not cover the body.
Remember the human reader
Being parseable does not guarantee an interview. Recruiters scan titles, companies, dates, and the first few bullets quickly, so place the most relevant evidence first and remove statements that merely repeat a job description.
Use claims you can explain and trace. Keyword matching should reveal wording gaps, never manufacture experience.