🎯 One Resume, Two Audiences: How to Format for ATS and Recruiters

🎯 One Resume, Two Audiences: How to Format for ATS and Recruiters

In today’s job market, your resume needs to do more than look good—it needs to be readable by robots and irresistible to humans.

I get this question a lot from job seekers:
“Should I have two versions of my resume—one for AI systems and one for recruiters?”
Short answer? Yes—but not as complicated as it sounds.

Here’s why:

🤖 The Rise of AI in Hiring

More than 90% of large companies use some form of Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to scan, parse, and rank resumes before a human ever sees them. That means your beautiful, graphic-filled resume might never even make it to a recruiter’s inbox if it confuses the system.

ATS-Friendly Formatting Tips:

• Use standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)

• Avoid columns, tables, graphics, or icons

• Keep section headers simple (e.g., “Experience,” “Education”)

• Submit in .docx or .pdf only if explicitly accepted

👀 When Humans Are the First to See It

On the flip side, if a recruiter is forwarding your resume—or you're sending it to a hiring manager directly—visual appeal matters. Strategic formatting can help your resume stand out and guide the reader’s eye.

Human-Optimized Formatting Tips:

• Add bold or underline to job titles and headers

• Use bullet points to improve scanability

• Incorporate minimal design elements or color (sparingly!)

• Save as a clean, high-res PDF

🧠 My Recommendation: The Dual Format Strategy

You don’t need two different resumes, just two versions:

• Version 1: ATS-optimized (clean, no fluff)

• Version 2: Visually polished (for networking, recruiter emails, etc.)

The content remains the same—but the design shifts based on the audience.

💡 Need help formatting or deciding which version to use?
That’s exactly what I do. I’ll help you create a powerful resume that gets through the system and gets noticed by people. Reach out or book a session to get started.